MINNEAPOLIS — As bitter cold temperatures sweep through the metro area, those who are experiencing homelessness are feeling the brutal effects firsthand.
"It's life threateningly cold, and people can't survive in these temperatures for any given period of time," said Trish Thacker, the executive director for the Salvation Army's Harbor Lights Center, an adult outreach center and shelter in Downtown Minneapolis.
"At the center, we have been able to open 25 additional beds, we call them artic overflow beds and there's a lot of work in the community with different churches and civic organizations to help open up shelters when these frigid temperatures come in," she said.
But Thacker says shelters may be hard for some, with many in the homeless community choosing to stay outdoors due to COVID-19 concerns.
"The people will often stay outside because they choose to do that," she said, "but one thing people have to remember is that these are people that are outside freezing and everyone has a story."
This past week, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board voted to repeal two resolutions passed last summer allowing homeless encampments at local parks, citing complaints of violence and unsafe living conditions.
But while there are several Twin Cities homeless outreach groups hitting the streets to help those still seeking shelter outdoors, Thacker hopes people will help give back to those in need as temperatures dip.
"It might seem small to give hats and mittens, to the person who receives it it's a big big deal," she says.
Visit the Salvation Army's website to learn how you can help.
For more information on emergency shelters in Hennepin County, visit the website here.