COLUMBUS, Ind. — Only 19 people, slightly fewer than half capacity, made use of Brighter Days emergency shelter Monday night as a winter storm and near-single digit temperatures moved into Bartholomew County.
Columbus Township Trustee Ben Jackson said the total actually was no surprise.
“I don’t expect that we’ll see a lot more Tuesday (night),” Jackson said, realizing that temperatures were forecast to dip to zero.
He added that Brighter Days’ numbers have been running lower in recent months.
A total of 17 people were tallied throughout the day Monday at the Community Engagement Center at 1952 McKinley Ave. The location operated by Centerstone and Columbus Township serves as a warming center on wintry days.
Columbus Police Department officers checked with engagement center staff Monday to make certain officers were checking in the right locations to find homeless residents who normally might be outdoors in less harsh conditions.
On Tuesday, just as he did on Monday, Jackson drove a shuttle to take Brighter Days clients to the Engagement Center, and then back again in the evening.
Residents were fed snacks late in the day because the Love Chapel hot meal site was canceled Monday. They were also set to be fed Tuesday at the center as well since the hot meal site had to be canceled again.
With more snow forecast later in the week, Jackson said on Tuesday that he is considering having the center also open on Saturday, a time when it is normally closed.
He added that he just needed to work out staffing issues — or find a way for Brighter Days perhaps to extend its hours to make sure residents had shelter from the cold and snow.
“I still have a series of emails to send out about that,” he said.
Jackson mentioned that some technically homeless residents will migrate between Brighter Days, the engagement center and friends’ homes during wintry weather.
“We’re not strained right now (at the center), or at capacity,” he said.
