Formerly homeless himself, John Sanders understands how important shelter and warmth are when temperatures dip into the teens and below.

“I was homeless in the ’80s and have made a real good comeback since then,” Sanders said, wearing a red “I heart Jesus” baseball cap. “Enid needs to have a full-time homeless shelter. It’s needed it for a number of years.”

For the second night in a row, Acts of Random Kindness and First Presbyterian Church opened a night-time shelter for people who need to get out of the dangerously cold temperatures.

Although no one came Wednesday night, within minutes of the doors opening at 6 p.m. Thursday several people already had gathered seeking food, warmth, shelter and fellowship.

Cindy Milacek, director of ARK, said the shelter was prepared to help anyone who needed to get out of the cold.

“We’re offering them a warm meal and a warm place to go,” she said.

Milacek said there is a homeless population in Enid and something needs to be offered to them, especially when it gets this cold. She said the goal is to establish a full-time shelter in Enid and opening a shelter for three nights was a way to “get our feet wet.”

“Just because we don’t see them all congregate in Enid in one area doesn’t mean they’re not there,” Milacek said of Enid’s homeless population. “Something needs to be done.”

Sanders agreed, saying a shelter like this would have helped him tremendously when he was homeless.

“It would have been real important to me,” he said, noting he could have avoided doing things he was ashamed he did to survive. “I wouldn’t have had to break into an old abandoned home or sleep under bridges.”

A member of First Pres-byterian for 15 years, Sanders said he was proud the church members allowed the shelter to be opened.

He said he knows six people who put up tents at night across Enid.

“I’m hoping they show up tonight,” Sanders said.

The shelter will open again at 6 tonight until 8 a.m. Satur-day. It is located at First Pres-byterian Church, 502 W. Maine, in the youth center on the west end of the building.

Other organizations in town also are helping people who need a place to stay.

Enid Salvation Army is allowing access to its shelter throughout the night during this cold weather snap.

“Our policy has loosened considerably,” said Maj. John Poff, commanding officer of the local facility.

While the shelter always is available to the community, normally the doors to the shelter, located at 516 N. Indepen-dence, lock at 10 p.m., Poff said.

“That’s to protect those that live here,” he said.

During this cold weather, however, he said some may decide to rough it in the open or in homes without adequate heat only to change their minds in the middle of the night.

In that case, he said, they can ring the doorbell at the shelter and they will be allowed to come in, as long as they have not been drinking.

The shelter has facilities for men, women and families.

He said two men stayed there Wednesday because of the cold, and he had received another inquiry Thursday.

Department of Human Services’ adult protective services division has received about a double handful of referrals concerning the cold weather the past few days, said Esther Fischer, who works within the division.

She said their job is to investigate any referrals of abuse, neglect or exploitation of those older than 18. Instances of self-neglect falls under their umbrella, Fischer said.

In the past few days, the division workers have been busy checking on people to make sure they are weathering the cold snap in a safe environment and have enough food. If there is need of an overnight shelter, she said, they have been referring people to First Presbyterian or Salvation Army.

The city eventually will have another shelter available during extreme weather, said Leland Streck, director of Community Care & Homeless Ministry of Hope Outreach.

Recent donations have “started the ball rolling” toward upgrading the ministry’s center at 815 W. Maine to an overnight shelter, Streck said.

Regulations maintain any building that offers sleeping arrangements must be covered entirely by a sprinkler system.

With funding available, the center is in a position to begin looking at contractors for the job, he said.

While the project probably will not be completed this year, Streck said he will discuss alternatives with Hope Out-reach board members to provide for those without a warm place to stay, if needed, later this winter.

Sandie Hamilton, a community care coordinator, said when the Hope Outreach center closes at 4 p.m. some who need shelter may find other alternatives, “hunker down” and not venture out to warmer, overnight facilities that open later in the evening.

Streck said sometimes those who frequent their center simply do not look for other places to stay, so he believes the ability to keep the center open during extreme weather will be of benefit.