When the temperature in your house is below 50 degrees, a hot meal and some good company can go a long way. The volunteers at the Rochester Council on Aging's warming shelter were certainly up to the task of providing relief for residents this week.

“It’s a warm place for those in need,” said Lorraine Thomson, a volunteer at the shelter.

And the need was great this weekend.

On Friday, the winter storm knocked out power for nearly all of the residents in Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester. In response, each town opened a warming shelter for residents to get out of the cold, socialize, enjoy a hot cup of coffee, some hot food, and even spend the night on a cot. Between the three shelters, hundreds of residents passed in and out over the weekend.

“They come in for hot food, water, and to charge their phones,” said Patricia Ryan, a member of the Council’s Board of Trustees.

For her part, Ryan helped cook and serve meals at the shelter from 3:30 a.m. on Saturday until 10 p.m. on Sunday. After getting some sleep at home, Ryan was back at the Council cooking up hash browns on Monday morning.

By Monday night, 65 percent of NSTAR’s Rochester customers were still without power.

For the shelter’s volunteers, that means round the clock service for residents and the workers trying to get power restored.

The shelter is open 24/7. Not wanting to leave anyone out in the cold, its volunteers cook up a midnight meal for staff of the Highway Department, NSTAR, and the Police and Fire Departments.

Jean Armstrong, also a member of the Council’s Board of Trustees, has been sleeping and working at the shelter all weekend to assist anyone who may come in.

“I slept here Saturday night and Sunday. I just got power back [on Monday.] I went home to see my dog and now I’m back,” Armstrong said as she prepared breakfast in the Council's kitchen.

However, there’s one thing the shelter can’t help residents with, Ryan said.

“We have no showers,” Ryan said sadly.

On Sunday, Tabor Academy opened its facilities for two hours so that residents could take a shower and charge their electronic devices.

Marion officials opened the Sippican School as a shelter on Saturday morning. Mattapoisett residents could take refuge at shelters at the Center School and the Old Rochester Regional High School.

Most residents in Marion and Mattapoisett had their power restored by Monday night. With many still without power in Rochester, the shelter at the Council on Aging will remain open.