Warming shelter in Burlington to hold new weekend hours

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BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity is trying to find more ways to keep people from being left out in the cold.

The nonprofit extended its hours at the 228 North Winooski Ave. location on weekends so the unhoused have a place to go. The center is now open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from January through February.

In just the month of November, the center provided services to more than 600 people and the need grows as the temperatures dip. In the first two days of the pop-up, over 25 people have visited the center.

“I am curious to see how many folks will utilize the warming space on the weekends. We want to make it available. This is sort of an experiment. If there is a high volume of usage, we will know it is a necessary thing to do,” said CVOEO’s Travis Poulin.

Officials will spend the rest of this week letting clients know about the pop-up.