Oregon Public Broadcasting

Portland’s warming centers don’t have what they need to keep all the people who are arriving, warm.

City officials and advocates are calling on Portlanders to donate blankets, and warm clothes, so they can help the people with inadequate shelter last through the current cold snap.

Nick Fish is the city commissioner in charge of housing.

Nick Fish: “We’ve had an unprecedented turnout of volunteers over the last 48 hours. So what we’re short of is supplies - blankets, jackets, socks, things like that.”

Fish says the warming centers, and the unprecedented help from private citizens, have probably saved dozens of lives.

He estimates that over the last twelve nights,  the centers have sheltered well over 1000 people a night.

Fish says many of them might have otherwise suffered from exposure, which can be fatal. 

Some of the temporary facilities are expected to close this weekend, weather permitting.