Winter can be a difficult and uncomfortable time for many people, but this is especially true for the many homeless people living in cold climates. While there are many shelters throughout the country, space is sometimes limited. Those who sleep outside run the risk of dying from exposure.

As the weather turns colder, usually around the beginning of November, many cities and towns host various initiatives to help the homeless. Donating and handing out blankets and other supplies, as well as encouraging homeless individuals to sleep inside, are steps that can be taken to help prevent tragedy. Citizens who see people sleeping outside should call the police who may be able to help.

While the holidays bring with them an increase in charity, winter lasts through the new year – with some areas experiencing cold weather in February and even March. This is why efforts to help protect the homeless from the cold shouldn’t be limited to a few weeks out of the year.

People can die from hypothermia if their body temperature goes too low, so if you see anyone these next months who you worry may be suffering from overexposure, call the police or 911. Do what you can to help and help serve your community. Winter is a difficult time, but we can all do what we can to ease each other’s burdens.

Tags: cold, homeless, winter

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 10th, 2010 at 9:35 pm and is filed under Other Causes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.