Area homeless shelters were at capacity Thursday night. The cold weather kept shelter organizers busy and has those staying there thankful to have a roof over their heads.
"It's really cold." Michael Lunsford about sums it up. He stays at the Good Shepherd Center and sees first-hand the influx of people.
"As it gets cold, there's a lot more people at night that are coming in here. We got people who sleep in the woods in the surrounding area. They're coming out of those woods. It's really cold," he said.
The Good Shepherd Center can hold more than one hundred people at night, but with even more people expected, the mats, pillows, and blankets are ready for those who may not usually turn to a shelter.
"When it becomes this severe, either on their own or with the encouragement of a caring police officer or a neighbor in the community, they might be encouraged to come in here for a few nights," said Good Shepherd Center Executive director, Katrina Knight.
What many may not realize is that the shelter is just about at capacity every night of the year. "The lines used to be just in the main lobby, they're going all out the door now," described Lunsford.
It is a similar scene at the Salvation Army. "The beds that have been empty before the cold are now filling up," Salvation Army shelter monitor, Andrea Lindemon.
Beds and hot food are ready for those who will spend the cold night here. Salvation Army resident, Tanya-onyia McCants said, "It's very important for someone to be able to come in out of the cold when you don't have family or friends or anyone to turn to."
The people at the shelters are thankful to have these shelters to turn to, knowing the alternative could be deadly.
Despite the frigid temperatures, one shelter monitor told me there are still people who refuse to come inside. Shelter workers try to give them what they need to stay comfortable outside overnight.
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Shelters pushing capacity as temperatures dipSubmitted by WWAY on Fri, 01/16/2009 - 1:15pm.READ MORE: Shelters pushing capacity as temperatures dip
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Homeless society
Some of you people who make your comments on here about homeless people and the way of life are just wrong. I am not homeless by choice or by drugs or any kind of mental illenss. I came to North Carolina to get off the durgs and alcohol. I am in a shelter because it is cold outside and after now being in the shelter I stay in I would rather be on the streets. It is not the fact of getting free food or a bed or clothes who cares it is the fact that I am trying to get my life together to better myself and I can do that whether under a bush or in an apt. I do not panhandle for drugs or alcohol I do it because I just recently got my buss pass stolen and oh well it happens I am ashamed of where I am but only I can change that and I go out everyday looking for a job and bugging I have worked since I have been in North Carolina just certain situations happened not only on my part for me to lose my job. You all think the shelters out here are so wonderful you go to them for a couple of nights and experiance what we go through everyday with it. I know there are people out there who take advantage of it but damn don't critisize all of us when you do not know everyones situation. Stop looking at us like we are aliens and Yes there are some of us who actually would eat food it we said we were hungry and you bought us something. You go to someone and ask for a buck for a bus ride or a soda or a sandwich and see how they look at you. Thank God for some of the people who don't think like you all do cause the ones of us out here actually wanting to better ourselves would be dead on your streets. I am wanting to find a place to call my own without having to beg. These shelters don't help like you think they do trust me on that I have watched people get thrown out over the most stupidist things but then watched people come in head over heels drunk if they got money to drink they got money for other things that are more important but not all of us are like that. Have a heart to some of us that are not maybe normal but trying....
homeless
homeless
YOur comment on homeless
Not all of us who are homeless go off and buy alcohol with the money we ask for when panhandling. We go to monkey junction looking for jobs and have had to ask for change for the bus to get back to the shelter that you all claim feed us so well and help us so well. Our bus pass was stolen by someone and if not for some of the good people we would have no way back. Maybe you should come visit these shelters you think are just so wonderful and see how us homeless people that are actuallyl trying to survive are treated. Yes granted there are some people out there that take advantage of good natured people I have seen it but don't judge everyone because of one persons bad mistakes
You're tooootally right!
homeless
No choice? That's total nonsense!
Hopefully the officer drove by later and saw him