Niagara Gospel Mission prepping for winter nights, Code Blue

Agency purchasing 60 military-grade cots & racks in anticipation of need for emergency shelter

Niagara Gospel Mission Press Release

As November begins, and temperatures fall, Niagara Gospel Mission is gearing up for Code Blue, a program providing emergency shelter for men during the coldest months of the year. 

“In extreme weather, everyone should have a safe place to shelter,” said the Rev. John Cooper Jr., executive director. “Our staff anticipates sheltering up to 60 additional men each night the weather becomes dangerous.”

Cooper defined dangerous weather as any time temperatures drop below 32 degrees.

According to Reuters and organizations monitoring homelessness, hundreds of men, women and children are vulnerable to extreme weather each year. The flu, COVID and other respiratory illnesses, trench foot, hypothermia and more can occur for individuals who have been evicted from housing, or who are dealing with street crime, lack of appropriate clothing, the need to escape abuse, and other issues. Many unsheltered individuals choose to stay in homeless camps or in abandoned buildings due to substance abuse or mental health challenges. Some endanger themselves and others by building bonfires in parking lots, trash cans or even buildings. 

“We want to avoid these situations by providing a clean, safe environment where these people can have a good meal, stay overnight or find relief in our day shelter when the weather becomes dangerous,” Cooper said.

Niagara Gospel Mission is heading up the Code Blue effort this winter – an endeavor that will increase its budget by tens of thousands of dollars, Cooper said. The agency’s October gala raised a significant amount of funding for Code Blue, which will begin with the first extreme temperature event and end in late-March.

“The money will cover higher costs for food, water, heat, housekeeping supplies, bedding, staffing and other needs,” Cooper said. “Right now, we need to cover the cost of the heavy-duty cots and storage racks that we’ll be able to use year after year.”

Cooper said the cost for 60 cots and three storage racks, along with shipping, is just under $11,000.

“The equipment is military-grade and nothing like the cots used for family camping,” he said. “This purchase will equip us for Code Blue for several years. We welcome cash donations designated specifically for this need – everyone knows bone-chilling WNY nights are just around the corner.”

Men seeking shelter at the site during Code Blue are welcomed in to sleep on a clean cot in a safe environment, along with showers, meals and other services.

“Hopefully, some will decide to come in out of the cold for good!” Cooper said. “We offer overnight shelter, case management, and our ‘RECON’ program for men interested in addressing their challenges long-term.”

Cooper said the site also offers “The Liberty Suite,” a dorm specifically for veterans, and will soon open a new long-term discipleship program called “ReDeploy for Veterans.”

“We welcome anyone interested in learning new ways to cope with barriers to their stability,” Cooper said.

Though Niagara Gospel Mission can provide shelter for men only at this time, its leadership is in an aggressive capital campaign to open a women’s shelter in the next two years.

“For women, life on the streets is especially devastating,” Cooper said. “Soon, we’ll be able to respond to that need with emergency shelter and long-term programs designed especially for women.”

Niagara Gospel Mission is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering essential services and transformational resident programs for men experiencing homelessness. It receives no government funding, choosing instead to rely on the gifts of individuals, businesses, churches, civic groups and private foundations.