Today Barbara, Betty and I headed out to share our pillows along with the love of God. Every time we approach someone, we have no idea if he has mental illness, or is violent, but we trust God that He is with us every step of the way.  And each time is different! The first person we approached was Otis, a very nice man.  I asked him if he stayed at the local shelter, and he said no, because his things were stolen there.  He would rather stay in the woods! I thought, "Wow!  Homeless stealing from each other!" 

 One of the first things a homeless person asks is if we have clothes, or hygiene items. My heart aches when I have to say no.  Each person out there has a different story. Nine out of ten times they are very nice and harmless people who are caught up in a rut for some reason.  I have always said that just because a person is homeless does not mean he is not a real person.  He could be someone's mother, father, brother, sister, daughter, son, aunt, uncle, or even someone's grandparent!

We have come across so many people that are so lost and so lonely that it just tears us up that we cannot do more for them. But, I have to tell you, a homeless person has ways to get help.  There are resource centers. The problem is that they really cannot stay off the drugs or alcohol long enough to get the help needed to get off the rollercoaster of addiction and homelessness.  The cycle is like a tornado. Can you imagine being an adult and only having the clothes on your back or not being sure where your next meal will come from or where you can lay your head that night? There are untold thousands of homeless men, women and children right here in the United States.  Rather than sitting around and talking about the problem, let's get out there and try to help these homeless souls, even if it is just by giving them a meal. We need to show the mercy, love, and grace that God shows us every day. 

In His love,

Cathieann

The names of the people who received pillows today were:

Carl, Heather, Robert, Jerome, Jimmy, Carmen, Tiffany, Charles,

Shordan (Pops), Michael, Tony (Skillet), Martin Pedro Jesus