DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The Salvation Army in Decatur has started helping men find overnight shelter with its Cold Cot program. 

The program is making its return in early November due to temperatures already reaching below 35 degrees overnight and consistently being expected to go below that number. In the Cold Cot program, additional cots are added to the men's shelter at the Salvation Army, with the goal of getting men out of life-threatening cold temperatures. 

Each man checks in at 5 p.m. and receives supper, along with a hot shower. They sleep overnight and leave after breakfast the next morning. 

The program typically opens in November and stays open through March and even into April. In the past, the Cold Cot program housed 100 different men who stayed overnight in the winter. Each person can be part of shelter assistance that helps address individual challenges and helps move a person to a life of self-sufficiency. 

Many of the men who take part in this assistance have found the support they need. 

Officials said they received about 30 cots from the Red Cross, allowing them to accommodate needs past 30 regular shelter beds. Direct donations to fund the program have been from the United Way and the Ballance Foundation, along with past Cold Cot donations arranged by local donors and the community in the 2019 WSOY Radio Telethon. 

"It is so important that these designated funds come in each year to fully fund a program that absolutely must be available to men in our community," a press release said. "The Cold Cots are saving lives one night at a time."