Local shelters face influx of guests as temperatures drop

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Some local shelters were faced with an increase in guests as bitter cold temperatures took over Mid-Missouri last week.

According to a social media post from Turning Point, the shelter will operate an emergency overnight shelter on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. in response to freezing temperatures.

Turning Point provides an overnight shelter whenever temperatures drop below 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

Just minutes before the shelter’s doors opened Sunday evening, nearly a dozen guests were already waiting to get inside.

Executive Director Darren Morton said the shelter has experienced an increase in guests since last Sunday’s snowstorm. Turning Point can accommodate up to 40 guests during overnight stays.

"We do a great job of communicating with the city...Kari Utterback whose just on top of things. You know, we're in contact. We're looking at the news in advance to see what's coming our way. We're building schedules. We're putting people in position and because we don't want to just get people indoors, we want people to be comfortable and feel safe," Morton said.

As Columbia’s designated emergency shelter, Turning Point operates with a small but dedicated group of volunteers.

"We have a small group of volunteers that are dedicated to us, and they're here constantly helping us and serving our community," Morton said.

Room at the Inn, another local shelter, has also seen high demand due to the cold weather.

Executive Director John Trapp told ABC 17 News that the shelter stayed open all day last Sunday, the day of the heaviest snowfall, to meet the increased need. The shelter typically operates from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Trapp said it has been at, or near full capacity every night.

"We're at or near capacity pretty much every night and we're working well with our partners at Turning Point and Salvation Army," Trapp said.

Room at the Inn has a capacity of 90 but reserves five cots for individuals coming from the hospital.

Trapp noted that icy roads have been a challenge. The shelter’s shuttle service, which carries about 13 people per ride, avoided operating during the storm to ensure safety but resumed services afterward.

"We did stay open on Sunday so we didn't have to run a shuttle," Trapp said. "We wanted to keep people safe and keeping them here was probably the safest thing to do. Our shuttle service has been working well. I feel like that's a big part of what we do now is that the shuttle service."

Both Morton and Trapp emphasized the critical role of community support in meeting the growing demand for shelter services. Both shelters operate on a first-come, first-serve basis

Room at the Inn remains the only shelter in the area open regardless of if the temperature is below freezing.