Code Purple seeking volunteers and donations

Milford Church of the Nazarene is the site of a Code Purple shelter for women

Avenue United Methodist Church is the site of a Code Purple shelter for men

Cold weather has arrived in the Milford area which means Code Purple has been activated. According to Micheal O’Rourke who works with the organization, Code Purple consists of several sites, mostly churches, that open their doors overnight as emergency shelters for those who have no place to stay in the winter.

“The program begins every year on December 1 and runs through March 15,” O’Rourke said. “The shelters throughout Sussex County are open every night, regardless of weather conditions, as long as there are community volunteers available to cover the shifts.”

In Milford, the Code Purple site for men is at Avenue United Methodist Church, located on Church Street, and for women at the Church of the Nazarene, located on Dupont Highway.

“The main goal of Code Purple is to provide a safe, warm quiet place to sleep at night,” O’Rourke said. “Guests have access to water and light snacks, some toiletries, even dry socks when they are available. But the main mission is to prevent people from being exposed to the outdoor elements during the harsh winter nights.”

O’Rourke pointed out that many are willing to donate money and goods, which are very. Helpful, but without a reliable group of volunteers willing to stay overnight, the shelters cannot open. He stated that in 2023-24, the Avenue volunteers could be counted on “one hand.”

“The more volunteers we have, the better,” O’Rourke said. “If we had 30 volunteers, it would mean staying overnight just one night per month for the season. In my six years of volunteering, we have never had even close to that many, but every additional volunteer helps to lighten the load on the few dedicated people we have each year.”

One reason O’Rourke feels people are reluctant to volunteer is false preconceived notions many have about the homeless population in general.

“I encourage people to take those notions and forget them, thinking instead of these people as their neighbors, constituents and equals,” O’Rourke said. “Most of us have a series of safety nets in our lives that protect us from experiencing homelessness, wether that is a stable and sufficient income, health insurance, friends and family, financial nest egg and so on.”

It is those who do not have those safety nets that can find themselves homeless, O’Rourke explained.

“So many people are one car accident or sickness away from missing a rent or mortgage payment, getting evicted and then having nowhere to stay,” O’Rourke said. “Thes are some of the people in our community that need the most help and often do not receive it. There is a lack of political will to provide these individuals with a bare-minimum standard of living that can lead to these safety nets, so it falls on volunteers to help those folks.”

O’Rourke began volunteering for Code Purple when his daughter was about 18 months old and not a good sleeper, He joked that his best night of sleep sometimes was the one he got while he was volunteering.

“The Milford Code People guests are very polite, quiet and usually are quite tired, so they are typically all asleep by 9:30 PM or even earlier,” O’Rourke said. “I understand people being hesitant to try this for the first time, so anyone who signs up can request a veteran volunteer stay with them on their first few nights, providing them with someone with more experience to stay until they feel comfortable doing so alone.”

Anyone who wants to volunteer for Code Purple can do so by visiting the Love INC of Delmarva website and click the link for Code Purple. All information regarding volunteering can be found there along with contact information where they can reach out with additional questions. Shifts are usually from 8:45 PM until 6:30 AM, seven days per week.

“Nobody wants to see homeless people sleeping outside, but how to remedy this community problem is where there is disagreement,” O’Rourke said. “While we wait for a more permanent solution form our politicians and community leaders, the best, and basically only, option that Milford has is Code Purple. Unfortunately, without dedicated volunteers for this season and beyond, there is no way this operation can continue to serve the city long term.