Winter has arrived

Winter has arrived! Seemingly overnight. Last night around 8:00, it was MINUS THIRTY ONE (not including wind chill, which made it feel like -41.) It was around that time when two men came to my door.

Tim, a student from Luther College, was volunteering to help me organize the storage room. Actually, it's an office, too. But I digress.

These men arrived from Ontario with their little sister, who was 16. They asked for blankets to sleep in the car.

"Apparently you don't understand how cold it is. This is not Ontario!" I told them. "Blankets aren't enough tonight."

"But we can't be seperated from my little sister."

Oh boy. So, I called Mobile Crisis Services. We had a good chat. They wanted to know why we no longer house women for emergency stays. I told them we would be able to house women in the fall again! (Come back Wednesday to find out more!)

We made sure she really was the little sister. (She has I.D.)

I understood his concern and I had compassion for them. His sister has probably never stayed at a place like that before. I made sure she had access to the phone. They are one block apart. And she is being put up in a "residence," not a shelter.

We found the girl a place to stay the night. We bunked the men on the couch at the Shelter. With the recent deaths in the news, we are turning away no one in this weather.

This morning at 7:00 I chatted with George, our "Shelter Shepherd." He asked for a stack of blankets to pad the floor and keep extra bodies warm this weekend.

Yes, winter has arrived. For some, our Mission means the difference between life and death.

Thanks to all of you who are responding to our Cold Weather Shelter Campaign right now. Your dollars are being put to good use.