Shelters, charities extend hours as York County braces for cold

Shelters and charities in Rock Hill and York County are extending hours through the weekend so the homeless and others in need are indoors as temperatures drop to single digits.

Saturday night lows are expected to be around 14 degrees. Sunday night into Monday, temperatures could drop as low as 8 degrees, forecasters say.

Those temperatures could put the homeless in danger, advocates say.

The Renew Our Community, or ROC, center at 119 E. White St. in downtown Rock Hill will open Saturday during the day. The night shelter for men at Bethel United Methodist Church, 1232 Curtis St., will stay open all day Sunday, said James Jeter, director of collective impact at the United Way of York County.

Transportation between the sites will be provided. York County police agencies and others who come in contact with the homeless have been advised of the changes.

“We have planned to make sure that people in need have a place to be all through the weekend,” Jeter said.

Homeless shelters at Bethel UMC, The Haven and Salvation Army are close to capacity, Jeter said, but an overflow is available and the plan is to find space for all in need during the extreme cold.

For information, contact the United Way of York County at 803-324-2735 or 211.

This story was originally published January 5, 2017 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Shelters, charities extend hours as York County braces for cold."