NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — December has arrived — and so have dropping temperatures.
When it hits 32 degrees or lower for more than 3 hours, the Office of Homeless Services (OHS) opens an overflow cold shelter on Brick Church Pike.
"It's a safety concern. It's a safety concern," said April Calvin, the director of OHS.
Calvin says they've worked for 6 months to set up the shelter, where they'll provide refuge from the cold in the short term and medical, financial and other assistance for the long term.
"Why? Because that's what we should do as humans right? It's our moral responsibility," she explained.
Inside, visitors get a hot meal and a bed for the night — something Tish England says she was very grateful for.
"We were not gonna have what we needed to keep our home warm," Tish said. "And I just thought [the overflow shelter] was a blessing. Beyond a blessing. Beyond what I expected."
OHS says you're encouraged to use year-round shelters, like Room at the Inn, the Nashville Rescue Mission, or Nashville Launch Pad before heading to overflow. This helps them manage the resources they have to help the community.
Compassionate Hands in Lebanon is also opening Sunday night, and Murfreesboro Cold Patrol has postedcold shelters they've opened in their community.
If you're interested in volunteering here in Nashville, you can help greet and direct people seeking shelter to the right bus bay at WeGo. Email Tytiauna.Ruffin@nashville.gov for details.
You can also sign up to get text alerts for when a new shelter opens up. Just text the word “OHSALERT” to 888-777.
You can find more information about extreme weather shelters on the OHS website.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nikki.hauser@newschannel5.com.
This story by Aaron Cantrell reminds me of my first school in Dyersburg, TN. I was a student at Bruce School from Kindergarten to second grade until the school system was integrated. My parents graduated from this K-12 school in 1960 in one of the city's African American communities. After sitting empty for several years, part of the school was demolished while the rest was renovated and now serves as a community center for the Bruce community in Dyersburg. A local pastor is now trying to do something similar in the Cemetery community in Rutherford Co.
-Lelan Statom
