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Last year, 12,180 Iowans were served by homeless shelters and Governor Reynolds proclaimed this week as Iowa’s Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. A homeless shelter has opened in Washington this fall. The new Christian Community Outreach Center is open at 604 South Iowa Avenue and provides shelter and meals. Director Darren Brown says it is open daily from 4-8 p.m. with dinner served at 6 p.m. He says homelessness is a local issue and he sees a greater need this time of year, “Typically always it becomes a little tougher in the wintertime just because of the utility bill increases and things like that. And then there’s a lot of people that they don’t mind camping out or sleeping in their cars in the summertime, but when it comes time for it to get cold it definitely increases.” Brown says if any area service groups or volunteers would like to provide a meal, to contact him at the shelter 319-931-3680.