This past week, a polar vortex slammed the Midwest with historic frigid temperatures with some places dropping as low as -61°F. While temperatures here in Detroit only reached a low of -37°F, the bitter cold still proved dangerous; in Michigan alone, four people were reported as having frozen to death during the cold snap. Though these conditions are considered dangerous for everyone, the homeless population is especially at risk for exposure to the elements.
According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, homeless individuals are "at risk for a variety of conditions caused by exposure to the cold, including frostbite and hypothermia, both of which can be permanently damaging to one’s health and can sometimes be life-threatening. Many of the chronic problems faced by the homeless people, including inadequate clothing, malnutrition, and underlying infection, further increase the risk of developing and dying from hypothermia. In addition, many homeless people struggle with alcohol and drug addictions. The use of these substances substantially increases their susceptibility to hypothermia."
However, these most at-risk populations may not know about the different services — such as warming centers, emergency shelters, and more — that their respective cities offer in brutal conditions such as a polar vortex. Without reliable access to an internet connection or otherwise, many may find it difficult to access information on the hours, locations, or services of these organizations. As such, it's times like this where it's especially important for the community to step in and help one another out, and the HIGH Program would like to take a moment to highlight some of the heroes who did just that.
If you've tuned into the news or a talk show within the past week, the name Candice Payne might ring a bell. After paying for hotel rooms for a handful of the city's homeless individuals, the Chicago native posted a call for help with transportation on her social media which quickly turned the act of personal generosity into a community effort. “It went from us being able to provide 20 rooms, to us being able to provide 60 rooms,” Payne said. “It was only going to be for one night, and it went from one night to four nights.” Word of her efforts quickly spread across the nation, and she was even gifted $50,000 from Ellen DeGeneres while appearing as a guest on her show. All in all, her efforts and the community input helped 112 individuals; Ms. Payne is currently setting up an online fundraiser for continued assistance to the area's homeless population.
Right here in Detroit, there were also efforts in place to get homeless individuals off the street. Michael Colbert, the transportation manager for the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries and his coworker, caseworker Herbert Morris work long, 24-hour shifts attempting to get Detroit's homeless population off the streets in the dangerous weather. Although the shelter gets "about 175 calls for pickups a day," many people don't want to go, fearing they may miss out on the opportunity to receive money from generous motorists. This doesn't deter Colbert or Morris, though — they take the time necessary to build connections and "building that trust so they will come and save themselves."
While these efforts are certainly deserving of recognition, this is just a small sample of the community helping their homeless neighbors, and we want to hear from our readers: do you know someone (an individual OR a group/organization) who goes above and beyond to help their city's homeless population? Send us an email at WSUHIGHProgram@wayne.edu or reach out to us on Messenger and let us know, so we can feature more heroes of homelessness!
Comments
Post a Comment