Two warming centers have been set up in Penns Grove and Salem for the homeless.
SALEM -- Code Blue is expected to be declared for the first time in Salem County Wednesday night.
The declaration would trigger the opening of warming centers for the area's homeless to give them places to take shelter during the bitter cold nights.
"We are ready as we can be at this time," said Ray Bolden Jr., a leader in the Salem County Code Blue Coalition on Tuesday.
Bolden, executive director of the Salem County Inter Agency Council of Human Services, and Bishop Dawn R. Brown, founder of Cathedral of Holiness Missionary Baptist Church in Pennsville, are co-directors of the Code Blue Coalition.
Bolden said the weather forecast looks like a Code Blue declaration will be warranted this week.
Volunteers have been preparing for Code Blue in Salem County for nearly a year.
Two warming centers will be open -- one at the John B. Campbell Center, 118 Walnut St., Salem, and the River Church, 222 South Broad St., Penns Grove.
They will be provided with a place to sleep and food. If the Code Blue declaration is made as expected, the warming centers will be open from 6 p.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. Thursday.
Code Blue is declared when the temperature is expected to remain at 25 degrees or below for more than two hours or if the temperature is expected to be 32 or below with precipitation.
Cots, blankets and pillows are in place at the two designated warming center, Bolden said.
"We don't know how many people to expect," Bolden said.
He said about 25 volunteers have been cleared through security screening and are ready to go to work.
The Salem County Code Blue effort is patterned after the successful Code Blue program in neighboring Cumberland County. Begun in Bridgeton, the program now includes Vineland and Millville and is coordinated on a countywide basis.
Those who want to volunteer or make other types of donations for Code Blue in Salem County should call Brown at 856-678-6144.
Monetary donations are also being sought. They can be sent to the Inter Agency Council, 98 Market St., Salem, NJ 08079 or call Bolden directly at 856-935-7510 Ext. 8317.
The Salem County organization has also established a Facebook page.
Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow South Jersey Times on Twitter @TheSJTimes. Find NJ.com on Facebook.