Cold Weather Alert: Helping the Homeless

A homeless man was found over the weekend, frozen to death on a basketball court. And it's likely another similar tragedy may occur during this week of continuing cold temperatures.

The Herald talked to the city's emergency shelter director, Jim Greene, who said that outreach vans will be out to help bring the homeless to a warmer shelter.

Wondering what people can do if they see anyone who needs shelter from the cold, Bostonist dialed up the Mayor's 24-hour hotline (617-635-4500). We expected to get a message saying someone would eventually call back. Much to our surprise (it works! it really works!), we were transferred to a homeless advocate who sent us the following information written by Greene:

ALL shelters are asked to make accommodations for every person in need, and all outreach workers and concerned citizens should be prepared to call 9-1-1 for anyone unwilling to seek shelter and dressed inappropriately for the extreme cold.

PLEASE DO NOT ASSUME THAT SOMEONE IS OK JUST BECAUSE HE OR SHE
IS WRAPPED IN A BLANKET. PLEASE TAKE THE EXTRA EFFORT TO APPROACH
SUCH PERSONS SAFELY and to find out if they are responsive to your questions.

The advocate we spoke with gave us some tips in case you come across anyone who looks like they could use a little more help than a couple of bucks or a hot cup of java.

You can call 911, as mentioned above. If it isn't an emergency situation, leave a message with the closest shelter saying where you saw the individual and the individual's condition, and a van from one of the shelters should come by to check on them. Here are some phone numbers:

--Pine Street Inn Neighbor Project Daytime Outreach, tel./voicemail 617-521-7222
--Pine Street Inn Outreach Van, (Overnight Outreach) tel./voicemail 617-521-7229
--TriCity Mental Health Street Outreach (Back Bay) tel./voicemail 617-236-8390
--Friends of the Shattuck Street Outreach, tel./voicemail 617-542-3388

More phone numbers for shelters are available here.

Not everyone who should come in from the cold will, but it's worth trying. You can also make donations to the Salvation Army or any of the shelters on the list or save up clothes for the next drive.

Image of a blanket from Flickr user *waterlily*.