Ongoing cold weather led the Cumberland County commissioners last month to quadruple funding for Operation White Flag, the program that provides homeless people a place to stay on cold nights.
They added $240,000 to the program, bringing its total budget to $320,000. Originally in early January the commissioners planned to double the funding, for a total of $160,000, because this winter has had more cold nights than last winter.
According to data compiled by Weather Underground, since Nov. 1, Fayetteville has had 34 days this season in which the low temperature was freezing (32 degrees) or less. Last year, the cold weather season through Feb. 11 had 27 days at or below freezing.
The additional White Flag money is to underwrite contracts the county has with two of the three nonprofit organizations that operate cold weather shelters, Cumberland County Chief of Staff Tye Vaught told the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 27. Those two are True Vine Ministries in Fayetteville and Cornerstone Christian Empowerment Center in Spring Lake.
Each can take 50 people, Vaught said.
County Emergency Services consults forecasts from the National Weather Service when making deciding whether to open shelters for Operation White Flag, county Communications Director Diane Rice told CityView.
Operation White Flag is operating this week due to the cold temperatures Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
People who need a warm place to stay overnight may visit True Vine Ministries at 5315 Morganton Road in Fayetteville, Cornerstone Christian Empowerment Center at 11 N. Bragg Blvd. in Spring Lake, and The Salvation Army of the Sandhills Region, 245 Alexander St., in Fayetteville.
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