Bitter cold putting homeless shelters, outreach agencies into action to help those in need

“We knew this day would come, or that it was very likely,” said the Rev. Steve Whitaker, president and senior pastor for Tulsa’s John 3:16 Mission. “While COVID is a clear concern, we can’t turn anyone away and let them freeze.”

Like other local homeless shelters, John 3:16 is using every available square foot to let crowds spread out as much as possible. People are sleeping in the lobby, in the cafeteria, even in the chapel. And everyone beds down wearing masks with hospital-style scrubs instead of their own clothes.

“I’m proud of the efforts we’re making, trying to keep everyone safe from the weather and from the pandemic,” Whitaker said. “It’s not just us, but the whole community, all working together to help people who desperately need help right now.”

The temperature trends for the rest of the week are highs in the upper 20s and lows in the upper teens, said Bart Haake, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Tulsa. The lows for Wednesday and Thursday nights are set around 19 degrees, Haake said, while highs will be around 27 degrees.

Six to eight inches of snow are predicted Sunday, and Monday will bring the coldest day with a low of 0 degrees, Haake said. By Wednesday, the area could “warm up” to over 30 degrees.

Meanwhile, Mental Health Association Oklahoma has intensified efforts to find people still sleeping on the streets. Several teams are searching for homeless encampments to offer rides to the nearest shelter, or to provide coats, hats and sleeping bags to those who insist on staying out.

“The need has never been greater than it is right now” with the pandemic hurting the local economy and putting more Tulsans out of work, said Mark Davis, who oversees the Mental Health Association’s outreach teams.

“The face of homelessness, or what people consider to be the face of homelessness, looks different now,” Davis said. “It’s our neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet, our neighbors who can’t afford to pay the rent and who are losing their homes.”

Housing Solutions, a nonprofit dedicated to minimizing homelessness in Tulsa, said outreach teams from several area organizations are working across the city to offer transportation to shelters. Those outreach teams are also providing supplies to those wanting to shelter in place.

Housing Solutions encourages concerned Tulsans who see someone in need of shelter to use the outreach request on the Housing Solutions website at https://bit.ly/370AuE2.

The city of Tulsa has two warming stations at John 3:16 Mission at 506 N. Cheyenne and The Salvation Army Center of Hope at 102 N. Denver Ave. Both are open 24 hours and have capacity limits in place.

The city also has an overflow shelter at the former juvenile detention center serving more individuals due to the extreme weather, maxing out the capacity at 205.

Warm meals prepared by Iron Gate continue to be provided daily.

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Photos: Tulsa and surrounding communities get hit by icy weather