Between the Cold and an Ugly Place...

Homelessness for Stupid People

The foibles of the most pampered homeless population in the Bay Area...

“It's this close to closing!” Said Mickey this morning. She was standing up in front at Vineyard Christian Fellowship holding her hand up with thumb and forefinger less than a half inch apart.

She was talking about the Warming Centre. It would seem there's been even more drama than I expected with fights, people drinking in and throwing beer cans around and neighbours getting very, very upset. By all accounts, the inmates are running the asylum and the volunteers have little control, and they've just about had enough...

I do hold the volunteers themselves responsible. A homeless community (I use that term loosely, it's really not anything resembling a community) with so many drug and alcohol addicted folk aren't going to respect any boundries unless they're firmly enforced. It's simply not going to happen. Those at the Warming Centre refuse to do that, so they're losing control, and this year, apparently, it's worse than ever.

And who will lose? Those who respected the rules. But that's nothing new... the problem isn't that people don't know what's going on. The problem is the lack of authority keeping these things from happening in the first place.

Those of us who follow the rules have no authority, no power, and not any recourse to solve the situation other than to leave, and a few of us have done just that. Permanently.

But suppose your there. It's forecast to be 28 or so degrees tonight, and it's been bloody cold all day long. You're going to have to endure it, or freeze?

No, you don't have to freeze. Not if you're prepared.

Keeping a kit that will help you survive the bitter cold isn't all that difficult. You do, of course, need a decent sleeping bag. You probably have one, but if you don't, ask for it if you can't buy one.

Mylar space blankets. You wrap yourself in those inside your sleeping bag and will keep your body heat in rather than escaping.

Layering clothing. Yeah, you'll sleep in your clothing, so might as well make good use of it. Layers will be a huge help.

Chemical Hand Warmers! If you can get your hands on them, that is. They're not expensive, and they generate heat. They're also easy to carry and to deal with. Simply unwrap them, shake them vigorously, and put them in your socks (or, better, between the two socks you have on each foot).

Another hint is this: HYDRATION!

If you allow yourself to become dehydrated, that means blood is thicker and can't move through your body fast enough to warm up your extremities. That means cold hands and feet. Drink water! Lay off the coffee. Yeah, I admit, I only remembered this last Thursday when my feet were like thick blocks of ice at the end of my legs in the morning... lesson learned!

My own sleeping kit is this: a tarp (reflective on one side), two blankets and a sleeping bag. I do have a couple of Mylar blankets stashed but have yet to need them. The tarp and the blankets are there to keep the ground from stealing all my body heat. The blankets are protected by the tarp, and I'm protected by the blankets. Know this, the cold ground will leach your body heat faster than anything and do it right through your clothing. It's imperative that if you're outside, you either get off the ground, or find a way to protect yourself from it.

I anticipate that my friend from my last blog won't be the last one this season to turn his back on the Warming Centre. If things are as out of control there as everyone is saying, it's got far worse since. Just so you know, if the Warming Centre goes away, and people seem to think it might, it's not the end of the world!

Be safe out there!