Light House Mission stays full in cold

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - With temperatures at the freezing mark, the Lighthouse Mission is gearing up for a long winter.

Administrators said 72 people are housed at the mission now, and they expect that number to triple as temperatures drop near freezing levels.

"During the summertime, they'll sleep under bridges, abandoned houses," Lighthouse Mission employee Owen Davenport said. "When it gets cold though, they want to get inside where it's warm."

The Lighthouse Mission doesn't turn anyone away, even if they're over capacity. With a large number of people in need and colder temps arriving early, the mission could use the public's help.

"We've got two families that are expecting children," Davenport said. "One's six months pregnant, the other's maybe three months, so we need help with them."

Coordinators said they're in need of food and diapers, but they also need hand sanitizer to help prevent an H1N1 outbreak.

The Lighthouse Mission is located on Wabash Ave. and 14th St. in Terre Haute. www.thlhm.org