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Volunteers Make 'Code Blue' Service Possible

Joanne Mahoney

Since January 1, the brutal cold of winter in the northeast has not relented, leading to 20 consecutive days of “Code Blue” declarations by Montgomery County. This official designation allows emergency shelters to open their doors to people without a warm place to sleep. But this arrangement works only because of the willingness of volunteers, who alter their sleep and family schedules to staff Code Blue centers, usually inside churches. 


Below is a first-hand account of a volunteer’s experience, as told by Joanne Mahoney, a resident of Upper Gwynedd Township. May you find joy, peace, and purpose on this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and Day of Service. 


People need to understand the sacrifices that many of the volunteers make in Montgomery County, as well as elsewhere in Pennsylvania.


The night before, I set my alarm for 4:30 a.m. 


Joanne, pictured here at a fall festival, volunteers at the women's shelter in Lansdale.


I already laid out my clothes so I can just get up and go. The alarm goes off, and I can’t help but hit the snooze. Nine minutes later I get up, get dressed, and just leave with as little noise as possible. The journey is short. I am arriving at the Women’s Cold Blue Shelter in Lansdale.


The light is on as there are still two overnight volunteers there. They leave with little conversation. The women are asleep. I am told that there are six women there. It is 5:00 a.m. Very little happens as the two volunteers are there for a bit to ensure everyone is safe. Breakfast, from an area caterer is delivered around 7 a.m. This is selfless for this business. It is just chicken and rice – not really breakfast, but full of protein. 


I go into the sleeping area and start to awaken those women still asleep. It is still dark in the shelter but we will turn on the lights shortly. Two of the women I could consider younger. The one tells me later on her experience living in a tent in the winter. She just had this small butane heater.  


“Make sure you ventilate the tent. I told the others,” she explained. 


She is grateful to be off the ground and warm. I don’t pry into why she is homeless. I truly believe in offering dignity and respect, the same that I would want. So, we leave it at that. There is another younger woman there for the first time. She is looking at the donated supply of warm coats. I try to help her. She says she had children. I don’t pry. I just can’t. Life is so hard. 


There is one older woman that looks like everyone’s grandmother. She gets up early and spends time trying to make her bed perfectly. She is quiet and doesn’t want any breakfast, only some fresh fruit that we have there. The homeless can have any snacks, fruit or drinks that we have there. They have been donated but there is not a lot of fresh food. There are several older very destitute women. They seem experienced at being homeless. They are very kind and really don’t want much. They are quiet. One really seems to need some medical care as she is complaining of stomach issues. The other is very thin. 


The unhoused guests must leave at 8 a.m. and the shelter closes for the day. This is a bit hard, it is still cold out. Due to the very cold January, the homeless have been allowed to keep some belongings at the shelter. Some have many (trash) bags full of belongings. 


I clean up after breakfast, washing coffee cups and gathering the trash to take with me. I leave around 8:15 or so. Where did they all go, I wonder. It is now light outside, and I can get my own breakfast. 


These mornings give me a great pause in my own life. My house is warm and I can lock the door at night. I have never felt fear at a shelter. They just want to get out of the cold. There is no one reason why they are homeless. People come in all flavors as they say. But what I do know is that all people, regardless, deserve dignity and respect. 





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If you’re interested in volunteering at a Code Blue or similar shelter, consider reaching out to one of the organizations below: 

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