BOONE, N.C. — Karen Stevens lives at Hospitality House. She stays in a dorm with other women who came for help. Inside the closet are all of her possessions. 

"I had a lot of medical bills and different things like that and when you have a lot of medical bills and other bills coming in, it gets tough when you are by yourself," Stevens said.

She lost her home and almost ended up outside. She stayed in hotels in Yancey County. 

"It's very upsetting. It's depressing. You go through a lot of emotions when it happens. That's something you want to maintain all your life," Stevens said.

She found her way to the Hospitality House through social services. She's thankful and says when you lose everything, you learn what's most important.

Executive Director Tina Krause says she hears stories like that often. 

People from seven counties are needing a place to stay. She's still finding rooms, changing offices to bedrooms and doing all she can. 

"Every night this week, I have been working with staff to figure out where if one more person comes in," Krause said.

She says with temperatures low and all the snow, they won't let anyone stay outside.

"This is the time we see people coming in simply to survive," Krause said.