The Homeless Coalition of Southern Indiana is looking for a space to hold its White Flag emergency shelter this winter. (Homeless Coalition of Southern Indiana )Multiple harsh weather events over the past two months have led to an influx of people using the Homeless Coalition of Southern Indiana’s white flag shelter.But the organization’s director said if they don’t get more funding, they might not be able to finish out this season, and if they don’t get more support from municipalities, won’t be able to open next fall.White flag is called when temperatures are expected to be at or below 35 degrees for at least four hours overnight. Coalition Director Leslea Townsend Cronin said as of Wednesday, they had already been open 27 days this season, which started in mid-November.She said it costs around $175,000 to operate white flag shelter each season. Right now, they’re short around $120,000 just to get through spring. That could go up if the area keeps getting hit with harsh weather.She said she’s hopeful funding will come through to finish out the season, although it’s not a guarantee.“I think the biggest thing is that if we make it through this season, that's great, but we can't do this every year,” she said. “We can't continue to provide a service to the community that we cannot afford.”This week, as the region felt the effects of Winter Storm Blair, the Homeless Coalition saw an average of more than 60 guests daily. And though they usually only open overnight, the shelter operated around the clock some days.Townsend Cronin said that underscores the need for the emergency shelter, but said they need more sustainable support to keep operating.“This is really extreme weather…but we’re seeing it more and more,” she said. “If we weren’t here, where would these people go?”She said operating white flag shelter costs around $93 per person per day — when they’re open only overnight. She’s not surprised at the numbers they’ve seen this week.“It's putting a bigger hit on our food situation, it’s putting a bigger hit on utilities, it’s putting a bigger hit on cleaning supplies and toilet paper and just kind of all the little things that you [don’t] think about,” she said.She said if they had regular funding, like from municipalities, they could better plan for harsh weather events.“We could hire more staff…and we could function through this easily,” she said. “...That’s not the position we’re in right now.”The Homeless Coalition's white flag season runs from mid-November through Mid-April. Townsend Cronin said they received a combined $150,000 from Jeffersonville and New Albany in both 2016 and 2017. Over the last few years, they’ve also relied on private donations and COVID relief funding, which stopped in fall 2023.It costs around $175,000 to operate the shelter annually, but they’ve received minimal donations for this season.The organization has some reserves, but if that money is used for the white flag program, it could impact other operations. And Townsend Cronin said if they did use those funds, it still might not be enough to last until spring.Winter Storm Blair brought travel advisories to the area, and officials declared states of emergency. The weather created challenges — like getting guests, staff and volunteers to and from the shelter.Matt Fleenor, a coalition board member and minister for Nomad Church Collective, helped provide transportation.More than half the meals for the week were donated, and the organization also received donated blankets and cots. Paul Stensrud with Jesus Cares at Exit Zero helped get people to the shelter, and Jim Moon with Catalyst Rescue Mission helped prepare a meal and sent staff from the shelter he operates to help staff the shelter.Townsend Cronin said over the weekend, three people staying at the shelter got into treatment, which she calls a major win.“I feel good in the fact that we are serving people. I feel good that people are safe. I feel good that we're getting people services,” she said. “...On the other side of that, there's also the daily stress and concern of, ‘can we afford this?’”The white flag shelter is held at Culbertson Baptist Church, 4007 Grant Line Road in New Albany. To check the daily status, call 812-913-5368 or check the organization’s Facebook page. Check here for more information.Coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by Samtec Inc., the Hazel & Walter T. Bales Foundation, and the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County.