Donations from a public callout seeking blankets, sleeping bags, coats and boots poured into the emergency cold-weather shelter at The Sanctuary Church on Colorado Springs’ westside, as the latest arctic temperatures took hold Friday and continue into this week.

In fact, donated jackets were stacked to the ceiling of the church’s storage room, according to a volunteer.

But the community’s effort was too late for one man, who appears to have died of hypothermia in the church parking lot between Wednesday overnight into early Thursday.

The Rev. Eric Sandras, pastor at The Sanctuary Church, which caters to people who have addictions and runs several ministries for the homeless population, said someone who had discovered the body already had called police for assistance when he got to work Thursday morning.

“We weren’t open Wednesday night because the weather had warmed up a bit, and our volunteers were exhausted and many were sick from the previous week when we were open,” Sandras said.

But some homeless people chose to hang out around the church property because they’d heard the third arctic blast of January was coming, he said.

“This gentleman was a semi-regular to our weekly Sunday breakfast and had chosen to stay,” Sandras said. “It’s hard on all of us when we lose somebody.”

It’s not unusual for people who live on the streets to die from the elements. Along with the temperatures, alcohol and drug use are often contributing factors, Sandras said.

It’s possible at least one and perhaps two additional people have died during this arctic cold, according to Hope COS founder Melissa Oskin, but those deaths have not been confirmed.

Last year, the deaths of at least five homeless people were attributed to weather-related causes, according to Kristy Milligan, CEO of Westside CARES, a consortium of churches that provides services to homeless people in the neighborhood.

Sandras said he likes to refer to a quote by Gregory Boyle, Jesuit founder of HomeBoy Industries, who said: “Rather than criticize them for what they do, be amazed at what they endure.”

“The amount of endurance our friends without houses have is incredible,” Sandras said.

He credits a new system the city and county started last year as improving the odds for street people. The joint Pikes Peak Office of Emergency Management began coordinating cold-weather response after dangerously low temperatures descended in January 2024.

As a result, Sandras said emergency rooms are reporting a “dramatic decrease in frostbite amputations and weather-related deaths” among the homeless population.

But last week, “another life was lost,” he said.

The Sanctuary Church is the main warming shelter of a nonprofit organization called Hope COS, which activates temporary shelters when temperatures fall below 20 degrees. This is the third time this month for the popup centers to be open, as arctic air also hit Colorado Springs Jan. 3-10 and Jan. 11-15.

The Sanctuary Church opened its doors to homeless people on Friday night and plans to remain open until 8 a.m. Thursday.

Hope COS’ Hope Center at 5440 N. Union Blvd, and Vista Grande Baptist Church, 5680 Stetson Hills Blvd. also have been accepting overnighters who otherwise would sleep on the streets.

Hope COS provides transportation from trails, camps and the 24/7 homeless shelter, Springs Rescue Mission, by calling (719) 401-3111.

The rescue mission, Colorado Springs’ largest permanent homeless shelter for single adult men and women at 5 W. Las Vegas St., saw its numbers rise steadily as the deep freeze approached, from 420 to 475 or more a night sleeping at the campus, said President and CEO Travis Williams.

When cots in the traditional sleeping quarters fill up, capacity expands by adding floor space in other buildings, such as the dining hall.

“Springs Rescue Mission has never had to turn anyone away due to capacity,” Williams said.

When cots in the traditional sleeping quarters fill up, capacity expands by adding floor space in other buildings, such as the dining hall.

But some homeless people either don’t want to use the rescue mission or are not allowed because of previous behavior that breaks safety rules.

Hope COS’ popup shelters aren’t meant to compete with the rescue mission but rather complete their services by lending support, Sandras said.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department has granted an extension for capacity at The Sanctuary Church, from 120 people to 140 people, as temperatures have fallen below zero for the past few nights.

“When it dips below zero, there’s another surge of people that tends to come out of nowhere and everywhere to find shelter from wind chills,” Sandras said.

Cold-weather sheltering at six sites in the city — Springs Rescue Mission, The Sanctuary Church, Vista Grande Baptist Church, the Hope Center, the Salvation Army’s Family Hope Center for families and The Place, which takes homeless teens and young adults, over the weekend collectively accommodated 824 people, statistics show.

“Because of the more organized partnership, the Pikes Peak Office of Emergency Management has taken a great leadership role, and we have community partners coming together with transportation, medical aid, food, coats,” Sandras said.

“At every level it’s getting better. I’d like to say more and more lives are being saved, rather than lost.”

Agencies continue to accept donations from the public. The Sanctuary Church needs winter gloves and warm pants, particularly for women, Sandras said.

Clients can stay inside at the city’s warming shelters during the day also, and Sandras said he’s noticed that some are pitching in to help clean his church.

“This thing only works when people at every level of this city find a way to make a difference,” he said. “Even the people using the facility are trying their best.”