As temps drop, shelter gears up to help the homeless
You can also help provide warmth to those in need
Reporter: Kevin Keen
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - The wind, the rain, the cold. Wintertime is approaching. It's enough for anyone to head indoors, but some don't have a home to go to.
“It's bad enough to be out on the street when it's warm, but to experience hypothermia, uncontrollable shaking--most definitely not,” said Michael Hanson, who is homeless.
“It's a lot colder,” said Michael Beisch, who is also homeless. “It's not as easy to find a place to live. It's not as easy to camp out.”
As temps continue to drop, the Salvation Army is gearing up to help people like Hanson and Beisch.
“When we start getting into these extreme temperatures--we're talking hot or cold--we do extreme measures,” said Tamara McElwee, public relations director at the Salvation Army, Tucson.
When the temperature reaches 35 degrees or below, Operation: Deep Freeze goes into effect. When it’s wet outside, the threshold is 40 degrees.
“Anybody can come in off the streets and get a warm, safe place to sleep,” McElwee said. “They don't have to be enrolled as a client or have a case manager. They can just come in”
“It allows me to get off the street and into a place where I feel comfortable,” Hanson told KGUN9 News. “If it weren't for a place like this, I don't know what I'd really do, to be honest with you.” Hanson and Beisch are currently staying at a Salvation Army facility.
Another program giving warmth is already in action. It provides coats, sweaters and blankets at no cost. People can help by dropping off donations for the coat and blanket drive at Naughton's locations around the city.
“This is a way, realizing how many people are on the street out there without shelter, a way to give back to the community,” said Frank Naughton, president of the company.
Helping keep Tucson warm, as it gets cold outside.
“You know, from time to time, I've picked up clothing, coats,” Beisch said. “It’s very important that people have decent coats, decent clothing.”
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