Homeless Winter Shelter Opens Tonight

As the numbers of homeless in Prince William County are growing, the Prince William County Winter Shelter opens tonight as a place for homeless men and women to escape the cold each night to prevent hypothermia.

The shelter opens at 7 p.m. and remains open until 7 a.m. It is open every night from Nov. 1 through March 31.

Denise Dade of the Prince William County Social Services office oversees the shelter, which employs a staff of 10 part-time, seasonal employees. Two staff members stay on duty at all times.

The shelter is run on a first-come, first served basis, with a maximum capacity of 50 people, including staff members. Each person who uses the shelter must fill out an intake application which tracks basic demographic information, Dade said.

Each night, every person who comes in to use the shelter goes through a personal search before being assigned their linen and bunk. A security guard stays on duty until 11 p.m. each night as a precautionary measure.

The homeless population in Prince William County , 38 percent higher than in 2010, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

The Bill Mehr Drop-In Center is run out of the winter shelter building by the Cooperative Council of Ministries. The center is of blankets, coats and warm winter clothes to help the area's homeless as cold weather comes.