Frigid days lie ahead in Whatcom County, with especially bitter weather for those living on the streets.
It’s a busy time for Lighthouse Mission Ministries in Bellingham, taking care of more than 230 people in their four-month-old facility.
“Most of the folks that are coming in, they’re super thankful because it’s a warm place,” said Hans Erchinger-Davis, Lighthouse Mission President & CEO. “It’s a safety issue because when you’re out in this kind of cold, this is when the frostbite starts to kick in, this is when you may not wake up the next morning from the cold.”
Because of the cold snap, Lighthouse Mission is expanding services, allowing people to stay 24/7 during the cold snap.
“During this kind of severe weather, we make sure that they can stay during the day. They can access our medical clinic here, the case managers, the food – all the things and that really allows them to not have to get out in this cold,” said Erchinger-Davis.
What the privately funded operation needs most right now, includes money donations, winter clothing, hygiene kits and also volunteers.
“This is about as harsh as it’ll be, I think, for the season – and this is the time when people start coming in that are more the hermit types, the ones that don’t want to come in to access services – they start to come in because the need is pretty severe for them,” said Erchinger-Davis.
Click here for more information about helping Lighthouse Mission Ministries.
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