BUTTE — The Butte Rescue Mission has an emergency shelter to help people get out of the deadly cold temperatures we’ve been having recently, but they also have a van so they can go out to the people who may be living in vehicles or just can’t get to the shelter. So, I followed them around today to find out how they keep people warm in these really cold days.
“Butte Rescue Mission! This is my favorite kind of work to do. They say they don’t want our services, but at the end of the day, they’re still cold and they’re still hungry and we’re still here to help them,” said Operations Director Misty Johnston.
Watch the story here:
Loaded with warm clothes, blankets and supplies, Misty and Jeanette Nedbalek drive the mission’s van around the Butte area looking for those in need.
“So, we drive this little loop when it’s cold weather and we give them coats, hats, blankets,” said Johnston.
The pair know firsthand what the people they serve are going through.
“I used to be homeless and down-and-out and I wish there were people like us to help back then where I was at,” said Resources Coordinator Jeanette Nedbalek.
Misty remembers a time she and her family had nowhere to go.
“So, me and my kids and my dog slept at the walking trail without blankets. I didn’t really sleep, but we huddled together to stay warm,” said Johnston.
The rescue mission has its emergency shelter open, so fewer people will have to spend the night in subzero temperatures. The emergency shelter has 16 beds but housed about 36 people during the extreme cold Monday evening. Many say they are grateful the shelter was there for them.
“I’m still here and they let me in, so I’m very grateful and thankful, because otherwise, I’d probably be dead, honestly,” said Dalio Mendoza.
