HOUSTON – As freezing temperatures settled over Houston Saturday night, volunteers with Operation Patriot Packs spread out across downtown—driving block by block, under bridges and along sidewalks—searching for homeless veterans before the cold turned deadly.
While the City of Houston opened warming centers ahead of the hard freeze, organizers say not everyone is willing or able to go inside. That reality is what sent Operation Patriot Packs into the streets.
“You can’t make anybody go inside to stay warm,” said Lawrence Brown, founder of Operation Patriot Packs. “Some people just aren’t ready, or they can’t go because of pets, mental health concerns, or fear of being separated from what little they have. So we meet them where they are.”
Volunteers deploy across Downtown Houston
The volunteer-led effort deployed from the Houston Community Resource and Referral Center just after 8 p.m., fanning out to known locations where Houston’s homeless population often shelters—including downtown underpasses, bus stations, and areas near The Beacon homeless services center…