Group of concerned residents organize ‘grassroots’ overnight emergency shelter for homeless when temperatures drop

When William Henry Jr. froze to death in an abandoned building earlier this month, a group of people who have known him for the past three years through their work helping the homeless said they needed to act.

George Lorenz said there are people who are homeless that aren’t able to stay at the shelters available for one reason or another. Those people need help as well, he said, especially when it’s cold outside.

“Several of the homeless people here died because of hypothermia over the years,” Lorenz said. “We had to do something to give these people a chance to combat the weather.”

Lorenz is one of a group of about eight people who have worked to help homeless people in Myrtle Beach for the past three years. Each Saturday they transport homeless people from Chapin Park in Myrtle Beach to Sun Coast Christian Church for lunch.

Now, if the forecast calls for overnight temperatures at 32 degrees or below according to www.WeatherChannel.com, the group will transport as many as they can to Sun Coast for a hot meal and warm place to spend the night.

“We have a grassroots, grapevine communication system that works well,” said Bill Davis said, who works with Lorenz.

If the temperature is expected to be at or below 32 degrees, Davis said cars will be at Chapin Park between 5:15 and 5:30 p.m. to take those who need a place to stay for the night to the church.

Tuesday was the first time the group organized the overnight shelter and about 17 people stayed at Sun Coast. There were 26 people on Wednesday.

Henry was found dead in an abandoned building on Carver Street on Jan. 8. Temperatures were as low as 29 degrees on Jan. 7 and were recorded at 17 degrees on Jan. 8, according to AccuWeather.com.

Lorenz and several people who said they knew Henry said the Street Reach homeless shelter turned Henry away.

“It’s not right,” Lorenz said. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on with him. When it’s that cold outside, you don’t turn people away.”

Kathy Jenkins, executive director of New Directions, said neither Henry nor anyone else was turned away from Street Reach that week.

“That is absolutely not true,” she said.

New Directions, which includes Street Reach, is a coalition of organizations in the Myrtle Beach-area that work with those who are homeless, in poverty or victims of domestic violence.

Jenkins said Henry stayed at Street Reach in the past, but had not stayed at the shelter – or tried to – in about a year.

“He left because he didn’t want to follow the rules,” Jenkins said. “It had been well over a year since he stayed at Street Reach.”

Horry County coroner Robert Edge said Henry’s death has been the only one due to hypothermia reported this winter. He said he did not recall any deaths due to hypothermia last year.

Tony Gamble, who stayed at Sun Coast on Wednesday, said he’s been on the streets since the tourist season ended. He moved to Myrtle Beach last year from Williamsburg County.

He said he’s had jobs making minimum wage while living in Myrtle Beach, but it doesn’t leave him with enough money to get him through the off-season.

“You use all your money paying for that hotel room rent and food and living,” Gamble said. “You don't have no money to save. I ain't stupid. I knew the season job would end, and then what? I'd be out of that hotel room and out here on the street. I'm stuck. There's a lot of us stuck here.”

Men staying the night at Sun Coast stay in the large multipurpose room, that also serves as a sanctuary, on blankets or donated air mattresses. The women stay in a smaller separate room.

Those there Wednesday had lasagna and garlic bread for dinner, stayed the night and were dropped off at the Community Kitchen at 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

Sun Coast pastor the Rev. Bill Genda said the congregation felt that with the temperatures dropping so low, no one should be left out in the cold.

“Everybody deserves a warm place to spend the night,” Genda said.

He said they will continue to allow people to use the church as long as there’s a need and no conflict. On Friday, those in need were expected to spend the night at St. Philip Lutheran Church in Myrtle Beach, Davis said.

As the group waited Wednesday to be taken to Sun Coast, Myrtle Beach police officers approached them to chat and give them snacks and drinks that the officers said were donated to them – something Davis said has never happened in the three years they’ve helped homeless people at Chapin Park.

“We’re gonna give you the night off,” Gamble said to the officers. “You don’t need to come looking for us tonight.”

This story was originally published January 30, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Group of concerned residents organize ‘grassroots’ overnight emergency shelter for homeless when temperatures drop."