Mid-Missouri shelters offer cold cots for guests overnight

The Salvation Army Jefferson City is offering overnight shelter to help keep people out of cold weather as temperatures plunge in Mid-Missouri.

Captain Justin Windell at the Salvation Army Jefferson City said the shelter offers cold cots for people staying overnight when temperatures drop to 35 degrees or lower. He said the shelter can now accept an additional 20 to 30 people each night.

Windell said the 31-bed shelter is usually less busy during the summer months but remained full this year due to people being displaced by a tornado that swept through Jefferson City in May.

"That's where the cold cots kick in and allow us to serve more people and help more people," he said. "It does make us busier but we're able to help people in need."

Windell said the shelter is looking for volunteers to help serve community meals and is in need of blankets, sheets, pillows and food donations.

The shelter in Jefferson City had 11 people using cold cots on Tuesday evening.

The Salvation Army Harbor House in Columbia has 15 cold cots available and said it had 11 people stay overnight Tuesday.