SAN ANTONIO – In their bright yellow jackets, Centro San Antonio’s ambassadors can often be seen sprucing up the downtown streets or doling out directions to tourists.
During this cold weather snap, though, their mission also involves looking out for people, particularly those experiencing homelessness.
“We’re doubling down on efforts to circulate through downtown, make sure we’re doing wellness checks and trying to get them to warmth and safety,” said Trish DeBerry, the president and CEO of Centro San Antonio.
During a ride-along Monday morning with Centro San Antonio ambassadors, KSAT 12 saw those efforts in action.
Levon Harrison, who holds the title of safety administrator, drove up to a group of people huddled under blankets and offered hot chocolate and snacks.
He also offered to arrange a ride to a shelter for them.
“It’s cold everywhere,” said one woman, shivering.
On another corner, Harrison found a man in a wheelchair who gladly accepted the warm drink.
The man then put in one more request as Harrison worked to arrange transportation to a shelter for him.
“What I could really use is a pair of shoes,” the man said, explaining how his old pair had been stolen.
While Harrison is relatively new to the job, he is well-versed in the struggles faced by people who are experiencing homelessness.
He previously spent five years working as a police officer.
“Now, on the other side of it, I have a little more time to put more energy into a person, to get to hear a lot more of their story,” Harrison said.
As nature turns a cold shoulder on the city, Centro San Antonio is out to bring warmth to the most vulnerable citizens in one way or another.
“You can imagine for someone who is not in the warmth of a home but it living on a sidewalk where cold temperatures are only radiating,” DeBerry said. “It’s tough out there, really, when you don’t have a roof over your head.”
DeBerry said the outreach program will likely continue throughout the week as weather forecasts predict more frigid temperatures.