It was around midnight Friday when Adam Harrod arrived at the First Presbyterian Church’s temporary cold shelter on NE Ninth Street. It was just above zero degrees and he was out of propane, out of energy and out of options.

Usually living in his van, Harrod is from Eugene and unaccustomed to the cold snap that hit Central Oregon on Friday afternoon. With temperatures forecast to eventually drop even further, he would either have to find shelter or risk exposure to the elements.

Friday, as a last resort, Harrod had his brother drive him to the First Presbyterian Church, hoping the on-site manager would let him stay even though it was past the 9:30 p.m. curfew. His brother had heard good things about the church and they were optimistic about finding Harrod a warm bed.

They were right.

“If they would have been strict and by the code, then I could have died,” Harrod said. “Sometimes, you’ve got to take the shelter you can get, but this just so happened to be a place where I like the people.’”

On any given night there are around 1,200 people in Bend who are homeless, but in winter conditions, the risk of injury or death by exposure rises when the temperature drops.

Harrod was one of 23 people — and their pets — who sought shelter at the First Presbyterian Church Friday, when the church activated its temporary cold shelter in consideration of the National Weather Service forecast for Bend: sub-zero temperatures and six to nine inches of snow on Saturday. While conditions are expected to improve Sunday, 30 beds will be available at the church until Monday afternoon.

Lighthouse Navigation Center Director Evan Hendrix said all of Shepherd’s House Ministries low barrier shelters were at capacity and that First Presbyterian is the only place in Bend offering an emergency cold shelter.

“Even though with the Lighthouse we’ve got 100 people under shelter every night, we still turn people away every night,” Hendrix said. “We’ve been at capacity for the better part of the last six to eight weeks.”

Everyone who sought shelter at First Presbyterian Church Friday night found a warm bed and a hot breakfast the next morning.

“It’s amazing how differently food tastes when you’re not entitled to it, when it’s a gift from someone else,” said Patrick Smith as he clutched a warm cup of coffee.

Unlike Harrod who tried to weather the cold snap in his van, Smith had intentionally come to Bend seeking shelter from the storm.

Normally, he lives by choice up by the Prineville Reservoir, but he knew there would be only so much he could do once the temperatures hit single digits.

Smith and Harrod both expressed their undying gratitude for those who helped arrange the temporary shelter. The staff was kind, spoke to them by name and had gone out of their way to make everyone comfortable for the night, they said.

“I was just feeling nothing but gratitude … they were so kind,” Harrod said.