LEXINGTON, Ky. — With frigid temperatures sweeping over the country, Lexington’s Catholic Action Center is helping those who are unsheltered in the city stay warm. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Catholic Action Center is helping people in need to survive freezing temperatures through the end of the year.  

  • With the help of emergency relief services, they offer privacy beds to those seeking shelter

  • The center provides beds, meals and winter weather accessories like gloves, scarves and hats. 

A day before Christmas and in sub-zero temperatures, volunteers with the Lexington Catholic Action Center are giving their time to make sure some of the most vulnerable people around the city stay warm.

Helping spread their winter outreach is member and volunteer Leon Cavins who is telling the community, “Get to the point where you are going to go inside so you’re not stuck out in inclement weather.”

Stationed outside the center’s main location and with 84 beds in total are 2 large disaster service trailers in which individuals can enter and exit as welcomed. Inside, individuals can find several rows of three-tier bunk beds with curtains for privacy and plug-in outlets for powering services. 

FEMA emergency disaster trailers are placed outside the Catholic Action Center before the end of the year. (Spectrum News 1/Sabriel Metcalf)

Since last week, the center has worked with local partners like Lighthouse Ministries to connect vulnerable individuals with a warm space.

Cavins says he is no stranger to braving the cold. “Even walking from Thorntons up the road back down here I was freezing out here because you know it was like -2. It felt like it was -22 outside and with those frigid temperatures, as soon as you walk outside you’re going to lose your breath,” Cavins explained. 

He says the community can continue to support individuals during these below-freezing temperatures and well after they pass.

“Kind of walk up to that person and try to get to know the person behind the mask that they wear every day because most of us wear a mask every day to kind of disguise what we are going through. And then when weather like this comes on we put on a hard shell, like, we really can do this on our own.”

Continuing its winter efforts until Dec. 28, the catholic action center will provide anyone in need with space at their central location, in the trailers or at their partner warming center. 

The center operates seven days a week and extends mobile outreach through its Compassion Caravan.

For further details on how to donate and or support, go online to Catholic Action Center.

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