Organizers of Gloucester’s United Emergency Shelter Team (GUEST) have been hard at work during recent weeks preparing volunteers for the upcoming winter sheltering season. More volunteers are needed to assist with the program, which is a coalition of religious and community organizations that provide overnight shelter and meals on a rotating basis to homeless adults and families during the winter months.

This will be the second year of the GUEST program, which served 30 people last season, January through March. This year, the shelter will open Dec. 1 and run through March 31.

How it works: churches and community organizations provide space for emergency winter shelter sites on a rotating basis for up to seven nights a week during the cold weather. Kevin Sweeney, vice chair of the GUEST Steering Committee, said a host site will be used for no more than 35 days per year, providing safety, food and sleeping comfort out of the elements for those who otherwise would have no place t...