Imagine being outside during these freezing temperatures with no place to go and warm up. That’s a reality for Lorenzo Kirven.
“I’ve been out there for almost four years out there in the streets," Kirven said. "Cold and everything. Trying to sleep wherever you can and still not break the law."
With strong icy winds and temperatures dropping to the teens across Central Texas, finding a place to keep warm could mean life or death.
“It’s cold enough out there right now to kill somebody. They don’t need that they need to come here and get one,” said Bill Scofield with Impact Church.
Scofield said they’re opening up their facility for extended hours — to help those without a home beat the cold.
“Warming center hours are from 6 p,m. till 8 a.m. From 8 until 6 during the day they had to go out, but I’m not going to close when it’s in the teens all day long,” said Scofield.
Scofield was once homeless himself, and when frigid temperatures came, he had family he could rely on. Now he wants to extend they same kindness to others.
“So many here a good people they’re just down in a luck," Scofield said. "They just need people to lift them up. They need a warm place to lay her head."
He’s not the only one. Feed My Sheep is also pitching in by providing warm meals and clothes.
“Everybody’s kind of watching out for everybody," said Feed My Sheep Co-Director of Operations Casey Mooney. "We might do slightly different things and we might serve in slightly different ways, but it’s ultimately make sure people are taken care of.”
“It brings all of us together. As they say it takes a village, that’s what it is,” said Scofield.
The Salvation Army in Temple is also housing around 40 to 50 people.
Kirven said that he’s thankful and hopes more residents can help the organization which support people like him.
“If it wasn’t for them, oh man," Kirven said. "Will you be back to square one because I call it. I really don’t want to see that happen. Any funding that can help this building here, it would be very much appreciated."
Impact Church, Feed My Sheep and Salvation Army in Temple say they're still in need of donations of warm jackets, gloves and more winter items. They also need monetary donations to help house people during the cold weather season.
