Elche provides emergency beds for homeless

CIVIL PROTECTION and Red Cross volunteers are combing the streets of Elche offering a warm bed for the night for the homeless during the current cold spell.

Joined by the DYA ambulance teams, they are searching the palm groves, parks and abandoned buildings at night offering to take anyone sleeping rough to the emergency building where a bed and food is offered. In one night, 12 homeless people were located but just two took up the offer of shelter.

Moises Dura, head of the Civil Protection team of volunteers in Elche, said: “Some people prefer to stay where they are, some people see it as heaven and pack their belongings to climb into the van, some people get angry because they have been awakened in the middle of a deep sleep.”

The crews will continue with the emergency protocol each night during the cold winter weather.