I work for a law office in Santa Rosa, California, a suburb in Northern California, about an hour north of San Francisco.
In the mornings when I am walking from the parking garage to my office, I have noticed many young women with babies in strollers out and about between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. I have wondered why in the world they would be out with their babies so early in the morning. It finally dawned on me. The homeless shelters are closed between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. These homeless women with their children have no where to go between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. They walk the streets and hang out in the parks. It's been pretty frosty lately by Northern California standards - 28 to 32 degrees in the morning.
Starting right now, I'm going to put my money where my mouth is. Rather than buying Christmas presents for my friends and relatives who have the ability to buy for them selves whatever they need or want, I am giving that money, in their names, to the agencies that support the homeless.