With the nights getting colder, the St. Francis House homeless shelter and soup kitchen is opening its doors to those needing overnight assistance. Executive Director Kent Vann says once the temperature drops below 45 degrees, St. Francis House becomes an emergency overnight shelter that does not turn anyone away.
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The emergency shelter has been operating for the past five nights, but Vann says that's not nearly as much as last year.
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He says the longer it stays cold, the more people turn out for help, so the shelter especially needs blankets and toiletries this time of year. He says the shelter could hold up to 100 people in addition to the 35 permanent residents, but he has not seen that demand yet.