Homeless bundle up for freezing temps and snow
At Camp Hope, a community of homeless people who live in tents, those tents are the only shelter they have from the cold and the snow.
For many in Southern New Mexico the rare snowfall has been a chance for families to get out and enjoy some quality time.
On the other side of town, homeless people struggled to stay warm.
“We have four sleeping bags, a bunch of covers, goose down, so we’re plush, thick and warm,” said Tina McCard, a woman who just moved her tent to Camp Hope.
Their main protection from the freezing temperatures? A tent.
Many residents keep a positive attitude about it all.
“It’s a lot different if you think about people camped down by the river or there’s people camped out everywhere but that’s a different situation than being here,” resident Matt Mercer told ABC-7.
At Camp Hope, they have received dozens of blankets, sweaters and coats donated by the people of Las Cruces.
They also have the Community of Hope — an organization that provides meals, shelter during the day and many services for the homeless — next door.
“I’m amazed on a daily basis by how much they come together and make sure that they’re all warm. Somebody will go from tent to tent to make sure they have gloves, blankets, and even offer their own if they find somebody who didn’t have a blanket,” said Nicole Martinez, the director of the Community of Hope.
Sometimes it takes a little more than sleeping bags and blankets to stay warm.
‘I am lucky because I have two big black mouth cur dogs that I sleep with so they keep me pretty warm,” Mercer said.
Some residents said having snow on the roofs of their tents can actually create some insulation and keep them warm. They said it’s like an igloo effect.
