During extreme weather conditions like the polar vortex last week, the agencies which help the most needy residents in Carbon County are ready.

Aggie Schoenberger, founder, board president, and acting director of Peaceful Knights in Lehighton, has lots of experience with the homeless population in Carbon County. She said that there are many people who are homeless, but are not necessarily sleeping on the street. They may be crashing on a friend’s couch.

“In these temperatures, I don’t know how someone could be outside, so we hope people are finding shelter somewhere,” she said.

Peaceful Knights offered extended hours at its emergency homeless shelter, because of the cold temperatures.

The shelter is usually open to men from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m., but when temperatures are below freezing they let people stay for the day.

“If the temperatures aren’t going to be above 32, we try to let them stay there during the day as well. As long as we have a volunteer to oversee them so that nobody’s ever left alone,” Schoenberger said.

The organization had one or two people seeking shelter each night during the polar vortex. Schoenberger said the emergency shelter is actually more popular during the summer.

The organization requires its clients to attend church each Sunday, so the group is not eligible for any government funding, Schoenberger said. They are currently looking to replenish their supply of jeans and sweatpants, and there is always a need for paper towels, toilet paper and cleaning supplies. For more information, go to peacefulknights.org or visit them on Facebook.

The Area Agency on Aging saw an uptick of calls last week, many from elderly people who are looking for help paying for heating oil.

The agency will connect them with Pennsylvania’s Low Income Heating Assistance Program. If they have already applied for LIHEAP, the agency will connect them with the Carbon County Action Committee to see if they can receive crisis funding.

One problem created by the weather is access to clients. Carbon County has 120 people who receive Meals on Wheels. Some of them have driveways or walkways that are tough to get up.

“We had a couple who canceled due to their driveway — they didn’t want us coming up, because they said we couldn’t make it,” agency administrator Susan Ziegler said.