The City of Bend, Oregon has declared an emergency due to extremely cold temperatures. As a result, the City will open up warming shelters for the homeless when other shelters reach their capacity. The Boys and Girls club has been converted into the warming shelter.
“It’s an opportunity for people to get in, get out of the cold, be warm, just for that night; they leave the next morning, and then if the conditions are still the same that night, then they can come back,” says Chris Clouart, Managing Director at the Bethlehem Inn. This declaration will be valid through March for nights when temperatures drop to twenty degrees or below.
You may not be faced with similar circumstances now, but we all are vulnerable to emergencies, whether or not our city declares one. What will you do in the event of a natural disaster that occurs during the winter months, which knocks out power lines? How will you keep warm? Are you counting on going to a warming shelter, or are you prepared to keep warm?
Take the time today to take inventory of what you have to keep warm. Emergency blankets, tents, hand and foot warmers are good to have on hand in a pre-made home survival kit. Also, heaters that don’t use electricity may serve as a good backup during power outages.
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