ROCHESTER, N.Y. — On Monday, April 8, the skies over Rochester will go dark at 3:20 p.m. as the moon casts its shadow over the entire sun. The House of Mercy will celebrate with a block party to view the total solar eclipse.

The goal of the shelter at 285 Ormond St. is to connect people who are homeless to the eclipse and provide them with the space to enjoy the experience. The House of Mercy has collected donations and is already starting to give out backpacks with eclipse glasses and other basic necessities to those who need it.

Facilities director Brian Keene says they’ve been working with other local organizations like the Rochester Museum and Science Center to prepare for this event and say they are ready to go.

“I think for most people this is an intensely personal experience,” said Brian Keene, the facilities manager at the House of Mercy. “And I think for people that are going to be fortune enough to be connected in their own community, wherever it is, may not want to travel super far. Our goal is to make sure everybody here gets the most they can out of it and then everybody’s unhoused in the city that wants to participate, we will do our best to get them in.”

You can see a list of other eclipse viewing events here and see our complete coverage of the eclipse here.