LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — As Lexington braces for that frigid blast coming our way, people who serve the city's homeless population are working to be sure everyone has a safe place to be.
"We certainly don't want to see anyone out in the elements, especially overnight when it gets cold like this. Many of us, as we prepare for the holidays and for Christmas, may take for granted having a warm place to be, but many of the clients we serve don't have that," said Katie Vogel, director of development at the Hope Center.
Vogel spent Monday giving out water and letting people on Lexington's streets know where they can go to get out of the cold. The city's emergency winter weather plan is in effect as long as these temperatures are around. Vogel said there are already quite a few people at the Hope Center's shelter.
"We're seeing 200-plus clients shelter with us every night. That's men experiencing homelessness. We worry that people won't seek shelter, so between our mobile outreach here at the HopeMobile and our street outreach team, we're also a part of the cold weather plan the city puts in place. That's in effect now and will be until the temperatures rise again. That means that we're gearing up to serve more people and make sure we have things like hats and gloves and hand warmers readily available," Vogel said.
If you've got things like hats, gloves, or jackets that you can donate, you can drop them off at the Hope Center's facility on Loudon Ave.
