HELP HOTLINE Cold weather shelter program gets started soon

Last year, 576 people received shelter through the effort.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Help Hotline Crisis Center will kick off its 2004-05 cold-weather emergency shelter program at 9:30 a.m. Monday at St. Vincent dePaul's soup kitchen, 208 W. Front St.
This shelter program, in its 15th year, is a coordinated effort for providing shelter for homeless people and families through the Rescue Mission and Help Hotline providing telephone access.
Its 2003-04 statistics showed 2,747 bed days, 576 people receiving shelter (142 women, 139 children and 295 men) and 1,612 telephone calls.
Hours of operation will be 9 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. from Monday through March 31. The homeless can call (800) 427-3606 or 211 to access the shelter. Anyone aware of someone in need can also call.
Help Hotline contacts the Rescue Mission after getting a call to see if there is room at the shelter. After ensuring that space is available, transportation is arranged.
Help Hotline also accepts collect calls for the program.
Funding
This effort is funded by the city of Youngstown, Mahoning County Mental Health Board, Mahoning County Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board, Youngstown/Mahoning Valley United Way, Jewish Federation, Catholic Charities, Frances Schermer Charitable Trust and Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley.
The cold-weather emergency shelter program is run in cooperation with Addiction Programs of Mahoning Valley, Emergency Services & amp; Prescreening Crisis Unit of Parkview Counseling, Greater Youngstown Point, Help Hotline Crisis Center, Independent Radio Taxi, Mahoning County Chemical Dependency Program, Mahoning County Homeless Coalition, Neil Kennedy Recovery Center, Northeast Ohio Legal Services and the Youngstown Police Department.