ST. LOUIS – Zori McPeters relies on shelters to stay warm during extreme cold. She is currently homeless and was heartbroken after learning about damage to an HVAC unit that left Hope Nation International Church in the Greater Ville Neighborhood without heat.

“The shelter is a good place for us to go to eat, sleep, and take a shower. So, it affects us in the worst way possible,” McPeters said.

The church’s senior pastor, Bishop Mike Robinson, was prepared to open the church doors for shelter Thursday night due to the extreme cold. 

“With the weather like it is, it means life or death for some people,” he said.

The lack of heat led Robinson on Thursday to help those in need find shelter elsewhere, even though he says during extreme cold, that’s not so easy.

McPeters said she found space in another church to stay warm but worries others without a home will face the risk of hypothermia or starting fires to stay farm.

“There are a lot of amazing shelter providers in our city that are opening their doors, but unfortunately, we just don’t have enough space,” Robinson said.

Anyone wishing to help the church, located at 4001 Maffit Ave., can call 314-614-9843 or donate here.

This is the second time in recent years that damage to an HVAC unit left the shelter without heat.

“Hopefully some heating and cooling companies will be able to help us out to get that unit restored, but at this point, it is totally inoperable,” Robinson added.

He said there’s a part of him that wants to give up, but adds his faith keeps him from caving into that temptation.

“The human side of me would definitely say that, but I know what I’m called to do,” he said. “We need prayer. We need lots of prayer.”