NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — As frigid temperatures settled over Western New York, I spent the evening riding with Bill Reading, a volunteer with the Niagara Gospel Mission, as he checked on unhoused neighbors during Code Blue conditions in Niagara Falls.
Code Blue is triggered when temperatures or wind chills drop to life-threatening levels. During those nights, outreach teams work urgently to prevent frostbite, hypothermia and death, offering shelter, food and basic supplies to those living outside.
Bill knows this work personally. Years ago, he was the one in need.
Now, he spends his nights delivering bag lunches, socks and warm words to people he sees week after week. Hes learned that consistency matters.
"You don't just show up once," he said. "You come back. You let people know you care."
One of the people I met was Michael-Angelo Costanzo. He's been staying in a hotel after losing his job as a contractor and falling behind on rent. Without unemployment benefits, he says, everything unraveled quickly.
Local outreach organizations have been helping him stay warm and fed. He says it has made a real difference as he searches for stability and work.
WATCH: Niagara Gospel Mission's effort to protect the unhoused
The Niagara Gospel Mission Executive Director, John Cooper, says Code Blue is often the first step toward long-term change.
"Code Blue is an emergency shelter," Cooper said. "As we build a relationship with them, we try to move them forward through recovery programs, transitional housing and employment opportunities."
The mission currently shelters more than 100 men, expanding capacity during the winter months. Still, Cooper acknowledges that people decline shelter, often due to trauma, fear and concern about losing their place outside. That's why relationship-building is at the center of their approach.
"We don't want them out on the street," Cooper said. "We want to care for them here and show them love that they haven't felt in a long time."
The mission relies on private donations and community support, especially during extreme cold. Hats, gloves, blankets and financial contributions help keep outreach efforts running. For Bill, the work is deeply personal.
After completing the mission's nine-month Recon program, he says life has changed, and now, helping others find their way forward is what keeps him going.
As Code Blue conditions continue, outreach teams urge the public to report anyone who may be in danger due to the cold and to remember that behind every outreach stop is a person with a story and a chance at something more.
