Warming center struggles to fill beds

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The plummeting temperatures and dangerous wind chills mean the City Mission is declaring a code blue. But keeping homeless people out of the cold at night is a challenge.

St. Luke's Mission of Mercy on Walden Avenue in Buffalo helps hundreds of people each day with donations. They serve 200 meals a day.

Yet on nights as cold as western New York will be experiencing this week, the church is lucky to get 20 homeless people to spend the night.

"It's a shame that not everyone knows about Code Blue, that not everyone takes advantage of Code Blue," Volunteer Drew Bernstein said.

Missionaries at St. Luke's fear many homeless sleep in old abandoned houses or under bridges on cold nights instead of taking advantage of a warm bed. That's something they want to change.

"A lot of people aren't sure of themselves and they just are afraid of spending the night other than where they feel comfortable. Even if it's not safe or warm," Bernstein said.

A Code Blue is in effect when temperatures are forecasted to be 10 degrees or 0 degrees with the wind chill. The cots are set up with warm blankets and anyone is welcome, no questions asked.

"We have to, City Mission has to send people around and beg people to come in from the cold. And I understand. You want to be in a place that's yours. But you need a safer place sometimes," Bernstein said.

Missionaries at St. Luke's say when they give out donations of coats and clothes and when they serve warm meals, they tell people to encourage anyone who doesn't have a warm place to stay to consider the warming center. It could very well save lives.

The warming center will be open from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., at both St. Lukes on Walden Avenue and the Buffalo City Mission on North Street.