Save a Life This Winter

If you see a homeless person on the street in freezing weather, call the District's hypothermia shelter hotline—1-800-535-7252.

Every winter, homeless people die from hypothermia—a drop in body temperature caused by exposure to  freezing temperatures. People with mental illnesses or substance abuse problems are at particular risk because they may not realize they are freezing or be able to communicate their need for help.

The District has emergency services to address hypothermia. On days when the temperature or the wind chill factor is below 32 degrees, it issues a hypothermia alert. On these days, a call to the D.C. hypothermia shelter hotline should bring a van to take a homeless person off the street to an emergency shelter or, if necessary, a hospital.

So if you see a homeless person on the street or in a park in extremely cold weather, please call the hypothermia shelter hotline at 1-800-535-7252. Call even if you're not certain about the temperature. If it feels very cold to you or there's a chill wind blowing, a homeless person could be at risk.

If a call to the hotline does not produce a satisfactory response, call 911. Then please let us know what happened by calling 202-797-8806, extension 2107 or e-mailing us at advocacy@some.org.

We suggest you keep the hypothermia number with you during winter months. And please share it with others. Use our convenient hypothermia hotline cards.

A few minutes of your time could save a life!