A volunteer-driven mission continues to meet the needs of the homeless population in Lehighton.

Operation Cold Front offers shelter, food, and resources in extreme weather conditions.

The shelter, located at St. Peter’s Community Resource Center, 177 Main Road, opens to guests from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. on night where temperatures drop below 25 degrees.

Openings are announced via their Facebook page, according to Esther Meier, president of St. Vincent DePaul Society of SS Peter & Paul in Lehighton.

Meier said last week Tuesday marked the third time this year the shelter opened. She said the first time they were open it was for 24 hours a day, and the second time they were open twice.

“We open up at 7 p.m. and we give them a meal,” Meier said. “Then, in the morning, we give them breakfast, then we pack lunch for them to take with them.”

Meier said that the shelter will be open again Tuesday night, and added another cold snap is in the forecast Friday and Saturday, so they will likely be open then as well.

She said people have been donating blankets, coats, boots, food, and their time to volunteer, for which she added “people have been very generous.”

Meier said the first time the shelter opened, they served about 25 people, and since then, there have been a few more, which has resulted in a total of about 30 people being served.

“They’ve been very grateful; they offer to help, they cook some of the meals, they’ve mopped the floors,” she said. “They wish we could stay open longer because of the cold.”

Meier said they have a Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/operationcoldfront/ where there is a sign-up for volunteers, as well as information on food and staying at the shelter.

She said they also have a GoFundMe page and an Amazon Wishlist.

Meier said they are seeking more volunteers to chaperon, make meals, and donate to offset costs for heating and water bills, and are grateful for any assistance that can be provided.

For more information, call 570-657-6738.