LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX18) — When a dangerous winter storm threatened Lexington in January with snow, ice, and freezing temperatures, the Catholic Action Center stepped up to fill a critical gap in emergency shelter services.
The nonprofit, which has served Lexington's unhoused population for nearly three decades, provided emergency motel rooms for 196 people when no warming shelter was available.
"When it became pretty obvious that there was not going to be a warming shelter that Friday morning, the day before the storm came, we said we have to," said Ginny Ramsey with Catholic Action Center.
Working alongside the Lexington Police Department and Fayette County Sheriff's Office, the organization placed unhoused individuals in motels across the city as temperatures plummeted.
Wesley Steele, one of the 196 people helped during the storm, said the intervention saved his life.
"I thank God for it. It's extremely cold outside, and they're doing it for a lot of people," Steele said.
The Bryan Station Inn resident has been unhoused for three years and credits the Catholic Action Center as a vital resource.
"It's been three years for me, and I advise anyone to use the resources around Lexington. They have plenty of them. The Catholic Action Center is definitely one of the biggest ones to use," Steele said.
Beyond providing shelter, the Catholic Action Center served 6,272 meals during the emergency response. Local restaurants, particularly Grounded All Day Cafe, contributed to the effort.
"They're the people that are the silent heroes. Our core volunteers, the people, the community that brought sandwiches when we knew we had to have sandwiches," Ramsey said.
For 27 years, Catholic Action Center has focused on identifying and filling gaps in services for the unhoused community.
"For 27 years our focus stays on, 'where is the gap that we need to fill?' Because we're not held back by many of the regulations that would be involved with a funded organization," Ramsey said.
The organization's flexibility allows it to respond quickly to emergencies, but Ramsey emphasizes that more systematic planning is needed.
"We've got to have a plan, an emergency plan, for any kind of weather event as a community. An alternative shelter," Ramsey said.
For those who received help, the impact extends beyond just temporary shelter.
"They're helping. They're nice people around. They feel like family," Steele said.
Ramsey warns that without proper emergency planning, future weather events could have tragic consequences.
"The tragedy would not be about how bad the roads are. It would be about how many bodies were found," Ramsey said.
CAC spent $135,000 to help house and feed everyone. So far they've been able to pay off $118,000, but still need to pay off $7,000. If you'd like help CAC, you can donate on their website.
