I opened up my Sunday paper and saw a picture of an old shack dug into the bank of the South Canadian River, patched with every hand me down and broken artifact possible to find. The man standing in front of it with his dog functioned as the mayor of this shanty town. He accepted the food donations and handed them out and helped others find some sort of shelter to fashion against the cold. He was quoted as saying, "Hey, don't feel sorry for me, I got food stamps, a wood stove and a dog." "They's lot of people who ain't got it that good and I trys to help them out." The article went on to say that the dog was dumped in their little camp. It broke my heart.

I know homelessness is a complicated social issue since many are mentally ill. How though, are they ever going to climb out. They have no way to keep clean, no decent clothing and no transportation. This bars them from getting a job.

Shelters are overflowing and it is getting worse with all this job loss. This shouldn't be happening in America. What a contrast to corporate greed and excess. People are living in their cars and the fat cats are flying corporate jets.

We need to be as generous as our circumstances will allow and as understanding as we can. Survival takes a lot of ingenuity.