HOPKINSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Salvation Army in Hopkinsville has opened a new dedicated emergency weather shelter this winter, replacing years of makeshift arrangements that strained staff and resources.
For years, when unbearable cold hit Hopkinsville, Lt. David Donegan with the Salvation Army said they scrambled, transforming the dining room into an emergency shelter overnight.
"It worked, but it stretched staff thin," Donegan said.
The new space fills a critical gap that has long challenged the organization's winter operations.
"In the past we would open up an emergency weather shelter we would do it in our soup kitchen which means the next morning we had to sanitize we had to put tables back and prepare for our feeding services," Donegan said.
The building that once sat empty is now a dedicated emergency weather shelter. It used to be a thrift store, but the Salvation Army was paying utilities and expenses for a building that wasn't being used.
Instead of tearing spaces down last winter, they turned it into something permanent and flexible.
"So we kind of cleaned it out got everything out of here and then transitioned it so that it became a functional shelter," Donegan said.
When the open sign flashes during cold temperatures, that means beds, food and overnight supervision with no paperwork and no barriers.
"So what we have here is a place you can come and rest your head," Donegan said.
The shelter can serve about 30 people and adjust depending on who walks in the door.
"So it is a low barrier shelter so what we would do here would be for men and women," Donegan said.
With record low temperatures expected, the Salvation Army said the goal isn't growth — it's availability. The shelter opens whenever temperatures fall below 25 degrees and connects guests to services during the day.
Have you ever wondered what resources are available in your community during extreme weather emergencies? Watch our full video report to see inside Hopkinsville's new emergency shelter. Contact kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com to share information about other community resources or organizations making a difference during harsh weather conditions.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
