As temperatures dip into the teens and below, the Open Door Mission says it's seeing some homeless individuals at the shelter who are responding to ongoing efforts to build trust.
Mission spokesperson Chris Scribani says teams do "street sweeps" during good weather to encourage homeless men to seek shelter when it gets dangerously cold.
"We try to build that trust on the outside for days just like this when we're pleasantly surprised that folks are coming in, who wouldn't normally come in, and they feel like they belong."
Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order last month requiring homeless shelters to extend their hours of operation to accommodate those without shelter.
The Open Door Mission will be open for 24 hours this Saturday when the high is only expected to reach 2 degrees.
