GALESBURG, Ill. — For the third year in a row, Galesburg is offering its local community members a place to escape the cold.
The Knox County Housing Authority and the Salvation Army will open the city's winter overnight shelter on Nov. 1. The shelter, located at 525 Iowa Court in Galesburg, will be open through April 30.
It will be open from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. each night and will be open on holidays and weekends. Officials say they hope the resources will be able to help the community's homeless population by offering more than just a place to sleep.
“The overnight winter shelter fills an immediate, emergency necessity for homeless individuals to have a safe place to sleep overnight,” Derek Antoine, Executive Director of the Knox County Housing Authority, said. “While that lifesaving need cannot be overstated, shelter staff also strive to navigate individuals to sustainable solutions by addressing the causal issues, and providing the tools they need to move forward.”
According to officials with the Knox County Housing Authority, the overnight shelter was used by 95 people while open last year. Among them, 22 of those visitors were able to be referred to long-term housing outside of shelter services.
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