'I'm Cold and I'm Afraid': Across Midwest, Homeless Await Deep Freeze

[babylonsister]

‘I’m Cold and I’m Afraid’: Across Midwest, Homeless Await Deep Freeze
By Julie Bosman and Monica Davey

Jan. 29, 2019

CHICAGO — As temperatures in Midwestern cities plunged to levels colder than parts of Antarctica and officials warned people not to step outside even for a few minutes, Tony Neeley stood on a downtown Chicago street corner Tuesday, wearing wet sneakers and clutching a hand warmer packet in each of his bare hands. He had already been there for hours.

“I’m cold and I’m afraid,” Mr. Neeley said, adding that he was trying to raise enough money from the bundled commuters rushing past to pay for a $45 motel room on a night that weather forecasters warned would send the Midwest into a deep freeze unlike anything even this region has seen in years.

What about the prospect of going to one of the scores of shelters officials in Chicago — and in cities like Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Detroit — had urged homeless people to seek warmth in during the stretch of dangerous and extreme cold?

“You don’t understand,” Mr. Neeley said. “A lot of us don’t go to the shelters because of bedbugs, we don’t go because people steal from you, we don’t go because you can’t even really sleep in the shelter. But my feet are cold, and these clothes are all I’ve got.”

snip//

The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless estimates that about 80,000 people are homeless in the Chicago area. Estimates vary widely about the homeless population throughout the Midwest.

more...

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/29/us/homeless-midwest-polar-vortex.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&fbclid=IwAR25_ia2sC4RgXFY0Jlxn-VOOqVavUsumuLs4NXPYv2Bg65gitWTODZyWLw

[UniteFightBack]

1. I worry about all the homeless animals and wildlife too. nt

[912gdm]

2. Thats a very odd reply.

wild animals are very adept to survive their surroundings. People, not so much.

[UniteFightBack]

3. Ugh. nt

[912gdm]

4. ?... nt

[Big Blue Marble]

7. We need to concerned for humans and animals.

This is a severe event not seen for decades or more in many places.

Many domesticated farm animals will die in this severe cold. Stray and lost
domesticated pets are at risk. Even wild animals and birds may be in danger.
Some may freeze. Be concerned for all as many will suffer and some will die.

[912gdm]

11. Oh I agree.

I was just puzzled by another DU's response. As I posted on another thread about this, "God help the homeless"

[Delphinus]

5. This truly

is a concern - definitely not a time for being under the bridge. And the fur-critters - always worry about whether the strays have found a warm place to survive.

[JustAnotherGen]

6. Heart breaking

Someone in my country is in danger in a situation out of their hands. I hope the Mayor is getting out there and finding these folks like Booker did during Sandy.

[Silver Gaia]

8. This makes me cry.

I thought about the homeless earlier today, and wondered about how they would be able to deal with this. I'm afraid FOR them.

[Croney]

9. I hope he rethinks his fear of shelters. If all he has are his clothes,

how can people steal from him? And maybe it's hard to sleep there, but how will he sleep outdoors in a deep freeze? The bedbugs, however, would make me think twice too.

I hope he (and everybody) finds a warm place to spend the night.

[tulipsandroses]

12. Unfortunately, I've had to discharge far too many patients to homeless shelters

His fear of shelters is not unique. Here in GA, Some are great, ,some not so much. Some are known drug dens.

Some of my patients have told me, they would rather sleep on the streets than some of the shelters that they get referred to.

As far as him not wanting to get his stuff stolen. Again not unique. In my experience, I have found homeless people are very attached to the few belongings they may own. I always tell my staff to be very mindful of that and make sure we carefully log their items that we store until they discharge. What might seem insignificant to us, is a big deal to someone that has nothing. Even if its just the clothes on his back. I've seen people have so much anxiety and angst over missing items when they are homeless.

Imagine only having nothing but the clothes on your back, and the shoes on your feet. Take your shoes off and they go missing. They are the only shoes you own. Or having your ID stolen and having to figure out how to get an ID when you are homeless with no mailing address. I've had to help clients navigate those issues. Nightmare for them, what we may take for granted.


I do hope he finds a safe and warm place to stay.

[littlemissmartypants]

14. That 45 dollar hotel provides the same bedbug opportunities as the shelter.

Just because it's a hotel doesn't mean it's free of vermin or risk. The logic is flawed. It's not surprising though, as many people are readily able to find more reasons why not to do something, and less to do something, even if it is in their own best interest.

[akraven]

10. During awful winter, we open our cabin to those in need.

Including pets, which freaks the cats out.

OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR, PEOPLE!!!!

[progree]

13. Twin Cities MetroTransit will let you ride the bus/train -- probably will work just about anywhere

that is bitter cold. What bus driver is going to kick you out in -50 windchill? (I know there are some).

Even in warm weather they allow people with paid fares ride indefinitely -- some social service agencies give them a 24 hour token or something like that. Not ideal way to handle homelessness by far, but, that's the country and world we live in.

5 buses in Chicago I don't think is enough ... but maybe they have a policy like the Twin Cities

Officials in large Midwestern cities including Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago and Detroit were desperately trying to get the homeless off the streets.

Minneapolis charitable groups that operate warming places and shelters expanded hours and capacity, and ambulance crews handled all outside calls as being potentially life-threatening, according to Hennepin County Emergency Management Director Eric Waage. MetroTransit said it wouldn't remove people from buses if they were riding them simply to stay warm, and weren't being disruptive.

Emanuel said Chicago was turning five buses into makeshift warming centers moving around the city, some with nurses aboard, to encourage the homeless to come in from the cold.

"We're bringing the warming shelters to them, so they can stay near all of their stuff and still warm up," said Cristina Villarreal, spokeswoman for the city's Department of Family and Support Services.

Shelters, churches and city departments in Detroit worked together to help get vulnerable people out of the cold, offering the message to those who refused help that "you're going to freeze or lose a limb," said Terra DeFoe, a senior adviser to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.
More: https://news.yahoo.com/record-breaking-cold-coming-midwest-051710036.html

I didn't post this to say everything is peachy-keen, I did just to spread awareness that there might be other options to stave off freezing than trying to panhandle $45 for a night in a motel.

[WillowTree]

15. My ex eventually became homeless and I worried terribly when it was really cold.

He managed to get into a fairly decent shelter and was a little better off for awhile until he returned a little too late one night and they'd locked up for the night. Froze all of his toes off. These temps are just brutal, even if you have somewhere to go. I ache for those who don't.

[hibbing]

16. I was at my downtown library today

I'm in the midwest, not Chicago. One of the security guards at the library was encouriging one man there to find shelter for the night. It is -3 as i type this, i can't imagine being outside in this crap regardless of how much stuff you have on. I'll be waiting for my bus when it is -10 out, but at least i have a home to come to after work.

Hang in there everybody and I need to do some self-reflection and donate to a place in town that i know provides direct help.


Peace

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

17. I heard something on NPR earlier today about

busses in some city picking up the homeless and taking them to shelters, or to some other place where they could stay warm.

I do occasional volunteer work at my local homeless shelter -- I live in Santa Fe and we're not experiencing that deep freeze here -- and because of that I do find I'm very aware of the temperatures. While I've been rather poor at certain points in my life, I've never been homeless and never even been very close. Which makes me very aware of how fortunate I am.

At the local homeless shelter I cook and serve meals to our clients. I have gotten good at fixing mass quantities of food. Our clients are invariably appreciative, and we (meaning the specific faith group I work with) take a great deal of pride in serving good meals. Over time I've learned to recognize many of the regular clients, and of course wonder what the back story is. Mostly, I never find out.

Again, I want to mention my childhood poverty. But it was relative, and again never close to homelessness.

My personal solution would be to have some kind of government built shelters that have single rooms, or even two room "apartments" that people can stay in, and not have to vacate every morning at 6 or 7 am. I'm sure there would need to be some kind of work requirement, and I'm not going to try to figure out all the details at this point, but there ought to be sufficient overnight accommodations and basic food for everyone.

We don't live in a very supportive culture.