Fort Worth Hope Team races to help homeless stay safe during arctic blast

As a winter storm bears down on North Texas, we have been telling everyone to stay indoors and out of the elements.  

But for around 2,500 people on any given night in Tarrant County who are experiencing homelessness, that can be extremely difficult.  

"There's very cold weather coming and it's not just going to be one night; it looks like it's going to be several nights," said Craig Trojacek, the public information officer with Fort Worth Fire Department. 

For members of the Fort Worth Hope team, it is a race against the clock.

"How are y'all doing with warming supplies? Beanies, blankets, stuff like that? You could use those? Ok," Lieutenant Paramedic Sam Grief asks an unhoused couple in a tent. 

Grief and his team are trying to get cold-weather supplies to unhoused folks in Fort Worth and trying to let people know to seek shelter this weekend.  

"They were not dressed for cold weather. Shorts and a t-shirt. What was Alex wearing? No shoe, no socks," said Grief. 

On any given night in Tarrant County, there can be upwards of 2,500 people experiencing homelessness. People like Dwight Bougard.  

"Two years back-to-back frostbite on my feet, my hands, so this year I'm trying to be prepared," said Bougard. 

Bougard is a veteran who has nowhere to go. He's hoping he can ride out the weather in a shelter.  

"Well, if there's space available, yeah, but sometimes they don't have enough space," said Bougard. 

But members of the Hope Team are out trying to get these people what they need to stay alive this weekend and doing so with compassion.  

"There's kind of this misconception that all these individuals wanted this to happen. As I said before, we're all probably just a couple of decisions away from being in the same predicament," said Trojack. "These folks, they're not necessarily looking for handouts all the time. They're looking for real support from real people that truly care to help get them back on their feet."

In Fort Worth, there are warming shelters available to people experiencing homelessness: Union Gospel Mission, Presbyterian Night Shelter, and the Salvation Army Mabee Shelter will all be open. The city says that if those are full, they will relocate people to safe locations at emergency shelters.