The City of Arlington announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Emergency Cold Weather Shelter would be open on Sunday, Nov. 26.
Intake will be at the Salvation Army's Arlington Family Center at 712 W. Abram St. from 7-10 p.m.
"When we have this special situation where the weather is so dangerously cold, then it's right in line with our mission of saying, 'Okay, what can we do to help?" said Major Paul McFarland with the Salvation Army of North Texas
He said many locations around North Texas provide cots in their gymnasiums to become overnight shelters.
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"The experts say any exposure to weather 40 degrees or lower over a few hours can be deadly, and for many this is truly a life and death matter. We want to be there to stand in the gap to help them, not to mention love on them a little bit, give them some good food and a safe place to stay," said McFarland.
Everyday the Salvation Army provides shelters for people to stay in, but during cold weather, they use community centers with gymnasiums to add maybe 50 to 100 spots for people to sleep overnight.
“Happy , grateful, a sigh of relief," described Raul Lopez, someone who is staying at the Arlington location for the night.
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He said on Saturday night, he stayed near the railroad tracks behind a building in a tent.
"It was cold last night, very very cold, I couldn’t sleep," explained Lopez who said he's been without a home for several years.
Lopez said he found out through word of mouth about the shelter.
“I’m very gracious for their help," said Lopez.
To get text updates from the city text ARLCOLD to 817-241-3544.
McFarland said last winter the were open for about 40 nights to shelter people from the cold. He said they're praying for a mild winter, but are asking for donations to help offset future costs.
"I just would encourage our donors, if they feel so moved, to certainly try to help support, particularly the inclement weather shelters. We never know how many nights will be open, last year it was over 40 nights and we were open. So it always puts a strain on our budget, so any any extra help they can give is very much needed and appreciated," explained McFarland.
To learn more about the Salvation Army of North Texas, click here.
