Skip to content

Youth shelter now open

The Out of the Rain shelter is once again opening its doors to help homeless youth during the winter months.

The Out of the Rain shelter is once again opening its doors to help homeless youth during the winter months.

The seasonal shelter opened Oct. 15 and will serve youth ages 15 to 25, from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. every day until April 15.

“As we move closer to winter, hundreds of youth will be desperate for a safe, dry, warm place to sleep,” said Beacon Community Services CEO Bob Boulter.

“The shelter gives that to as many as 30 people a night. Staff and volunteers also offer support and guidance around some of the issues that led youth to the streets and direct youth to community resources that can help improve their lives over the long term.”

Each night, the shelter rotates among host sites in an effort to maximize resources. Two trained shelter staff work at the shelter and volunteers serve as shelter helpers or drop off a hot cooked meal for the youth. Meals are typically donated by volunteer groups that commit to provide one meal per month.

The youth shelter opened in the winter of 1998 and has run every winter since then. Last year, Out of the Rain served approximately 250 youth.