When temperatures fall below 32 degrees in Great Falls, volunteers at Housed Great Falls spring into action, serving warm meals and opening their doors to anyone trying to escape the cold as part of a community-led effort to keep people safe this winter.
The Housed Great Falls drop-in center is operating at First United Methodist Church (610 Second Avenue North), providing a warm place and hot meals when temperatures hit 32 degrees or below.
Shiksha Mahtani reports - watch the video:
"We're open now, and looking at the weather, I'm not sure if we'll close because we are not open if it's over 32 degrees," Lela Graham said.
Graham is president of the Housed Great Falls board.
Last year, the weather stayed under 32 degrees for so long that the center remained open for 72 days straight. The center operates from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. during qualifying weather conditions. Housed Great Falls rents space from the church but runs the program independently with volunteers and donations.
"The last time I looked, it was over 80 people who volunteer like distinctive people who took a shift," Graham said. "You know, if they sign up for a shift, they'll bring food for the people who come."
Those who come in get some food, get warm, charge their phones, and maybe watch some TV. After the drop-in center closes, people can go to the Great Falls Rescue Mission for overnight shelter.
"I think last year I was here one night we had almost 70 people. We averaged 34 people a night. And that was up from like 29 the year before," Graham said. "With everything going on with, you know, cuts and programs, nationally, I think this will be our biggest year. I mean, unfortunately, that's where it's going."
Housed Great Falls is also working on long-term solutions to address the root causes of homelessness.
"A transitional housing unit of those tiny houses. That's kind of a long-term goal of House Great Falls," Graham said.
The process to get those up and running will take three to five years and will require a lot more donations. Graham says the need for these services continues to grow in the community.
"A lot of people are just, you know, they just want to be somewhere warm," Graham said.
For Housed Great Falls, the drop-in center is only possible because of volunteers and donations. And as temperatures keep dropping, organizers say the need will only grow.
To volunteer and/or donate, click here to visit the Facebook page.
This broadcast news story has been lightly edited for online publication with the assistance of AI for clarity, syntax, and grammar.
