Space Blankets to the Rescue?

[lydy]

I don't know about where you live, but here in Minnesota the weather is deadly. On sub-zero days, I always wonder what the homeless are doing. Minneapolis doesn't have a huge lot of homeless, precisely because of the weather, but we have enough to constitute a real concern. What I'm wondering is, has anyone ever considered giving space blankets to the homeless. Some of them will still die of the cold, but it seems like a space blanket might keep some of them alive during a sub-zero night. Not that it takes sub-zero weather to kill; you can die in 30 F, if the circumstances stack up against you.

Has anyone ever tried this space blanket thing? Did it work? Was it a stupid idea?

Comments

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

On Wednesday I gathered up two boxes of old gloves, hats, coats and sweaters and took them down to Sharing and Caring Hands, Mary Jo Copeland's charity for the homeless. At the last minute I threw in an ancient, moth-eaten fur coat that had been languishing at the bottom of a cedar chest for years. I sincerely hope they give that coat to someone rather than throwing it out (it's full of little tears and smells musty). There is absolutely NOTHING that protects you from the weather better than a fur coat. This one is big, too. You could wrap yourself in that coat and sleep on the coldest ground and never feel it. I hope it's now in the hands of someone that can use it.

btw, Sharing and Caring Hands is on north 7th St. right next to the garbage burner, if anybody else feels inspired to give away some old gloves or sweaters, or even make a monetary donation. I don't know of a more effective way to get help directly to the poorest of the poor.