As the cold snap continues, people who help Windsor's less fortunate are working harder than ever.

One agency plans to offer more help to people on the city's west side.

The Society of St. Vincent De Paul held a meeting Tuesday night to finalize plans to turn an old church into a welcome centre.

It will be a refuge for those who may have a home, but can't afford to heat it.

"We found that in Windsor west, there were not only high needs, but there were fewer resources," said Pamela Baksi of St. Vincent De Paul.

St. Vincent De Paul is also asking people donate clothing, especially clothing for men.

Ron Dunn, from Windsor's Downtown Mission, said people on the streets are in need of extra help in weather like this.

"All of our programs have just been stretched to the max. Just a lot more folks in need, and a lot more people coming to us for help," Dunn said.

The Downtown Mission opens during the evenings when the temperature is below -10C. It's running 22 of 24 hours a day right now.

The low overnight in Windsor -17C and Wednesday's high is expected to be -7C

Meanwhile, Street Help/Unit 7 needs the public's help so it has enough sleeping bags on hand to give to homeless people.

The organization wants to collect 450 more sleeping bags.

Christine Wilson of Street Help said between 30 and 40 people in Windsor are homeless every night.

"They're sleeping on floors, in garages, abandoned buildings, somebody's basement, any kind of environment they can find like that," Wilson said.

CBC Windsor is collecting sleeping bags on the behalf of Street Help.

People can drop them off at CBC Place at 825 Riverside Dr. W. at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Crawford Avenue.