For many of us, freezing temps just mean turning on the gas fireplace, or bumping up the heat a few degrees. But to homeless folks, it can be a matter of life and death.
Officials plan to open a warming shelter on nights the temperature is expected to be below freezing, at the Salvation Army Center of Hope on Broad Street in Gastonia. The shelter will be open from 8 PM to 6 AM on nights the temp drops to freezing. The impetus for the shelter came from the Homeless Prevention Committee. The committee is made up of folks from the City of Gastonia, Gaston County, and other organizations helping the homeless.
Earlier this year a study, called Point-In-Time, calculated that there were about 500 homeless people in Gaston, Lincoln,and Cleveland counties.
