Pat Brown, Executive Director for the Recovery Cafe Fulton County, had a mission when he and several volunteers opened the warming shelter in Rochester last month. 

Starting out as a temporary solution, Brown said the warming shelter's original plan was to only be open during a cold snap, or days that it was too dangerous to be outside. After acquiring a place at 126 E Seventh Street, the warming shelter ended up being open every evening for a little over three weeks. The shelter was run completely by volunteers each night, and all the supplies including the furniture, bedding, toiletries and food, were donated.

The shelter closed its doors last week for good, after a medical emergency with one of the people staying there made the landlords of the building think twice. Regardless of the closing, Pat says his frustrations are not with the building owners. 

Brown, who's been running the Recovery Cafe Fulton County for the past year, has experienced firsthand the need for a shelter in Rochester. During the three weeks the warming shelter was open, they had anywhere from six to nine people each night. 

He was extremely disappointed by the lack of support from top officials, leaders and local organizations, including churches. Brown says now is the time to stop turning a blind eye to those less fortunate in Fulton County. 

Brown says the homeless may not be as obvious in Rochester as a bigger city, but they are there. 

With officials having plans and resources, including staff, to open an emergency warming shelter, Brown urges the community to come together and call or email their local officials and request an emergency shelter be open.