FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A winter storm is just hours away from hitting Northwest Arkansas, and all of 5COUNTRY has been preparing for freezing cold temperatures.
Shelters across Northwest Arkansas are opening their doors to those in need to provide them some warmth and safety.
"Cold weather can be incredibly dangerous for the unhoused population. So being able to have these resources available can literally be lifesaving," Stephanie Chastain with Salvation Army in Fayetteville said. "We're lucky in Fayetteville that we are part of a larger group of organizations that mobilizes during cold weather."
Salvation Army and 7hills along with other organizations in the NWA area have warming centers to remove people from outside if the temperatures drop too low.
7hills leader Becci Sisson says they had 80 people at their center today and expect many more on Sunday.
Sisson says 7hills has provided them breakfast and lunch, and popcorn and hot cocoa to eat while watching movies throughout the day. But in the evening, buses will come to transport the women and children to St. James Baptist Church, and the men to Genesis Church to stay overnight.
Sisson says their warming center has been filling every day this week and will even stay open this weekend past normal Monday through Friday hours of operation.
"I think it's a great thing for us to be able to have the resources on the weekends. And as we move towards our new programming over at seven hills where we'll have overnight shelter, I mean, we have 64 beds are going to open by May," Sisson adds. "So, this is kind of a great kind of a trial run for us so that people are actually having services seven days a week, and something that is definitely needed in our area."
Chastain says they also have been seeing high numbers due to the cold weather, but are prepared to help.
"We have a normal capacity of just under 100 individuals between both of our shelters, and then both of our shelters will be able to accommodate almost, if not over 30 Extra individuals. So that puts us up over 150 people staying in our shelters," she adds.
Warming centers will be open at shelters across 5COUNTRY when temperatures hit below 32 degrees.
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