It was a cold restless night, with the homeless heavy on my mind

[catmandu57]

It's cold, bone chilling frigid cold. It's supposed to be worse tonight, I tossed and turned waking up every little bit knowing that while I was in a warm house there were people without shelter, trying to survive the night.
Families, children, women, and men, I wonder how many didn't make it through the night, or, will slip under tonight without a sound?

This new compassionate amerika sucks, these people so damned concerned with morals, they bother me. I wonder how many of them slept the sleep of the just, while people suffered and died?

Sometimes, it seems to me the only thing we're good at now is bringing pain, mysery, and death to the world.

Happy holidays.

[oneighty]

1. A ((((((((((hug))))))))))

for your pain.

180

[MadHound]

2. As a former homeless person, let me reassure you a little,

Not much, but a little. When you live out on the streets, you learn pretty quickly how to survive. If you can't find a place in a shelter, you find some other place inside that will let you nod, a hospital, a church, an all night theatre, hell, I've known guys that got desperate enough to commit a crime so that they could get hauled off to jail for three hots and a cot for a couple of cold days. If all else fails, you spend the night out walking to keep warm.

Not to downplay the problem, these folks will be coming down with colds, flu, and other exposure related diseases. There will also be frostbite and other cold related injuries. But nationwide, I doubt that there will be more than double digit homeless deaths for the next couple of days. It helps that it is the Christmas season, for there are a lot more charities and churches open late, thus more protection and free food. The real killer time of the year for the homeless is in mid-late January, when everybody has forgotten their Christmas charity, and the bitter cold and snow are still around.

I'm not trying to make light of the problem, I'm just trying to salve your conscience a little. Homelessness in this country is a huge problem, a shame for all of us as a country, and sad to say, growing all the time. If you really want to help out, revive the tradition of having an extra plate at the Christmas table, and an extra bed to sleep in. Then go find some poor soul(s) and invite them to your place for awhile.

[shrike]

9. Sounds like an O. Henry story

about the poor soul who struggled mightily to commit a crime so he could do ninety days and escape the winter. (He succeeded -- he was arrested for loitering.)

Glad you've fallen on better times, MadHound.

[MadHound]

11. Very much the O. Henry story

And thanks, it is good not to be out on the streets. This was back in the late seventies, early eighties, and yes, life has improved a lot for me since then. But in many ways I'm glad I had the experience. Taught me a lot about myself and about our society. And I've devoted a lot of my effort and monies since helping out the homeless. Sad to say though, as much as one does in this country, the problem just continues to grow.

[Rev McGinty]

3. It is 5 degrees today. Shelters are full.

Every shelter in town is full. I am a live-in at the Catholic Worker House, and every bedroom we have is full. Four families, three adult women, one girl just 19, and two men. (Men have two other options in town, so we focus on families. We are the only house that keeps families together.) We are a small town with relatively compassionate people, but even here we have a substantial homelessness problem. Perhaps proportionally as bad as big cities, but the state and feds say we don't have enough to get much in the way of aid. So mostly we have church and Salvation Army based shelters. They may open one of the school cafeterias as a shelter and "soup kitchen" until the cold wave passes.

It reminds me of the comic from the Reagan days. Family shivering under blankets, the man holding out a cup, and falling snow. The caption read "Reagan's plan to end homelessness in America: Winter in Chicago." I know that we too shall have a few less homeless after this cold streak.

[shrike]

4. Bless you, Rev

And welcome to DU

[AngryOldDem]

5. Godspeed, Rev

We just had a record-setting snowfall here, and temps are expected to be well below zero over Christmas.

I also work at a homeless shelter, and we too are at and over capacity with men, women, and children. I am so afraid that we will not be able to admit everyone who comes to us for help in the next few days. I hope they can find someplace to go.

[TNDemo]

6. Bless you for your work and a ?

Does your city have Room in the Inn? Our city does that where the churches house the homeless for the night (a bus downtown shuttles them to the churches that are hosting that night). They sleep on cots, are given supper, breakfast and a sack lunch and usually a shower if the church has the facilities. The bus takes them back downtown in the morning. It usually ends up that a church will host about one night every two weeks. It starts around November and goes until April. It doesn't require any federal funds and has seemed to work here quite well for year. Just food for thought.

[newyawker99]

17. Hi Rev McGinty!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[catmandu57]

7. Welcome to DU Rev

I don't know what to do about this problem, where I live now it's mostly the hidden homeless, people doubling up, living with family or friends.
Not far away though, the problem gets deeper and social resources are stretched pretty thin. It bothers me that this exists in this space and time, but it gets worse when it comes weather like this.

[kybob]

8. well catmandu57

if it bothers you that much, why not offer the homeless shelter in our own cozy, warm home? that solves yours and theirs problems.

i do not post much, mainly read, but sometimes one has to take personal action to solve a problem, such as this. how many freeze to death waiting for the government to do something, do it now and save a life.

give me a sec while i get my flame proof suit on.

[rman]

10. you don't mean to say it doesn't bother you, do you?

-

[MadHound]

12. Well, I can't speak for kybob, but he does have a point.

If there is a problem, be it with homeless people, the war in Iraq, whatever, moaning about it on an anonymous political chat board isn't doing much to solve the problem now is it? Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands, pitch in and help out. So yes, I think kybob has a pertinent question for the OP.

[kybob]

13. thank you Madhound.

thats the point that i so clumsily made.
i donate to various charitys, and Gods Food Pantry often. i also let them know that my home is open to those in need (no takers yet).

thats where i am right now. lets not wait for some one else, lets get each and everyone started on their own personal mission, we don't need politicans, religious figures or others too lead us by the hand. we all can do something and make a difference.

[stackhouse]

14. nobless abliege

i know the drill when you can do good you should....as a fomer homless person...i know the drill..so the deal is if help the4 holess you please do .. if you leary about giving and or chem dep enabling.. one thing one can do is if you see a homeless person is maybe get like a mcdonalds or burger king (or whatever)five dollar book ..if you see a homeless person offer him or her all or part (your choice) but at least this would at least give that person a cup of coffee or??? and a place to warm up for a short spell...........

[Nadienne]

15. I've done such a thing.

I'm not sure whether she was homeless or not. I was waiting to give my boyfriend a ride home after work when she approached my car. She had a problem with her arm, and just wanted a ride downtown. It was very cold outside. So we waited together for my boyfriend to get done with work, and then we went to Hardee's and got her (and us) some food, and then gave her a ride downtown, to apartments that were above a bar.

Maybe she was homeless, looking for a warm, out-of-the-wind place to eat her food. I can't imagine that a combo meal from Hardee's would buy her any alcohol... :shrug: I should have invited her home with us. I dunno, she seemed kinda ashamed, and kept insisting that she would pay us back. Which, we kept insisting that she didn't have to.

Sometimes I really hate this time of year.

[shrike]

16. My hubby's done this

Buys them a sandwich or a cup of coffee. One time, he offered to buy a woman coffee and she offered to share her pie from the community pantry with him in return. So he bought two coffees, sat down and had pie with her.