KANSAS CITY, Ks. — Communities across the Kansas City area are preparing for this week's winter weather, including for those that are currently homeless and without a warm place to sleep in the current dangerous conditions.
KCKPD Master Sgt. Angela Joyce is preparing one of her squad cars with a lot of supplies.
"We come in very early in the morning and we take out supplies such as donated blankets we may have," Joyce said. "[We also take out] food, gloves, socks and if we have [them], hand warmers."
She and her fellow officers can never have too many items to help those who need them the most.
"We also raid our own closets and pantries and bring them in, every time we go out, we're restocking," Joyce said.
KCK police will be patrolling homeless camps and checking on the houseless, providing them with necessities ahead of this week's winter weather.
At night, there is one option to keep people warm in Wyandotte County.
"We've really been able to get creative with this space and be intentional about providing people with a safe and dignified sheltering option," Rob Santel, the director of housing solutions at Cross-Lines Community Outreach, said.
The former Reardon Convention Center is now a nighttime winter shelter and a community effort complete with COVID-19 screening and testing, storage for belongings, a warm meal and tents to sleep for 40 people.
"This is absolutely essential, and our community will have to have these extra extreme weather options for folks, regardless of other sheltering options, because it's on these coldest of nights that we need to make sure that we are keeping people safe and alive," Santel said.
Lonnie, a 54-year old Wyandotte County native, will be staying at the center.
"This is wonderful, usually my feet wake me up in the morning," he said. "This is a lifesaver, it's a lifesaver. I mean hands down, the people are great here. God bless ‘em, it would be a nightmare without this place."
