SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio is bracing for another round of cold weather, and the impact is already being felt across the city.
Shelters like Communities Under the Bridge (CUB) have been operating around the clock since last weekend, when the temperature first took a nosedive in San Antonio.
“It’s been a 24-hour operation,” Pastor Robert Springer of Foxhole Ministries said. Foxhole is a partner with CUB.
As the cold returns, the cost of keeping doors open is adding up. And they’re not alone.
Corazon Ministries has been serving “800 meals a day,” according to Corazon Day Center Director Brittney Ackerson.
“We’re covering the cost of everything,” Ackerson said.
Corazon said it is reopening its overnight shelter once again this weekend.
The impact of the cold stretches beyond nonprofits. Emily Williams Knight, the president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association, said local businesses are also taking a hit.
“Whenever we have cold weather in Texas, what people do is they stay home,” Knight said. “That puts pressure on a small restaurant that’s barely making a margin to begin with.”
Still, not every industry is feeling the freeze the same way. A spokesperson with San Antonio’s Public Works Department said no construction projects are expected to be delayed due to the cold. An H-E-B spokesperson said its stores are ready to go.
Just in case, Amanda Deibel stocked her neighborhood food pantry on Wahada Avenue near MacArthur High School. Over the last week, Deibel said she had to restock their pantry multiple times because of the cold weather and growing needs.
“I know we won’t have ice in the forecast, so hopefully people are still able to travel, but it’s always nice to have it stocked and ready,” Deibel said.
Back at the shelters, help has already started to pour in. Both CUB and Corazon said they’ve received tons of physical donations.
Now, they’re asking for monetary donations.
“Our priority is to help keep us going, and that’s the financial aspect,” Ackerson said.
To help Corazon, click here. To help CUB, click here.
For a list of the city’s overnight warming centers open this weekend, click here.
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