LOUISVILLE, Ky. — People across the state are bracing for potential winter weather, coupled with biting cold temperatures in the coming days.
A group of organizations in Louisville are making sure people who don’t have a home can at least try to stay safe ahead of the storm.
Potentially serious winter weather is moving toward Kentucky and that made what was inside an SOS International truck vital.
Thousands of pounds of things like personal hygiene products will physically get into the hands of people in need.
“We know we’re getting the kind of weather that kills people. So, we’re gonna package these things to make sure they get out to people who need them,” said C.A.R.E. at Arthur Street executive director, Susan Buchino.
SOS International, a global health equity organization, partnered with the Arthur Street Hotel and its owner LDG Development, to drop off 3,500 pounds of things, including boxes of non-latex gloves, cleaning supplies and even a hospital bed. SOS brought in five pallets of supplies. The items will stock the hotels’ first-aid areas.
“All of these really are going to be either things that we use on site or if there are things that are appropriate, that our outreach teams so the hygiene supplies and such, our outreach teams will put together hygiene bags to make sure as they’re doing outreach and delivering meals that they’re also providing people who are staying outside with hygiene supplies,” added Buchino.
Leaders said they want to make sure the homeless have some of what they need to deal with what they expect to be dangerously low temperatures.
Buchino said, “The city just doesn’t have enough shelter beds, so there are going to be people outside and even as the cold snap comes in the next week and shelters open white-flag space, there still will not be enough space for people to stay inside. So, we’re really working on doing what we can to make sure that people have what they need to stay safe outside.”
SOS International and C.A.R.E. at Arthur Street are currently accepting donations.