South Bend shelters offer weather amnesty from the cold

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A few shelters around the city want to help folks fight the frigid temperatures.

“There are a lot of reasons why someone would be unsheltered,” said Steve Matteson, the director of Ministry Partnerships at HOPE Ministries. “And that’s when community support comes in to play and is at least that last place so that ‘I got a place to sleep’”

The folks at HOPE Ministries are banking on a packed shelter Tuesday.

The organization’s Project Warm will keep several dozen people off the streets thanks to support from the community.        

“Local churches have been sponsoring that and working with HOPE for a number of years now and of course that’s a critical ministry in our community at this time,” said Matteson. “There are a number of places that have space dedicated so someone can get out of the cold tonight and have a nice warm place to sleep.”

With temps in the single digits, the Center for the Homeless is expecting to take in 15 men and up to two families, while the Life Treatment Center is bracing for up to 15 women.

But HOPE Ministries has the most space.

The city helped the organization purchase the former Kraz Construction building next door to turn into a shelter.

Now they’ll be able to accommodate 30 men.

“The South Bend, Michiana area is blessed to have a number of places like hope who see this as our calling,” said Matteson.