It's Getting Colder

I considered calling the cold the harbinger of a big, homeless group hug... but that would imply too much cohesion. The homeless are not cohesive by any stretch of the imagination. But it does tend to force the homeless together.

This morning (Monday, November 18th) a whole lot of faces most of us hadn't seen in months, and in one case, years, arrived for showers and breakfast. Some of them came from the Warming Centre, where they stayed the night at First Presbyterian Church in 4th and L Streets.

Mickey and Rick Kundert were the lone volunteers there when I arrived shortly before eight, and the place was already full and the shower list long. It wasn't long before some of the other volunteers joined them, but the couple were as busy ever getting things ready for the rest of us as Shower Nazi Doug did his part...

I got to say “hello” to Joey DeLaRosa, who looked very well and healthy after a bout in the hospital and some other troubles. As ABG guided me through rebuilding my bicycle wheel... that's a story in and of itself... Joey and I managed to make each other laugh... perhaps because Angelmarie couldn't stop punching me...

Joey had stayed at the Warming Centre last night, and I had visited it yesterday evening. Bob and Donna McKenzie fed everyone there with gourmet vittles delivered by First Pres' Crock Pot Brigade. Those are church members who make extraordinary home cooked meals for the homeless when it's open on the weekend, and on the weekend, it's always at First Pres. There's never been a bad meal served there.

Bob and Donna have assumed the responsibilities once held by Sandra Chesterman. Sandra, understandably, has moved on. Forget the tragedies that fell down upon her and her family for a moment and understand that she was one of the most giving and tolerant people I have ever met. Few were as taken advantage of and punished for her generosity the way she was. She was stalked, harassed and had insane demands made upon her by the very people she was trying to help. It's astonishing she was able to continue doing what she did through all of that as well as the horrible beating of her son Daniel back in February. The tragic loss of her daughter Kristina this past September, however, has completely refocussed Sandra's reason to be on family and honouring Kristina's memory. She is missed terribly by many of us.

With Rain coming this week, it's expected to be open. The hardest days for many are those days when the forecast has the temperature just over 40 degrees, which means the Warming Centre won't be open at all. But rain usually means it will be, assuming there are enough volunteers.

And there lies a particular problem, according to Bob McKenzie. He told me last night they're short eleven volunteers this season, and are having a whole lot of difficulty connecting with anyone willing to sit in, especially on the difficult Mid-Watch, which runs Midnight to 3:30am.

Last year it wasn't a huge deal simply because Sandra would fill in whenever there was a vacancy... well... yeah... Not happening this year and Bob's hoping there will be others who step up to the plate.

What's funny is this: there are more than a few homeless people who would be willing to do that watch if there was some other place, and some other time they could sleep! That's one of the problems with being homeless, finding a place to sleep at all. During the day, that's simply a non-starter.

But, if you're interested in helping out, please do by going to the Livermore Homeless Refuge Website.

As this evening there will be no Warming Centre, the homeless once again gather in the Livermore Public Library to stay out of the cold... one, of course, was notoriously intoxicated Bob Newton, who managed to make enough of a nuisance of himself to get the police called on him... being drunk and disorderly in the Library, not a good idea, Gang! And, yes, Bob is still camped out in the Butterfly Garden... He seemed to think his freedom of speech was being violated shouting “You Can't Have an Opinion Around Here!”

In any event, I have to go to work tomorrow,... and other than Bob, all seems quiet... I don't expect that to last long, but for now... it is...