Kimberly Fuller, representing the Ellis County Homeless Coalition, told the Waxahachie City Council on Jan. 6 that calls for assistance increased through 2024 and that volunteers are seeking a location for overnight warming shelter space as cold weather continues.

Fuller said calls received in October involved 61 individuals, 23 of them children; November calls involved 53 individuals, 17 children. For January through November 2024 she said the coalition worked with 621 individuals in the county, primarily in Waxahachie and some in Midlothian.

Fuller described recent cold‑weather calls, including a report of a mother in a car with five children. She said the Texas Division of Emergency Management showed no current local overnight warming shelters in operation and asked the council, churches or other facilities to contact the coalition if they could provide temporary overnight space. Fuller said volunteers were prepared to staff overnight shifts and bring food, cots and blankets, but the coalition had no permanent facility at the time of her remarks.

Council members publicly commended Fuller and the coalition for ongoing outreach. One councilmember noted that Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Waxahachie is working to open an overnight facility and that the church expects to have equipment such as cots and blankets available as early as January (church timing described in the meeting as contingent on building clearance). Fuller said the coalition had been working with the church for several months.

Why it matters: Fuller’s account signals continued local need for emergency cold‑weather shelter and services for families; volunteers and donated supplies exist but a host location is required to provide overnight shelter.

Next steps: Fuller asked that anyone — council, citizens, or churches — contact the Ellis County Homeless Coalition if they can provide temporary overnight space. Council members praised the coalition’s work but did not record a formal vote or directive on the matter during the meeting.