I hope your New Year is off to a good start – I have to admit that this winter weather has been rough. To say I don’t like it is an understatement. I am cold and stiff when I wake up, I have trouble driving in the snow, it makes me want to hibernate, my office is always cold, extra snow shoveling – it all makes me say “When is Spring coming?”

Now, after getting that out of my system, I will say quit complaining. Yes, Indiana weather can be tough, but we are so lucky – we have warm places to go, an ability to get there, and protective items to keep us safe. But I want you to think for a minute what it must be like to be unhoused – living in a car or living in a tent. Not only would you be able to complain and have merit to it, but quite honestly, a winter like this is life-threatening to those who are unhoused.

Because of the winter weather – we have seen the number of people staying at Brighter Days approach almost 50 people a night. We are blessed to be able to offer this overnight shelter, but even with a warm and dry place to stay at night, our unhoused still need to traverse back and forth from the shelter to warm places during the day, to hot meal sites, and other activities they need to be at.

Offering shelter is nice, but here are some other ways we try to help. Love Chapel opened up the gym at First Presbyterian to offer a place and meal on Thanksgiving and Christmas Days, the Engagement Center (Day Shelter) has expanded hours, Love Chapel fixed Hot Meals at the shelter during snowstorms, transportation has been provided during storms and cold weather between the shelter and engagement center. All designed to keep people as safe as possible.

How can you help? We are in good shape on coats, but gloves, socks, hats, and hand warmers are always needed to help our folks through the cold weather. Even with all of the extras, our unhoused still spend a great deal of time outdoors.

Other items needed are personal hygiene items – small tubes of toothpaste, shaving cream, toothbrushes, combs, brushes – just about anything we use, so do the unhoused. Please take a few minutes to check out our website at columbuslovechapel.com – you could see the full list of needed items or opportunities to volunteer, make donations – whatever it takes to show love to our neighbors – whether housed or unhoused!

– Kelly Daugherty