MIDLAND, Texas — With temperatures looking to dip into the 20's over the next few days in the Permian Basin, everybody needs a place to stay and keep warm.
For the less fortunate, however, they may not have a place to stay for the night.
This is why warming shelters around the county have been opening up their doors for all who arrive.
One such warming shelter is the Midland Salvation Army, which has been allowing people in whether they have identification or not.
“For overnight shelter or a cot, we don’t require anything from them. If they have an ID, great. If not, we are not gonna turn them away, especially when the weather is as cold as it is," said Midland Salvation Army Business Manager Toni Ramirez. "We want to make sure that everyone is safe and out of the inclement weather and they have a place to safely lay their head up.”
People can stay for as long as they'd like and the Salvation Army has supplies necessary to house people.
"Then overnight we have shelters, so we have 70 beds available in case anybody needs a bed. If those beds get filled we have about 55 cots available that the city gave to us to house more people," Ramirez said. "If they don't get a bed, we have a warm place for them to still lay down."
Meanwhile, the Salvation Army is providing three meals a day for those living in the warming shelter.
Lead cook Benjamin Romero has been cooking for the Midland Salvation Army for around two and a half years, and says that one of the most popular meals is chicken.
Food is made by hand by the chefs, but what Romero enjoys the most is not only serving food, but putting a smile on everyone's faces.
"They’re helping out the people and I like helping out people and I like communicating with the people. A lot of people need help and they need a lot of laughter. I’m a joker, I play a lot and they need a smile. When I came here to volunteer with my wife... I’ve been here, just helping making them laugh," Romero said.
The warming shelter at the Ector County Sheriff's West Annex Building has opened up and will remain open on a day-to-day basis depending on the weather.
Meanwhile, the Odessa Salvation Army warming center opened up at five p.m. Monday.