PORTLAND, Ore. — As a winter storm rolled into the Portland metro area Tuesday night, dozens of people lined up outside Portland Central Church of the Nazarene. Everyone there was anxious to get in out of the cold.
“I don't know what I'd do,” said Chris Merlo, who is homeless. “I'd be out there freezing, I'd be out there cold, I'd be out there wet, I'd be out there hoping that my tent doesn't fall down on top of me.”
Merlo and the other guests are grateful for the church's partnership with Union Gospel Mission. Every night from Nov. 1 through the end of March, they open the winter shelter for those who need a place to sleep.
“They know they're coming into warmth, a sandwich, a bottle of water,” said Sarah Chapman, outreach coordinator for Portland Central Church of the Nazarene.
She said on the coldest nights, guests fill the shelter to capacity.
“I think the hardest part of that is that we have to turn people away when we get to 45,” said Chapman. “And usually at that point we hear, ‘Where can we go?’ and it's very hard to say because we're one of the only ones open, no matter the weather."
Even as the winter storm creeps in, most shelters remained closed Tuesday. The reason? Weather conditions had not yet met their thresholds for opening. In Multnomah County; those thresholds include temperatures 25 degrees or below, at least an inch of snow, or overnight temperatures below 32 degrees with an inch of driving rain. Those who’ve experienced homelessness know how difficult it can be to wait for shelters to open.
“It's an absolute nightmare out there,” said Ian Watt.
PHOTOS: Snow falls in Portland area, southwest Washington
Watt was homeless for 10 years and is now in recovery through Union Gospel Mission. He volunteers at the shelter and takes pride in helping others find hope, especially on the coldest, most difficult nights.
“For me, it’s a blessing because I have a gratitude for not having to be there anymore,” said Watt. “But to be able to reach out to them and to help out other people in the same spot I used to be in, it means a lot to me.”
A Multnomah County spokesperson told KGW they are continuing to monitor weather forecasts and estimated they would reach their emergency shelter thresholds by the end of the week. They also expanded their street outreach on Tuesday. That effort includes sharing warming supplies with people living on the streets and making sure they know where to go when shelters do open.