ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. (WXYZ) — As a winter storm brought heavy winds, bitter cold temperatures and shut down schools and offices throughout metro Detroit, a team of volunteers braved the cold to find people unsheltered.
Motor City Mitten Mission is based in St. Clair Shores in Macomb County. The nonprofit works seven days a week to help people experiencing homelessness find food, shelter, transportation and more. They also recently took over operations at the Macomb County Winter Shelter.
"We don’t take the days off. People that are homeless don’t become un-homeless just because it’s a holiday or because it’s after 6 o'clock at night or because it’s bad weather," said Gail Marlow with Motor City Mitten Mission. "They still need that help and they still need that assistance."
Friday after prepping over 100 meals and loading up their mobile unit with blankets, hats, gloves and water, a team of volunteers from Motor City Mitten Mission drove into the city looking for people who were out in the elements. Marlow says she believes there are more people in need than statistics show.
"I think the need is tremendous," Marlow said. "Just in a matter of a week, our shelter numbers increased from 24 to 71 (people)."
Marlow says the problem is often more difficult to see in metro Detroit, where many houseless individuals might choose to stay in abandoned buildings or their cars.
After driving around for just 10 minutes Friday, volunteers found a woman in need of services. They offered her a ride share service to the shelter of her choice, a meal and things to stay warm including a blanket and mittens.
Marlow says they offer everyone they run into the same supplies but sometimes, they encounter individuals who refuse help despite the weather.
"My biggest concern would be people that are suffering from severe mental illness that don’t understand how cold it’s going to get and how staying outside is going to affect them physically and then they fall asleep and don’t wake up," Marlow said.
Due to the extreme weather, Marlow says they've been asked by the city to report any individuals who refuse help to Detroit police. Police will then follow up with the individual and try to convince them to accept services to avoid weather-related injury or the potential fatal results of staying in the elements.
The team says they are expecting to drive the metro area for several hours Friday night. Marlow says she recommends anyone who wants to help, donate directly to an organization. More information on how to help the team at Motor City Mission or donate can be found on their website.
If you or someone you know is looking for a place to go this weekend, shelters will be open throughout the day and many will not be turning people away. A full list of warming centers in Detroit can be found on the city's website.
