Homeless

Snow fell yesterday, covering any remaining signs of autumn.  The first snowfalls of winter are exciting here in Minnesota.  Sleds come out of storage.  Dogs frolic and roll in snow's coolness.  Holiday lights sparkle more impressively against the white landscape.  Our homes transform from a cool respite from the summer heat, to the warm refuge from winter's bite.  At least for those of us who have a place to call home.      


To be homeless in Minnesota during the winter is excruciatingly difficult, and dangerous.  Homeless animals have a better chance at finding refuge in a shelter than a homeless person.  Don't get me wrong - we have an amazing network of resources and shelters for the homeless here in Minnesota, but when the cold moves in, more seek shelter under a roof rather than under a bridge, and the shelters fill up fast.  For those who have no home of their own, it is survival of the fittest.  If the shelters are full, then what are the options?  Maybe find a garage that's unlocked to hunker down in.  Maybe find a vacant home or building to call home and hope no one calls the police.  Last week, a homeless man lit a bonfire on the floor inside a  vacant house to stay warm.  He died of carbon monoxide poisoning before the fire grew out of control and the house burned down.  As I pondered what to write about this time, it struck me how many holiday stories there are where the main character(s) is(are) homeless.  Mary and Joseph.  Rudolph and Hermey.  The Little Match Girl.  Even Harry Potter didn't have a home to go to during his first Christmas break at Hogwarts.


So let's switch gears for a minute, and talk about Black Friday.  The term "Black Friday" comes from the Sept. 24, 1869, Wall Street collapse, which produced frenzy and panic.  It's commonly known here, in modern day U.S., as the Friday after Thanksgiving, when retailers open their doors extraordinarily early - sometimes at midnight - with incredible deals for early shoppers.  The quest to get the best shopping bargains on this day creates frenzy and panic (the common denominator of the Black Friday of 1869).  Consider the story of Black Friday in 2008, when a crowd of 2,000 shoppers in Valley Stream, NY, swarmed outside the doors of Walmart for the 5 a.m. opening.  As opening time approached the crowd grew frenzied.  When the doors opened the crowd pushed forward, trampling a 34 year old employee to death. The shoppers did not appear concerned with the victim's fate, expressing refusal to halt their stampede when other employees attempted to intervene and help the injured employee, complaining that they had been waiting in the cold and were not willing to wait any longer.  Even when police arrived and attempted to render aid to the injured man, shoppers continued to pour in, shoving and pushing the officers as they made their way into the store.  This is not an isolated incident!  (for more stories on brutal black friday injures and deaths, click here)


Gearing back to the topic of homelessness:  The snow is falling, creating a magical crystalline backdrop for the holidays.  Families are gathering to celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and other traditions and holidays, most of which are centered around giving.  Yet lots of people have no place to call home, and are sleeping on the streets, on the coldest nights of the year - including Christmas - and what gets us the most worked up, the most frenzied, is 50% off at Walmart?  Think about it.


Your safety tip for the day is on Carbon Monoxide Safety:
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, tasteless, odorless gas.  It exists in very small quantities in ambient air (the air we breathe).  But, in excess, can kill you.  MN Law requires every home to have a CO detector within 10 feet of every bedroom/sleeping area.  
The most common sources of CO poisoning are your gas burning appliances that are burning inefficiently, not being vented properly, or have some other malfunction.  Gas stoves, furnaces, hot water heaters, and clothes dryers, if not working properly, can all be potential CO hazards.  Wood burning stoves and fireplaces, if not vented properly, can also cause CO poisoning.  Here is a safety checklist for you:

• Have your gas burning appliances cleaned and checked by a professional every year
• Have your chimney cleaned and checked by a professional each year - especially if you use it often
• Make sure the flue is open on your fireplace or wood stove when you use it
• Have CO detectors within 10 feet of every bedroom and sleeping area (it's MN Law)
• Ideally, have CO detectors on every level of your home, especially on levels that you have gas burning appliances and fireplaces
• Test your CO detectors monthly, change the batteries every 6 months, and replace the detectors every 5 years or sooner if need
• Know the symptoms of CO poisoning:  headache, nausea, lightheadedness, vomiting, without a fever.  If you have these symptoms, get to fresh air immediately and call 911!

Click here for more information about Carbon Monoxide in your home.

Have a safe holiday, and consider donating to or volunteering at a homeless shelter.