we were able to act quickly and stand up this temporary warming shelter to help keep these vulnerable members of our community safe and warm during these sub-zero temperatures,” City Manager Jim Ritsema said
It takes a lot of privilege to be able to act like you know someone's situation from the comfort of a warm home and computer or smart phone. Should they have stolen? No.
This $10 million project, mainly funded by private donations, is a 4,700-square-foot, three-story building that includes a good Samaritan room on the first floor, with cots for single women needing emergency shelter. The top two floors will be allocated to women and children with apartment-style units to create more “intimate, safe and comfortable living quarters.”
A Kalamazoo area boy began an annual blanket and sleeping bag drive for area homeless in 2015 and four years later, the event and goal continues to grow.
What if the funding used to by the city for passing laws and ordinances, police and enforcing as well as cleanup costs was diverted to a program that pays the homeless to get back on their feet?