AIKEN, S.C. () – Our VIPIR-6 Alert Team is expecting low temperatures in the 20s and high temperatures in the 40s at different points next week.

The Salvation Army and other nonprofits in Aiken are working together as the need this time of year is greater than ever.

“The face of homelessness has certainly changed over the years. These are individuals that are struggling to make ends meet—not necessarily ones who are destitute and at rock bottom,” said Captain Michael Good.

The Salvation Army is coming off of its busiest time of the year, with more people coming through the doors because of rising costs and Hurricane Helene.

This past year, the facility on Park Avenue provided more than 9,000 nights of shelter to families across Aiken and surrounding counties—and the shelter is still at capacity.

With more people on the way looking for shelter due to cold weather, they have their plan in place. 

“We bring in emergency beds. During the day—anytime temperatures are beneath 40 degrees, we open up a facility for individuals to come in to sit. We have warm soup always available; we have our case workers on hand to assist people to help connect the dots back to a place of self-sufficiency. But we do provide space and ways for individuals not to be in the frigid temperatures,” said Good.

The need for help also drawing 3 nonprofits to join forces.

They all go out into the community working to make sure the homeless are taken care of.

Kurt Johnson with Lost Sheep Ministries of South Carolina, which serves those less fortunate while sharing the gospel.

“The homeless population in this area has just exploded,” said Johnson. “We’re getting from 10 to 30 people every two weeks coming from as far as New York, and as close as Atlanta, Charlotte, and Charleston. Our services are limited, but they’re safe here.”

He says ahead of next week, they’re getting what they need to do just that.

“We have some amazing donors, but we’re always looking for more. Some of the supplies we’ve been able to get are tents, sleeping bags, gloves, hand warmers, hats, socks—stuff like that. The normal everyday things that people take for granted,” Johnson said. “One of the things we remember as lost sheep is where we were on our worst day, and how we felt. It’s not about us feeling great, it’s about us making them feel better about themselves.”

Lex Perry works with Created 4 Impact, who works with the homeless and those recovering or coming back from incarceration—all while working with other organizations to share the gospel.

“We meet immediate needs as far as food, shelter through a tent, sleeping bags, those kinds of things, because you have to be able to put out that fire so to speak to address the deeper need to deal with this cycle,” said Perry.

While they go into the streets of Aiken to meet the homeless wherever they are, Perry says it’s also an opportunity to give them valuable connections.

“We also take that opportunity to find out whether or not we can point them to a place where there’s a warming station. Say the temperature is below 32 for a certain period of time, we know some places that might be open. We contact other organizations—whether it be a church or other nonprofits—that have a space where they can be housed,” Perry said.

April Tiller has worked with the Aiken County Homeless Coalition for the past year, and says this effort is all part of a bigger mission.

“Bringing all these ministries together and all of these callings to serve the homeless, we’re really looking forward to being able to meet individuals first where they are on the street—and bring them into our space, and then give them the resources they so richly desire,” said Tiller.

Our Weather team urges you to take precautions to protect yourselves, pets, plants and pipes.