With the cold weather ahead, organizations are mobilizing their sheltering responses. But they need help from those with medical backgrounds.
SAN ANTONIO — As much as Corazon Ministries helps the San Antonio community, the nonprofit itself needs some help too—especially with the upcoming arctic blast.
“We need help making meals, we need help cleaning and sanitizing and setting the space up for our guests,” Corazon CEO Erika Borrego said. “We need help just loving on our guests.”
Temperatures will begin to drop Tuesday night in the South Texas region, and San Antonians can expect to wake up Wednesday to conditions in the 20s. That’ll make it one of the coldest mornings of the season yet in the city, making the efforts to prepare shelters paramount.
“Last year we opened for a total of four days and this year this is our third week,” Borrego said. “Almost three complete weeks we’ve had to open since January. It’s been a cold winter, and we want to make sure we provide warmth in that time.”
Borrego said it is not just a team inside that helps needy San Antonians, but also on the outside.
“We can accommodate pretty much everyone that comes through our doors, well over 400,” she said.
She said working with other nonprofit partners is a system that takes coordination and communication.
“We have multiple shelters that are going to be activated,” she said. “And once one fills up we will move to the next one, and so on and so forth.”
Borrego added that with the recent weather events, they saw more people in wheelchairs. For the next few days, they’re seeking volunteers with a medical background.
“We are asking for medical volunteers or people that have a skill set of lifting and getting people in and out of wheelchairs,” Borrego said.
The Bexar County Office of Emergency Management, meanwhile, encouraging residents take proactive measures to protect their loved ones and property including your pets, plants and pipes.
The City of San Antonio’s Department of Health and Human Services stated they are at a Level 1 sheltering response, which focuses on providing temporary overnight shelter for those experiencing homelessness. The city says 465 overnight spaces will be available for homeless residents, and it will monitor a 24/7 hotline providing them with up-do-date information and resources (the number is 210-207-1799), as well as provide transportation to overnight shelters.
Those shelters are at:
- City of San Antonio Bode Community Center – 901 Rigsby Ave.
- City of San Antonio Robin Community Center – 1900 W. Martin St.
- Communities Under the Bridge (CUB) – 724 Chestnut St.
- Sold Out Believers Church – 1139 Gembler
- Sold Out Believers Church (females only) – 1802 Guadalupe
- Haven for Hope – 1 Haven for Hope Way
- SAMMinistries – available by referral
- Corazon Ministries – 504 Avenue E
Those needing a place to stay warm during the day, meanwhile, can take advantage of libraries, senior centers and community centers during their operating hours. The city has a map of those locations here.
Corazon Ministries is open Tuesday through Friday to accommodate those who are unhoused.