Bridge to Home officials are kicking off open season at the Santa Clarita Valley Emergency Winter Shelter with Soup for the Soul later this month.

The shelter again plans to open the Sunday before Thanksgiving to increase awareness and raise money to support full-time operations, Bridge to Home officials said.

Related: Bridge To Home Talks Homeless Shelter Location, Fundraising Campaign

Soup for the Soul is taking place at the SCV Emergency Winter Shelter at 23031 Drayton St. in Newhall from 3-7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23.

The second annual event offers guests and supporters a chance to experience the Emergency Winter Shelter, as well as a commemorative soup mug, entertainment, a meal, dessert and beverages, according to shelter officials.

“We’re growing every year,” said Tim Davis, executive director for Bridge to Home, in an interview at last year’s Soup for the Soul.

Davis attributed to the growth of the shelter’s services and its ability to stay open 127 nights this year, the most in the shelter’s 17-year history, to the fact that the community has stepped up its contributions.

Bridge to Home officials are in the midst of planning for a major fundraising push in order to meet a $1 million goal, McGivern said.

Related article: Bridge To Home Works On Permanent Facility To Help SCV Homeless

“The homeless population is up about 16 percent, countywide,” McGivern said. “We definitely need to ramp up our fundraising efforts to make this permanent facility a reality.”

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and Bridge to Home officials recently took a census of the Santa Clarita Valley’s homeless population. However, the data was not yet available, according to officials.

In January, officials estimate the homeless populations in the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys has increased by 64 percent in the last two years, according to numbers from Bridge to Home officials.

Individual tickets for the event are $35 in advance, and $40 at the door.

The shelter is currently on a three-year lease with the city at its Drayton Street home, but shelter officials agreed to work toward finding a permanent home as part of the terms of the lease.

Sponsorships are still available, and another open house will take place Dec. 7.

From the Bridge to Home website:

Since 1996, Bridge to Home has provided shelter to the homeless residents of Santa Clarita Valley during the winter months. In 1996, the budget was 60K, and the shelter was located in a city-donated warehouse. Since then, the Shelter has moved several times to locations including the Aquatics Park, the Via Princessa Metrolink Park and Ride, the County Equipment Maintenance Yard on Centre Pointe Parkway, and on Golden Valley by the Fire Station.

Today, the shelter has a $1M budget and is located at the end of Drayton Street off of Railroad Avenue.What started as a volunteer effort to provide shelter during the winter months has blossomed into full-service agency providing a continuum of comprehensive support services that help individual and families transition out of homelessness.Bridge to Home provides a crossing point in many peoples’ lives. It is where hope meets home. It is where lives change. It is where the hungry, homeless and hurting of Santa Clarita Valley experience the compassion that abounds in this community.The Santa Clarita Shelter offers 127 nights of safe, warm, and welcoming shelter for homeless people in Santa Clarita.