I know it’s winter, and yes, it’s supposed to be cold, but I still don’t like it. I’d rather be on a warm beach, and I am not ashamed to say it. I can also guess that the majority of my readers feel the same. To make matters worse, the forecast calls for even colder, below-average temperatures in the near future.

Now, imagine you are not just heading to your car or mailbox but, in fact, live completely outside and unsheltered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in rain, snow, etc. — you get the point. Hard to imagine in this weather? Well, for many in Northcentral PA, that is a harsh reality.

According to the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, over 14,000 people experienced homelessness in Pennsylvania in 2024. Of the 14,000, approximately 5,000 included families with children and unaccompanied minors. Over 700 were veterans. These figures show a disturbing trend, as there was an increase of over 18% from the prior year. Though this is still below the high in 2007, the outlook isn’t promising.

While it might seem to be an easy enough problem to solve, the causes of homelessness are complex.

According to homelessnomore.com, people experiencing homelessness are most impacted by economic, social, and policy-related factors. Economic instability, such as the rising cost of housing, seems obvious, but what about underemployment, where someone works one or more minimum wage jobs just to put food on the table? A simple thing like a medical bill or a broken appliance might mean choosing between paying rent or eating.

Mental health issues and substance abuse also play major roles for those experiencing homelessness. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, over 1/3 of those experiencing homelessness suffer from some form of substance abuse, and 20-25% suffer from severe mental illness.

These problems are only made worse by the fact that mental health and addiction services in Pennsylvania are in high demand and short supply, even more so in rural areas such as Northcentral PA.

The lack of affordable housing is also an issue as the inventory of housing, in general, is low. Changes in federal policy, such as reductions in funding and housing vouchers, have made finding housing for some very difficult.

While most people reading these statistics probably think that something needs to be done, they are just not sure what. Sue and John Best and their amazing team of volunteers are actually doing something to help. The Code Blue Shelter was founded in March of 2018. The Bests knew a shelter was needed, “The weather had been near or below zero,” said John Best. “So, we decided to do a test run of three days, and it was a success.” The Bests went on to say that, in addition to a warm place to sleep, the shelter provides food both in-house and sometimes to-go. “Since the guests have to be out of the church in the morning, they sometimes don’t have anything to eat until they come back at night. One amazing volunteer made up bags of food, including bottles of water and granola bars for guests to take with them,” said Sue Best.

Apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, the shelter has been in place ever since, operating from January through March with a capacity of accommodating 25-30 guests. The shelter is located at First Church, 604 Market St., Williamsport, and is open 9 p.m.-7 a.m. most days except for Mondays and Wednesdays, where guests can stay until 10 a.m. The Code Blue Shelter does not have age restrictions (including minors), and anyone is welcome so long as certain safety rules are followed. Staffed by volunteers, the shelter is always supervised by three men and two women.

People experiencing homelessness often hear about the shelter through word of mouth. However, shelter volunteers will hang flyers at locations around the Williamsport area, including grocery stores, the bus station at the Trade and Transit Center, as well as other shelters such as Saving Grace and the American Rescue Workers. Other organizations such as STEP, West Branch Drug & Alcohol, and Joinder Mental Health have also stepped up to help by providing staff and services to shelter guests.

Those looking to find more information pertaining to Code Blue are encouraged to contact First Church, located at 604 Market St., Williamsport. The church can be reached by phone at 570-322-3572 and by email at office@firstchurch.cc.