Cold Rain

Monday night into Tuesday morning I spent 10.5 hours volunteering at a cold weather shelter. The weather had been a bit on the warm side for January but Ihad turned into a 40s high 30s kind of day with a cold rain. Not the day you would want to be out on the streets. Not like there is a good time to be homeless. It is a place I will be back helping out at again soon.

Lets face it times are hard. My family struggles to keep from being homeless. So, I have no problem lending my time to help others. They are  a lot like me. Perhaps I have a better support group. Sure some have problems I have my share. It is in these personal tough times the degrees of seperation dissappear.

When the weather is bitter or icky I don't want to be homeless. If I can help shelter folks from a cold rain, a hard freeze, snow and ice, or just plain giving them a break from the streets or whereever they make their homes.I'd like to see year round shelters. Summers get hot and humid. Plus the storms we went through the big stoerm at the end of June, the scorching hot temps, Sandy coming through. It rains in the fall, summer and spring. There is a need then too.

Winter is perceived harsher. The threat of folks freezing to death, hypothermia, and more illnesses going around in the winter can easily mae the argument for a cold weather shelter. Maybe things will turn around and the homeless will find homes. Until then we need to help hem,

Homeless Shelter: Passing of a Belt

My youth is fading day by day. My waistline doesn't shrink like it used too. Needless to say I had a couple of belts at home I can't use anymore. Last night a gentleman came in to the homeless shelter and needed a belt. I asked him what size waist he had. Today when I went to the shelter I brought him a belt.

The belt work and he could use it. If it would have stayed at my house it would have been a useless piece of old leather. A big ice and snow storm was on the way tonight so I am glad the shelter was open for the guys who needed it.

There are two Vietnam era veterans at the shelter. There might be more veterans. Why are these veterans homeless? It is a shame. Our country sent them away to fight a war. No matter the politics soldiers, sailors ad airmen put their lives on the line in the name of our country. They deserve our thanks and gratitude. They follow orders. If they can get shot at, suffer all kinds of hell in the name of the country, why can't the country find them a home? They deserve better.