DALLAS — Across North Texas, city leaders are getting ready to open warming shelters.
Dallas city leaders say it’s all hands on-deck. They will be meeting Wednesday to see if systems are in place or if there is more to be done.
In South Dallas, a local church is teaming up with a laundromat to help those in need.
Locals love the laundromat because of the friendliness, "for those of you who don’t know how to wash this," said one local woman doing laundry.
"Step back, these are dirty clothes," said one woman at the Cornerstone Community Laundromat as she was showing someone how to use the machines.
It’s about looking out for one another, from elderly to homeless people in need.
‘’I lived at the bridge for a little while,’’ said Will Reeves, the manager of the laundromat.
Reeves says he was once homeless and knows the conditions on the streets.
‘’When the freezing temperatures come, they have a place to go,’’ said Reeves.
On Friday, Reeves and Pastor Chris Simmons from Cornerstone Baptist Church will be using the laundromat as a warming shelter…
‘’The goal is to keep individuals alive,’’ said Simmons.
Alive, because over the past couple of years, they felt helpless.
‘’Individuals have froze to death, literally at the doors of our church,’’ said Simmons.
To avoid that, Simmons says, at least 100 people can safely stay warm at the laundromat, but the city won’t allow people to sleep here.
‘’We don’t provide sleeping environment; we will allow them to stay up,’’ said Chris.
And across Dallas-Fort Worth, warming shelters will be opening.
Salvation Army officials tell us they’re carefully monitoring the temperatures in the next few days and will open warming shelters accordingly. There will be several locations open across North Texas, including all recreation centers. And libraries will be open during normal hours.
City officials say they will extend their hours, depending on any power outages.
‘’For those that have no shelter to go to, they have a safe haven right here,’’ said Will.
For a list of warming shelters, click here.