Thursday, August 5, 2010

It's Been a long, Hot Summer!

I'm fortunate, tomorrow I leave for a week long vacation spending time with family and enjoying a few days camping in the mountains.  Camping is my choice; luckily I don't have to live outside.  No one should have to live outside.  So far this summer, the Men's Shelter has been able to provide emergency shelter that meets basic needs to all who have asked for assistance - and a lot of homeless men have stayed on our two campuses.  When we announced our 500 Bed Plan this past spring, we wanted to make sure we had the capacity to serve all who need our help, not knowing then that in the month of July we would average 494 guests per night!  That's almost 20 more per night than in June and almost 30 more per night than in July.  Certainly the sustained heat and humidity have caused more men to seek shelter.  But it's really more than that.  The men we serve would rather sleep indoors than out and we're committed to making sure they have a safe place to stay.  I promise I won't complain if during our camping trip its hot and humid, after all it's my choice.