Being homeless when itâÂÂs cold isnâÂÂt merely uncomfortable Ãi¿½” itâÂÂs painful.

âÂÂIt hurts our fingers, our toes,â said Jeannie Marie New Moon, who camps by the Kansas River. âÂÂOur bodies cramp up from the cold. ItâÂÂs a hard life.âÂÂ

After the latest cold wave hit Lawrence this week, officials say more of the cityâÂÂs poor and homeless are searching for ways to stay warm.

âÂÂWeâÂÂre serving 46 people a day,â said Tami Clark, director of the Community Drop-In Center, which provides food, warmth and other services to the cityâÂÂs poor. âÂÂLast year at this time, it was 33 people a day. This is obviously the season that is harshest to people on the streets.âÂÂ

Until now, the homeless have been left to their own devices in the afternoons, when the Salvation Army shelter and the drop-in center are closed. That leads to some creative solutions.

âÂÂI go to the library, or to the coffee house to drink coffee, or to the community building to play basketball,â said Dedrick Culbertson, who has been staying at the shelter for four months.

That will change next week.

Salvation Army Administrator Rich Forney said Wednesday that starting Monday his churchâÂÂs gymnasium at 946 N.H. would be open as a âÂÂwarming centerâ from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Coffee will be served and a television and games will be available to help people pass the time.

âÂÂItâÂÂs cold,â Forney said. âÂÂWe want these people to have someplace to go and not just be on the street.âÂÂ

That will still leave a four-hour gap from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. when the shelter re-opens for the evening. Forney said his organization didnâÂÂt have the staff or finances to keep the church open during those hours.

Sarah Coleman was homeless during the winter of 2000-2001. She said she ended up with frostbite on her legs.

âÂÂThe worst part is getting sick and ending up in the hospital,â she said. âÂÂI hate the hospital.âÂÂ

Clark said her organization was seeking donations of hats, gloves and socks to distribute to people who need them.

âÂÂPeople canâÂÂt survive on the streets without some kind of shelter during these harsh winter months,â Clark said. âÂÂAnd this winter seems unusually harsh.âÂÂ