I'm really not a 'snow' lover. Well, maybe it's just the cold - that's probably more the case. But, when my three-year old looked up at me with those big brown eyes, and pleaded with me to go outside into the winter wonderland with him... how could I refuse?
Sure, it was 6:30 at night, and dark outside. But, maybe... I thought... this might make for one of those golden moments he'd cherish forever, as we made a snowman who glistened in the light of the nearby garage?
It didn't really work out like that, but he had a blast, and we headed inside to warm up.
Sadly, it's not that simple for everyone. In fact, every night in our community, it's estimated 600 people are homeless. Many of them are children... because they (and their moms) have escaped the perils of domestic abuse.
I thought about this, over and over again, as my son ran around the backyard. For him, the snow was a fun - and temporary - experience. Knowing you could run inside to escape the frost was never doubted.
It broke my heart, imagining what it must be like to not have that option.
We checked in with our funded shelters today... most are close to being filled at capacity.
I'm so thankful United Way focuses on helping families in crisis. Over the past year, our funding has helped more than 2,200 people with emergency food, shelter, and counseling. Even more, our network of providers follow up with people to make sure they stay on their feet.
There are a lot of reasons for homelessness, and it scares me... knowing it can happen to any one of us at any time. It's comforting, though, to also know our partners are running shelters to help those in need... turning homelessness into hope.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment