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The Catholic community of Sant’Egidio in Santiago de Cuba took to the streets to distribute warm clothing and hot chocolate to homeless individuals who spent the coldest night of the year in the eastern city.
The gesture of solidarity aimed to support those sleeping in terminals, doorways, or on sidewalks without any protection, as unusually low temperatures marked a day of notable cold across the Island.
“The unusual cold tonight made us wonder how our friends on the street are managing... that's why we went out to distribute coats and hot chocolate, especially so they feel remembered in difficult times,” the community posted on their Facebook account.
One of the beneficiaries, identified as Roberto, expressed his gratitude between tears: "God never abandons us because we were cold and you came."
The community also expressed gratitude for the solidarity contribution from the Aid Group of the Club Montaña Santiago de Cuba, whose members, along with supporters and citizens, donated winter clothing and blankets intended for the Elderly Home, which enabled assistance to be extended to dozens of vulnerable individuals.
"And they are happy and cozy, thanks to the contribution of winter clothes... those who did not hesitate for a second to help," stated the Club Montaña Santiago de Cuba.
On his part, the Santiago activist Yassero Sosa Tamayo also shared a message on social media: “This is not a pretty post. It is an urgent cry. It is people trying not to freeze tonight... There are no poses: there are bodies defending the dawn... This is not heroism, it is the bare minimum that should be normal. The cold is climate. Indifference is a choice.”
The Cuban Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) confirmed that the early morning was "notably cold," with temperatures ranging between 11 and 14 °C across most of the country, and a historic record of 1.4 °C in Indio Hatuey (Matanzas), the lowest figure recorded in February since 1996.
These conditions, caused by an Arctic air mass, marked one of the coldest nights that the Cuban population remembers in decades.
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