FORT DODGE, Iowa ( KCCI ) - Despite falling temperatures, one Iowa shelter reported no significant change in the number of men seeking refuge from the cold, KCCI reports.

Staff at Beacon of Hope men’s shelter expected increased demand as cold weather arrived, but the facility has not reached capacity.

The shelter’s director said some people may choose to remain on the streets due to addiction or mental health issues. Beacon of Hope operates as a high-barrier shelter, requiring residents to be substance-free.

Grant Trusty, who stays at the shelter, lived on the streets for about three years before finding Beacon of Hope. He said surviving cold nights without shelter is dangerous.

“I would have layered up in clothes. It would have been tough. Probably would have got pneumonia again. So

See Full Page