North Texas groups working to help the homeless out of freezing temperatures

ARLINGTON, Texas - Cowboys fans were feeling the cold temperatures while tailgating Sunday.

"If only it would be a little warmer that would be better," Elizabeth Meredith said.

Well, most fans.

"It’s good! You can’t even tell it’s cold outside! It’s awesome out here," Erika Hughey said.

It happened on a weekend where temperature dropped from the 70s to the 20s.

"I think it’s the true spirit of this time of year," John Michael Rogers added.

It was easy for some fans to tailgate in the cold when there was an indoor stadium to head into. Others with a different set of circumstances were just happy to have a warm place to watch the game on television.

"So we’re seeing many more people than we expected, but as long as the Cowboys are playing, we’re having a great time watching them," said Our Calling Pastor and CEO Wayne Walker. "Guys are heating hot food and enjoying their time together."

Walker runs Our Calling, a homeless solutions group in Dallas.

"So every homeless shelter in the city of Dallas is at capacity," he said.

Our Calling, normally a daytime shelter, operates overnight during freezing temperatures.

It’s not alone in trying to help homeless North Texans.

"And so to have the opportunity to be inside on a night like tonight is very important," Oak Lawn United Methodist Church Sr. Pastor Rachel Baughman said.

Oak Lawn United Methodist Church took in 30 people Saturday. It expected more Sunday.

"And we’re also doing testing [for COVID-19] as everyone comes in for shelter," Baughman added.

Ones who test positive for COVID-19 receive shelter in an isolated area.

Speaking of COVID testing, workers were fighting frigid temperatures for hours while the lines didn’t appear to end Sunday.

"This is what it’s been like, busy. You see how long this line is," field specimen collector Mika Eldridge said. "My mind is getting everyone tested so that I can get out of here. It’s cold."

Tarrant County’s testing site at Northeast Annex was closed Sunday due to weather.

Medstar, which services the Fort Worth area, said the 50-degree temperature drop sent five people to the hospital overnight Saturday.

"These were people who were suffering hypothermia, either mild or moderate hypothermia," said Matt Zavadsky, with MedStar.

Freezing overnight temperatures are expected for several days this week, and groups will continue to help get the homeless out of the cold.

"Took a while for everybody to realize they needed to come in," Baughman said.

"[Sunday night] we will exceed our capacity and that’s why we’ve asked the city to open up an alternative overflow site and so we’ll be sending people over there," Walker said.