At Community of Caring, staff are already looking ahead to the needs that come with colder weather.

As temperatures drop, organizations can see more people seeking warmth, shelter and other basic services.

“Make sure that they have all the winter apparel that they’re going to need, so it’s coming at a really great time. And you know fall is here, winter is coming around the corner and things can get really hectic here, so that extra funding is a blessing to us,” Chris Tombaugh, Executive Director for Community of Caring, said.

Upper Room of Erie is also among the organizations listed to benefit from Erie County’s roughly $200,000 investments in local homeless services.

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“Basically, always trying to get help from the community. That’s our biggest thing there, you know we get all our things from community members and people in the community. So that’s how we get everything stacked up for the wintertime,” Saunders McLauren, Executive Director for the Upper Room.

“We also see an increase in people that want a bed, and then because of those things, we see a need in things that we need like boots, gloves, hats, coats, for those coming to our doors that would not have those items” Tombaugh said.

While the county’s funding does help these places, organizations like the Upper Room said the need for it becomes more dire as the months get colder.

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“Well first off we focus all of those needs on our clients so we keep socks, hygiene products, lots of long-sleeve, coats, things of that nature so, we just try to focus, make sure we have everything we need to keep people warm in the winter months,” McLauren said.

Local providers said preparing now is critical to making sure people have somewhere to turn when the coldest weather arrives.

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