When temperatures plunge below freezing in South Louisiana, as they did last week, the conditions require residents to make adjustments in lifestyle and routine.
But for those without a home, the weather can be life-threatening.
"We're full right now," said Capt. August Pillsbury of the Salvation Army, for years a leading shelter for men. "We recently received a donation from the Pinhook Foundation, which allowed us to get mats and pillows so the men won't be sleeping on the floor."
Salvation Army personnel gear up for extra visitors when temperature are at 35 degrees or lower.
"Starting at 6 p.m., anybody and everybody can come and stay," Pillsbury said. "There are no restrictions. We have staff on duty all night, and we feed them breakfast in the morning."
Also getting the homeless out of the elements is the St. Joseph Shelter for Men on St. John Street, run by the Diocese of Lafayette's Catholic Service Centers.
"We've been opening up for overflow a lot lately, when temperatures get into the 30's," said Service Center Director Kim Boudreaux. "We don't turn away anybody."
The Shelter is next door to Service Center headquarters and the St. Joseph Diner, allowing flexible service for homeless men under the "Freeze Plan."
"When it first started to freeze, we requested funds to get some cots," Boudreaux said. "Sen. Mike Michot donated money that will allow us to add 12 cots, so we can get them up off the ground.
"Usually, we have between 17 and 23 in the shelter, and right now we also have eight cots and sleeping bags. We take them in at 5 p.m., when we feed all the men who live with us.
"In the morning, the (non-resident) men who come in have to leave. So they're in the elements during the day. We may look at the Diner like a day shelter. We would love for people to donate pocket warmers, knit hats and gloves. That would be a great help for the men during the day."
"It definitely impacts us," said Jonathan Linzer, St. Joseph Shelter for Men and St. Michael's Veterans Shelter director. "This year alone, we've seen an average of 15-20 individuals enter our facilities on a Freeze Night (35 degrees), and there have been five to six of those this year "We're unprepared to feed them at the Diner, so that's an extra cost and challenge to us. Last year we had 17 Freeze Nights. I hope we don't have that many this year, but it's only early December. We'll wait and see."
While Salvation Army and the St. Joseph Shelter help men, the Acadiana Outreach Center at 125 S. Buchanan St. assists women and children. "Addressing the needs of the homeless is a cooperative effort," said Outreach Center CEO Rick Newton. "Our capacity is 28, and we've been running pretty full lately. "Depending upon our occupancy, any space we have we'll take as circumstances present themselves. Any excess space we have will be used on an emergency basis." As cold as conditions have been, they haven't reached the bitter drop into the teens that struck Acadiana in the 1983 and 1989 Christmas seasons.
"This weekend's front will be windier than the last one. We'll see 15-20 mph winds Sunday morning, which will subside later in the day. Then it will get colder on Monday." The effects will be more severe for some after Saturday temperatures in the mild 60s and 70s. For those coming in off the street, it's a harsh turnaround indeed.
