Chelsea Church Offers Shelter to Homeless New Yorkers Amidst Deadly Storm

Cold Weather Deaths and City Response

• ⚠️ 10 New Yorkers have died outdoors since the start of the weekend storm, with causes of death pending official confirmation.
• 🚨 Outreach crews are working around the clock to connect individuals with assistance and encourage them to leave the streets.
• 🏙️ Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced new emergency protocols to get people into shelters, including involuntary removal from streets.
• 🏥 Hospitals are being asked to limit overnight discharges to keep vulnerable individuals indoors.

Holy Apostles Church as a Warming Center

• ⛪ Holy Apostles Church in Chelsea is opening its doors as a warming center on freezing nights.
• 👥 The church, which normally operates a soup kitchen, provided shelter for 40 people on one recent night, exceeding its usual 30-35.
• 🤝 Volunteers are actively canvassing nearby blocks to engage anyone needing assistance.

Personal Stories and Shelter Preferences

• 🛌 Angelo Cologne, 18, is sleeping at the church instead of the subway to stay with his little sister.
• 🔒 He finds the church a safer place to rest, stating, "It's a place where you can rest your head knowing that nothing will happen and people won't bother you."
• 🏘️ Jeffrey Washington prefers the church to city shelters, citing concerns about random individuals and potential problems in crowded shelter environments.
• 🚌 The city has deployed warming buses across the boroughs, though they were observed to be sparsely populated.

Finding Solace and Community

• 😊 Angelo finds enjoyment in spending time with others at the church, describing it as "pretty fun to spend time with people love instead of being homeless and being lonely."