SAN ANTONIO — Because the San Antonio area will remain in a deep freeze until at least Wednesday, a plan has been launched to provide people with warmth no matter what their needs may be.
Melody Woolsey is the Human Services Director for the City of San Antonio.
Melody Woolsey, human services director for the City of San Antonio, said the city, the county, and a number of nonprofit and mutual aid partners have worked together to come up with a system providing different kinds of help.
"The reason we encourage the homeless to take advantage of these shelters with our nonprofit partners is because there are so many more services available," Woosley said, regarding the most needy members of the community.
She said they have transportation resources to get people to the help they need.
"It makes more sense to go to a shelter that is specifically set up to serve them," Woosley said. "Teams will take people to any site. They will have cots, meals, snacks and medical attention. There will also be other services and referrals for help for when the storm is over."
There are also two different kinds of help for those who feel like it's not comfortable to stay in their own homes
"The six overnight resiliency centers are for people who maybe don't want to stay in their own homes, for whatever reason," Woolsey said.
The hubs will be open nonstop until Wednesday morning, when the cold is expected to break.
Southeast-side resident Linda Cote spent a warm Monday at the Southside Lions Senior Center on Pecan Valley, where it was much warmer than the lower-30s outside.
Cote said she comes to the facility regularly, but now it's even more important to be warm without being stuck with a big power bill.
Cote said the centers are tax-funded, so she feels like she is definitely getting her money's worth. Besides the heat, Cote said there are other benefits.
"Come on down because we have wonderful classes here! I learned to be an actress," Cote said. "You feel like it's a wonderful place to be because you make so many friends."
In addition to the 24-hour help, the city also has 14 daytime warming centers to help people get through the MLK holiday when most city facilities are closed.
These facilities include libraries and parks facilities. All city facilities will resume normal operating hours Tuesday.
Bexar County has resources spread throughout the region as well.
Bexar County will operate five overnight warming centers through Wednesday morning at 8 a.m.
The latest information on these locations is available here. Other updates are available on the county's website here.
Other organizations providing direct aid to unsheltered San Antonians this week include: