Butler’s lone nightly homeless shelter had a spike in attendance this past winter — more than doubling its totals from the previous year.

“We had 1,651 people come to stay,” said Bill Halle, founder of the Grace Youth and Family Foundation, which runs the Winter Relief Center.

Last year the center reported 629 bed nights.

“It was an unbelievable difference,” Halle said.

The center, at 100 Center Ave., was open every night from November through the end of March. This was the fourth year the shelter has opened during the winter.

Halle said the foundation budgeted $48,000 for the center this winter, but the jump in attendance caused costs to go above that figure.

Halle said the center’s attendance went from 131 bed nights in 2013 to 629 bed nights last year.

“Because of that, we thought that was the bulk of it,” he said. “So we planned for a slight increase this year, but nowhere near what we got.”

Halle said he believes an increased awareness of the center is responsible for the increase in guests, but said the center also is working with organizations to find people in need.

The center provides a care bag, which includes necessities like blankets and hygienic items, to the people who stay. It also provides three meals to the homeless each day. In addition to that, the center has costs associated with cleaning the facility each day.

“We might be making up the deficit for a while,” Halle said of the increased cost. “But we dealt with it.”

In response to the increasing use of the center, Halle said he hopes to expand its service year round.

But that hope would require a large investment, starting with hiring a full-time staff member.

“That would be a big expense,” Halle said.

The center works with the Butler County Local Housing Options team, which includes a variety of agencies.

Most of the funding for the center comes through donations by individuals and churches.

“Because we’re a faith-based program, we never seem to remain in the final pile for grants,” he said.

The center has no paid employees. Instead it depends on about 60 volunteers helping throughout the winter.

Halle said he is hopeful his foundation can renovate the building next to the center for youth services, and devote the current building solely as a homeless shelter.

That, too, would come with a high cost. “We have some funds to raise,” Halle said.

To donate, send a check made out to GYFF to 100 Center Ave., Butler, PA 16001.