Lockport CARES preparing for Coldest Night of the Year

By Benjamin Joe

The international homelessness awareness event, the Coldest Night of the Year, is coming up on Feb. 28. Lockport CARES, the one emergency homeless shelter in the City of Lockport, is currently signing up walkers and teams of walkers to experience being homeless in the Western New York winter.

Lockport CARES Executive Director the Rev. Ebony Singletary spoke about CNOTY at the homeless shelter’s offices on Genesee Street. This is the fourth year Lockport CARES has participated in the walk – Singletary’s first – having come into the role in October of 2025.

“Coldest Night of the Year is a way for us to bring awareness to what our guests experience when they are outside our shelter,” she said. “You can do a 2.5K or a 5K walk through the City of Lockport. Mostly down Main Street and East Avenue and through the Lock Plaza.”

Singletary and the volunteers are “excited” to be a part of the event.

“We are excited to bring the community together,” she said. “We’re gearing up with all of our teams – some of teams we had last year and some new teams that have signed up year. Everybody’s got a goal. We’re trying to make it a friendly competition, so we’re having a good time.”

Singletary said there are approximately 15 walkers and nine teams signed up so far, but it’s still quite early.

“We’re about 50 days out,” she said. “So, there’s plenty of time for people to jump in to become a part of it. Join a team, or start your own team. I would say we’re looking for about 150 people to walk with us that night.”

Singletary said she would also be talking to local businesses to sponsor the walk.

Lockport CARES is a nine-bed, independent homeless shelter that does not accept state and federal funds to run its facility. It has helped men, women and families get back on their feet. Guests may stay for up to 15 business days.

“All the money that we raise will go to support the work we’re doing there. Meals, general upkeep of the house, and staff,” Singletary said. “We have a care manager, and each one of our guests meets with our care manager during their time here to help with additional resources for housing and employment, health, support systems. Those kind of things.”

Walkers can sign up at CNOY.com/lockport or CNOTY.com and look up Lockport to join the walk.

“We want Feb. 28 to be a big party through Main Street and the City of Lockport to bring awareness to Lockport CARES, to build awareness of our homeless community and celebrate the work we’re doing,” Singletary said.

Homeless individuals may call the Lockport CARES intake line at 716-939-0926. Currently, the shelter cannot help those escaping a violent situation, or those with an active substance abuse condition or an unmedicated mental health condition.