The National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning for south Santa Clara County, which remains in effect tonight through Thursday morning. Early morning lows between the mid 20s and the low 30s are anticipated—and in response, emergency overnight shelters in Gilroy and San Jose are expanding their capacity.
According to the website of San Jose-based nonprofit HomeFirst, which operates the National Guard Armory in Gilroy and the Boccardo Reception Center in San Jose, both facilities are temporarily accommodating more people. The Armory—located at 8490 Wren Avenue—has expanded its capacity from 100-beds to 150-beds.
Those who use the Armory can stay inside until 8 a.m., instead of the usual 6 a.m. departure time, the website reads. In addition, the Armory will remain open all day Jan. 1.
In San Jose, authorities expanded the Boccardo Reception Center from its original 250-bed capacity by an additional 100 beds—which will stay in effect through Jan. 4. The Boccardo Center, located at 211 Little Orchard Street—will remain open 24 hours a day through Jan. 4, and clients can stay inside all day to keep warm.
On Tuesday evening, HomeFirst volunteers were able to stabilize someone who was found suffering from hypothermia as part of their “In From the Cold” campaign. The Santa Clara Valley Medical Center’s Valley Homeless Healthcare Program—a team that provides outreach services to homeless free of charge—saved his life and ultimately stabilized him to the point he could be released. HomeFirst also secured a voucher for a motel room, so he can stay warm tonight, a Facebook post reads.
If you have concerns about someone out in the cold, call HomeFirst’s outreach team at (408) 510-7600 or email
ou******@ho**********.org
.
