What a ‘Code Purple’ means for Delaware residents

When temperatures drop below 20 degrees and are considered dangerous to people who are unhoused, Friendship House, a nonprofit that works with people who are experiencing homelessness, will declare a Code Purple.

To access Code Purple shelters, those in need must pre-register, as the locations are confidential. Shelter locations for each city will be shared at the time of registration for both volunteers and clients. To pre-register for a Code Purple, Delawareans can call or visit one of organization’s Empowerment Centers:

Friendship House Empowerment Center | Wilmington
720 N. Orange St., Wilmington
302-652-8033

Friendship House Empowerment Center | Newark
62 E. Delaware Ave., Newark
302-544-0165

Friendship House Empowerment Center | Middletown
44 W. Main St., Middletown
302-416-0982

When the temperature is 10°F or colder, or when The Salvation Army deems ice, snow, and/or wind to be severe, the organization will declare a Code Purple and provide overnight emergency shelter services for up to 80 people.

• Hotline: 302-472-0750
• Check-in time: 9 p.m.
• Check-out time: 6:30 a.m.
• Services: Hot soup and/or sandwich, beverage provided in the evening; continental-style breakfast offered in the morning; shower facilities available during specifically-scheduled times based on staffing, guest volume, and meal schedules
• Note: Men should enter via 400 N. Orange Street; women should enter through 104 West 5th Street

Code Purple Kent County

Hotline: 1-800-733-6816

• Check-in: Beginning at 5:30 p.m.
• Check-out: 8 a.m.

Peoples Church (for men)
46 S. Bradford St., Dover
302-674-4177

Maranatha Life Changing Church (for women and children)
1235 E. Division St., Dover
201-281-7502

Code Purple Sussex County
Code Purple shelters are housed in churches, with a central location for an evening meal
Hotline: 302-519-0024

Church of God (for men)
425 Stein Highway, Seaford

• Check-in: 8 p.m.
• Check-out: 7 a.m.

Grace Seaford Church (for women)
805 Atlanta Road, Seaford

• Check-in: 8:30 – 9 p.m.
• Check-out: 7 a.m.

Avenue United Methodist Church (for men)
20 N. Church Ave., Milford

• Check-in: 8:30 – 9 p.m
• Check-out: 7 a.m.

Milford Nazarene (for women, with or without children)
11 NW Salevan Place, Milford

• Check-in: 8 – 9 p.m.
• Check-out: 7 a.m.

Troop 7 Building
18006 Coastal Highway, Lewes

• Operates all winter
• Shelter hours: 7 p.m. – 7 a.m.
• To reserve a spot, call 302-269-7050 between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. or 302-519-0024 after 2 p.m.