OUTREACH STORY #9: Housing Saves Limbs! Outreach Saves Limbs!

He was curled up under a bridge in the depths of winter, hypothermia had set in, even though he was wrapped in blankets, had on several hats and was wearing a few pairs of socks.

He was curled up under a bridge in the depths of winter, the cold was biting, causing him to no longer feel his toes or fingers, and the relentless chill had caused him to lose the ability to think logically.

He was curled up under a bridge in the depths of winter, his torn-up tent and the whiskey did little to protect him from the savage arctic winds coming off the lake.

He was curled up under a bridge in the depths of winter, his neighbours (from the tent city) had found warm places to relocate for the night, so he was lying there alone.

He was curled up under a bridge in the depths of winter, and on this particular night the temperature was well below zero Fahrenheit (at least -20C) and the wind chill made it even more unbearable and deadly.

On these frigid nights, a few of us would drive around the neighbourhood to see if anyone needed help. As we drove under the Lawrence viaduct, we found Ken curled up trying to find warmth and survive the night. We offered him a ride to our shelter's cafeteria, which we had set up as a warming centre. We ended up helping him get into the maxi-van and drove him to our shelter where we gave him a bed, a hot drink, blankets, food and some fresh dry socks.

Weather like this can kill. Weather like this can cause frostnip and frostbite, and that frostbite can set in causing people's fingers and toes to turn red, blistered, and even blackened. I have met many people who lost toes and fingers due to being exposed to many nights like this one. This could have been Ken's reality.

When he came to the Warming Centre, he stayed there for weeks, which allowed him to recover. It's not as simple as walking into a warm room, when numbness and the deadening of skin and tissues sets in, it can take weeks or months to rehabilitate. The help of doctors and nurses from a local clinic and having a warm place to remain in helped him keep all his fingers and toes.

Ken and I often reflected on that particularly brutal winter for years after. He was grateful. He knows that without us picking him up that night, he may not have survived, but he also told us that he would have lost fingers and toes.

Outreach saves limbs.

Housing saves limbs.

As Outreach Workers, this is just one part of our journeys. Frostbite isn't the only way people lose limbs, it can be through the likes of diabetes, gangrene and other medical conditions. We have the power to save limbs by providing hand and toe warmers, transit cards, food, tents, clean fresh socks, shoes, clothing and so much more.

And, of course, helping people get into safe, appropriate housing is vital for anyone's ongoing health, as it allows people more opportunities to stay warm in frigid temperatures, rest when it's time to rest, eat when it's time to eat, have their legs up when that's needed, keep their schedules, and take their medicines at the right times. Housing removes barriers and gives people the freedom to protect themselves from what can kill or maim them.

If you follow Jesus, here is my challenge: Jesus always emphasised the need for his followers to assist their neighbours in need. He emphasised that his followers should be known by their love, and that love should extend to anyone they see or come in contact with. He emphasised how important it is for us to notice those suffering and respond with love and compassion. He challenged us to never walk on by, and in one poignant speech, Jesus declared that the people we ignore or assist are him! Yes, those who are experiencing homelessness, those who are freezing under a bridge, and those struggling to walk a city block due to gangrene, are him!

In this poignant speech, found in Matthew 25 and often called the "sheep and the goats", Jesus said, "I was sick, and you stopped to visit" He spoke about how those who "stopped to visit" were rewarded for the love, compassion and kindness they showed those he called "the least of these". Our challenge is to see Jesus in those suffering and to shower them with the loving compassion they deserve. 

• • To read more about my reflections on Outreach and why I believe it's needed, please click this Link: The Eclectic Path of an Outreach Worker: Reaching Out to Those Experiencing Homelessness