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Shelter prepares as temperatures expected to drop below freezing

Weekend weather brings dangerous conditions for unsheltered

By Jenelle Baumbach News Intern

Lighthouse Mission Ministries will offer shelter and food for people without housing, in preparation for the below-freezing temperatures expected to hit Bellingham this weekend.  

The mission operates Base Camp in downtown Bellingham, which includes 200 beds for homeless adults, and operates an overflow shelter, that can host up to 40 additional people for a night. 

With temperatures predicted to dip below 20 degrees on Saturday and Sunday nights, the mission wants to ensure that anyone who needs services can receive them. 

In addition to Lighthouse’s services, the Whatcom County Health Department has activated their severe weather shelters, located in Bellingham’s Civic Field and Ferndale Community Services. 

These shelters are open from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28-29. 

Lighthouse President and CEO Hans Erchinger-Davis expects all beds available in the shelter to fill up during the next few cold nights. The mission was 96% full on Thursday night, with 231 people staying the night, according to the organization’s nightly count. 

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