Code Purple Sussex County in desperate need of volunteers

GEORGETOWN, Del. – With cooler temperatures some people on the street without a home, in Sussex County, are left fighting for their lives.

“When it dips down in the 20s, anything below 32, there’s that risk of hypothermia,” said Mari Hellard, Georgetown site coordinator, for Code Purple Sussex County.

“There’s a risk of death,” said Hellard.

“You can sleep in your car when it’s 40 or 50 degrees, but you can’t sleep in your car when it’s 20,” said Jim Martin, founder of the Shepherd’s Office.

Tuesday night, members of the Code Purple Sussex County announced there would be no shelter for women in Milford because there were no women volunteers available to help.

“It’s crucial for us to have the overnight volunteers and we cannot be open without them,” said Hellard.

“There are so many things that the person needs all at once and it’s really a crisis moment and I’m thinking you probably need two people that are volunteering to help one person,” said Hellard.

Hellard says overnight volunteers help guests feel safe and at ease and that is why they are asking women in the community to lend a helping hand.

After all, if they get enough volunteers, they can help members of the homeless community get back on their feet.

“I mean, all we really need is 14 volunteers willing to come once a week, and that will cover the whole season,” said Hellard.

Members of Code Purple Sussex County say they are in great need for female overnight volunteers across the region, but they are in greater need at their Milford and Bridgeville shelters.

There will be a volunteer orientation held at Gateway Fellowship in Bridgeville on Friday at 8:30 PM for any women interested in serving Code Purple.