Shelter will open tonight
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on January 8, 2015 1:46 PM
Due to the bitterly cold weather, the Salvation Army will continue to keep its shelter open through Saturday for anyone needing a warm place to stay.
The shelter opened at 6 p.m. Wednesday and closed at 9 a.m. today, said Salvation Army commander Capt. Kenny Igleheart. But it will reopen at 6 p.m. today.
"We've decided to open up the shelter again each night through Saturday," Igleheart said. "It will be open from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. the next morning."
He said two people stayed at the shelter Wednesday night. One had recently lost his job and house and was homeless. The other was traveling through the area and his car broke down and he couldn't afford a place to stay.
But anyone can go to the shelter -- singles, both male and female, families with children, anybody who needs heat and a warm place to stay.
"We talked to someone last night who doesn't have quite enough heat in their house," Igleheart said. "But maybe someone's heat is broken or maybe their power goes out."
People don't have to be homeless to stay at the Salvation Army's shelter the next three nights, Igleheart said.
The only restriction is that no pets are allowed in the shelter.
"We have cots, blankets and pillows," Igleheart said. "People can bring their own hygiene products. It's communal living, and we're all one big family at the shelter.
"It's still cold, and we need to be open for that kind of weather and get people out of it. It goes back to the Salvation Army filling a need in the community. It's cold, and our goal is to make sure no one is out on the street when they don't want to be or in the cold. We have a place for them to go for a day or two for the weather to correct itself. And we also let them know the Lord loves them."
The Salvation Army shelter is located at 610 N. William St. Some meals and snacks will be served the next three days.
For more information, call 919-735-4811.