St. Joseph organizations aim to help fight the frigid temperatures

Oct. 17—It's no secret that braving winters in Northwest Missouri is a challenge, especially for the homeless population. That's why several St. Joseph agencies are working to make the frigid cold more manageable for those in need.

While there is not specifically a homeless shelter for adults in town, victims of domestic violence can contact the YWCA, and homeless families can reach out to the Salvation Army for assistance.

Jodi Flurry, director of community investment for United Way of Greater St. Joseph, said it's important to note that there is an abundance of locations that are identified as "warming centers."

"Throughout our community, there are some warming centers that anybody who might be experiencing homelessness or might not have a good heat source in their home are able to access," Flurry said. "Places like both public libraries, the health department, the Patee House, the Salvation Army. ... People can go and sit in, in the comfort of a warm place for several hours at a time, even if they're not homeless and they're just cold in their home."

There have been roller coaster temperatures in St. Joseph for several weeks, and a freeze advisory has been issued until Tuesday.

This advisory has community members and organizations around town preparing for the upcoming winter months.

For example, the Salvation Army is hosting a coat drive to help out those in need.

Ronald Key, the administrator at the Salvation Army, said it's important to think ahead so no one is left behind when it gets cold.

"It's very important because we don't think about it because the weather has been so warm and people don't really think about it until it's cold, right? So here we are in October, and we have a cold spell now," Key said. "So the need is going to be great, at least for us, for the next few days. And of course, just to get us through winter. We definitely don't want something bad to happen to someone because they didn't have enough clothing."

Rachael Bittiker, executive director of Community Missions, said that the plan is to hopefully open their "cold weather shelter" on Dec. 1. The location would welcome in 15 men and 15 women at night. Bittiker said this is just another project that falls in line with Community Missions goals.

"Our priority for Community Missions is to make sure that people are safe regardless if they're on the street or not," Bittiker said. "And so being able to provide shelter to the individuals that are still ... homeless, to make sure that they're out of the frigid cold, they have a place to shower or have a place to have a warm meal so that we're not seeing people, men and women, both freezing to death out in our community, all of that ties into our priorities."

Flurry said there's a "Help Me Hotline" available for people who are unsure where they can go.

"If you are wondering about where you may be able to go, you can call the 'Help Me Hotline,'" Flurry said. "They keep track of all the resources in our community, so they will know what warming centers are open, what assistance may be available and where to refer you to hopefully get you in a more stable situation."

You can call the "Help Me Hotline" at (816) 364-1131.