Middletown homeless shelter sees record need this winter

With more than two weeks left in the winter season, a church-based homeless shelter in Middletown is close to breaking the record it set last year for number of clients served.

Serving Homeless Alternate Lodging Of Middletown (SHALOM) has served 127 homeless guests this season, said Bill Fugate, volunteer coordinator. The record of 129 was set during the 2018-19 season, he said.

MORE: New home for Middletown shelter Hope House expected to open this month

SHALOM is serving 24 guests, 16 men and eight women, this week, pushing the total to 127, 85 men, 41 women and one child, Fugate said.

Last year the average stay per guest was 20 nights and the average age was 42. The youngest was 2 months and the oldest was 67.

This week the homeless are being sheltered at Stratford Heights Church of God and will relocate next week to Quest Church.

The homeless are picked up every day at the SHALOM office at First United Methodist Church, 120 S. Broad St. Daily intakes are performed from 4-5 p.m. and the homeless are transported from the church every day at 5 p.m., then are returned to the office at 8 a.m. the next day.

Here is the remaining hosting schedule for the 2019-2020 season at SHALOM:

Feb. 23-29: Quest Church

March 1-7: The Gathering

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Rick McCrabb