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Health & Fitness

Heavy Snow, Cold Weather, There Is Help For The Homeless!

People seeking refuge here in Middletown can go to the Church of the Holy Trinity, 381 Main St. The warming center location is open to the public, seven days a week from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

St. Vincent De Paul Middletown, the administrator for the City's Task Force on Homelessness warming center explains that the warming center is not a shelter, but provides hot beverages and a temporary respite from the cold for those in need. For more information or to make a financial donation, call 860-344-0097.

Also, Gov. Dannel Malloy activated the severe weather protocols on Monday night in advance of the snow and cold expected to arrive in Connecticut today (Tuesday Jan. 21).

Below are the official severe weather protocols:
 
1. Anyone in need of shelter should contact 2-1-1 for assistance in locating a shelter placement.
 
2. If a shelter is unable to make room for a client, that shelter can call 2-1-1 for assistance with transportation and overflow shelter possibilities.
 
3. 2-1-1 may contact a shelter even after the shelter has reported that it is full.  The 2-1-1 call specialist will ask that shelter to identify an existing client to send to a hotel, thereby creating an available slot for a client referred by 2-1-1.   Call specialists will not offer hotel stays to callers directly: 2-1-1 will work exclusively through shelters, who will identify current shelter clients for hoteling if and only if necessary to create space for new clients in urgent need of shelter.
 
4. Please send updates on shelter overflow and/or warming centers toinfodepartment@ctunitedway.org.
 
5. Please post this protocol by your phones to ensure that staff on other shifts are aware of the effort.

Find out what's happening in Middletownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As always if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call Ct Coalition To End Homlessness at (860) 721-7876.

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