With below-freezing temperatures in the forecast for the next week, volunteers were busy at Genesis Church Wednesday morning, as several local agencies worked together to bring in supplies for a homeless shelter that opened in the afternoon.

Volunteer Gary Dantico said he and others with the Emergency Hope Crisis Response Network were working with a “sense of urgency” to get the shelter opened.

“I’ve lived in very cold climates,” Dantico said. “I know the things that can happen when the weather drops, especially for homeless people, and so I really understand the importance of this and the speed at which it needs to happen.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has declared a winter storm warning from midnight Thursday to noon Friday. It expects up to three inches of snow and the possibility of hazardous driving conditions, with a low of 29 degrees Thursday night. NOAA’s models predict lows below freezing through at least Jan 15.

The shelter will be open in the church at 1820 23rd St. N until at least 8 a.m. each morning, though shelterers can stay longer if temperatures are still 32 degrees or below, Golden Triangle Regional Homeless Coalition Director Susan Garton said Tuesday.

When dinner was served at 5 p.m., a few had already arrived to take shelter for the night, with more expected to file in as night wore on.

The city, through the police and community outreach departments, is partnering with the homeless coalition, Lowndes County Emergency Management Agency and United Way of the Golden Triangle, forming the crisis response network to run the shelter. The city council voted Tuesday to match up to $2,000 in private donations toward the effort.

To prepare for the shelter, Dantico said he and fire department personnel walked through Genesis Church the previous day to make sure the facility is up to code. From there, efforts to coordinate food and other resources for the shelter began, and on Wednesday morning, volunteers started helping to set up the space.

Jessica Gilmore, who also works as an executive assistant at Genesis Church, helped clean the rooms and the cots. She said the efforts showed how quickly a group of like-minded people can come together to meet a need they see in the community, and Genesis Church was grateful to be a part of it.

“We thoroughly enjoy being a blessing to our community,” Gilmore said. “We enjoy that God allows us and gives us the opportunity to do that. It’s a privilege. It’s an absolute privilege. And to have the space and the capacity to offer this … to our homeless community, why not? We have it, and it’s here and it’s available.”

Columbus Police Department Community Liaison Glenda Richardson said the police department will also be helping with bringing homeless people to the shelter if they wish to go, and will arrange additional patrols and check-ins at the church.

Volunteers and donations

While volunteers were already hard at work setting up Wednesday, Garton said the effort needs six to eight volunteers per day to man it to remain open. Wednesday afternoon, Garton said she still needs more volunteers to man the shelter for shifts between 3 p.m. and midnight Thursday.

United Way is taking monetary donations through its website or by contacting (662) 370-1922, Executive Director Renee Sanders said. By Wednesday afternoon, she said United Way had collected $500 toward the effort.

Food, gift cards, cleaning supplies, blankets, towels, pillows and hygiene products can be dropped off at Community Outreach at 1607 Main St.

Citizens are encouraged to contact the police non-emergency number at (662) 244-3500 if they see a homeless person in need of assistance. Those interested in volunteering or helping can contact Community Outreach Director Leonardo Dismukes at (662) 244-3525 or Richardson at (662) 364-1850.

Growing homelessness issue

During his regular press conference Wednesday at City Hall, Mayor Keith Gaskin said the shelter won’t provide an easy fix to what he called the city’s growing homelessness issue.

He believes the 20 or so cots at Genesis Church will more than cover the demand, since anyone staying at the shelter will be there by choice. He hopes even just a few will take advantage.

The true need, though, is much greater.

“If you tried to have every homeless person come into a shelter at night, we would not be able to do it,” he said. “I believe there’s that many out there.”

The increase in homelessness is becoming more obvious in Columbus, Gaskin said, with more makeshift encampments popping up and more residents reporting seeing unsheltered citizens around the city.

Unfortunately, many homeless citizens refuse help, he said. Sometimes, it’s working people who live in their vehicle and are embarrassed. Other times, the issues are more delicate.

“Many of the people who find themselves homeless are suffering from some kind of mental illness issue as well,” Gaskin said. “Many of them don’t want to go inside a shelter or leave where they are located.”

Gaskin said police won’t arrest homeless people for that reason alone. The city will remove someone from private property if the owner reports it. Authorities can also remove someone from areas where the person is endangering the public or disrupting normal operations.

“We do have some homeless people who are, at times, staying in locations around businesses or in front of the Trotter (Convention Center), where we try to move them along to somewhere else and try to (get them) the help they need,” Gaskin said. “Many times, they resist.

“We try to be as humane as possible when carrying out those situations,” he added.