CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With cold weather making its way through the Coastal Bend, local shelters are expecting more people through their doors for warmth.
3NEWS caught up with a few nonprofits and shares how they're preparing for the increase and how the community can get involved.
"It's mild right now, but it's going to get brutal. Living out in the streets, they need that extra stuff," said Mission 911 caseworker Donna Lamontagne.
She adds that nonprofit organizations depend on the public for clothing donations.
"Right now, in our clothing closet and up here, we don't have a lot of coats, blankets and things. Since the cold just hit, we've not had a lot of demand for it and what we did have is gone," Lamontagne said.
Good Samaritan is open 24 hours a day. Executive Director Carole Murphrey said on Wednesday alone -- 30 people came to Good Samaritan for a warm place to stay.
"We will have a full lobby and sometimes take the mattresses and go across the street to the coffee house or somewhere when we fill up the lobby,"Murphrey said. "We just make space wherever we can because even when we're over capacity here, it's safer inside than being on the street."
Murphrey adds that when warm clothes are given to someone -- it's not guaranteed they'll last.
"Sometimes if they have to go into an appointment, they can't take all their stuff with them. Then their stuff gets stolen," Murphrey said.
For those who accept the assistance, Murphrey said that residents can expect optimal care when they visit the shelter.
"If they want to come in, we're warm on the inside and we serve three meals a day and two snacks. We have a coffee house that's open," Murphrey said.
Trash bag are also an acceptable donation as they can serve as a windbreaker. Both shelters accept donations all week.
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