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.
Their primary focus is homeless veterans, but volunteers also provide help to anyone in need.
Survival backpacks and cold-weather supplies
Veterans receive fully stocked survival backpacks containing sleeping bags, emergency blankets, ponchos, warm clothing, food, water, hygiene kits, and other essentials. Non-veterans are given blankets, food, gloves, hats, and other cold-weather supplies—support that often leads to something more.
“A lot of times it’s the non-veteran homeless population that helps us find the veterans,” Brown said. “If we show up and help them, they’ll tell us who served and where they are. There’s a lot of respect for veterans out here.”
Meeting people where they are
During a ride-along with the group, volunteers encountered dozens of people unprepared for the sudden temperature drop—many without gloves, food, or adequate clothing. In just a few hours, hundreds of items were distributed.
For those on the receiving end, the impact was immediate.
“I think it’s pretty amazing,” said Clenard Pettis, who received supplies. “A lot of people don’t care, but coming from ones who do—this is a blessing. I mean that.”
Rapid temperature drops pose serious risk
Brown said Houston’s weather can be especially dangerous for people experiencing homelessness, particularly when temperatures swing quickly from warm to freezing.
“When it goes from 80 degrees to near freezing, people don’t have time or the ability to prepare,” he said. “They don’t have TVs, phones, or alerts. Some don’t even know how cold it’s going to get.”
Beyond immediate relief
Beyond emergency relief, Operation Patriot Packs works to reconnect veterans with the benefits and services they’ve earned through the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as local housing and nonprofit partners.
“They went and fought the fight for us,” Brown said. “They don’t always have someone to fight for them. And somebody should be.”
More deployments planned
Volunteers say Saturday night was just one of many deployments planned this winter, as freezing temperatures continue to pose a serious threat to Houston’s most vulnerable populations.