Grace Daniel has dealt with homelessness off and on for years. So the Parkville native was scared as temperatures plunged last week and as forecasters predicted the snowstorm that has left more than 6 inches on the ground in the Baltimore area today.

“People who have housing can take things kind of for granted, but it’s hard when it gets like this,” she said Monday. “I’ve slept on plenty of sidewalks in the winter. People get sick. People die out there.”

Daniels found a place to stay with a friend of a friend before Sunday night, she said, a blessing she didn’t expect. Others are less lucky. But many do have options when temperatures fall and the snow piles up.

In Baltimore, the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services has established a winter shelter plan to help during cold, snowy conditions like Monday’s.

Interim Health Commissioner Mary Beth Haller on Friday declared a Code Blue Extreme Cold Alert that extends through tomorrow.

The commissioner issues such alerts when forecasted temperatures fall below 13 degrees, including wind chill, or when conditions are severe enough to create a significant risk to the health of those exposed to them for an extended period.

The alert has activated the city’s Winter Shelter and Code Purple Plan, which in turn activates a network of shelter and assistance programs for those in need, including those who are homeless.

“Extreme cold can be life-threatening, especially for vulnerable populations such as older adults, young children, and individuals experiencing homelessness,” Haller said in a statement Friday. “We urge all residents to take precautions to remain warm and as safe as possible during this period.”

Anyone in need of help should call the city’s shelter hotline at 443-984-9540, Shawnta Randolph, an operations specialist with the homeless services office, said Monday. Phones will be answered through 9 p.m.

Eleven sites are providing services under the plan, including five that are offering overnight shelter to various groups.

The Fairfield Inn Hotel at 101 S. President St. is accepting single females, couples and families for overnight stays.

The Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training, or MCVET, at 301 N. High St. is open to single males.

The Weinberg Housing and Resource Center at 620 Fallsway is open to single women.

Should those sites fill up, overflow housing is available to single adults at the Robert C. Marshall Recreation Center at 1201 Pennsylvania Ave., and to families at the former Lois T. Murray Special Education School at 1600 E. Arlington Ave., Randolph said.

Anyone who already has a space at those or other city shelters may “shelter in place” — that is, keep their spaces there — through Saturday at 9 a.m.

“Everybody stays who wants to stay,” Randolph said, adding that outreach teams are visiting homeless encampments throughout the city today to spread the word about options.

“We can’t force anyone to come in, but we are letting everyone we can find know what the options are,” she said.

Baltimore County, meanwhile, has activated its freezing weather plan, which leaves a number of spaces available at two emergency sites every night through Jan. 13.

One is on the lower level of the Woodlawn Library at 1811 Woodlawn Drive in Woodlawn, and the other is the Eastern Family Resource Center at 9150 Franklin Square Drive in Rosedale.

No one responded to a call to the program’s headquarters Monday. But homeless residents may dial 410-887-8463 and choose option 1 to speak with a screener in the Baltimore County Department of Social Services to help identify shelter options, according to the county website.

“There are a limited number of shelter beds available in Baltimore County and surrounding jurisdictions,” it read. “DSS performs a vulnerability assessment to prioritize placement in the County’s shelters. DSS may be able to refer callers to other resources. All county residents seeking temporary shelter are encouraged to call.”

Those who need shelter in Anne Arundel County have a longstanding program at their disposal.

The Anne Arundel House of Hope, at 7164 E. Furnace Branch Road in Glen Burnie, operates a day center that is open through 3:30 p.m. daily where residents can come in, relax, check their phones, or just “pick a spot on the floor,” a volunteer who would only identify himself as Matthew said.

On days like Monday when the weather is “unusually nasty,” the facility opens and maintains a warming center at night. It’s currently open around the clock, Matthew said.

The House of Hope also offers its Winter Relief Program for unhoused individuals between October and March. More than 40 houses of worship participate in the 33-year-old program, opening their doors for a week at a time throughout the season to those seeking overnight shelter.

The host sites provide meals, companionship, activities and spiritual guidance. About two dozen people are currently using the program, Matthew said.

Anyone experiencing homelessness or who needs resources or services may contact the coordinated entry screening line at 410-417-7260 Monday through Friday, according to the House of Hope website.

Back in Baltimore, six sites work with the city’s homeless services program to offer food and other services during weather emergencies.

One is the Franciscan Center at 101 W. 23rd St., a faith-based nonprofit that provides services to the economically disadvantaged.

Employee Derrick Purcell said a six-week culinary class the site offers, set to begin Monday, was postponed due to the weather. But the center continued its daily routine of offering cold breakfast-to-go early in the morning and hot meals at midday.

The program typically serves about 400 people per day, Purcell said, but the weather conditions kept many away, cutting the usual numbers in half.

Still, it was open.

“The Franciscan Center is a beacon of hope for the community,” Purcell said. “We don’t close.”

At other sites, those in need can get transportation to overnight shelters under the city plan. Those include the Beans and Bread headquarters at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church (400 S. Bond St.); Manna House, Inc., at 425 E. 25th S.; the Weinberg Housing and Resource Center at 600 Fallsway; My Sister’s Place Women’s Center at 17 West Franklin St., and MCVET.

Daniel, meanwhile, said she was worried about those out in the elements. They’ll be luckiest if they find a tent, she said, as it blocks the wind and prevents blankets from getting wet in the snow. She expects many are wooded encampments seeking some small amount of shelter.

For the time being, she’s grateful to have a roof over her own head.

“It’s a relief,” she said. “I got a good night’s sleep last night.”

Lorraine Mirabella contributed to this report. Have a news tip? Contact Jonathan Pitts at jpitts@baltsun.com, 410-332-6990 and x.com/jonpitts77.