LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — With the coldest weather of the season barreling down from Canada and set to arrive overnight Monday, Lexington’s Catholic Action Center, which serves the city’s homeless community members, is getting ready.
“It's always a big concern when people are not prepared,” said Ginny Ramsey, the CAC director.
The cold front will be a sudden and sharp decline, and a potential shock to the system for anyone who’s stuck outside. Ramsey said The Lighthouse will be available for shelter from 7 pm to 7 am on Sunday and Monday nights for those in need.
“Lighthouse has some great people working with them, to make sure they know the supplies, what they can have and how to maneuver,” Ramsey explained of the many people who will be experiencing this circumstance for the first time.
“Been a lot of evictions since the beginning of the year,” she stated. “There are a lot of new faces; a lot of new people who can make it when the weather is good, but don't understand the dramatic change in temperature can be life-threatening to them,” she added.
Her entire mission is to protect those people from life-threatening conditions. She said the annual survey her office completed over the summer showed that the city needs an additional 500-550 beds. Ramsey said Lexington has 216 of those coming in the middle of this month with its new shelter. Ginny works to help fill the gaps wherever she can.
“We beg them not to (stay outside). We’ve had so many people with frostbite and who’ve lost limbs months later, so please do not stay out there, please get the help,” she stressed.
Ramsey said some will choose to avoid a shelter thinking they might be arrested once there, but she tried to dispel that line of thinking.
“No one is going to come check to see who is there because they’re homeless and arrest them. We pray that everybody will take advantage of this,” said Ramsey.
