NEW BEDFORD — On a freezing, snowy day in January, a stubbled man wearing a heavy jacket, hat and shorts slowly biked up to a small red house on Eighth Street and knocked on the door.

NEW BEDFORD — On a freezing, snowy day in January, a stubbled man wearing a heavy jacket, hat and shorts slowly biked up to a small red house on Eighth Street and knocked on the door.



"Goodness, where are your pants?" said Karen Ready, a program coordinator at Sister Rose's House.She welcomed him in, asked how he was doing and gently scolded him for not being adequately dressed for the cold.



That's one example of how intake starts daily at 3:30 p.m. with guests checking in at the shelter named after Sister Rosellen Gallogly, retired director of Market Ministries.



Now run by Catholic Social Services, the sober men's shelter has been full since January.



"Our building is very inadequate," Ready said, pointing to cramped quarters and much-needed maintenance.



Catholic Social Services is moving the shelter to the long-shuttered St. Hedwig's Church at 73 Division St. ,where it will have beds available to women for the first time in the city.



"The move will really help us expand our services," said Arlene McNamee, executive director of CSS. "We are very close and the community has been very supportive."



The charity has raised $625,000 of the $1.2 million needed for the renovation, which could take up to nine months. The plan includes expanded living spaces for guests beyond a bed in a cubicle, a patio, raised beds for a community garden where they can learn to grow their own food, a job training certificate program, and GED/ELL classes.



"We see it as a great opportunity to not only improve the conditions of the shelter but also to do some creative programming," said Ed Allard, program manager for CSS' Community Action for Better Housing (CABH) that is managing the project.



"They did a lot of outreach and neighbors are supportive of the move," said Patrick Sullivan, director of the city's Office of Housing and Community Development. "The city has traditionally supported the Sister Rose House. They do a fantastic job."



Administrators at the shelter said they can't wait.



"The more shelter space we have, the more services we can provide," Ready said.