The Salvation Army of North Texas has created six shelter locations throughout Dallas and its neighbouring areas, Denton and Tarrant Counties. Sergeant Bernard Tolan reported that volunteers turned the Garland location at West Avenue D into an emergency sleeping area during a project.
The cold weather with zero wind chill and a 17-degree DFW index does not stop organizations from offering safe accommodation to people experiencing homelessness. For Christmas the Angel tree takes its place at this location.
According to Tolan, the winter period serves as the perfect time to offer safety and warmth to pets belonging to people, which creates positive opportunities during this season.
Sergeant Bernard Tolan informed me at 8:00 p.m. that their Tuesday program had 75 cots set up while they were prepared to extend that number to 150. Pastor Wayne Walker of Our Called Life confirms that Our Calling continues its partnership with both Dallas City and Austin Street Center. The institution predicts it will establish new shelter facilities because of weather conditions to reach historical records.
A sufficient number of warm beds represents one aspect, but additional needs exist for a second aspect. During this week, Walker announced the high demand for blankets together with adult-size sweatshirts.
The need for maximum assistance at this point was definitely unexpected. The organization examines your different storage units and supplies along with unused inventory.
The fairgrounds feature an available secondary structure ready for emergency usage. The numbers in need of assistance will increase considerably throughout the next day.
According to Walker their visits to the camp have only occurred a few times without satisfaction as they maintain they deserve it.
The lack of firewood and frozen water containers has made people ready to move out of Walker.
Additional Resources And Support
- Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM): Gov. Greg Abbott directed TDEM to activate the state’s emergency response.
- Fort Worth ISD: The school district has rescheduled some outdoor activities.
- Hardware Stores: Firewood and pipe protection are in high demand as people prepare their homes for the cold.
- Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT): Crews are treating major roads and highways with a brine solution.
With the arctic blast set to impact North Texas, these shelters and organizations are providing critical services to protect the area’s vulnerable populations.