BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Boston's homeless population has a safe place to rest during the coming snowstorm.
With piles of snow forecast for Sunday, Pine Street Inn President Lyndia Downie says the Pine Street Inn will be open 24-7.
"Our outreach vans will be out all night," Downie said. "We are adding some extra capacity earlier in the day. We are out now telling people, don't get complacent, come into shelter, we will make room for you."
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu declared a cold emergency through Sunday, Jan 25, ahead of the storm. While temperatures are expected to drop between the mid-teens and -15 degrees with wind chill, residents are encouraged to call 911 right away if they see someone struggling.
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"On these cold nights, call 911. They can get there faster than us. They can really assess quickly if somebody is in medical distress and get them over to the ER," Downey said.
Josh O'Brien, Vice President of Outreach and Emergency, says The Pine Street Inn has put out a call to the public for donations. The facility needs gloves, hats for the bitter cold, or gift cards.
"We're really encouraging folks to come in. Even if it's just to come in for a couple of hours, get a warm meal, get checked out by our clinic, and make sure there's no cold-weather injuries. But we're expecting an increase in our shelter numbers for sure."
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.