NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — As temperatures drop across the region, people in Comal County are coming together to help their neighbors. The Comal County Homeless Coalition opened a cold weather shelter Monday night at the Gruene United Methodist Church for those who need a refuge from the cold wind and weather.
Those like Gilbert Gonzales, a native of New Braunfels who has been on and off the streets for years. “New Braunfels has always been my home,” said Gonzales.
He said that even though he has a job, it’s hard to afford a place to live for him and his beloved dog, Brutus.
“Living outside is not fun, really, to be honest with you. You never know where you’re going to be on a good day and a bad day,” he said.
Gonzales is just one of the growing homeless population in Comal County.
The Coalition set out in 2003 to help the homeless living in and around New Braunfels, and organizers said they’ve seen more become homeless in recent years.
The group conducts a study every year and found in the last year, 49 percent of those surveyed became homeless while living in New Braunfels.
One organizer said she’s seen people move to New Braunfels for the location and opportunities, only to find themselves unable to find an affordable place to live. The group said they set out to understand who the homeless are and how they can help them.
“Beyond just a cold night, we're committed here at the church to see what the people are all about, what their lives are all about,” said Dan Harrington, Senior Pastor at Gruene United Methodist Church.
Also open at the church is Steve’s Pantry, which includes a food pantry, clothing, showers and a place to wash clothes.
Laurie Powell volunteers at the pantry and said the numbers of people they’ve helped has grown in the last few months.
“I think when I first started, we were running about 400 and some families. And now, we average anywhere from 600 to 675 a month,” she said.
The Coalition also supports Family Promise, a place for homeless families with children to find shelter.
“There's not a lot of places in town for folks that we serve and a lot of our friends are or maybe they're there in their car or staying in their car,” Harrington said. “We're all we're all broken in some way. And we all we all need each other.”
It’s help that Gonzales and others said they appreciate.
“I wasn't expecting it. I wasn't expecting to lose my work. Lose everything that I had,” Gonzales said. “I just thank God that he keeps me alive.”
The cold weather shelter is open when temperatures dip below 35 degrees. The shelter will be open again Tuesday night from 5:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the Gruene United Methodist Church, 2629 E. Common Street, New Braunfels. If you are in need of help or transportation to the shelter, call the hotline at 1-800-532-8192, 24 hours a day.