Metro Detroit nonprofit hits the streets to help unhoused individuals amid cold temperatures

(CBS DETROIT) Some neighborhood groups are working to get folks off the streets and into the heat as the weather approaches freezing.

“Put your feet underneath there,” Stephanie Taylor advised while assisting a person in wrapping a blanket around herself.

Taylor is the outreach manager for Covenant House Michigan. She goes around the neighborhood looking for homeless individuals.

Taylor told CBS News Detroit, “This weather will kill you; you can’t be out here trying to sleep in this weather.”

Although Covenant House primarily assists young adults under the age of 24, it does not turn away people who seek care as their needs increase.

“If you are out here and want to go to a warming center we will be out there to help you,” Taylor stated.

“Helping those who need it” is a slogan that Taylor wants to live by. She is motivated to serve since she is aware of how dangerous the streets may be.

“You ready to come with me?” she asked a homeless woman.

To which the woman said, “No.”

Some people are more eager to escape the cold than others. Stephanie recently assisted in introducing a pregnant teen to CBS News Detroit. The teenager had been dozing off at a bus stop in Downtown Detroit.

“I was afraid, and I wondered if my body could withstand the cold. Shade Evans questioned, “What if I hurt my child?”

Evans claims that she is currently residing in a different institution with secure living arrangements. After a few weeks, she is currently rebuilding her life at seven months pregnant.

“Like the only thing you can turn to is drugs or selling your body, or being owned it feels like there’s no option for you,” she stated.

At least 15 people seek assistance from Covenant House every day, and as the weather turns colder, the number may increase.

“So many struggle with mental health and substance abuse, and a lot of them do not have enough money for rent, and it’s really sad,” Taylor stated.

The mayor of Detroit reports that more over 6,000 people were homeless in 2022. The outreach team searches for assistance while carrying blankets and snacks.

“We need more affordable housing for the young people but we also need to make sure they get good education and getting some training so they can really make a living,” Taylor stated.

Terell, a native of Chesapeake, Virginia, has loved broadcast journalism since he was a young boy. During his school years, he was well-known for making the “morning announcements.” It makes sense that he became a TV journalist.

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