Sheltered from the storm: Shepherd’s House Ministries, church partner for more room to escape bitter cold
'People die out here, if they don't have a place'
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Central Oregon’s recent winter storm had some people living on the streets dealing with frostbite and other issues, but area shelters worked with churches and other partners to make more room available during the period of bitter cold.
“We did see a pretty significant increase, in regards to people wanting to access services through our facilities and our resources,” said Even Hendrix, director of navigation services for Shepherd’s House Ministries.
As the bitter cold and snow hit Central Oregon last month, Shepherd’s House saw full capacity.
John, who stays at the shelter, is glad to have a warm place to lay his head in such times.
“You know, people die out here, if they don’t have a place,” he said.
About 170 beds were filled each night at the temporary shelter on Franklin Avenue, the Lighthouse Navigation Center and the former Rainbow Motel.
Hendrix said, “We didn’t have any hypothermia, to my knowledge, but frostbitten fingers and toes are very common."
At least two people were reported with cases of frostbite due to the sometimes near or sub-zero temperatures.
The shelters are generally at or near capacity during the winter, but continually make efforts to accommodate those in need.
“The best news that happened during the ice storm is that First Presbyterian Church, in partnership with a handful of other organizations and churches, was able to put together an emergency shelter and was able to host around 30 individuals a night,” Hendrix said.
Attendance declines during warmer weather.
"Once the weather clears, those folks tend to pop back out to their camps and trailers and vehicles and whatnot, and then in general, our day room tends to reduce in capacity," Hendrix said. "Folks do like to move about, and they have places and people that they’re looking to connect with throughout town."
With winter still in full swing, Shepherd's House Ministries encourages continued donations of socks, gloves, hand warmers and winter jackets to support the homeless.
