As frigid cold temperatures hit Pittsburgh, leaders work to keep people warm
On Tuesday morning, during a visit to a warming center, Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor talked with KDKA about how the city is caring for those in need.
"We just have to take what Mother Nature gives us, and cities have to adjust," O'Connor said.
O'Connor said that's what Pittsburgh is doing as extreme cold travels through the region, and those adjustments include turning the city's recreation centers into warming centers.
"Unfortunately, some of these individuals don't have homes right now, and we're doing our job in feeding them, providing them a safe, warm place to go when it's so cold out," O'Connor said.
He went to check in on the people at the Market House Healthy Active Living Senior Center on the South Side. Some people are there for the regular activities, while others are there to find refuge from the brutal weather.
"It's about making sure that these centers are open, that people can get access, that our police, fire, EMS are out there, and we're taking all calls and trying to support as many people as we possibly can," O'Connor said.
O'Connor said that's what it's all about, with a priority on working with Allegheny County and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services to get people inside.
Part of that effort comes from outreach workers responding to checkup calls and walking the streets in the neighborhoods.
"We are going to be 24/7. We're not going to stop these processes, and we shouldn't," O'Connor said.
However, he feels more can be done, especially through social media, to ensure those in need use the warming centers and shelters in the first place.
"It's getting the word out that these centers are available, and I think the more we can amplify that, more people will come," O'Connor said.
The city has a list of warming centers here.