02/01/2026
Tonight as I was leaving an event for my friends birthday, I saw someone laying on the sidewalk, dangerously close to the street. I stopped to make sure they were alive, and to see if they needed narcan. It was a very small woman, older and quite frail. She was shivering and I asked her if she'd like a blanket. She said yes, and I asked if she could sit up so I could put a blanket under her, so her body wasn't just resting on the bare sidewalk. She declined, but was thankful for the extra blanket. I thought maybe she'd like some hot food and coffee, so I ran to jack in the box and got a late night box with a chicken sandwich and 2 tacos, and a large hot coffee. I went back to check on her, and she was asleep. I woke her up and asked if she'd like food. She said no, she was ok, but she did want another blanket. So I gave her a cold weather emergency pack, the hot coffee, and another blanket. As I was leaving, I saw a man about a block away, and he was sitting on the sidewalk, huddled up in just his jacket, alone. I asked if he wanted some food and a blanket, and he said yes. As I was walking back to my car to grab the items, another man with a blanket around his shoulders came down the sidewalk, and I offered him food and a blanket as well. I only had the chicken sandwich and the 2 tacos, and I apologized to them that they had to split it. I gave them both blankets, and they were happy to split the food. I told them I hope they had a good night and stayed warm, and the first man looked at me and said "its going to be better now because you came along". I told him that people care, and that hes a person and he matters.
Because I honestly, truly believe that people need to know that sometimes. Because being homeless can feel so alienating and lonely and dehumanizing. It breaks my heart every time I run out of supplies, because I never have enough for everyone. But I try to do the most I can with what Im given. I hope everyone knows that something so small like warm food and a blanket can make people feel like they are human again. Things most of us take for granted. I invite anyone to come out and do an outreach with me some night, and truly understand just how grievous the injustice of homelessness is in the richest country in the world.
Tridentspokane.com ❤️