Cities in the Metroplex are working to warn homeless people about the cold weather. An Extreme Cold Warning runs through 9 a.m. Thursday, and temperatures may not get above freezing until Friday.
Dallas works with non-profits to provide shelter for homeless when temperatures are expected to stay below freezing more than three hours.
Austin Street Center had 263 people Saturday and hit 75% capacity Sunday. When Austin Street hit that threshold, the City of Dallas opened the Grand Place building at Fair Park as a temporary shelter.
"We expect this will be a longer activation period, so donations and volunteers later in the week when people are tired and have been working for a while will be really, really welcome," says Dallas Office of Homeless Solutions Director Christine Crossley.
Details on how to donate or volunteer are available at https://austinstreet.org/weather/ . OurCalling [https://ourcalling.harnessgiving.org/campaigns/16839] is also working with the City of Dallas and Austin Street Center to operate the shelter at Fair Park.
Shuttle buses are running routes among shelters, churches and DART routes to take people to Fair Park. People can also visit recreation centers during their regular hours to warm up.
"For people who are not going to go inside, we strongly recommend you do for the best chance of survival," Crossley says.
A list of rec centers, shelters and bus routes in the City of Dallas is available at https://dallascityhall.com/departments/homeless-solutions/Pages/Inclement-Weather-Activation.aspx .
Fort Worth police officers, firefighters and paramedics are handing out bus passes to people who need help reaching a shelter. The city's "HOPE Team" works with nonprofits to help people find permanent housing.
In Fort Worth, the nonprofit, When We Love is running an overnight shelter for up to 200 people. More information is available at https://www.whenwelove.com/ . Presbyterian Night Shelter and Union Gospel Mission are also operating shelters.
Arlington has activated its "Homeless Emergency Cold Weather Shelter Plan." Arlington Life Shelter and the Salvation Army are serving meals and have opened shelters there. More information is available at https://www.arlingtontx.gov/news/my_arlington_t_x/news_stories/arlington_cold_weather_shelter_information .
The Salvation Army has opened overnight shelters in several locations and is also working with other groups to provide homeless people with blankets, sleeping bags and hand warmers. Details are available at https://salvationarmyntx.org/north-texas/warming-shelters .
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