As the temperature in Suffolk struggled to climb above freezing on Tuesday, there was at least one small group of people thanking God for timing.

The Coalition Against Poverty in Suffolk rolled out its Night Stay Program on Dec. 30, with four people staying overnight at Magnolia United Methodist Church. Although temperatures were unusually mild that day and for the couple of days that followed, they have been dropping steadily, and the frigid spell that clutched at Suffolk for the first part of the week showed just how important such a program for homeless people can be.

This is the third year churches around Suffolk have participated in the program, through which they take turns opening their doors for overnight shelter and feeding of people who have nowhere else to go. The program is literally a lifesaver for men, women and children who would otherwise be caught outside during the occasionally bitterly cold winter nights in Suffolk.

Homelessness in Suffolk looks different than most folks might think. Last year’s beneficiaries included a teenager who went to school from the church and a single, working mother who drove her kids to school every morning and worked all day in Virginia Beach, trying to save up enough money to get a deposit to lease an apartment.

CAPS helps with temporary shelter, showers and food, and it also provides access to counseling and legal assistance for homeless people in Suffolk. The organization formed when a group of church leaders in Suffolk got together to figure out how they could better help the many people who were calling them looking for help.

Participating churches include Suffolk Christian Church, Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church, Hillcrest Baptist Church, Oakland Christian Church, Village Christian Fellowship Church, James River Community Church, Open Door Church, Bethlehem Christian Church, CrossPointe Church and First Baptist Church.

Suffolk is blessed to have such an organization working on behalf of people who so desperately need help, and the churches involved are truly doing the Lord’s work.

For more information — whether you’re interested in helping or you need help — call CAPS at 935-5497.