>> CHICAGO TEMPERATURES ARE DROPPING.

THIS BRINGS A NEW SET OF CHALLENGES FOR MORE THAN 2800 MIGRANTS LIVING UP POLICE STATIONS, MOST OF WHOM HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED CHICAGO WINTER MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AND LOCAL VOLUNTEERS ARE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH MIGRANTS TO HELP THEM PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING MONTHS.

JOINING US NOW TO SHARE WHAT THEY'RE SEEING ARE.

SATELLITES GIVE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, CHICAGO MEDICAL STUDENT AND A MEMBER OF THE MOBILE MIGRANT HEALTH TEAM.

DOCTOR EVELYN A PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE PILSEN FOOD PANTRY.

AND THEY'LL BE YOU COME UP, PASTOR AT LAKEVIEW LUTHERAN CHURCH.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING NOW.

WE KNOW THAT CHICAGO WEATHER CAN BE VERY BRUTAL.

SARAH TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT ASYLUM SEEKERS ARE TELLING YOU ABOUT COLD WEATHER.

I MEAN, SO.

>> THE WEATHER IS NOT WHETHER THAT PEOPLE HAVE OFTEN, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE COME FROM SOUTH AMERICA EXPERIENCED BEFORE ESPECIALLY CHICAGO WINTER.

SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOT ONLY IS THE SHOCK UPON ARRIVING TO CHICAGO, BUT ALSO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HERE WITH ONLY WHAT THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE MIC GRATION WITH AND A LOT OF TIMES THIS IS MAYBE A T-SHIRT, MAYBE A SWEATER, EVEN SHORTS AND SNEAKERS THAT HAVE SEEN MUCH BETTER DAYS.

SO WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS IMMEDIATE NEED TO COVER, ESPECIALLY WITH WARMER CLOTHING, WINTER WEAR.

BUT THEN ALSO THE WORRIES OF WHERE AM I GOING TO SLEEP TONIGHT?

ESPECIALLY SINCE ONCE DO ARRIVE AT A POLICE STATION WE'RE SEEING IS WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARE TAKING PURDY INSIDE OF THE POLICE STATION TO SLEEP, EVEN SLEEPING UPRIGHT TO MAKE MORE ROOM FOR MORE CHILDREN TO SLEEP.

IN SPITE AND THEN FATHERS AND OTHER SINGLE MALES SLEEPING OUTSIDE SITE.

RIGHT?

AND WE'VE SEEN I YOU CAN PASS ANY POLICE STATION.

YOU CAN JUST SEE THE TENTS LINING UP OUT OF THESE POLICE STATIONS.

DOCTOR WHAT HEALTH CONCERNS?

>> WELL, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE OUT.

>> TO BEGIN WITH FOLKS THAT ARE FROM TAXES AND THAT THEY'RE SEEING IN TEXAS HAVE TRAVELED TRAVEL-RELATED ILLNESS, INJURIES RELATED TO JUST GETTING THERE.

AND THEN A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE SUFFERING CONSEQUENCES OF LIVING WITH A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE CONGREGATE SETTINGS TO PASSING AROUND A LOT OF THE SAME STOMACH.

FLU A HEAD, COLD CETERA.

SO BESIDES THE SHOP AND GETTING HERE AND NOW HAVING TO GRAPPLE HYPOTHERMIA.

THEY ALSO HAVE COME MALNOURISHED OF MOST PEOPLE THAT HAD CROSSED SAID ABOUT TALK ABOUT IT TAKING SEVERAL DAYS AND THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FOOD TO GET ACROSS THERE.

SO LOTS OF I'M PUTTING YEARS DOCTOR OTHERS.

THERE'S.

>> MANY YOUNG KIDS AND INFANTS WILL MAKE A LARGE AMOUNT OF THIS MIGRANT POPULATION AND >> ARE YOU SEE ALSO SEE THEM SLEEPING IN TENTS AND WHAT?

WHAT ARE SOME WHAT IS A COOL?

WHAT WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THAT ARE SOME HARMFUL THINGS THAT COULD THAT HAPPEN DURING THIS COLD WEATHER FOR SUCH YOUNG KIDS?

>> A LOT OF FOLKS THAT HAVE CROSSED OVER HAD HEARD STORIES WITH THE STATE WAS HOUSING PEOPLE IN HOTEL ROOMS.

SO THEY CONTINUE TO COME ACROSS AS FULL FAMILIES.

NO ONE REALLY WANTS TO COME ALONE, WHICH IS MUCH SAFER TO COME WITH EVERYONE.

BUT WHEN THEY GET HERE AND THEY REALIZE THAT THE CONDITIONS ARE NOT WHAT THEY EXPECTED AND THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE JEN DURING ITS SEPARATING FAMILIES IN ORDER FIT MORE PEOPLE, THEY WILL AT SOME PEOPLE WILL CHOOSE TO BE INTENSE BESIDES THE FOLKS THAT ARE JUST OVERCROWDING AT POLICE STATIONS.

AND THAT IS NOT SAFE FOR CHILDREN.

IT WASN'T SAFE IN THE HEIGHT OF THE SUMMER.

IT'S NOT SAFE WHEN IT RAINS REALLY BADLY AND KIDS ARE GETTING AND AND CERTAINLY NOW WITH THE CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE THE SAME BODY SERVICE AREA THAT CONTENT AS ADULTS.

THEY ARE GOING TO BECOME HYPOTHERMIC A LOT FASTER.

>> AND LABOR VOLUNTEER GROUPS LIKE YOURS HAVE BEEN ON THE GROUND WITH MIGRANTS AS WELL.

WHAT IS BEING DONE TO PREPARE THEM FOR THESE COLD TEMPERATURES?

WOULD YOU SAY?

>> BESIDES TRYING TO GATHER THE KINDS OF SUPPLIES THAT PEOPLE MIGHT NEED IN ADDITION TO AND WARM CLOTHING, THINK THERE'S JUST BEEN A LOT OF ADVOCACY TO TRY TO ENSURE THAT THEIR WARMING BUSES THEY'RE NOT JUST OF THE COLDEST PART OF 95, PERHAPS SETTING A STANDARD FOR WHEN THE TEMPERATURES GET TO A CERTAIN LEVEL SO THAT THOSE BUSES THERE >> AND AND YOUR CHURCH, I'M SORRY IN YOUR CHURCHES ACTUALLY ACROSS FROM THE 19 POLICE DISTRICT.

ARE ARE YOU SEEING PEOPLE NOW WITHOUT JACKETS?

NOW THE BECAUSE THE WET MESS CHICAGO WEATHER.

YOU KNOW, ALSO THEM OR EITHER INSIDE TENTS WEARING JACKETS.

BUT WE WE ARE ACROSS THE STREET >> ALSO A DONATION DROP-OFF PLACE.

AND SO WE'RE FORTUNATE IN THAT REGARD SO THAT WE CAN GET THOSE SUPPLIES TO PEOPLE RELATIVELY QUICKLY ON THEIR ARRIVAL TO THE PRECISION.

BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE FOR A LOT OF PLACES WHERE PROXIMITY AS IT IS, IS A CHALLENGE.

>> AND I WANT TO GO TO YOUR AND YOU'RE ALSO MEDICAL STUDENT WORKING DIRECTLY WITH MIGRANTS AND YOU JUST TOLD ME THAT DOCTOR FEW IT WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF YOUR MENTORS.

YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 6 MONTHS SINCE AMBLING A WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW?

SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT.

>> THE FIRST CHALLENGE THAT COMES TO MIND RIGHT NOW, IT'S JUST THE ENVIRONMENT.

IT IS COLD OUTSIDE AND CHICAGO, JUST IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A LOT COLDER.

AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?

BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE WAY TO BE DEALING WITH PEOPLE SLEEPING OUTSIDE, PROVIDING MORE TENTS AND EVEN IF WE PROVIDE MORE WINTER WHERE IT'S STILL VERY DANGEROUS TO SLEEP OUTSIDE FOR ANY PERSON SO WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IS A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT IN SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CAN LEAD TO A LONG-TERM SOLUTION FOR NOT ONLY OUR CURRENT MIGRANT CRISIS, BUT FOR EVERY HOMELESS PERSON IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT SOMETHING THAT WAS FRUSTRATING.

YOU, DOCTOR, OF SUPPLIES ARE BEING CLAIMED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY ADMIT THE SHORT SUPPLY.

>> WHAT SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS NEED?

>> ORGANIZATIONS ARE COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED WITH THE MIGRANT CRISIS.

REMEMBER THAT THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 19,000 PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME IN THE 14 MONTHS.

AND ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE WELL OVER 3,000 PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL AT POLICE STATIONS.

AND O'HARE, THIS IS VERY, VERY CHALLENGING FOR ALL THE CBO'S AND THE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS HAVE STEPPED UP TO FILL A LOT OF WITH THAT IN MIND.

IT'S IMPORTANT IF YOU WANT TO DONATE AND PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO DONATE TO REMEMBER THAT CASH IS KING THAT MOST OF US ARE TAX EXEMPT SO WE CAN STRETCH YOUR DOLLARS MORE AND BUY IN BULK.

WE AND WE CAN ALSO ALLOCATE APPROPRIATELY.

BUT BESIDES THAT, PEOPLE WANTED RUN RUN A DRIVE COLLECT ITEMS.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO TALK TO THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GIVING THEM THINGS THAT WE NEED IN GENERAL IN GYM SHOES, BOOTS, WARM COATS, A WARM, YOU KNOW, SWEATERS, ETC.

NO SUMMER NEW UNDERWEAR AND AND THEN SHELF STABLE SHELF, STABLE, HEALTHY THAT PEOPLE CAN'T GET.

THEY DON'T LIKE THE FOOD THAT GETS DELIVERED BECAUSE IT IS HARD TO COURSE CHILDREN TO EAT THINGS.

THEY DON'T WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE HEALTHY CHOICES THAT BOTH FOR FAMILIES AND PASTOR, >> I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS.

WE'VE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS QUESTION A LOT, BUT HOW CAN THE CITY BE HELPING MORE?

>> I MEAN, I >> THAT'S AND THAT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGING QUESTION BECAUSE IT'S SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF COMPLEXITIES, BUT I WOULD SAY, YOU BESIDES IDENTIFYING PLACES AND GETTING STABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES PLACE, REALLY WORKING HARD COORDINATING COMMUNICATION BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S REALLY HARD TO BE ON TOP OF WHAT YOU NEED TO DO BECAUSE THE INFORMATION IS EITHER LATE IN COMING AS A IS NOT IS NOT CLEAR.

SO WE HAVE SOME WONDERFUL COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT HAVE.

WELL, THERE FOR A LONG TIME.

AND I SET TO DEFEND, THOUGH THEY'VE BEEN DOING THE WORK FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AND APPRECIATE AND THEN BEARING A LOT MORE THE RESPONSIBILITY.

BUT A LOT OF NEW ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE THAT ARE DEVELOPING AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE JOINING TOGETHER SO HELPING TO KEEP THEM INFORMED OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AND THE HOW I THINK WAS GREAT.

ALSO, THE THING THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO, WHICH IS ALSO TO EDUCATE OUR NEW NEW NEIGHBORS ABOUT HYPOTHERMIA, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY MIGHT NEED, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION AROUND LAYERING AND HOW TO DRESS FOR WEATHER LIKE THIS.

BECAUSE AS MENTIONED THAT SEEMS MOTHER, YOU KNOW, RATHER WARM TOMORROW, IT'S CHICAGO CHICAGO.

I CHICAGO WEATHER HAVE A COUPLE SECONDS LEFT.

BUT AT THIS POINT.

>> HOW CAN PEOPLE HELP?

I KNOW I BELIEVE A LITTLE SHE DOCTOR SHE SAID A LITTLE BIT.

BUT AT THIS POINT, HOW CAN PEOPLE HELP CAN PEOPLE GO TO A POLICE STATION AND DONATE RIGHT NOW?

BEST WAY YOU CAN HELP GET CONTACT WITH REFUGEE COMMUNITY CONNECTION ON FACEBOOK TO GET INSTALLED IN INFRASTRUCTURE.

THAT'S VOLUNTEER BASE THAT'S ALREADY ESTABLISHED.

>> AND WE CAN COVER GAPS MORE QUICKLY THAT WAY.

DONATE DOCTOR HAS THE POST IN FOOD PANTRY WHICH HAS BEEN OUR HOME