SAN ANTONIO — It has been difficult for those unsheltered in San Antonio with freezing temperatures, but the people who serve the homeless have really turned on the afterburners of care.
At the Catholic Worker House on Nolan Street just east of downtown, they've spent time trying to help people thaw out.
It was 22 degrees when a volunteer from the Highland Park neighborhood showed up like Santa with a pickup truck sleigh full of groceries.
Shelter director Dr. Chris Plauche said, "These are people that bring donations to us two or three times a week."
Looking over well-stocked boxes of fresh produce and baked goods, volunteers selected what they need to keep the free meals coming for their homeless guests, who are all senior citizens.
Plauche said they have been serving up food and information during the bitter cold, making sure the unsheltered know where to go for more help.
Plauche said, "For breakfast this morning, we had a line of people and we shared with them the list of places where they could go in. We asked and some of them spent the night outside and they still had a smile on their face."
Plauche said many of their regulars failed to show up so they're hoping they survived. "Yesterday we gave out lots of warm items, so hopefully they made it," she added.
Plauche said they always have a need for donations to pay utility bills and buy more groceries during times of extreme cold. She also said they are grateful for the many supporters who have established online accounts to have goods sent directly to the shelter.
"They have saved their lists and they know exactly what we need, from good sources and the repeat their donations, so that's really cool," Plauche said.
One of the organization's biggest celebrations of the year is open to all.
More information about the group can be found on their website here.