As temperatures drop and holidays approach, organizations issue calls for help

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Inside Helping Hand Mission, the phone keeps ringing.

"We had over 600 people calling and needing food for the holidays. One lady couldn't even wait for the holiday. She said 'We're hungry right now.' She came over here and we put together her food box," said Sylvia Wiggins, Executive Director with Helping Hand Mission. "There's a lot going on. A lot of people are talking about Thanksgiving, but this is a daily problem.

Wiggins said they're in need of heaters, with a table outside showing the final few still available.

"It would really help (families) out, brighten the day and save a life. Because I'll tell you, the (cold) temperatures like last night, too many people, in particular, babies, they just can't take it. It just bothers me. It worries me," said Wiggins.

While electricity prices in North Carolina remain below the national average, they've increased over the last year.

Besides appliances, winter clothing continues to be in need.

"In this weather, we need layered clothing. And layered clothing, a lot of time we think of big coats, but think of thermals, t-shirts, double socks, and all the different things that people need," Wiggins explained.

Across town, Vance Haywood, Senior Pastor of St. John's Metropolitan Community Church, echoes calls for donations, from clothing to non-perishable food, particularly in pop-top cans.

"We normally see a dramatic increase in the number of folks seeking shelter during those really cold nights," said Haywood, during an interview inside the emergency shelter on West Cabarrus Street.

Haywood said they saw a major uptick in 2023, expecting a similar or even higher turnout this year.

"Last year, we saw a doubling of the numbers of folks that were coming in over what we'd seen the last two or three years before that," said Haywood.

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Complicating efforts, construction at Healing Transitions has led to a net loss of 20 available beds, as local churches have stepped up to fill the gap.

"We have a large number of people that come and stay in the drop-in shelter that are experiencing homelessness for the first time that night," said Haywood.

Outside the Triangle, storm victims in western North Carolina continue to seek support. This week, Governor Roy Cooper and Governor-elect Josh Stein met with North Carolina's delegation on Capitol Hill, seeking further federal funding.

"A lot of people still hurting, lot of need. We've got to look through what the state's given us in terms of how much money they need from the federal government, and we've got to make some decisions in the next couple of weeks. But we will do our part. You'll see a bipartisan effort from our delegation," said Rep. Richard Hudson, who represents the state's 9th District and serves as the Republican Congressional Committee Chair.