A quick survey at a King's Harvest meal site Wednesday showed that homeless Quad-Citians are facing a shelter shortage as temperatures are dropping.

King's Harvest director Terri Gleize learned that 16 people, including two children, either slept outside or in vehicles Tuesday night. King's Harvest, in conjunction with Humility of Mary Shelter, plans to open an overflow shelter Dec. 1 at its meal site at 824 W. 3rd St., Davenport, to handle the increasing need.

Humility of Mary has been at capacity at its 82-bed shelter in Davenport since early summer, program director Cindi Gramenz said.

"Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be an end in sight," she said.

The problem faced by Gleize and King's Harvest is funding the shelter. She estimates it will cost $22,000 to run the shelter from Dec. 1 to April 1. The agency has applied for three grants but doesn't expect to hear whether they will get any funding until later this month.

Gleize is hoping to do some fundraising before the overflow shelter is scheduled to open its doors. The shelter often had as many as 30 people a night last winter.

"If we don't get the funding, we won't be able to operate it," Gleize said. "All (of the grants being sought) made it sound like we would hear from them later this month or early December. We hoped to hear from them sooner."

Gleize and Gramenz say Humility of Mary, struggling with its own funding issues, can't provide financial assistance. Gramenz's agency can provide training for staff and volunteers.

King's Harvest relied on volunteers to staff the overflow shelter last year. This year, one person has been hired, with plans to hire two more if enough funds are raised. The lone shelter employee, Chris Dunn, is already seeking volunteers. One staff member would work with a volunteer each night.

In the past, some volunteers would bow out at the last minute or just wouldn't show up. She and Dunn hope to turn that around.

"I've been trying to contact people I know and churches and organizations that I think are reliable to recommend people to me," Dunn said. "If I know someone and they say that person is good, I feel comfortable with that person being reliable."

He is also willing to talk to people who contact him wanting to volunteer. He will include them in a volunteer schedule if he hears the right answers.

"I'll ask them some questions, like why do you want to do this, and have a conversation," he said. "I'm looking for people who are reliable and have common sense."

Dunn was a volunteer at the King's Harvest shelter last year. He hopes this is the last year he has this job.

"The best thing would be that if everyone had a place to go," he said. "I'd be happy to be out of a job."