Code Blue 2025-26 Season Impact

As we move toward the end of the 2025–26 Code Blue season, we want to pause and share what your generosity has made possible. When we talk about our work, we often begin with Code Blue, and for good reason. Code Blue is often the last stop when every other option has been exhausted, but more importantly, it is often an inflection point in someone’s life, a place where hope for a brighter future begins.

Night after night, it is where people take their first step out of the cold, a refuge where a hand is extended, ready to help. No matter what the next step on a person’s journey may be, whether it is a warm night indoors, a critical connection to health resources, or support navigating employment or housing, Code Blue plays a vital role in the well-being of those we serve, as well as in the health of the broader Saratoga community.

As the season winds down, we reflect on the lives you’ve helped us touch this past winter. We welcomed 261 individuals through our doors, each one offered a warm, safe place out of the harsh winter cold. But Code Blue is never just about a bed. It is about what happens next.

What sets Shelters of Saratoga apart is our commitment to treating every guest with dignity and compassion. We go beyond meeting basic needs, walking alongside each person on their journey. That means providing a warm meal, a safe place to rest, and, if a person chooses, access to support services that strengthen health and housing outcomes.

Here is what that level of support looks like in practice. This season, a record number of guests engaged in support services. Thirty-eight individuals gained employment, and more than 40 are actively engaged in housing services or have moved into community-based residences or our Emergency Shelter. These are people showing up, clocking in, and beginning to rebuild their lives from the ground up.

For those who are still on their journey, the end of Code Blue is not the end of our relationship. It evolves. We continue to support individuals through enhanced care management services offered by our New York State Health Home program, extending the stabilization and progress that began during Code Blue.

So why is Code Blue able to achieve so much? The answer lies in community and compassion. Every night we are open, hot meals are donated by local restaurants and faith-based organizations that refuse to let our neighbors go hungry. Volunteers show up in the cold not just to serve food, but to look each guest in the eye and remind them that they matter.

And then there is our staff. They do not come in just to complete a shift. They show up because they care, deeply and personally. Night after night, regardless of the weather or the weight of the work, they stay late, listen closely, and refuse to give up on anyone. Without them, none of this would be possible. They are not just the backbone of this program. They are its heart.

Mel, Code Blue Support Staff

STAFF PERSPECTIVE

Mel, a first-year support staff member, found meaning in connecting with guests whose experiences felt familiar to his own. He witnessed people grow and move forward, and one person’s journey especially stayed with him. A young guest who had experienced a period of instability fully embraced the support available at Code Blue. After a short stay, they transitioned into SOS’s Emergency Shelter program on Walworth, where they continue to build stability. Mel shared that being part of that journey meant a great deal to him.

Moments like these remind us why Code Blue matters so deeply to Saratoga Springs. It is more than a shelter. It is a place where people show up for one another, where challenges are met with care, and where small acts of support can grow into lasting change. Season after season, this community wraps its arms around those who need it most, proving that compassion here is not just a feeling, but something we put into action.

Thank you to everyone who makes that possible.

Partners & Stakeholders

The Code Blue program is supported by a wide range of area stakeholders. Nightly meals are donated by our local restaurants and faith groups – lovingly served by our incredibly dedicated volunteers each night. Our Saratoga County Department of Social Services is integral in planning and budgeting and the area network of human service providers and donors help us enhance and improve the lives of those seeking our care.

We could not do this without you.

STAKEHOLDERS

The County of Saratoga Department of Social Services
The City of Saratoga Springs
Saratoga North Country (SNC523) Continuum of Care
The New York State Office of Temporary Disability Assistance, Shelter Oversight Division
Shelters of Saratoga Staff and Board of Directors
Community Volunteers
Restaurants, Faith-Based and Civic Organizations