BUFFALO, N.Y. — As winter weather inches closer, the effort to protect the homeless community is underway.
A CODE BLUE has been issued for Buffalo and Erie County for Friday, Nov 15 from 8pm-7am at 586 Genesee Street. This was formally a women's shelter, but is now open to all during code blue events.
There will be no warming shelters open on Saturday.
Those in need of a warm location can go to the NFTA METRO Transportation Center from 5pm-7:30pm to obtain bus tickets to the Code Blue Shelter when Code Blue is called. They will not be allowed to wait at the NFTA outside of those hours.
You can receive Code Blue updates for Erie County and the City of Buffalo by texting CodeBlueBuffalo to 898-211. If you live outside of Erie County, and need a warm shelter overnight, you can contact your local police department of 211 for other shelter locations.
New this year, Erie County's Code Blue initiative is back with a new lead agency.
Sylvia’s House Inc. is helping lead the annual emergency weather safety plan that provides emergency support to people experiencing homelessness during extreme cold weather in Buffalo and Erie County. That includes outreach, transportation, shelter, and a warm meal to people when evening temperatures or wind chills drop to 32 degrees or below.
The goal is to stop winter weather related deaths.
This year's Code Blue overnight shelter is at the Restoration Society Inc. (RSI), 586 Genesee Street in Buffalo. The Code Blue Collaborative is planning a second location as well.
There will also be a Code Blue Day Time Warming Center from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at RSI when daytime temperatures or wind chills drop below 32 degrees.
Code Blue is updated daily. Organizers ask people to call 211 to find out if Code Blue is activated or to text CodeBlueBuffalo to 898-211 for alerts.
Last season, Code Blue served 901 people, including serving as a shelter during the Buffalo Blizzard.
Code Blue organizers rely on donations to serve the community. They ask for food, coffee supplies, toiletries, cleaning and laundry products, waterproof gloves, cold weather clothing and footwear. They say cash donations are also accepted.
