Background Statement
Together, we are Emergency Responders.
We prevent our homeless brothers and sisters from freezing to death in the winter.
Severe Weather Shelter Network (SWSN) was born from the Severe Weather Collaboration in the summer of 2012. The Collaboration, a sub-committee of Heading Home, Jefferson County, addresses the needs of families and individuals experiencing homelessness during life-threatening winter nights. Among the objectives was the goal to engage churches to open their buildings as a source of shelter for families and individuals during severe weather.
SWSN provided our first nights of shelter in February of 2013 in Lakewood. Over time, we have expanded to two additional locations in Arvada and Englewood.
During the winter of 2022/23, SWSN provided 1,095 homeless persons with 2,994 nights of shelter. Our emergency shelters will continue in those same locations during the winter months, preventing people from freezing to death.
SWSN's vision for the future includes expanding our shelter model to serve the suburban communities of Jefferson and Arapahoe Counties.
SWSN empowers change in our communities through the provision of Refuge, Relationship, and Restoration for our guests and volunteers and plays an important role in how homelessness is addressed. Most importantly we believe our God will be honored and lives will be saved. We are a faith-based ministry to serve those in need (Mt. 25: 35-39).