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Jason Sturgill

Severe weather shelters that were activated Sunday night will remain open for the next two nights at least, as the city sits covered in ice and snow.

The Multnomah County-run Joint Office of Homeless Services announced earlier today that it's already determined that weather will be severe enough tomorrow night to guarantee homeless Portlanders they'll have a place to escape the cold.

At the same time, officials are calling for donations of winter gear to assist a homeless population that was perhaps left unprepared by this year's otherwise mild winter.

"After a stretch of milder weather this winter, many neighbors sleeping without shelter still don't have all the gear they’ll need during a cold spell to stay warm," the county wrote in a release. The Mercury reported last year on the sometimes-dangerous strategies houseless Portlanders sometimes resort to in order to keep warm.

Items that are particularly needed:


● Thick socks

● Waterproof/resistant gloves or mittens (preferably dark colors/black)

● Waterproof/resistant winter coats (men’s and women’s sizes)

● Sleeping bags and warm blankets

● Waterproof/resistant hats (preferably dark colors/black)

● Knit hats (preferably dark colors/black)

● Tarps (preferably brown, dark colors)

● Hand warmers

● Rain ponchos

If you've got goods on hand, you can drop them off at JOIN, located at 1435 NE 81st. If you don't, the Joint Office is suggesting people can purchase items via JOIN's online wish list.

Severe weather shelters open tonight and tomorrow night at Bud Clark Commons (655 NW Hoyt) Imago Dei (1302 SE Ankeny), Sunrise Center (18901 E Burnside, Gresham), and in a county building at 1415 SE 122nd. Most of those shelters have been at or near capacity on recent nights. They open at 8:30 pm.

A full list of resources is at 211info.org