AURORA, Colo. — The Aurora Day Resource Center is shuttling people to shelter to keep them out of the cold amid the arctic blast.
The Aurora Day Resource Center operates from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. In order to keep those experiencing homelessness off the street, the center is using shuttles to move people from the day center to the Aurora Regional Navigation Center.
“We're going to drive people over so that they can have a warm place, a hot meal, be able to sleep there in safely, and then be able to come back the next morning,” said Jim Goebelbecker, executive director of Advance, Inc., which operates the day center. “The Day Resource Center closes at night because it's not really set up to be able to do overnight accommodations, particularly for the number of people who would be in need.”
The Aurora Regional Navigation Center is in the middle of some major upgrades. It’s being converted from a former convention center into a homeless resource center. Eventually, it will provide everything from a temporary bed to long-term hotel rooms, depending on the needs of its clients. The renovations are scheduled to be complete in October.
Though the center isn’t finished, advocates are using the space to provide meals and beds to those in need.
“People have a place where they can feel comfortable and know that they're cared for, at least one night at a time,” said Goebelbecker. “There are so many people who are not going to be sleeping on the streets tonight. That just warms our hearts knowing that we're making a difference.”
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The shuttle runs from the Day Resource Center to the Aurora Regional Navigation Center from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. every night. The shuttle returns people to the Day Resource Center from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. every morning.
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