After a week of heavy rain throughout the South Plains, some major homeless shelters are completely full from hundreds of homeless people seeking basic shelter from the storms.
Lubbock reached its highest homeless population count yet in January of this year. This put an urgency on the resources for these community members and local shelters asked for the public’s help.
“Definitely we have seen an increase, beginning at the first of the week,” Salvation Army Director of Social Services in Lubbock, Eric Hitt said. “The staff and I got together when we knew the rain was coming and we set our plan out and decided to open our doors, in-climate weather cots, that’s for any individual seeking shelter to get out of the rain.”
“As far as identification, I know that’s the number one asked by other agencies and individuals,” Hitt added. “If you do not have your drivers license, we will accommodate you, we will find a way around it, we will work with you.”
Open Door and Salvation Army are now both full at each downtown location. They asked for help through donations. Items like basic hygiene products, adult and children clothes, and rain gear are all needed at these locations.
“We are needing all hygiene products from the kids, women, children,” Hitt said. “Anything that you use every day, that’s what we need every day. Also, the rain ponchos or umbrellas.”
“Today when the weather is bad, it’s easy for people to think about homelessness but we really try to encourage people to think about homelessness every day through out the year because it’s a problem we’re trying to work for solutions towards,” Wheeler said.
Open Door, previously known as Carpenter’s Church, is located at 1916 13th St, Lubbock, TX 79401.
Salvation Army Lubbock is located at 1111 16th St, Lubbock, TX 79401.
