Happy Holidays! The past few days at Uptown Shelter have certainly been festive. Thanks to many supporters, including concerned citizens and the foundations of NBA players Antoine Jamison and Gerald Wallace, our men received new shoes, jackets, and a visit from Santa Claus! Today a special color guard presentation was made before lunch to remember and honor our country's veterans, including way too many who are experiencing homelessness (George, thanks for preparing lunch). Even in tough times, our donors have reached out to make sure we can continue helping homeless men through generous gifts of money, time, and needed items. As we all get ready to focus on our families next week, which we should and deserve to do, I hope you will also take a moment to remember, not only those people experiencing homelessness this Christmas, but also the many dedicated staff who will be at work on the holidays. I personally want to thank those on my staff who will be here Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day - you know who you are - thank you!