A warm house and the comfort of being with loved ones is what most people look forward to during the holiday season, but unfortunately, the homeless don’t have that advantage.

Braving the cold, wintry nights out on the streets is a common way of life for those who are not fortunate enough to have a roof over their head. Living on the streets is hard enough as it is for the homeless, but the holiday season can make it even worse.

In response, local homeless shelters are helping to provide food, shelter and holiday spirit to the homeless this holiday season.

According to figures provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, up to 600,000 men, women and children go homeless each night in the United States.

In a 2000 survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors of 25 U.S. cities, families with children accounted for 36 percent of the homeless population, with requests for emergency shelter by families with children increasing an average of 17 percent from the previous year.

The St. Jude Catholic Worker House, 217 S. Randolph St. in Champaign, is a Catholic faith community that shelters the homeless, feeds the hungry, and houses up to 14 people – women, children and families – per house.

In addition to providing shelter to the homeless, the Catholic Worker House offers a soup kitchen seven days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for anyone who wishes to attend, said Eric Anglada, a live-in volunteer at the house.

The house also gives away gifts and prizes to those living in the shelter.

“We’re trying to buy three-month bus passes for the people living here,” Anglada said.

Restoration Urban Ministries, 1207 N. Mattis Ave. in Champaign, is also providing shelter for the homeless.

“As soon as it started to get cold outside, a lot of homeless came to seek shelter,” said Jennifer Knapp, human resources director for the inn.

The Restoration Inn offers 70 rooms, housing anywhere from 200 to 300 people. The inn requires a short application process for those wishing to live there for a longer period of time. They also provide many services to the people living there, including classes in self-sufficiency, case management, job counseling and religious services, Knapp said.

Restoration Inn also gives away donated gifts for the residents around the holiday season.

The Salvation Army, 125 E. University Ave., Champaign, offers a homeless shelter for men year-round. It also offers an emergency shelter where men can stay for up to three nights. After those three nights, they can stay as long as they complete an interview process.

The Salvation Army provides a case manager for each man staying at the shelter. The case managers help the men find a steady job and to talk through why they were homeless. Some of the men work as bell-ringers for the Salvation Army during the holiday season, said Maj. Theresa Turner, corps officer.

The Salvation Army also hosts a Christmas party for the men at the shelter.

“I think the shelter really is changing the guys’ lives,” Turner said. “Our current shelter director actually lived in the shelter himself.”

The Transitional Initiatives and Men’s Emergency Services (TIMES) Center, 70 E. Washington St., Champaign, serves the homeless as well.

The center provides a transition program for homeless men. During the holiday season, special meals, programs and activities are offered to the men, said Joyce Schmidt, program supervisor for the center. They even have carolers come in to sing for the men.

“The men really enjoy themselves during the holidays. The guys share the spirit of the season with each other and the workers as well,” Schmidt said.

All of the workers at the shelters agreed that providing a safe place to live for the homeless was rewarding.

“For me, it’s about the opportunity to get to know something comes out of helping the people that live here,” Knapp said. “It doesn’t matter if a person is poor or homeless, they still have so much to offer.”