Masons Offer Shelter for Homeless Population
Imagine facing freezing temperatures and blistery windchill, knowing you have no place to go for the night.
Thanks to Upper Bucks Code Blue and Quakertown Masonic Lodge No. 512, local individuals experiencing homelessness have a safe place to enjoy a warm meal and sleep.
The emergency winter shelter operates out of the first floor of the lodge building at 501 W. Broad Street. Its doors open any night the temperatures drop below 26 degrees, between Nov. 15 and April 15. Other factors affecting the shelter’s availability include windchill, precipitation and available volunteers.
In Bucks County, Code Blue Shelters are independently operated by non-profit organizations. Pastor Dave Heckler, board chair of Advocates for the Homeless of Upper Bucks (AHUB), a Bucks County interfaith nonprofit group, said Upper Bucks Code Blue is one of its primary ministries.
“The Masonic lodge has been very helpful in renting us the space,” Dave said. “When we first moved in here, we needed to do some remodeling and rewiring. The lodge gave us a great deal of leeway for doing that.”
Code Blue has operated from the building for the past four years. When Upper Bucks Code Blue started their ministry, they were sheltering people at different churches in Quakertown. When they found out the lodge was looking to rent out some space, they utilized space on the second floor. Shortly after the pandemic, they moved the shelter to the first floor/lower level, which was a larger space to accommodate the growing need.
“It gave us more space to work with, so we’re better able to separate men’s and women’s sleeping areas,” Dave said. “We have a bigger kitchen now and much more storage space than before.”
There is also an on-site washer/dryer for laundry.
The Code Blue Shelter offers hot meals during the winter, either brought by volunteers or prepared in the kitchen. The ministry offers supplies, from basic toiletries to clothing and shoes. The shelter can hold 24 people, and “we’ve been close to that number many times,” Dave said. In fact, this past winter, the shelter was open for 73 nights and accommodated 46 guests.
Quakertown, a small town of around 9,300 people, offers one of three Code Blue Shelters in Bucks County. It shelters the fewest number of guests but also has the lowest population density, Dave said.
“We are open the most nights of the three Code Blue ministries,” he said. “We may not be able to shelter people every night of the year, but we can do this for 73 nights during the winter.”
For the past few years, Code Blue has had an agreement with a local shoe store to provide a voucher for a free pair of shoes once a year for their guests, Dave said.
“If you’re homeless, that’s huge.
“We are glad to be able to do this. If nobody is sheltering folks when they are homeless in life-threatening cold, people can die. It’s doable, and it’s saving people’s lives.”
The building’s prime location in the center of town makes it more accessible to homeless neighbors, Dave said.
“They can easily get to our shelter from wherever they are and get a warm meal in the evening and breakfast and snacks in the morning,” he said.
Discussions between Code Blue and the Quakertown Lodge began in 2014. Following a year of renovations, the shelter moved into its new home, said Brother Robert Wert, Lodge Secretary and Chair of the Code Blue program.
“On summer days, Code Blue can also operate as a cooling center for heat emergencies,” he said. “If a single day’s projected high is 100 degrees or above, projected highs over a two-day span are 95 degrees or more or the heat index is above 100, the shelter will open … We have not been able to shelter folks overnight during the summer yet, but we stay open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.”
The Code Blue shelter has about 85 volunteers, and since it is a worthy organization, Bob likes to keep the rent low.
“We want these people to be there,” he said. “It’s a good thing for us and for them. We want to do more with the community.”
In addition to Code Blue, another ministry, The Drop, currently rents space in the building for middle and high school students who need a place to stay after school.
“This lodge is a real example of how you can make use of space throughout the week and year, besides just for lodge activities,” Dave said. “We can make it a real community asset.”
For more information on the Code Blue Shelters, visit the Upper Bucks Code Blue Facebook page or contact Pastor Dave Heckler at prdaveheckler@gmail.com
