EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) –
It has been a hard and frigid winter for the Tri-State, but it has been exceptionally hard on folks who have nowhere of their own to stay warm.
When it gets below 32 degrees, United Caring Services opens its doors to anyone who needs a place to stay warm as long as they follow the rules. It has been a record winter season for issuing White Flag nights at UCS.
Executive Director Jason Emmerson said they house 70 people in their men’s and women’s shelter on a typical night, but with the White Flag warnings, they have provided for as many as 41 extra people. He said they’ve had 14 White Flag nights so far.
Pidgeon Township has donated more than $10,000 this year to help UCS keep their doors open and for security, but resources are still tight. Emmerson said it’s adding a lot of work on the volunteers and resources, and it’s all because of the weather.
“It’s been the earliest it has been cold, the longest it has been cold, and the coldest it has been cold for years around here,” Emmerson told us. “Our numbers have actually increased over the past couple of years from people utilizing White Flag. Our averages are up which means we are helping more people.”
Jason said he’s thankful they’ve been able to help so many. He also said with warmer weather in the forecast for the weekend, they will be able to catch up and get ready for the next cold snap.
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Published: Wednesday, January 17th 2018, 4:38 pm CDT
