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Macon homeless seek shelter before cold

The Salvation Army's homeless shelter in Macon is almost full to capacity.
Credit: Tom George
Homeless people are seeking shelter from the cold

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Patricia Lewis has been homeless on the streets of Macon since April.

She says she's experienced everything from animal urination to getting beat up, and says the streets can be a dangerous place for a 59-year-old woman living by herself.

But now, with the cold weather coming in with near record-low temperatures on Monday, the bitter cold may be too much for her.

She's decided to go the the Salvation Army's shelter on Broadway in Macon.

Major Alan Hill says the unseasonably cold weather is bringing in more of both homeless people and those who have homes but not heat.

So far, almost all of their 46 beds for women and children are taken.

At the mens' shelter, all 80 beds are full, and so are 24 extra mats they've had to bring out.

Hill says they may have to start turning people away.

"I'm sure at times, different churches will open up their gymnasiums, things like that, we don't anything else like that available to us, and so we'll see what happens there," Hill says.

Hill says if someone has nowhere to go, they can still try checking on Monday in case spaces open up.

Follow 13WMAZ's Tom George on Twitter @thetomgeorge

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