SNOW!

We got just a little bit of snow. Over 30″ with drifts as tall as me. I am 6′-4″. The town is shut down. The only things open are the gas station, the grocery store, and the center. We have been incredibly busy. Working with a partner we are operating the homeless shelter in town.

The real work is being done by the local Lakota people that work for us. My Job Corp Staff has been responding beyond the call of duty. Four of them chose to spend the week at the center to ensure that the center could be open and provide services to the homeless community. Two others braved the wintry weather and the waist high snow to come to the center to help.

Each day they prepare coffee, two hot meals, and watch over the guests to ensure all are safe. They make sure the showers are ready and towels are provided. They do laundry as needed. When the guests move to the night shelter the dinner moves with them and the staff spend hours cleaning and sanitizing. They clean the common room and the bathrooms. They take out the trash. They spend time with the community and treat everyone with respect and dignity.

We could not do this important work without Henry, Jamie, Monica, Patty, Chantelle, and McKinley.

We have been busy. Overnight forty-eight people were warm and safe. During the day as many as fifty people come through the center. The numbers are higher than ever. In part because people are stranded in town. Some have been discharged from the hospital but cannot make it out of town to head home.

This is all done in Christian love. But no one is required to do anything religious to be served. We only require them to treat the staff and each other with respect.

We have been under a blizzard warning since Monday night and today it was extended to noon on Friday. With the drifts it is hard to determine how much snow we received but it is over 2 feet closer to 30″ with more on the way.