NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Winter is still officially about a month away, but it's already going to start to feel like it's arrived.
Organizations that help the unhoused said that this weekend will be dangerously cold for those who don't have a place to call home.
Making sure the cold weather headed our way does not pose a safety issue for anyone is a task that requires all hands on deck, said Room in the Inn's community development director, Melanie Ober.
"Right now there are volunteers at the congregations setting up beds, there are people making dinner, there are people preparing for breakfast," she said.
Help is critical this year as people navigate an uncertain economy, but also grapple with changes in the law, Ober pointed out.
"There's been legislation passed this year that has impacted those experiencing homelessness. It makes it harder for them to survive in certain circumstances," she said.
Right now, the goal is to make sure everyone who needs a warm place to stay can find shelter and get connected with the necessary resources available to them.
"It is much more evident when it gets cold that people — they need better, that they deserve better," Ober said.
This year, Roof in the Inn is on track to offer 15,000 beds with the help of nearly 100 congregations, but she knows they can't house everyone.
"When it gets cold like this, safety is our priority. Making sure that even if we do have to turn people away, we want to make sure they know what other options they have," she said.
Right now, Room in the Inn is collecting blankets, jackets and winter apparel, and says it could also use the help of more volunteers.
For additional resources available during cold weather, you can visit Nashville Cold Weather Community Response's website.
