ST. LOUIS – A woman was rushed to the hospital after suffering from frostbite outside of St. Patrick Center earlier Monday, sparking conversation about the gap in resources for the homeless in the city.
St. Patrick Center officials say they tried to help her seek shelter for days.
“Unfortunately, it’s not surprising,” said Audra Youmans, a volunteer and advocate for St. Louis Winter Outreach. “It happens quite frequently during the winter.”
With more people and fewer beds, Youman says it becomes deadly for those without a place to go.
“Whether that be a heart attack from cold exposure, cardiac arrest, or residual things form having frostbite, there’s been many amputations since then, once you have frostbite once, it’s really dangerous to get frostbite again, so it’s urgent to go out when it’s this cold,” she said.
“Those that typically would not come in, are trying to get in,” said Bishop Michael Robinson, founder and CEO of City Hope St. Louis. “They’re trying to find space, but we are maxed out!”
City Hope has five shelters around St. Louis. One of their biggest shelters—a church downtown—is overflowing, with cots spilling into pews.
“You’re always faced with those that have mental challenges, some anxiety issues, PTSD, those sorts of things are usually the situations that make individuals more hesitant to come in,” Robinson said.
The city says they’re responding to the need, requiring shelters to be open 24/7.
They are also working with St. Patrick Center to open a low-barrier shelter, but Robinson and many others says it’s not enough.
“Water freezes at 32°. Let’s think about what that does to our bodies,” he said.
As temperatures dip into the teens the next few nights, St. Patrick Center is urging anyone looking for shelter to contact 211 or go to their site in downtown St. Louis.