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Danbury Shelters, Food Programs Gear Up For Blizzard

DANBURY, Conn. -- In preparation for Tuesday's blizzard, Michele Conderino, regional director of Catholic Charities in Danbury, is loading her trucks up with gallons of milk and boxes of cereal.

John, Dorish volunteers with the Morning Glory Breakfast Program every Thursday. The Morning Glory Breakfast Program is delivering breakfast items to all the Danbury homeless shelters on Monday.

John, Dorish volunteers with the Morning Glory Breakfast Program every Thursday. The Morning Glory Breakfast Program is delivering breakfast items to all the Danbury homeless shelters on Monday.

Photo Credit: Morning Glory Breakfast Program Facebook page

“Through our Morning Glory Breakfast Program, we provide breakfast to the homeless population every morning. However, since it's going to be such a huge storm tomorrow, we will be delivering the items directly to the shelters today so they can distribute breakfast to their guests tomorrow morning," Conderino said.

A powerful nor'easter is expected to drop 18 to 21 inches of snow across the Danbury area, starting late Monday.

Conderino is taking several gallons of milk and five or six boxes of cereal to each of the three year-round shelters in Danbury: the Dorothy Day Hospitality house on Spring Street, the Good Samaritan Mission on Maple Avenue and the City of Danbury Emergency Shelter on New Street.

Catholic Charities operates the Morning Glory Breakfast program daily from 6:30 to 9 a.m. at 15 Spring St. 

"But on a day like tomorrow, it’s too dangerous to ask anyone to be on the road. So, we will be closed tomorrow," she said, adding that they hope to be open again Wednesday.

"We are making sure that everyone has somewhere to go to and something to eat," she said.

Mark Grasso, executive director of the Good Samaritan Mission homeless shelter, said he demand for shelter space doesn’t always go up when it snows.

However, he said, “we are always prepared for more. Our capacity is 14, but if it’s emergency we would take another three or four people."

Though he usually closes up every morning, given the expected amount of snow on Tuesday, he plans to remain open throughout the storm -- straight through until Wednesday morning.

“The City of Danbury works collaboratively to ensure that in times like these, we have space for everyone. We have had shelter beds for every person who has been in need of one,"  Conderino said.

Anyone in need of shelter during the storm should call 2-1-1.

The National Weather Service has posted a Blizzard Warning for all of Fairfield County and increased the projected snowfall totals to 18 inches to 2 feet for the nor'easter headed our way.

The Blizzard Warning extends to the entire metro New York region and all of coastal Connecticut from late Monday until late Tuesday night.

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