Fall(en).

It's now the 2nd day of November, the leaves are down, in bags by the curb, and the weather is showing all signs of fall. So what do we do? We make sure the heat is on and when necessary use blankets to stay even warmer when we are inside.

But what about those who don't have a roof over their heads or food in their stomachs?

This weekend our community has what is called, "S.O.S." AKA "Sleep Out Saturday." The objective of this weekend activity is for us to have an understanding of what it's like to be homeless; to not have a roof over our head, to feel the cold and the discomfort of not having warmth we often take for granted. In other words, when many of our children are sleeping out Saturday night at a friend's house, more than 1500 will spend the night in a tent, box or a car to get an understanding of what it's like to be homeless. Sounds miserable doesn't it? That's the intention of S.O.S.

In our community we have homeless people. This is not something the village highlights when people are considering moving to the area, but the reality is we do. Because we have a train stop, and it's close to our downtown, this has brought many people to our community who have nowhere else to go. We do have a food pantry, and churches that provide shelter, for many it's their last stop. I can not say I have had a lot of conversations with the homeless but for most it appears they are as down on their luck as one can fall. For some, they are mentally ill and desperately in need of help---every once and a while you hear of one of the homeless that has lost the battle.

If we think our area has a number of homeless, multiply our few by several hundred percent and you have Chicago. There are times when I walk by the train station in Chicago and every 15 feet there is someone asking for help. I always think back to my mentor who gave a homeless man $20 and said afterward when my mouth was open wide, "Just hope you are never in this situation." That was more than 20 years ago and I have never forgotten...nor will I forget. Of course you want to think these people in need will do something good with the money, there is no way to check out where the money goes. In my case I just hope they do something that makes them more comfortable. Some would say I am a fool. That's okay...I probably am.

The photo above was taken in downtown Chicago. This man was rummaging through a trash can and his discomfort and despair was difficult to witness. Unfortunately this is not a rare site---just one you either choose to address or ignore. I have done both.

This coming Saturday, while you are snuggled up with your "Snuggie" or loved ones, remember those who are not as lucky as we are---one person is more than likely not going to change the world of the homeless, but perhaps 1500 will. You just never know.

Thanks for stopping by.