Operation Deep Freeze

by Shannon Moriarty

Published January 14, 2009 @ 08:31PM PT

Have you looked at a thermometer lately? It's C-O-L-D out there! 

For some, the cold is a minor inconvenience, fixed with the crank of the thermostat.

But for those living on the streets, extreme cold can be deadly. Last year, for example, one cold February night in Atlanta claimed the lives of four homeless people. 

Such tragedies have prompted shelters and communities nationwide to jump into action when the mercury drops. In fact, many communities have developed cold weather contingency plans to ensure that nobody is left outdoors in the bitter cold.

While people are bundled up inside, here's a sampling of the great emergency work taking place now across the country:

Winston-Salem, North Carolina city officials prepared an overflow warming shelter to meet the influx of homeless people looking to come in from the frigid temperatures. It filled up rapidly, so they quickly opened a second shelter.

Shelters in Grand Rapids, Michigan are sending vans and workers out to the streets, finding those in trouble and coaxing and begging with them to come indoors. 

In Scranton, Pennsylvania, 10-below temps mean that nobody will be turned away from shelters this week, even if the beds are full.

Homeless people in Cincinnati, Ohio usually leave emergency shelters during the day when they are closed for cleaning. During the deep freeze, the shelter will stay open and an additional meal will be served.

A shelter in Huntsville, Alabama has filled every available room with cots and is now filling up the hallways.

Even communities as far south as Tampa Bay, Florida have opened emergency "warming centers" for the poor and homeless.

* * *

Indeed, the incredible, life-saving work of these shelters is the warmest thing around these days. 

But these shelters can't do this great work alone. You can be a crucial part of "Operation Deep Freeze" as well. Here's how:

First, make sure you know how to save a life this winter. Instead of ignoring a homeless person you see on the streets in this ridiculously cold weather, pay attention. Here are some life-saving tips from Boston's Health Care for the Homeless:

1. "Can you hear me?" - In extremely cold temperatures, it's important not to dismiss an unconscious individual. It takes just a few seconds to check if someone is responsive by asking if he or she can hear you. If you don't get a response, call 911.
2. Extra Coffee - Purchase a small, decaffeinated coffee (caffeinated may add to dehydration) during your morning coffee run and give it to someone on the street. Just a small hot drink can warm someone up. Hot chocolate is a good alternative.
3. Disorientation - Disorientation, confusion and even "inappropriate" behavior might be signs of the onset of hypothermia. In the dead of winter, if someone appears confused and disoriented, it is important not to misunderstand and dismiss these symptoms. Look for the other signs of hypothermia - extreme shivering, exhaustion, slurred speech and drowsiness - and call for help if they're present.

Second, shelters have already been stretched to the studs by the increase in homelessness due to our faltering economy. Now, with donations dwindling, many are in short supply of basic cold weather supplies: socks, long underwear, hats, gloves, and winter coats. Consider donating cold weather-related items or volunteering your time in an emergency warming shelter so that these life-saving efforts may continue. [Click here to find a shelter in your little corner of the world.]

And with that, it's time to put my mittens back on and stop typing... my fingers are getting numb.

 

[Picture from the Tacoma, WA News Tribune: "Frank Jackson of the Tacoma Rescue Mission's New Life Square places a pair of gloves in the hands of a man found huddled in the cold in Tacoma's Wright Park on Monday. The man did not respond to Jackson's offer of a warm place to sleep and a hot meal at the mission, and tucked the gloves under his guitar."]