CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A woman who did not always have a place to call home is now helping those in a similar situation to her.
Te Julianne Brown is opening a warming shelter to help get people off the streets when temperatures reach extreme cold, like they’re expected to tonight.
Channel 2′s Tom Jones learned that Clayton County has opened eight warming centers for Tuesday night, but only one of them is open 24 hours a day.
Tony Johnson is homeless and lives at a bus shelter in front of Southern Regional Hospital. Jones told him that he was worried about him with the “dangerous cold” that Severe Weather Team 2 is tracking.
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“I just keep myself warm the best I can,” he said. “I’m fine. I’m not joking This is it. I got maybe like eight blankets.”
Clayton County Emergency Management does not think that anyone living outside is fine.
“We have to take care of our residents. We need to take care of the community. We need to take care of homeless. The people who don’t have a place,” EMA Director David Vazquez said.
Johnson says that because the warming centers close at 9 a.m., it’s not worth it for him to go.
“If I leave, it ain’t gonna do no good to come right back out here tomorrow,” he explained.
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That’s where Brown says she can help.
She is opening her venue called Cathie’s House as a warming station, and it’s not closing early.
“It’s a place to kind of get away from that chill outside,” Brown said. “Our goal is to be open during hazardous weather 24 hours.”
The county says they don’t have enough staff to keep the centers open 24/7.
Brown says that not only is she willing to stay open, she and her husband will pick people up.
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