Local organizations, shelters aim to help homeless population during frigid temps
Jan 20, 2025
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A warm place to stay is often taken for granted, and for those who feel they have no place to go, these next three days can be brutal.
This weather is why shelters are working around the clock to ensure those in need have the resources to survive in weather like this.
"We have gloves, we have hats, we have warming blankets, hand warmers," said Mechele Hairston, Impact Virginia's executive director.
The group Impact Virginia braved the cold Monday to meet the needs of people, with Hairston saying it's about lending a helping hand. They provided hot meals to get people through the daytime cold, but this help is most needed at night.
"We make sure they get their towels, make sure they're housed, make sure they're treated fairly with admiration and respect," said Salvation Army's Men Hope Center Monitor Epps Stoval.
The Salvation Army Hope Center in Norfolk is one of several places offering shelter to those in need. The center plans to accept people throughout the night.
"We do give them places to stay the night on frigid nights like this," Stoval said. "I would not turn a dog down on days like this."
Besides the Salvation Army, there are several churches that serve as shelters in Norfolk on a rotating schedule. Churches on the Peninsula are doing the same. Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach also have various resources listed on their city websites.
"We are Impact Virginia," Hairston said. "We are on social media on Facebook. Our phone number is 757-541-0929 and we are there to give a hand where it's needed."
Said Stoval: "We want everybody to stay warm. We don't care who you are, what gender, what style, what you look like, or what your color is. Please come to the Salvation Army."