EHC LifeBuilders will begin its annual Cold Weather Shelter Program at 3:30 p.m. today at its Boccardo Reception Center in San Jose, located at 2011 Orchard St. in San Jose. The shelter will provide 125 emergency shelter beds.
The program officially kicks off at 6 p.m. on Monday at the National Guard armories in Gilroy and Sunnyvale and will provide 325 homeless men, women and children, with nightly emergency shelter, food and hygiene services..
"Because of the extreme cold weather, we decided to open early so we can get people the safety and warmth they need at this time," EHC spokeswoman Jennifer Van Every said..
She said the goal of the program is to not only provide a portion of the county's 7,000 homeless people with food and shelter but also to help them become self-sufficient by connecting them to job and housing support services..
The Sunnyvale and Gilroy shelters will operate from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day through the end of March. The Sunnyvale shelter is located at the National Guard Armory, 620 E. Maude Ave. The Gilroy shelter is also located at the city's National Guard Armory, 8940 Wren Ave.
