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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Despite bitter winds and single-digit temperatures, it was almost cozy inside the tent Wednesday afternoon, thanks to burning cans of Sterno.</p><p>What little comfort those flaming tins provided would not last long.</p><p>&#8220;We only have about six hours of heat left,&#8221; said Velez, who lives in the makeshift abode with his wife, Lydia.</p><p>The pair and others nearby never gave their last names but they were unsparing with their hospitality, welcoming a reporter and photographer into their tents to talk about life on the streets when the weather is cold enough to kill.</p><p>Velez and Lydia&#8217;s tent is layered in tarps for added insulation. Around them lie bedding, clothing and food.</p><p>The couple said they have been together for more than 20 years, but ended up on the streets last year after a series of heart attacks for Velez left them with insurmountable medical bills.</p><p>Lydia has medical issues of her own, unable to walk due to multiple sclerosis. The couple managed to get a wheelchair for her, but someone destroyed it, leaving Lydia more or less confined to their tent at a homeless encampment at the edge of downtown Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>Out of respect for their request, the Times Leader is not identifying the location of the camp.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m a man, and I try to keep my wife safe,&#8221; Velez said with tears in his eyes. &#8220;I&#8217;m looking for a hand up, not a hand out.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Shelters available</strong></p><p>There are shelters in the area willing to give a hand up, urging people to come indoors during the extreme cold.</p><p>Ruth&#8217;s Place, a Volunteers of America-run homeless shelter for women, posted on its Facebook page that it is incredibly unsafe to be outside during temperatures like these.</p><p>Crystal Kotlowski, program coordinator for Ruth&#8217;s Place, told the Times Leader that women experiencing homelessness should call the shelter at 570-822-6817, and are welcome to stay at the shelter, even if it&#8217;s only long enough to wait out the cold.</p><p>Similarly, Mother Teresa&#8217;s Haven is a traveling men&#8217;s shelter run by the Catholic Social Services, spending a few days at a time at a church before moving to another one.</p><p>While Mother Teresa&#8217;s Haven did not immediately respond to requests for comment, a recorded message instructed anyone needing immediate shelter to call 570-899-2789 for assistance.</p><p><strong>A broken tent</strong></p><p>At least one man in the same encampment as Velez and Lydia said he would be going to Mother Teresa&#8217;s Haven.</p><p>Mark&#8217;s tent is partially toppled over after a bar designed to support the roof broke, so he planned to go to the shelter to try to get out of the cold.</p><p>Mark said a van would be picking up him and other homeless men from the St. Vincent De Paul Kitchen to take them to the current location of Mother Teresa&#8217;s Haven.</p><p>Velez and Lydia, meanwhile, were unsure of what they would be doing.</p><p>The nearest co-ed shelters are in Scranton and Hazleton. Because no local shelter accepts both men and women, they would have to separate for the night. Lydia suffers from anxiety, so that is a major stress they are not willing to endure.</p><p>The pair dream of a time when they&#8217;ll be off the streets.</p><p>&#8220;I just wish I could find something,&#8221; Lydia said. &#8220;Even a one-room efficiency.&#8221;</p><p>Hope, another woman at the camp, had different plans for the cold.</p><p>While she normally stays in a different location, Hope said she was currently sharing a tent with other homeless individuals. </p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve got a lot of Sternos, some blankets,&#8221; she said.</p><p>One thing she didn&#8217;t have, though, was warm clothes; Hope was wearing a thin pair of leggings instead of pants, saying many of her items were destroyed by condensation in another tent.</p><p>Still, though, it seemed as though she were intent on staying.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s kind of like our family,&#8221; she said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Velez, who lives with his wife in a Wilkes-Barre homeless camp, talks about staying warm during the extreme cold. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL013019homeless1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Velez, who lives with his wife in a Wilkes-Barre homeless camp, talks about staying warm during the extreme cold. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL013019homeless2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Mark, seen in his tent Wednesday, said he is heading out of the camp for the night to stay in a shelter because of the extreme cold. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL013019homeless2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Mark, seen in his tent Wednesday, said he is heading out of the camp for the night to stay in a shelter because of the extreme cold. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL013119Homeless3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hope normally lives in her own tent but due to the terrible cold is sharing a tent in a different location with two other homeless individuals in Wilkes-Barre.  </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL013119Homeless3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Hope normally lives in her own tent but due to the terrible cold is sharing a tent in a different location with two other homeless individuals in Wilkes-Barre.  </caption2><photoCredit2>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL013119Homeless6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Lydia&#8217;s wheelchair lies broken and covered with snow. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL013119Homeless6.jpg</photo3><caption3>Lydia&#8217;s wheelchair lies broken and covered with snow. </caption3><photoCredit3>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL013119Homeless5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Velez and Lydia talk about their experiences. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL013119Homeless5.jpg</photo4><caption4>Velez and Lydia talk about their experiences. </caption4><photoCredit4>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL013119Homeless4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Velez, left, and Lydia have been married 20 years and currently are living in a homeless camp at the edge of downtown Wilkes-Barre. Velez suffered a heart attack and Lydia has multiple sclerosis. Lydia needs to use a wheelchair, which is broken, so she stays in their tent most of the time. They use Sterno cans to stay warm. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL013119Homeless4.jpg</photo5><caption5>Velez, left, and Lydia have been married 20 years and currently are living in a homeless camp at the edge of downtown Wilkes-Barre. Velez suffered a heart attack and Lydia has multiple sclerosis. Lydia needs to use a wheelchair, which is broken, so she stays in their tent most of the time. They use Sterno cans to stay warm. </caption5><photoCredit5>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit5></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Brutal temps leave area’s homeless unsure how to stay safe