Salvation Army to provide cold weather relief, preparing to open up shelter

SAN ANTONIO – With the temperatures quickly dropping, the Salvation Army is getting ready to provide some cold weather relief to those who have nowhere to go.

Even though the Salvation Army's Emergency Family Shelter was at capacity Monday night, it still had cots and blankets ready in the lobby.

Brad Mayhar, with the Salvation Army, said it does not want to turn anyone away.

"Sometimes, people underestimate the severity and the dangers that the temperatures can pose to the body," Mayhar said.

"Anything that we can do to trap the heat in, we want to be able to do that, to keep them out of the elements. We want to offer them that alternative, versus being out on the streets," he said.

On Tuesday, the Salvation Army plans on making the rounds in its canteen truck, or mobile feeding truck.

"We want to be able to go out and offer people help in the streets that don't have anywhere else to go," Mayhar said. "Maybe they've been kind of forgotten or overlooked. We just want to offer them warm soup or give them a blanket."

Mayhar said the Salvation Army will also be encouraging the homeless population to seek shelter at its facilities or anywhere else to keep warm.