Published: December 23, 2008 02:42 pm      

Cold and homeless...in Rowan County

As most folks leave work and head home to a warm house, there are people who don’t have a safe haven when the temperatures dip well below zero.

Being homeless is not something anyone would want or ask for, but there are times when certain situations cause a person – or an entire family – to be out on the streets, said Marilyn Smith, executive director of the Gateway House Homeless Shelter in Morehead.

The bitter, cold air Monday morning caused the Jackson Weather Service to issue a weather advisory, with thermometers peaking at 7 a.m. at only 7 degrees and the wind chill ranging from 5 to 10-below zero.

According to the weather service, temperatures had dropped to 6 degrees at 4 a.m. in some low-lying places – the coldest temperature observed for the area since Jan. 25, 2008.

Smith said she has shifted some people living at the shelter just to make room for others in need of a warm bed during the cold nights. And although the shelter is well above capacity, Smith said she continues to get calls from the homeless.

“We’ve had four more calls today, and I hate that we just don’t have any more room,” Smith said Monday. “All we can do right now is refer them to the Lexington or Ashland shelters until we can get them in.”

Smith said the waiting list at the Morehead shelter has one, family-of-three living in their car at a local store in Rowan County. “It’s a father, mother and child,” she said. “They go into the store to get warm and then go back out to their car. I’ve told them to go to another shelter that has room for them. I don’t know if they don’t have gas money to get there, or they just don’t want to leave the area. They really haven’t said. All we can do is make room for them as soon as we can.”

Cold weather also can cause individuals and families to become financially strapped and in need of making tough decisions.

“A man called Gateway Community Action and said his toes were frostbit because he hasn’t been using his heat,” Smith commented. “He said he just couldn’t afford to turn it on. We get calls everyday about high utility bills and how people can’t pay for them.”

Smith said the homeless shelter relies on community support during the cold months. “We really need donations right now,” she said. “The weather is bad, and we have people in need of a place to stay. Any donations would be greatly appreciated.”

The LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) began Nov. 3 and concluded signups Dec. 12. Although energy assistant funding is not always available, anyone with emergency utility needs can contact Gateway at 784-7735 to be referred to possible funding.