Code Blue

Lower Merion faith congregations are piloting a men's shelter program during Montgomery County Code Blue declarations, when winter conditions pose a threat of serious harm or death to people.  The shelter will house up to five men from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on Code Blue nights at a Lower Merion house of worship.

Beginning Thursday, February 1st the shelter location is Ardmore United Methodist Church.

On-call volunteers to staff the shelter are needed. All people, 18 and over are welcome to volunteer. Individuals with clinical and/or social work experience (social workers, nurses, physicians, clinical counselors, EMT’s, etc.) are encouraged to volunteer. The evenings are split into two five-hour shifts: 8:30 PM to 1:30 AM and 1:30 AM to 6:30 AM, with two on-call volunteers needed for each shift. When Code Blue declarations are called, volunteers will welcome guests and provide monitoring and assistance as needed.   During shelter shifts, volunteers will have 24-hour access to support professionals that can assist by phone as well as respond on-site as needed.

Another training session is scheduled for Monday, January 29 at 6:30 PM at AUMC.

A Code Blue Manual will be provided at that time.

All volunteers need to complete a current background check through Pennsylvania’s PATCH system. Your background check verification is produced as a pdf file that contains the Pennsylvania keystone symbol as a watermark. Please email the pdf file to Tom Yates at codebluelm@gmail.com. 

SIGN UP for volunteer shifts HERE

For further information please email Tom Yates, Volunteer Coordinator, at codebluelm@gmail.com or Pastor Tamie Scalise, Ardmore UMC Shelter Coordinator, at pastortamie@gmail.com.