NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's the first cold patrol of the winter season.
When it hits 20 degrees, volunteers with the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) head out to homeless encampments all around Davidson County to provide blankets, gloves, socks, and other essentials to anyone out in the cold.
"It's just caring about people. My volunteers — that's why they're here, they care about helping people," said Mike Russell, who started the program back in 2013. "You never know what reason they're out there for, so you try to at least help them a little bit."
Daniel Springer told us a little bit goes a long way.
"I've been homeless 20 years of my life," he told us. "[It makes a] whole lot of difference, yes. Anything's appreciated on the streets."
While OEM points anyone who's cold to the various warming shelters in our area, they know some people will still be outside.
"A lot of places we'll go back multiple times some nights and say 'do you want to go to the shelter?' And they say no, we go back again and they'll say yes. So they try to tough it out, but sometimes they just can't," explained Russell.
That's why the volunteers are out there — to make sure everyone is taken care of.
"Feels like people care," said Springer. "People still care, some people."
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nikki.hauser@newschannel5.com.
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