Taking it to the Streets ready to open shelter

PULASKI, Va. (WDBJ) - Up to 10 people will have a place to stay each cold night in Pulaski.

Taking it to the Streets is opening its overnight warming shelter.

The shelter has six beds on site and sends four additional people to a local motel.

“They get a shower, they get hot meal, they get clean clothes, we give them brand new underclothing and we give them a light breakfast in the morning,” Pastor of Taking it to the Streets Charlie Barbettini said.

He says the shelter can now open, but it has to operate under certain conditions.

For instance, the temperature must be below 40 degrees for the shelter to operate.

“If we’ve got people sleeping outside in 20 degrees, 15 degrees, 10 degrees, at least they can come in and get warm,” he said. “They can they can feel God’s love and God’s compassion.”

Each guest can stay up to five nights per season.

People can come to the shelter starting at 6 p.m. and are out the next morning at 7 a.m.

“If we had opportunities to help someone tonight, didn’t help them and tomorrow morning we heard that person froze to death I don’t think I get over it,” Barbettini said.

He says renovations on the building cost around $140,000 but through donations, the ministry has raised almost every penny of those costs.

“A lot of people just need a chance for somebody believing give them one more opportunity to change your life and turn it around and then that could be just like a domino effect you know their friend will change and the next friend will change,” Barbettini said.

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