By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The cold weather is not going away anytime soon. The National Weather Service in Wichita predicts wind chills to dip below minus 20 degrees Monday night and Tuesday afternoon, then stay below zero Tuesday night. A high of 34 degrees on Wednesday will be the warmest part of the week. Live Like Jesus Today Ministries and Heartland Community Church in Great Bend want to make sure everyone has access to warmth and food.
"We've got people staying 24 hours a day, and we have people coming in for food," said Buzz Birney with Live Like Jesus Today Ministries. "If people are hungry and they just need a meal or somewhere warm, or if they're house is freezing up and they need a place to stay, they're welcome here. They're welcome to come and eat any meal they want. Of course, the homeless can stay here 24 hours a day for as long as we're open."
Birney's Kingdom Campus is located at 700 Patton. Heartland Community Church is offering its gymnasium at 4907 10th Street for the shelter. The shelter can be accessed at the back of the church in the far east corner.
"Right now, we'll probably be here through Friday night into Saturday," Birney said. "Then we'll just see what the weather does as the week moves on."
Relief from the cold may be on the way soon. Highs are expected to reach the high 30s on Sunday and move into the low 40s for the rest of January.