Despite a brutal cold snap, record snowfall and four dead from exposure in Portland, some homeless people are still sleeping out on the streets, in parking garages or in wooded areas.
Police, firefighters, church volunteers and outreach teams from nonprofit organizations have leapt into action, making rounds to check on dozens of campers who can’t be convinced to come inside.
One Portland police officer checked every 30 minutes on a woman who chose a downtown street instead of a shelter as the temperature dipped into the 20s early Wednesday.
“We’re asking the public to look out for people like this,” said Jessica Morkert-Shibley, a Multnomah County spokeswoman. Call 911 if it’s a medical crisis or the non-emergency line (503-823-3333) if someone needs warm clothing.
Responders are making it their first priority to offer rides to shelters, but if the offer is declined, they shift to handing out blankets, hats, gloves, tarps and tents.
Portland firefighters and police have sent out several vans just for driving people to shelters.
Tuesday night, 422 people used emergency shelter beds set up for this latest cold front in Multnomah County. That’s on top of the hundreds of regular shelter beds.
Morkert-Shibley said the community has stepped up its giving.
“People have donated food, pizza and Voodoo Doughnuts,” she said. “Where the need is most is for durable materials, blankets, tarps, sleeping bags. Things that can withstand a severe weather event.”
Andrew Hall, guest care manager at the Portland Rescue Mission, said the mission has seen a surge in giving, especially in blankets, sweatshirts and hand warmers.
“They just want to know that people are warm,” Hall said.
On Jan. 1, David Guyot, 68, died of exposure, after a passer-by who spotted him at a downtown bus stop called 911 and emergency responders rushed him to a local hospital. On Jan. 2, Mark Elliot Johnson, 51, had been dead for several hours from the cold before police found him under a blanket near a business at 99th and East Burnside Street. On Saturday, Karen Lee Batts, 52, died of exposure in a downtown parking garage. On Tuesday, police found a man dead from apparent hypothermia on a steep hillside near the 4900 block of Southwest Barbur Boulevard.
Hall said while he hasn’t heard people at the mission talk much about the four deaths this year, he knows staff members feel the loss keenly.
“It really does break our hearts because these are people who are not just guests, but they are our friends, our family,” Hall said. “It exemplifies the widespread issue that our community is facing. We strive to do everything we can and restore life through our building.”
The Portland Rescue Mission opened up 220 beds — including 15 extra mats in the lobby and hall — Tuesday night. People took all but one or two of them.
Local shelters say they won’t turn anyone away even if they’ve reached capacity. They’ve put people in cabs or found other transportation to get them to shelters with space.
Sean Davis, a Northeast Portland resident and member of American Legion Post 134, said he decided to open the post as a shelter Jan. 4 after he started to hear about people dying from the cold in Portland. The first night, eight people showed up. Tuesday night, 27 people did.
“The community really came through,” Davis said. “All of a sudden, we had food every day. Clothes. Blankets.”
The shelter is at 2104 N.E. Alberta St.
“This is life or death,” Davis said. “This is very important, how we treat these people. … We want to challenge other community centers like other American Legions, VFWs (Veterans of Foreign Wars), churches, Eagles Lodges, to do it. It’s not too hard to do it.”
If you need help: There is a list of warming centers that is constantly updated at 211info.org. You can also call 211. Use public buildings, such as libraries and community centers if they are open, to get warm during that day. 211info.org also lists shelters that are open during the day.
Be aware: The signs of hypothermia include extreme fatigue, fumbling and confusion — and can mimic drug or alcohol use. Public safety officials also warn the public about using alternative heating sources, including charcoal, which can cause carbon monoxide poisoning when burned in enclosed spaces such as homes, garages, cars or tents.
