Freezing weather, warming hearts: how the Wichita Falls community has come together to help those in need

While many people across the Texoma area have scrambled to prep their homes and gather supplies to prepare for inclement weather, others have focused on how to help those in need during the freeze. Several organizations around the city of Wichita Falls are a shining example of what it means to be part of a community that cares. Many are coming together to address the needs of the city’s unhoused population by providing shelter, resources, and helping hands. 

Many people in the Wichita Falls area are likely familiar with the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross, but there are also local organizations that go above and beyond to help out and get less recognition for it. Homeless Lives Matter and the Humane Society of Wichita County are among these. 

Homeless Lives Matter is an organization started by Lisa Roffman to provide a safe space for anyone in need, where they aren’t judged or turned away for the path they’d been on. Roffman said the organization started as a street ministry in 2018 and eventually became a 501(c)3 about three years ago. She said in the beginning, they only had a small building to feed and shelter the unhoused members of the community, but they now have a two story home that can fit about 50 people.

Roffman said part of her life was taken up by drug use and alcoholism – an outcast in the eyes of society. However, she believes it was this experience that made her fated to help the unhoused. 

“We believe in nobody left behind,” Roffman said. “No matter what situation it is, we’re here to help you and guide you.” 

Generally, the organization offers meals daily, addiction recovery, and bible study. They also have an outreach van that is used to deliver resources and information to the unhoused around town. However, when the need arises for additional care, they step up to address it. 

Despite losing her mother just days ago, Roffman knew that she had to do something to keep unhoused members of the community with no other access to shelter safe from the weather. They decided to open the facility as a shelter that will be open 24/7 until the freezing weather passes. She explained that they take in the people that are barred from other shelters around town, to ensure that everyone has access to a safe, warm space during the cold. She went on to say that they’re calling it a “homeless retreat” and supplying movies, meals, and snacks to make it an enjoyable experience. They currently have around 30 people staying in the facility. 

Roffman said that many people staying in the shelter believe it feels like a family, and that’s what she strives for. She wants those staying there to feel supported – not just by her but also by the community. She said many members of the community have contributed to their efforts and added that this opportunity wouldn’t be possible without community support. She said people have donated sleeping supplies, food, cooked meals, and cots. 

“Our building is like a home, not a facility – I wanted homeless people to have a home,” Roffman said.

Roffman can recall a time, years ago, that she and a friend drove around town delivering warm clothes to the unhoused and seeing them in clothing that was frozen stiff. In that moment, they were able to supply motel rooms through generous donations, but now they are able to offer much more with the space they have. However, Roffman doesn’t want to stop here. She hopes Homeless Lives Matter can eventually get the funds to establish a live-in shelter, which she believes the community is in dire need of. 

For those in the community that are able to help, they are always in need of clothing, hygiene products, cleaning supplies, laundry soap, and monetary donations to cover utilities and additional costs. These donations can be delivered to 921 Burnett St. Roffman also encourages the community to come by the facility and visit with the unhoused residents so they can experience the human connection that Roffman believes makes the work so worthwhile.

In addition to local organizations that exist for the purpose of helping the unhoused, there are also those in the community designated to other tasks that are stepping up to help the unhoused. The Humane Society of Wichita County is a shelter that is dedicated to helping animals in the area, however when freezing weather occurs, they take it upon themselves to provide temporary shelter for the pets of unhoused community members.

One staff member explained that this is a service the Humane Society offers each year. Through it, they are able to pick up unhoused people and their pets, drop those people off at warming shelters and then bring the pets back to the shelter. The unhoused individuals will fill out a form and provide contact information so their pets can be returned to them. Once the weather has passed, those individuals are reunited with their pets. 

While the humane society is able to provide this service to unhoused folks at no cost, it does cost the shelter resources, as the pets that stay there are provided food, water, and blankets. They rely on donations from the community to refill these supplies. Generally after freezing weather, the shelter is in need of laundry soap and Pedigree Dog food. These donations can be dropped off at the Humane Society of Wichita County shelter.

There are also other local organizations stepping up to provide food and warm spaces to the unhoused, such as Faith Mission and various churches around town. Many of these locations will require donations after the freezing weather passes to refill their supplies and allow them to continue to help the unhoused, regardless of weather conditions. 

While many people are often caught up in the obligations and concerns of their own lives, extreme weather conditions such as the one hitting Texoma now demonstrate why such organizations are so valuable to a community. As the notable author, Maya Angelou, once pointed out, “a society is only as healthy as its sickest citizen and only as wealthy as its most deprived.”