Thanks to community support and generous donors, the Lehighton Cold Weather Station opened a new homeless shelter in Mahoning Township in early December.

The facility at 560 Country Club Road provides overnight shelter and meals when winter temperatures turn dangerous.

Joe and Debra Kay Bennett, leased the 3,000-square-feet former Concern building former Concern building to the Lehighton Cold Weather Station for a $1 through April. That includes all utilities, electric, water and heat.

John Nespoli of St. Luke’s Hospital — Carbon Campus, donated the beds. Pencor Services Inc. donated the internet and cable.

The first floor includes a dining area, kitchen, bathroom and laundry facilities, while the upper level houses sleeping areas, a bathroom and an office for overnight chaperones.

Grace Clayton of the Lehighton Cold Weather Station said volunteers transport guests from Lehighton to the shelter, where they are served dinner and breakfast. Guests sign in, complete an intake with the operations manager, review shelter rules and sign out the next morning.

The shelter serves adults 18 and older experiencing homelessness or housing instability and is open from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. when wind chills drop to 25 degrees or lower, from December through April, depending on volunteer availability.

During its first six nights of operation, the shelter served between seven and 13 guests nightly, with 17 unique individuals and more than 50 total overnight stays.

Clayton said the organization also operates a daytime program from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at a separate Lehighton location, offering showers, laundry and lunch.

The daytime program has served 91 unique individuals over the past four months, though additional daytime chaperones are needed to continue operations.

Last winter, the overnight shelter served 53 unique individuals, with a peak of 22 guests in one night. The summer daytime program also served 91 individuals, averaging 15 to 30 people daily.

Services include overnight shelter, hot meals and beverages, prayer and compassionate care, community support and referrals to local services.

Clayton said each night the shelter opens represents lives protected from the cold and hope shared through a consistent, caring presence. Transportation remains the shelter’s biggest challenge, along with the need for funding and overnight staff.

Clayton said the organization hopes to hire one or two overnight staff members to work from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. to ensure safety and stability.

Community donations fund staffing, transportation needs — including the purchase of a passenger van — meals, bedding, hygiene kits and other essentials.

The shelter currently has 22 chaperones but requires at least 12 per night, working four-hour shifts, to operate.

St. John’s Lutheran Church in Mahoning provided funding for an online training program for chaperones.

Two information sessions were held earlier this month at the Lehighton Area Memorial Library and the Lehighton Recreation Center.

Anyone interested in volunteering may contact 570-952-5359.