A publication of The Colorado Trust
Español Menu

Housing

The mattresses spread out on the floor in the photo above are ready for unhoused guests staying at the temporary Winter Emergency Shelter (WEShelter) site on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, at First Christian Church in Grand Junction, Colo. James, who declined to provide his last name, scrolls on his phone before going to sleep. The Peace and Justice Center runs the overnight WEShelter program, which the Center for Independence and four local churches take turns hosting. Photo by Barton Glasser / Special to The Colorado Trust

Seven men gathered around a table on Christmas morning for a special home-cooked breakfast of egg-cheese-sausage-potato casserole, fresh fruit, homemade sweet rolls and orange juice.

Check-in time at WEShelter, a Grand Junction winter emergency shelter, is usually at 5:30 p.m., with check-out at 8 a.m. However, the site remained open during the day on Christmas, allowing guests to sleep in, enjoy a leisurely breakfast and spend the day indoors. WEShelter (shortened from “winter emergency shelter”) can accommodate up to 16 men seeking a temporary place to stay overnight during the winter months.

Read the full article
Close