MACON, Ga. — Central Georgians are used to high temperatures and a pair of shorts.
However, when windshields freeze over, fingertips numb, and the wind bites– it makes everything a little different. Including how the shelters work.
“Because of the cold spurt, we're working outside of what's normal to make sure every individual has a warm place outside of the cold weather,” Latresa White said.
She’s the Salvation Army’s Social Services Director– they usually only take folks into their shelter from 4-6 p.m.
“We're letting people in at midnight, as long as they come with a first responder, and they also get a hot meal,” White said.
That first responder could be a person with the sheriff's office or a member of the homeless coalition. She says no one who needs a warm place will get left behind.
“If the weather temps are not where they need to be, then we hold them in. We don’t just let them back out on the streets,” White said.
She says they're trying to prevent another cold-weather tragedy, like the one that happened on Christmas 2020.
“It's a sad situation where two individuals did pass from freezing to death, so we want to make sure that never happens again,” White said.
Their numbers say the help is welcomed.
“On a typical night, you may see one family, you may see one veteran. Last night alone, we served a total of 42 individuals,” White said.
That’s triple the amount they usually serve. White says they have 100 beds and only half were filled.
However, even if they ran out, she says they're not alone.
The county, United Way, and the homeless coalition have teamed up in preparation for the cold.
The shelters in town have a combined 316 beds to make sure no one suffers in this weather.
“Daybreak is in on this. Loaves and Fishes, he's on it too to help provide shelter to individuals too,” White said.
Daybreak, which accepts folks only during the day, said they sheltered 12 folks Tuesday night and also drove around offering to others.
Loaves and Fishes, who offer three meals a day, told us they've been seeing fewer people at meal times because they know folks are in shelters.
The shelters say donations are always needed such as food, blankets, clothes, masks and hand sanitizer.