‘This is helping me to get my feet back on the ground’: Shelters open during Seattle’s cold snap

SEATTLE — These freezing temperatures are a risk to anyone out on the streets.

King County and the Salvation Army have upped their shelter space, so people can stay warm.

The Salvation Army office in SoDo offers up to 200 shelter beds for anyone in need. The Seattle Center Exhibition Hall also opened to provide shelter to another 300 people.

“We have these cubes, we call semi-private cues that offer individuals privacy, but allows us to engage with care,” said Captain Felicia Grant with the Salvation Army.

Each cube is stocked with a bed, chair, and a space of its own.

Grant said it’s a crucial resource when the temperatures drop below freezing.

“It’s important because this weather is unsafe. People can suffer extreme health conditions in response, it’s just not a good environment to be in consistently without any type of relief,” Grant explained.

For Kyle Clements, it was a difficult journey before reaching the Salvation Army.

“I was pretty much put out in the streets for a few months,” he said.

Those months turned into years. But like many others who are homeless, winters were especially tough.

“Some nights you’re going to stay awake, some nights you’re very alert about what’s going on out there,” Clements explained.

Eventually, he found the Salvation Army in SoDo. It’s not only become a home base, but a safe space to grow and move forward.

“This is helping me to get my feet back on the ground and even though I haven’t gotten the opportunities like I should’ve in the past, I get them now,” Clements said.

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