DENTON, Texas — It's been tricky driving on city and county roads in Denton the past few days, and Wednesday has been no exception.
The icy roads left some drivers not only stuck, but also depending on the kindness of others.
Janice Hunt left home with her dog early Wednesday morning for a casual drive. She resides outside of Auburn, Texas, and really didn't run into any challenges until she started driving around Denton. While on Brinker Road, she ran into traffic that didn't move like she needed it to.
"The vehicle in front of me stopped, and once they stopped, I had to stop, and it was going up this hill. Once I stopped, I couldn't get going back up," said Hunt.
Fortunately, a driver in a Jeep came to the rescue for Hunt to help get her over ice on Brinker Road.
The same icy cold weather threatening the roads has also forced shelters to fill up.
Wendy McGee runs Our Daily Bread outreach in Denton, which has been at capacity since Monday when the winter weather hit. She has always had a heart for helping people, and it all started years ago when she began to volunteer for different charities.
The pandemic gave McGee plenty of experience preparing for crowds when it comes to sheltering folks. So, when she saw the forecast with winter weather on the way, she assembled her team and got ready to help as many people as possible who would be threatened by the cold and icy conditions.
McGee said, "We really have just tried to be a safe haven for folks to get in and out of the weather, to come in and get those basic needs met, to have a place where they can get clothing, they can get meals, they can take a shower, they can be warm."
Jo Chatham is one of the people getting help at the shelter. She's never seen Our Daily Bread this full since it opened in December. As one of the people now part of the transition program at Our Daily Bread Outreach, Chatham knew she would be joined by a huge number of people with no place to go.
"The last six months is my first stint ever being homeless," said Chatham, "I couldn't be in a better place. They have wonderful resources."
As executive director of Our Daily Bread, McGee will not turn away anyone needing help getting out of the cold.
The shelter not only offers safety from the cold, but McGee is building several programs to help shelter residents get their lives back on track. Our Daily Bread has already partnered with several organizations offering social services.
Some shelter volunteers are staying at Our Daily Bread overnight as well. McGee encouraged shelter workers who don't live nearby to follow the advice of city and county officials to stay home.
During the winter weather period, the shelter can use more volunteers and donations if people can travel safely to their location at 909 North Loop 288 in Denton. McGee also encourages people to visit their website at www.ourdailybreaddenton.org to make donations and learn more about the shelter and services.