St. Jude Catholic Church to host emergency shelter for men

With the support of Code Purple of Sussex County, sponsored by Love Inc. of Seaford, St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church on Coastal Highway in Lewes will host a winter emergency shelter for men from Thursday, Dec. 1 to Wednesday, March 15.

Code Purple will host a one-night training for volunteers at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 10, in the parish life center, 152 Tulip Drive, Lewes. To learn more, go to loveincofmiddelmarva.org.

Last year, men in the Lewes and Rehoboth Beach communities who needed a shelter were able to access the Code Purple Shelter at the former Troop 7 building on Coastal Highway. Code Purple reports that approximately 50 men were welcomed at the site during the same period last year. Having fallen into disrepair, the building is no longer a viable site for the emergency shelter. The Code Purple team is grateful to St. Jude Parish for its warm welcome to these men in need during the time of year that brings extreme cold and winter weather conditions.

Miguel Alban, Love Inc. executive director, said, “We are grateful for St. Jude. Love Inc. was not sure if Code Purple was going to have a location site on this side of the county, but thanks to Father Lewis and church leadership, their doors will be open for the most vulnerable this winter season. Thank you and God bless you!”

St. Jude has been engaged with the homeless community in the Lewes and Rehoboth Beach area for more than 10 years and has provided thousands of meals, foodstuffs and clothing to organizations like Casa San Francisco, the Community Resource Center, Lighthouse for Broken Wings and many other local charities.

Father Brian Lewis, St. Jude pastor, said, “God himself chose to come into this world a poor babe. On the coldest winter’s night, Joseph and Mary sought shelter, and time and again, it was denied them. No one would open their door for them. How often this is repeated today, when Christ in his most distressed disguise of the poor knocks on the door of a human heart and is not welcomed. Truly, he has said, birds of the air have nests and foxes have dens, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. We cannot be the ones to deny him some place to lay his head. We have been given many blessings by God, and consequently have been given the responsibility to share those blessings with those in need. It is our joy to open wide our hearts and our doors to our brothers in Christ this winter.”

Code Purple's mission is to offer shelter to those with no home by utilizing church sanctuaries, along with volunteers’ time, talent and support to save lives during cold weather in Sussex County, and to offer hope for the future to neighbors who are struggling. Code Purple currently operates five emergency shelters throughout Sussex County. 

This winter, Code Purple together with St. Jude and other sites throughout the county will continue to seek volunteers to host these emergency shelters over the roughly 100-night period.