New Facility to Open By Next Winter
SARATOGA SPRINGS – Shelters of Saratoga made a dramatic announcement today. The Mitzen family will pay for the costs of a new Code Blue homeless shelter to be built on the current Shelters of Saratoga property at 14 Walworth Street. The new shelter is expected to be open by next winter.
Initial plans call for a two-story building with: a large kitchen, laundry room, men’s and women’s sleeping rooms, multiple showers and bathrooms, a large storage area for donated food and clothing, and a small Code Blue office.
Previously, Bonacio Construction agreed to handle all the construction and appropriate permits for a new building, with assistance from the LA Group, and both have agreed to forego any profits to keep the costs of Code Blue’s new home as low as possible.
Since November 2016, Code Blue has been open 79 nights and 15 days. The program relies heavily on the over 200 volunteers to help staff both day and evening shifts. Volunteers assist with such tasks as meal preparation, set up and clean up.
“Ed and I have been two of the many volunteers at Code Blue over the years. We have seen firsthand the challenges of the prior buildings and feel a new facility built for Code Blue would allow for better care of the guests. We are truly so thrilled to be able to help the community in this way,” said Lisa Mitzen.
“Our family feels incredibly blessed to be able to help others,” said Ed Mitzen. “We recognize that Code Blue has been a community effort, and it is our belief that this new building will further the care of the homeless in our area. We hope that the city government comes together and expedites all the proper zoning and approval requirements, so we can get the shelter built quickly and efficiently. We also want to send a huge thank you to Sonny Bonacio of Bonacio Construction and Mike Ingersoll of the LA Group for stepping up to help see this project through.”
The mission of Shelters of Saratoga is to provide individuals with safe shelter, support services and sustainable strategies to end homelessness in the Greater Saratoga region. For more information, please contact Michael Finocchi at Shelters of Saratoga at 518-581-1097 or visit www.sheltersofsaratoga.org.
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