City Seeks To Help Homeless With Emergency Weather Plan

Officials from the city of Lexington said they are trying to help the homeless stay warm this winter by enacting their Emergency Weather Plan on Wednesday.

The plan offers several warming centers for the homeless that will be open Wednesday through Friday.

Here is a list of those locations.

24-Hour Emergency Shelters

Unaccompanied Women and Women with Children

        Salvation Army
        736 W. Main Street
        Lexington, KY 40508
        859-252-7706

Unaccompanied Men

        Hope Center
        360 W. Loudon Avenue
        Lexington, KY 40508
        859-252-7881

Children and Youth Ages 6 weeks to 17 years

        Arbor Youth Services’ MASH Drop Inn Center
        536 West Third Street
        Lexington, KY 40508
        859-254-2501

Day Shelters–Daytime Warming Centers

        New Life Day Center
        224 North Martin Luther King Blvd.
        Lexington, KY 40508
        859-699-2500
        Operating Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.;
        Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

        Catholic Action Center
        400 E. Fifth Street
        Lexington, KY 40508
        859-255-0301
        Normal Operating Hours: Daily 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
        Open 24 hours during activation of Emergency Weather Plan
  
        Arbor Youth Services Street Outreach Center
        540 West Third Street
        Lexington, KY 40508
        859-254-2501
        Operating Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (extended hours as needed–no one turned out on the street)

        Senior Citizens Center
        (Warming Center only)
        1530 Nicholasville Rd
        Lexington, KY 40503
        859-278-6072
        Operating Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. when plan is activated. Regular hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

        Dunbar Community Center
        (Warming Center Only)
        545 N. Upper St.
        Lexington, KY 40508
        859-288-2941
        Operating Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m when the plan is activated.

Officials said the plan will be in place any time the temperature drops below 32°F.

They also said they will look at the forecast then decide if they will keep the warming centers open over the weekend.  They said they would likely consolidate the centers if they are kept open.

Additionally, any time the Emergency Weather Plan is in place, LexTran will give people a ride to shelters at no cost.

Volunteers from the Catholic Action Center started their Compassionate Caravan at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

They plan to drive to homeless camps and take people they find to the shelter of their choice. 

If the person does not want to leave the cold, the volunteers will give sacks of coats, blankets, gloves and hats.