FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - As temperatures decreased across South Florida, homeless organizations have stepped up and shared supplies to those most affected by the cold snap in multiple locations.
With temperatures dropping Saturday night, the Homeless Voice organization in Fort Lauderdale organized and handed out supplies to those in need.
“These are all full of shirts, pants,” said Sean Cononie from the Homeless Voice organization.
Cononie spent Saturday night handing out supplies to homeless individuals who lined up outside a truck full of supplies.
“Here’s some water, here’s your snacks, you sure you don’t want a couple blankets?” said Conoie to an unhoused individual.
In downtown Fort Lauderdale, many people do not have a place to go.
“Not everybody goes to shelters, because sometimes they’re overloaded, they can’t get in, it’s too late, they show up, maybe they have some discipline problems,” said Cononie.
Cononie said that it’s important to keep them warm.
“We got supplies for the really frail, sick people, we’re gonna give them the heavier gear, the coats, the warmups, the sweats, the foiled blankets from [Federal Emergency Management Agency].” he said. “Cute little thing here, this lady, 99 or 98-years-old, made all these scarves, I guess, took a couple years, and we’re gonna pass them out, I think it’s a miracle that woman did this, at her age,”
In downtown Miami, Narciso Munoz, the president of Hermanos de la Calle and his team of volunteers, found homeless residents to offer assistance, and offered help for them to get indoors.
“I wanna help you, I don’t want you to sleep in the streets,” said Munoz.
“We have cots in shelters, we have beds in hotels, wherever, so we are going to try to see everyone in the streets and offer them a place to be,” he said.
Camillus House in Miami also prepared to receive more people in their shelters as well.
“We’re hopeful that many of them will take the invitation, come in, get dropped off here, walk in, the doors are open to help them,” said Sam Gill, Senior Vice President of Camillus House.
The Salvation Army organization in Broward County made every possible room in its facility available to place cots.
“We’re gonna try to put, probably 70, maybe a little bit more, tonight and we actually started on Monday,” said
Volunteers said this was much more than giving supplies and a place to stay.
“For them to not be invisible, is very important. They have names, people like you, me, everyone else, they have a name,” said Sallye Schwartz. “When you learn their name, and every time you said hi, and every time you use their name, it helps them, you know. It’s not just about food, shelter, it’s also about recognition, that they’re a person.”
Officials of the Homeless Voice will continue to make their rounds to make sure people are safe and covered.
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