ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Winter adds a whole new element for the people who take care of our homeless community, including Abran Aragon. He is a behavioral health responder with Albuquerque Community Safety. 

KOB 4 followed Aragon and his partner, Ernest Becerra, as they handed out dozens of coats, socks, and blankets to people on the streets of the International District Thursday. They also transported about 30 people to local shelters for a warm place to sleep. 

“For us to come and them to allow us into their world and have that trust in us, it’s really rewarding,” Aragon said. 

Amanda Burns lives in a tent on Zuni and Wisconsin. She said with the cold, she likes to see them coming. It’s difficult for her to stay comfortable, especially in mid-January. 

“We often put plastic on top of our fires because it makes it burn hotter, and it makes it burn longer, but inhaling the fumes from burning plastic is cancerous, deadly,” she said. 

She’s lived on Albuquerque’s streets for six years, but it’s not all she knows. 

“My husband passed away, and we had a house, and a family. And after I lost him I kind of lost my mind for a while and this is the outcome,” said Burns. 

Aragon said every person he meets while doing the outreach portion of his job has a different story. But he’s not concerned with how they ended up on the streets. 

“We’re all human beings, and I think a little bit of kindness goes a long way,” Aragon said. 

He just likes to sleep at night knowing he’s helping them sleep a little better. 

“I know I can get back in the vehicle and get warm,” said Aragon. “Knowing that we’re leaving a location and someone’s able to warm themselves up, even if it’s just a short amount of time, it brings me joy.”