By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
As much of the area plunges into the deep freeze, residents are being urged to check on their elderly neighbors and provide shelter for their pets.
With single-digit temperatures expected tonight, many local agencies are working to provide assistance.
Rowan Helping Ministries has added extra cots and is working to open longer hours to accommodate homeless individuals and families seeking shelter.
“We will not turn anybody away unless we feel that the condition they are … makes it unsafe for our volunteer, staff or those staying here,” said Dianne Scott, executive director of Rowan Helping Ministries. If an individual is intoxicated or has another condition, a staff member will call Salisbury Police, who take the person to jail.
At this point, the shelter won’t be open 24 hours a day.
The crisis assistance section is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The soup kitchen is open noon to 1 p.m. daily and the shelter is open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Rowan Helping Ministries is located at 226 N. Long St. The phone number is 704-637-6838.
Scott said most of the homeless people in the area are local residents who can stay with family in bad weather.
As the temperatures drop, more people are seeking kerosene and fuel oil.
Rowan Senior Services is already making calls to dozens of people on a special needs registry to see how they are doing.
While Senior Services checks on seniors all over the county, Mary Lynn Conner, social worker, said a lot more seniors live alone and may not have closed their vents or have adequate heating systems.
“We’re asking the public to check on their elderly neighbors,” Connor said.
As the cold sets in, many of the agency’s clients stay home rather than go to meal sites or adult day-care sites.
She also cited the danger from carbon monoxide from heating with kerosene heaters, wood stoves or trying to use the kitchen range for extra heat.
Senior Services provides carbon monoxide alarms free to those eligible.
For information on the carbon monoxide monitors or other assistance available from Senior Services, call 704-216-7700.
Single-digit temperatures also pose a threat to pets, particularly puppies, kittens and elderly dogs and cats.
“Make sure they have a place to get into, some type of shelter,” Dr. Jessica McCaskill said.
A veterinarian at Salisbury Animal Hospital, 1500 East Innes St., McCaskill suggested adding extra shavings or blankets to the shelter they already use.
For puppies and elderly dogs, inside is best McCaskill said. “They are particularly susceptible to cold temperatures,” she said.
Other tips include making sure pets have clean, fresh water and increasing their nutritional intake on cold days.
If your pet appears sick, take it to the vet before the cold weather makes the condition worse.
Contact Jessie Burchette at 704-797-4254.