Brandon Dumont spends the odd hours of the day sitting in the warmth of his blue 2004 Toyota RAV4. When Concord’s Homeless Resource Center closes, and before meals have begun at the Friendly Kitchen, Dumont says he’s lucky to have a vehicle to keep him warm.

But when the sun sets and temperatures begin to plummet, he knows his car won’t cut it. Keeping the car running all night takes a precious amount of gasoline. Instead, Dumont has spent most nights during the past two weeks sleeping in the Emergency Winter Shelter out of the First Congregational Church.

“The cold weather shelter was kind of my safest resort,” he said. “When it’s extreme cold, you try to get into somewhere that at least has heat.”

With temperatures set to drop well below zero Friday and Saturday, the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness and Friendly Kitchen are working to provide continuous indoor options for people experiencing homelessness in the area.

The coalition will open its Resource Center for extended afternoon hours from 1 to 4 p.m., and the Friendly Kitchen will remain open all day Saturday from breakfast until dinner time.

Once the emergency winter shelters opens at 6:30 p.m., people experiencing homelessness should have a place to keep warm for 24 hours between the three entities.

With the first extreme cold spell of the winter season and a pledge to turn no one away, services providers will quickly learn if a different approach will be required in the future.

“This weekend will be a test for all of us on where the capacity issues are and where the needs are and if we need to do extra things,” said Karen Jantzen, the coalition’s executive director.

The coalition recently increased the capacity for its winter shelter from 40 to 50 beds. Throughout December, they saw around 35 clients a night, Jantzen said. Recently, though, with temperatures dropping overnight the church has reached, or come closer, to capacity most nights.

This is the first winter where the resource center is providing extended hours, said Jantzen. When the temperature drops to 20 degrees or below, the coalition opens its back building from 1 to 4 p.m. Typically, this area is open in the mornings from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

At the resource center, clients can receive help from a case worker, take a shower, do laundry and check their mail. It also provides a warm place to have a snack and spend time indoors.

In years past, when the Concord School District would close due to winter weather, the coalition would remain shut down its facilities as well.

Now, staff are prepared to open the resource center no matter the weather conditions.

These added hours will help people like Dumont and others who don’t have a car. Dumont said he has been unhoused for the past two weeks, after living in a sober house in Plymouth. To keep warm if he doesn’t have gas in his car, Dumont walks through department stores in the afternoon. Other people he knows, though, try to brave the cold from their outdoor shelters.

“A lot of people just kind of tough it out and they try to bundle up and do the best they can because that’s all they can really do. So having that open longer will make a huge difference,” he said.

The Friendly Kitchen hopes to open for extended hours on Friday, as well, if they have the volunteer staffing numbers.

Service locations and hours

■Concord Coalition to End Homelessness Resource Center, 238 N. Main Street. Hours: 9 – 11:30 a.m. M-F; Extended hours (when below 20 degrees), 1-4 p.m.

■Friendly Kitchen, 2 S Commercial St. Hours: Doors open 30 minutes before mealtime – Breakfast served from 8 – 8:45 a.m. daily; Lunch 12 – 12:45 p.m. M-F; Dinner 5 – 5:45 p.m. daily; Extended hours (Saturday, potentially Friday), all day breakfast through dinner.

■Emergency Winter Shelter, First Congregational Church, 177 N. Main St. Hours: 6:30 p.m. – 7 a.m.

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