HELENA — Dangerously cold weather is on its way to Helena, putting the area's unsheltered population at risk.
"It's going to be really cold, and we don't want anyone to get frostbite or die, which has happened before,” said Theresa Ortega, the executive director of Good Samaritan Ministries.
Our Place Shelter and Recovery Center in Helena has reopened at a new National Avenue location in the former Habitat for Humanity re-store building on National Ave.
The announcement comes as the Helena area is set to see some of the season's coldest temperatures in the coming days.
Mikayla Kapphan is the program coordinator for Our Place and shared with MTN News how many people the new location can accommodate.
“The facility is huge, so we can accommodate up to 100 people. We usually have 30-50 people a day”.
Around 10 people looking to get out of the cold could warm up and have a meal during lunchtime on Friday at the new facility.
The new location includes space for peer recovery services and will be open this weekend from 9 am to 2 pm at 1531 National Ave. for those looking to get out of the cold.
United Way of the Greater Lewis and Clark Area also works to ensure Helena's homeless population has resources throughout the winter, especially during periods of consistently low temperatures.
“We have a free pantry, kind of on our front porch, and so we constantly take donations of hats, gloves, sleeping bags. And what we do is we just put it out there and folks in place as needed. It is a significant need, especially during those cold snaps,” said Community Impact Coordinator Jeff Buscher.
Both organizations can always, use donations of warm winter gear. Good Samaritan says it’s hoping for additional volunteers at our place this weekend.
