With the first cold weather event of the season already underway, The Salvation Army of Tupelo has opened its doors to warm individuals who may not have a place to remain out of the elements.
One of the services provided by the local Salvation Army is a warm location for folks, both sheltered and unsheltered, to stay warm during the day and overnight if they have no other options. Captain LeeAnna Marion stated that the Salvation Army has had three people per night since it opened for cold weather sheltering.
This year marked a dramatic shift in the way the local Salvation Army operates in frigid conditions.
With the changes in policy on the campus gymnasium, which is now primarily used as a community space, the organization will no longer allow individuals to stay in the gym overnight during cold weather. Instead, Marion stated that the organization will enable folks to remain overnight in unoccupied family rooms.
“We are using our family rooms in the cold weather. That is our capacity. “If we get families who need shelter, they will be prioritized,” she stated.
Another new policy is that the shelter will not implement cold weather procedures until temperatures reach 20 degrees.
According to the National Weather Service, lows will be in the 20s Friday night before rising above freezing during the weekend. Temperatures will drop near freezing by Wednesday night.