Old school buses to be converted into emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness
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WILSON, N.C. (WTVD) -- The East Coast Migrant Head Start project, which helps farmworker families, presented keys to three school buses to Let's Act Army in Wilson on Monday.
Let's Act Army has eight chapters in the state and will convert the buses into emergency shelters for the homeless across North Carolina.
The organization has done this with one other bus.
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"We said we need something that we can bring to the folks in need, as opposed to having to get them to the facility," said Jason Seidel, Founder and President of Let's Act Army. "So we said, buses would be perfect. They're durable. They're easy to maintain and they can be anywhere they need to be."
There will be cots inside the buses, as well as air conditioning when it's hot and heat when it's cold. Someone will monitor the buses for safety and the homeless will have access to bathrooms, Seidel said.
For the East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, this is a way to help another nonprofit and group of people.
"We transport children from their homes to the centers on a daily basis, all across our regions, all across our 10 state regions," said Javier Gonzalez Gonzales, East Coast Migrant Head Start Project Chief Operating Officer. "So as we buy new vehicles, we put the older models, older vehicles, off our inventory, and then we get rid of them in some sort of fashion. And this is just a perfect opportunity for them to continue to be useful to a vulnerable population."
Let's Act Army has a code purple hotline the homeless can call to request emergency shelter.
The number is: 828-764-1295.
"Somebody can call in, during inclement weather, and they can receive food, they can receive shelter, they can receive clothing, any things they need to meet immediate need," Seidel said.
