It’s been raining four days now and this morning as I drove to my job at MUST, all I could think of were the people who have been displaced from their homes and are now living in the woods or on the streets in the cold and rain. Do they have shelter? How are they staying dry? What would I do if it were me?
Each time I take my dog for a walk, I bundle myself up in layers to make sure I not only stay dry, but also warm. The weather has been unseasonably warm this year, but it has still been cold early in the morning and late at night. I am still very grateful that I have someplace warm to come home to, and that I can get out of the inclement weather. I thank God every morning and every night I have a comfortable bed with pillows and blankets and the ability to take a shower every day and use the toilet in the privacy of my own home.
Their stories may be similar, but they are also very unique. Some may be due to substance abuse, but many are due to unemployment, illness, hospital bills, inability to adapt to society after being in a war, run-aways, abuse, the list goes on. Many are college graduates, business owners, executives. Many are families with small children who don’t understand what’s going on. People who were once pillars of our community who have fallen on bad times and happen not to have family and friends to rely on for help.
You may say if they really wanted to make it, all they need to do is get a job. I was just like you. In order to get a job, you need a place to live. In order to have a place to live you need money. Do you remember how much money you needed when you first moved out and got a place of your own? First and last months rent plus utilities. Do you know how much bus fare is?
So, as you listen to the rain drumming on the roof, thankful you are inside reading this post instead of out getting wet, consider a gift to MUST as we collect items for the Point in Time census. It’s because of your generosity we can provide the necessities and a little comfort to those in need.