Keeping warm during sub-zero South Bend nights

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- The library can be a place to go when one has nowhere else to go.

"Libraries are one of the last few places anywhere where you can go and just kind of exist in, and that's kind of one of the great things about libraries as a whole," said Daniel Lichty, communications director for the St. Joseph County Public Library.

On frigid days like Tuesday, the St. Joe County Public Libraries double as warming centers.

"We always see a little bit of an uptick, especially in the colder weather. This is a great refuge from the cold," Lichty said. "This is a building and facilities that are owned by the taxpayers, so it's important that we remain open and it's important that we remain accessible on days where it is frigid outside."

A place of refuge for folks like Lee Adams.

"Unfortunately, I'm out on the streets, I'm homeless, I got a bad deal myself," Adams said.

He said despite the efforts; there's always folks left with nowhere to go in the cold.

"They do have somewhere for them to sit down, stay warm and get warm, and they do provide food for them, but then it's that time limit, and stipulations they have," he said.

Just because libraries can be a place of refuge doesn't mean they're always open, like the Mishawaka-Penn-Harris libraries, closed Tuesday due to the weather. Thats why it's important to check with municipalities to see what is open.

After hearing Adams' concerns, ABC57's Annie Kate asked the city's coordinator of homeless outreach, Carl Hetler, if they had enough shelter for everyone who might need it overnight.

"We do because of great coordination," he said. "Here at Howard Park, we have Red Cross cots that we've got set up for overflow capacity and so we will be getting some people who check in at the Center for the Homeless tonight, will be coming here to free up beds that they have on-site."

He said various agencies have boots on the ground, making sure folks know how dangerous these temperatures are.

"And we've seen an increased number in people willing to come in," he said, "in part because we have great outreach teams, from Our Lady of the Road, from Health Plus, who are going out on the streets and letting people know how dangerous these temperatures were. They've been going out for the past week. And so, people are recognizing that and they're coming in and using our expanded services because of the great outreach teams in our community."

He said they are making sure no one is on the streets during sub-zero South Bend nights.

"We've got great teams across the city to help identify people, figure out which resources they need, and get them into safe, warm places tonight," Hetler said.

For anyone that might need shelter overnight, even for something like a power outage at home, Hetler said to check in at the Center for the Homeless in South Bend, located at 813 S. Michigan, and a space will be made available for whoever needs it.

Homelessness resources can be found, Here.