Atlanta arctic blast: Nonprofit on ‘Frontline’ to save those left out in the cold

CHAMBLEE, Ga. - The brutal winter blast continues to grip the metro Atlanta area. Frigid temperatures are too dangerous for people who don’t have a home or who can’t afford heat. Some Atlanta nonprofits are reaching out to give people in need a warm, safe place to stay.

Frontline Response International, a crisis-response group, sends out workers to search for people who have nowhere to call home, who have to brave the unforgiving elements as temperatures drop to dangerous lows. 

"It’s actually very hard a lot of times right now, especially in this weather right now," said Sonny Michael, a resident at the center.

Michael says he would be on the street if it weren’t for Frontline.

"I’d still be sleeping under a parking garage," Michael said. 

Terry Tucker, Frontline’s national CEO, says the bitter cold can have dire consequences on people’s health.

"We actually had two people come last night. The night before, they had frostbite and had to go to the hospital," Tucker said.

Tucker says they’re telling social-service agencies to put out the word. Frontline is sending out vans, picking up people to bring them to the warming center on Gresham Road in southeast Atlanta.

"Our vans go out, and we’ll be looking for people to make sure that if there’s anybody who wants a ride, they want to come in, they can hop in the van and come see us," Tucker said. "Agencies have made sure they are able to get people MARTA cards, so they can get to those spaces, so we can pick them up. Everybody knows we are going to be at Chamblee MARTA station, we’ll be at the fire stations, we’ll be at the senior center, we’ll be at the recreation center in Decatur."

More than 125 people have packed the center.

"I would rather have them inside on a mattress or on a cot than have them out there in that cold," Tucker said. 

Frontline is operating the warming center 24 hours a day, connecting people with caseworkers and services they normally can’t access, like even medical care. 

Tucker says they’ll find people a place to stay even if they run out of space at Frontline.