The Gloucester United Emergency Shelter Team (GUEST), a coalition of religious and community organizations that provide hypothermic shelter during the winter months, will open for its sixth season on Dec. 3.

Ahead of this year’s opening, the organization will conduct two training and information sessions to help volunteers prepare to serve those in need.

The first session will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday in the sanctuary of Bethany United Methodist Church, Gloucester Point. A press release from the church said the session is open to the public at no charge, and will outline the cooperative winter emergency shelter program in the county.

John Seltzer, executive director of the program, said a second training session is scheduled for noon on Dec. 16 at Providence Baptist Church, Ordinary.

The past season was the busiest yet for the program, which hosts those in need in both overnight shelters that rotate week to week at local churches and at a day shelter located adjacent to the G...