Situation Critical At HomewardBound of The Grand Valley

The cold and snow have HomewardBound of the Grand Valley at capacity.

This is a request for help. Simply put HomewardBound of the Grand Valley has been operating at max capacity for days and are in need of support. Winter hasn't officially started yet and already the shelter is packed. "We are completely full...we are at our limit for the people we can help,” says Jesse Redmond, Development Director at HomewardBound. Every night more than 120 people cram into the facility.

The Grand Junction forecast calls for overnight lows in the teens the next couple of nights. Frostbite and hypothermia are real dangers when temperatures drop below freezing. Staying outside overnight when temps are this cold could be fatal. On those colder nights, the beds are snapped up quickly. And it's not just loner men coming in for help. Did you know that about a third of the homeless are families?

HomewardBound operates completely on donations. There's no federal funding, grants, or taxpayer dollars at work here. Just your generosity. "We run completely on donations, monetary and in-kind donations. Without the supporters in the community we couldn't do anything,” said Redmond.

It's cash that they need. "We are pretty stocked up on coats so instead we would ask for a lot of scarves, gloves, hats, and some hand warmers would be amazing,” continues Redmond. The holidays bring even more pressure. "Santa’s coming on December 17 and we provide the gift of warmth on Christmas day where everybody can just hang out and have some hot coffee and hot chocolate, eat some food and just hang out and visit with everyone else,” said Redmond.

Please drop off donations at the shelter located 2853 North Avenue or call 970-256-9424. Gloves, hats, and scarves are helpful but monetary donations go much further. Your donation is tax deductible. Just ask for a receipt. Experience the real joy of the season, giving. Thank you, and Happy Holidays.

Credit: KJCT8News