BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

With temperatures plunging overnight, the Jimmie Hale Mission is opening its doors to those in need of a warm place to stay for the first time this winter.

With the government still shutdown, staff at the mission said the need for services is only going to keep growing, which highlights a need for more help to keep the doors open to those who need it.

Perryn Carroll, the executive director of the mission, said the mission was open 37 nights last year and had over 4,000 beds to give more than 700 people a warm place to stay with temperatures below freezing, and that number is expected rise this year.

“In the last two years, our unhoused numbers have risen by 39%,” Carroll said. “We definitely see the numbers rising, and we see the needs of those on the street increasi

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