To say last night was cold would be an understatement as after an hour or so I could barely feel my cheeks .... yikes!!..... and yet 25ish men and women joined me under the viaduct for the Monday night edition of Street Reach for the Homeless Dinner and Duds. This time didnt even head to the under the stars spot with the ol Street Reach van as the winds were howling and the via duct provides some break. Sure enough as my headlights started down the length of the overpass, men and women emerged from the shadows where they had tucked themselves in an effort to stay warm. Made some decisions as I loaded the van and decided in an attempt to keep the hot items at least warm for the longest period of time possible that entree and sides would stay in the van. Reduced the number of sides (based on available space in the mobile boutique which is already packed to the gills with clothing, coats, tents, sleeping bags, tarps, blankets and comforters) because so much would freeze (as did the fruit punch by the end of the evening). Dinner was beef stew served on top of an opened dinner roll (bought a large insulated bag at Kroger when I was checking out to help these stay warm), a serving of sweet corn bread bake which was clearly the hit of the night and creamy mac n cheese that stayed warm based on the density in the pan. From there each person could walk over to a low concrete wall (open to the wind) for a bag or two of chips, bread and butter, cookies and drinks prior to them either freezing or simply getting too cold that it hurt - yes, truly possible and truly painful for some - often dental issues). Before the first plate was served, one young gent said he was freezing and needed a coat. Grabbed the first one inside the side door and told him to put it on & we would worry about finding a fit once dinner was served. It was one of the heaviest I had and warmth was an obvious immediate issue (when later came asked if he could just keep that one - no problem). Then a young couple approached and same thing, saw hands shoved in their pockets and asked if they had gloves. That was a no. Pulled mine off as they were already warmed up and then grabbed another pair. Handed out 2 more pairs before serving because cold doesnt wait and food can. Gents (and a few gals) continued to drift in as the evening progressed and while the food stayed at least warm only the ice team remained truly unfrozen. By the end of the night, tarps (thank you, Kelley Beasley, Sara Gregory Hoeffel and family, Jeff Schlegel and Trisha Smith Scheible family), two sleeping bags, comforters/blankets galore, sternos - two a piece to several in attempt to heat tents, hand warmers (each person got three pair), socks, 3 pairs of boots and two more heavy winter coats went to new owners. Tried and tried to find a coat to fit another gent who wears typically a 2x or 3x shirt but could not zip a 3x coat due to the mass of layers underneath. Even I start out in a medium and my 5th layer last night (I do not wear a coat) is an XL by the time you get to that last layer. Will do some Goodwill, Salvation Army, Renew Store and everywhere else I can think of to see if I can pick up a reasonably priced, gently used 4 or 5x. Hearing that the Rescue Mission ran out of beds last night signals to me that many left the streets for at least a portion of time and sought shelter in the bone chilling cold. Have made a last minute decision to attend the Rescue Mission tour at 6 in hope that I might not only continue to become more familiar with the facility I recommend to so many but also see a face or two I did not see last night. One young man popped in - no food, no clothing or blankets - just for a hug and a hi - and then pedaled off. Again, the mom in me wants to know that all are well and just a quick hi soothes a worried soul. Thursday nights dinner is already in the making as a smoked brisket (thank you, David Mclaughlin and Blue Stack Smokehouse) is currently thawing in my frig from Beth Deitrich Flaggs freezer. Since temps will remain in the 20s, I plan another hot meal with a limited selection of carb loading sides to help these men and women make it through the night ahead. Looking with hope in my heart at the predicted weekend temps to give these poor souls a chance to warm up and see the sun by the time Saturday and Sunday arrive. Hoping.....hoping....hoping.....praying....praying....praying!! Mother Nature turn up the heat.....pleeeeeeeez!!! God bless.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 22:49:03 +0000
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