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Niagara Falls Shelter Ramps Up Efforts During Prolonged Frigid Weather
Niagara Gospel Mission expands services to protect unhoused residents from dangerous cold.
Published on Feb. 8, 2026
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Prolonged frigid temperatures are driving increased demand for emergency shelter services in Niagara Falls, where the Niagara Gospel Mission is expanding efforts to protect unhoused residents from the dangerous cold. The mission has added dozens of cots to its gymnasium and is conducting more frequent outreach to find people in need of a warm, safe place to stay.
Why it matters
Extreme and prolonged cold weather can pose serious health risks for those without stable housing, making access to emergency shelter services critical. The Niagara Gospel Mission's response highlights the challenges local organizations face in meeting the growing need during an extended cold snap.
The details
The Niagara Gospel Mission's Code Blue program provides unhoused people with a safe place to sleep when temperatures or wind chills fall below freezing. This winter, the mission has intensified its outreach efforts, sending a van out three to four times a day to search for people in need, compared to once a night in previous years. The extended stretch of extreme cold has led to higher nightly occupancy at the shelter, with the gymnasium now filled with dozens of cots.
- The Niagara Gospel Mission's Code Blue program is activated when temperatures or wind chills fall below freezing.
The players
Niagara Gospel Mission
A local organization that provides emergency shelter and other services to unhoused individuals in Niagara Falls.
Colton Lackey
The development director at the Niagara Gospel Mission.
Ricky Deckelman
A resident and volunteer with the Niagara Gospel Mission's Code Blue program, who says the organization helped him during a critical moment.
What they’re saying
“We want to make sure that we are getting folks in off the street, and we are helping them in any way that we can.”
— Colton Lackey, Development Director, Niagara Gospel Mission (wgrz.com)
“I was stumbling down the street, and I was stranded, and it was cold and snowing real hard, and I was just about to give up, and I prayed to God to lead me in the direction that he wanted me to go. And I saw that sign that Jesus saves, and that's what brought me to this mission.”
— Ricky Deckelman, Resident and Volunteer, Niagara Gospel Mission (wgrz.com)
“I look forward to helping people because it makes, it helps me heal from my past, and I don't want to see them struggle.”
— Ricky Deckelman, Resident and Volunteer, Niagara Gospel Mission (wgrz.com)
What’s next
As dangerously cold conditions persist, shelter operators say the need for community support remains urgent, with outreach efforts continuing around the clock to bring people indoors and out of harm's way.
The takeaway
The Niagara Gospel Mission's response to the prolonged frigid weather highlights the critical role that local organizations play in providing emergency shelter and support services to protect vulnerable populations from the dangers of extreme cold.
