Homeless population struggle to keep warm as temps dip to low 30’s

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EUREKA, Calif. (KIEM)-As temperatures start to dip in the low thirties along the North Coast – the homeless population is struggling to stay warm.

“I have a good team, my staff helping me out and then we keep giving jackets in quarantine, and then pass them out,” said Founder of the Betty Kwan Chinn Day Center. “But seems, it’s never enough.”

The freezing conditions caused the national weather service in Eureka to issue an Emergency Shelter Weather Alert, over the weekend.

The founder of the Betty Kwan Chinn Day Center says, her clients are having a tough time with the recent cold spell.

“Very Hard, and no matter how much, I give them two pairs of socks, still not warm enough. 

As temperatures dipped down in the low 30’s – Chinn and her staff were hard at work these past few days.

“We passed out over maybe, last couple of days, Saturday and Sunday we pass out, must be over 100 jackets,” said Chinn.

Alexis, who asked we only use her first name says, there is a stigma around homelessness, but those who are homeless are people, too.

“They’re scared, they’re cold, there hungry they want to be able to be self-supporting sometimes it’s easier to stay loaded and out there than actually reach those resources,” she said.

Alexis says, she made some wrong choices that got her kicked out of where she lived – and says getting help is not as easy as it’s some may believe- the demand for services are on the rise.

“There’s so many people out there that are homeless right now due to the COVID,” said Alexis.  

“But, right now social distance is really put us in a spot,” said Chinn. “We can only do so much.”

With county COVID guidelines in place – Chinn says, her hands are tied when it comes to how many people her organization can help, at one time, along with other shelters in the area.

“I cannot keep them social distance, you can’t because so many people,” she said.  

Chinn says, she is taking donations for the homeless, but asks that only warm heavy blankets, winter coats and socks be dropped-off.

A location was offered to her organization to use as a place to quarantine the items for 14 days before being distributed.

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