Emergency Winter Warming Shelter opens up to help people on the streets

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- On Monday morning, RH Community Builders held the grand opening for their Emergency Winter Warming Shelter.

Comprehensive Addiction Programs Recovery Home was forced to close last year after licensing issues. RH Community Builders had an idea: turn the existing facility into an Emergency Winter Warming Shelter, getting people off the streets now and offering help to get them off the streets for good.

Kristin Delgado is staying at the shelter.

Delgado explained she made some choices in life that ultimately led her down a path of losing everything.

"This facility has been a blessing for me because this is the first time in my life I've been homeless," she said while holding back tears.

She can concentrate on finding a job and permanent housing.

"I'm trying to focus, focus on the important things that I need, not that I want," she said.

Also staying at the shelter is Jacob Thompson. He is trying to make changes to better his life. He's here with his mom and two younger brothers.

He fell on hard times last year, losing his job and apartment.

"We would have been staying in my car probably in a park somewhere," he said.

Several partners, including the Poverello House, have helped the shelter with day-to-day operations.

The shelter's days are numbered. It's a temporary winter shelter, so it will only be open for a few more weeks.

Staff members are working hard to get people connected to permanent solutions.

Katie Wilbur, the Executive Director for RH Community Builders, mentioned they've already have helped a few individuals.

"So our goal is to connect every single person here to the appropriate level of care for them before we close at the end of February," Wilbur said.

Wilbur mentioned they are always looking for donations to continue running the shelter until they close.

RH Community Builders says they hope to reopen the facility as the new Comprehensive Addiction Programs Recovery Home in the spring.