Metro Detroit nonprofit hits the streets to help unhoused individuals amid cold temperatures

(CBS DETROIT) — As we approach freezing temperatures, some local nonprofits are trying to get people off the streets and into the heat.

“Put your feet underneath there,” Stephanie Taylor said as she helped someone cover themselves with a blanket.

Taylor is Covenant House Michigan’s outreach manager. She travels around the area searching for people battling homelessness. 

“This weather will kill you, you can’t be out here trying to sleep in this weather,” Taylor told CBS News Detroit.

Covenant House typically helps young adults under 24, but as needs grow, it doesn’t turn away others who seek care.

“If you are out here and want to go to a warming center we will be out there to help you,” Taylor said.

Taylor likes to live by the motto ” Helping those who need it.” She knows the streets can be dangerous, and that motivates her to serve. 

She asked one unhoused woman, “You ready to come with me?” 

The woman responded, “No.”

While some aren’t as willing to get out of the cold others are. Stephanie introduced CBS News Detroit to a pregnant teen, she recently helped. The teen had been sleeping in Downtown Detroit at a bus stop.

“I felt scared, and I felt like, what if my body can’t take being in this cold? What if I hurt my child,” Shade Evans said.

According to Evans, she’s now in another facility with stable living conditions. It’s been a few weeks, but now, at seven months pregnant, she’s rebuilding her life.

“Like the only thing you can turn to is drugs or selling your body, or being owned…it feels like there’s no option for you,” she said.

Covenant House sees at least 15 people needing help per day, and those numbers can rise the colder it gets.

“So many struggle with mental health and substance abuse, and a lot of them do not have enough money for rent, and it’s really sad,” Taylor said.

According to the city of Detroit, over 6,000 people experienced homelessness in 2022. With blankets and snacks in tow, the outreach team looks to help

“We need more affordable housing for the young people but we also need to make sure they get good education and getting some training so they can really make a living,” Taylor said.