“I hope all the people who are trying to confront this on the street will come to the shelter.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Below-zero temperatures are a solemn reminder of how dangerous it is to stay outside for too long.
To combat dangerous conditions for people experiencing homelessness, Operation White Flag goes into effect when the temperature or wind is below 35 degrees.
Wayside Christian Mission in Louisville waved its white flag all weekend, accommodating more than 100 additional people in the frigid temperatures.
“Even though all of our beds are full, we're going to take open spaces like the dining hall at night and all of our TV rooms, and we're going to turn them into sleeping quarters, adding floor mats to them with linens. So, we're able to,” said Nina Mosley, Wayside's chief operating officer. To accommodate a much larger number of people than usual.”
Wayside also distributed coats, scarves, hats and socks on Sunday to help keep people warm.
People can freeze to death, get frostbite, lose fingers and toes… This is terrible weather to be outside and live outside on the street. “So, we hope they all come,” Mosley said.
Wayside also makes sure to meet people where they are.
“The Good Samaritan Patrol goes out twice a day in this type of weather and goes through our route — mostly downtown — looking for people who are out and encouraging them to come in. They also take out coffee and food,” Blankets said.
He hopes that people will find warmth and safety during the winter period.
“We hope they like it enough that they maybe stay and meet with a case manager and hopefully get on the path to permanent housing,” Mosley said.
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