How you can help Petersburg woman with $5,000 challenge: 'We’ve never opened before Thanksgiving'

PETERSBURG, Va. -- A donor has offered up $5,000 to help a small Petersburg group making plans to open a cold-weather shelter to get homeless men out of freezing temperatures, But they need the community’s help to make that donation happen.

For Pat Hines, the cold weather season over the past three years has meant helping homeless men out of the frigid weather.

“I take the unsheltered men, 18 and over, that have nowhere to sleep,” Pat Hines with the Petersburg Center for Development said. “They don’t have any family. They don’t sleep on anybody's floor or anybody's sofa.”

Men like 57-year-old Kyle, who is experiencing homelessness for the first time, can find refuge from the cold starting Nov. 15.

"I lost my job. I lost my place and my family’s not here for me, so what can I do?" he said. “I’m very concerned about it being cold because I have arthritis all through my body so what am I going to do.”

Last year was her first year in the 2024 shelter on South Dunlop Street.

Now going into its second year, the building has had a few improvements thanks to Beacon of Life Church. Those include central air and heat, Hines said.

And for the second year, a matching grant donation is on the table through Oct. 31.

“One of our staunch supporters, they always do a challenge. Last year was $3,500,” Hines explained. “They’ve upped -- they’re giving up to $5,000. The challenge is for me to meet that $5,000.”

If met, the $10,000 would help keep the shelter operating for 10 weeks.

WATCH: There are no homeless shelters for men in Petersburg. She's working to change that

Along with monetary donations, Hines said there are smaller items people can donate.

“We can always use utensils, paper plates, trash bags, toilet paper,” Hines said. “ Just the daily essentials that anybody would use in their home.”

Exposure to cold weather over time can quickly take a toll on the body.

“It is really dangerous,” Sherika Jones, a nurse practitioner, said. “The implications of being out in the cold weather at night can lead to conditions such as hypothermia, when you can suffer catastrophic events, resulting in death.”

That is why Jones believes the shelter can save lives.

“Knowing that you have somewhere to rest, a warm place, warm food to eat, to get out of the cold is very important, life-saving,” Jones said. “So it would make a huge difference for the men in the community.”

This year Hines plans to have the shelter open mid-November through March.

There are two ways to make cash donations to the non-profit:

Mail a check to: Petersburg Center For Development
135 W. Tabb Street
Petersburg, VA 23803

Or you can make a donation via CashApp: $pcd4chang

CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.