Drop in temps on the horizon, shelters gearing up for the cold

DELMARVA. – With temperatures expected to drop this weekend, cold weather and homeless shelters are bracing for the days ahead.

With nearly 50 residents calling the Christian Shelter their temporary home, executive director, Anthony Dickerson said they want to provide them with everything they to stay warm.

“We’re making sure that all of our guests, all 46 of our guests, have the appropriate attire for this cold weather,” Dickerson said.

The shelter stocked up on winter coats, hats and gloves to give to their residents in need. Dickerson told WMDT the Christian Shelter was started after a homeless man was found frozen to death, so they’re doing their part to prevent that from happening again in the community.

“When the temperature drops, it’s a hardship on the physical body,” Dickerson said. “We want to make sure that their hands, their feet and those sensitive parts of the body are covered, because certainly, we don’t want nobody to freeze to death.”

And in Ocean City, the cold weather shelter is gearing up to open their doors, Saturday, at 5PM.

Trisha and Jason long said their need-based shelter is open to the public when temperatures become too dangerous for outside exposure.

“Those who are street homeless that don’t go to Diakonia– they may choose not to, they may not be allowed to go there for one reason or another– this provides them a place to go just for the overnight hours to get out of the worst of the cold,” Trisha said.