On the way home from an errand the other night, I spotted a homeless person standing by a busy intersection. It was getting dark and windy and, a cold rain was starting to come down. As I sat waiting for the light to turn green, this person asked me for money. The policy of our organization is not to hand out money because all too often, homeless people on the streets use it to buy drugs or alcohol. What we do instead is offer them things to make their plight easier as they struggle to live outdoors.
I asked this person if they had a shelter to go to. 'No,' was the answer. So, I pulled over to a safe spot, opened my trunk to my Shepherd's Way stash and gave them a tent, a tarp, some food, and some feminine hygiene items.
We do this often when we see homeless people. Shepherd's Way volunteers routinely stash useful items in their cars for poor souls living out in the elements. It's a good thing to do and, I hope that you, too, will consider doing it.
Merle Burke, President & Founder Shepherd's Way