As temperatures dip, Augusta offers free rides to overnight shelters
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - With the cold rolling in, Augusta is offering day and overnight warming shelters ready to keep you safe and warm.
Those without a place to call home are needing somewhere to stay warm.
“No one wakes up and says ‘I’m going to be homeless today,’” said Janelys Villalta, Salvation Army marketing and public relations manager.
So when temperatures dip, shelters in our area step up.
“We want to let people know that we are here for you on the worst day of your life,” said Villalta.
“We care about them,” said Patrick Feitsel, Garden City Rescue Mission executive director. “We want to see their lives change around or where they don’t have to do this anymore.”
Feitsel says it really is a matter of life or death.
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“It’s life-threatening for folks to be out there on the streets and not have proper clothing and things like that,” said Fietzel.
On a normal day, they house about 55 men at their overnight shelter and they say they are always full.
During times like these, they also open their doors during the day.
“We’ll put jackets on people that need them,” said Feitsel “We’ll open up our lobby and if we need to, we’ll open up our dining room. If somebody comes in in the evening and they’re cold and hungry, we’re going to feed them and help them.”
The Center of Hope says they have already seen more people in need.
Fietzel says this increase is caused by many things.
“Getting enough money for rent, for an apartment is not as easy as it used to be,” said Feitsel. “So people are finding themselves on the streets, where they would have never two years ago thought they might have been in this situation and the storm has displaced people on top of it”
To stay at one of these shelters you have to have clearance and ID.
People in need of a background check to stay at an overnight shelter can go to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office before 5 p.m. to get documentation from the records bureau. If it’s after 5 or if they’re unable to go to the records bureau, they can call 706-821-1080 and a deputy will come to them.
The bus service will run continuously until 8 p.m. People unable to get to the pickup locations and in need of a ride should call 706-821-1719 before 8 p.m.
During this time of year, these shelters encourage you to donate items like winter clothing and blankets to help keep people warm.
Augusta Transit pick-up locations:
- Broad Street Transfer Facility, 1546 Broad St.
- May Park Community Center, 622 Fourth St.
Drop-off locations:
- Augusta Rescue Mission, 526 Walker St. (Route 3 Gold Line/East Augusta)
- Garden City Rescue Mission, 828 Fenwick St. (Route 6 Brown Line/Gordon Highway)
- Salvation Army Center of Hope, 1384 Greene St. (Route 3 Gold Line/East Augusta)
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Augusta is also offering daytime warming centers, although free bus service is not provided to those sites. The locations include:
- Carrie J. Mays Center: 1014 11th Ave., Augusta, 706-821-2827, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Bernie Ward Center: 1941 Lumpkin Road, Augusta, 706-790-0588, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Blythe Center: 3129 Highway 88, Blythe, 706-592-4988, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Henry H. Brigham Center: 2463 Golden Camp Road, 706-771-2654, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- May Park: 622 Fourth St., 706-724-0504, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- McBean Center: 1155 Hephzibah-McBean Road, 706-560-2628, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sand Hills Center: 2540 Wheeler Road, 706-842-1912, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- W.T. Johnson Center: 1606 Hunter St., 706-821-2866, 9 a.m. to noon
- Warren Road Center: 300 Warren Road, 706-860-2833, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Diamond Lakes Regional Park, 4335 Windsor Spring Road, 706-826-1370, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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