Shelter workers deliver coats to homeless as cold front moves in

The Star of Hope Mission is putting in extra work to help homeless people as a cold front moves in.

The organization is sending out its Love in Action Van every day this week. It will be loaded up with winter coats to be delivered to homeless people who are living outdoors. Drivers will also warn the homeless population about the cold weather hazard.

“They let the homeless guys under the bridges and in the wooded areas know that it’s gonna be cold, it’s gonna remain cold, it’s gonna get wet and we are here for them,” said Scott Arthur with Star of Hope Mission. “We offer them shelter at that point.”

Some of the homeless people refuse shelter. Star of Hope Mission workers at least try to offer them a coat and maybe a blanket.

“There’s a lot of mental illness out there on the street,” said Arthur. “There are hundreds and hundreds of men, and they make bad choices. And some of the choices they make are not to go into a shelter. They don’t want to give up their independence or their drugs or their alcohol. They would rather just ride it out. And we’re constantly saying, ‘Don’t do that. You may not wake up tomorrow.’”

Herman Borns is one who prefers to ride it out, living in a homeless tent encampment beneath the Interstate 69 overpass in downtown Houston.

“Right now, just gonna prepare for the cold and get a quilt every time they give you a quilt,” said Borns. He was able to get a hold of a coat before the cold moved in. He added that the challenge is protecting your coat or your quilt from neighboring homeless people.

“There are people in your tent, and they’ll do little silly things, tear up your stuff, and you gotta watch for vandalizing,” said Borns.

For the homeless people who do want shelter, the men’s center is full but is making extra space available as temperatures drop.

“We have up to maybe 50 or 60 spaces where they can come in and sleep on a mat or sleep in a chair and just get away from the elements.”

Star of Hope Mission is in need of donations in the form of gently-used coats, blankets and other winter items. If you’d like to help the homeless population, you can drop off donations at the following locations:

  • Donation & Distribution Center 2320 Lamar Houston, TX 77003
  • Cornerstone Community 2575 Reed Road Houston, TX 77051

For more information on Star of Hope, visit https://www.sohmission.org/.