YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE AT THE
WHETHER YOU TURN YOUR HEAT ON
FOR WARMTH, OTHER PEOPLE DON'T
EVEN HAVE A HOME TO HEAT.
JOINING US TO SHARE MORE IS THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE
HOMELESS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
GIVE ME A LITTLE
ENCAPSULATING ABOUT HOMELESSNESS
IN THE PIONEER VALLEY.
THAT'S SORT OF A BIG
QUESTION.
THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
HOMELESS, THERE ARE FAMILIES WHO
ARE HOMELESS.
OUR ORGANIZATION DEALS WITH
INDIVIDUALS, BUT BOTH TYPES OF
SERVICES ARE REALLY UP AGAINST
IT, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS TIME OF
YEAR YOU REALLY FEEL THE PINCH.
AND I KNOW YOU JUST HAD YOUR
THANKSGIVING DINNER.
THAT KIND OF IS WHAT IT'S REALLY
ALL ABOUT IN YOUR EYES.
IT'S A GRATIFYING TIME.
CERTAINLY PEOPLE COME TOGETHER.
WE HAD LOTS OF VOLUNTEERS THIS
WEEK AND HAD A GREAT MEAL
YESTERDAY.
THERE WERE MEALS AROUND TOWN.
THERE ARE FEEL-GOOD
OPPORTUNITIES AND WE APPRECIATE
THE COMMUNITY SPORT.
THE THING IS TODAY, TOMORROW AND
THE NEXT DAY, WE STILL HAVE THE
ISSUE.
IT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP OUR
ATTENTION ON.
OFTEN, PEOPLE GET EXCITED TO
HELP AND GIVE DURING
THANKSGIVING AND DURING
CHRISTMAS TIME THEY OFTEN FORGET
365 DAYS OF THE YEAR, PEOPLE ARE
HOMELESS AND NEED ASSISTANCE.
RIGHT, YOUR GOAL IS TO HELP
PEOPLE HAVE HOMES OF THEIR OWNS
FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
IT'S GREAT TO HAVE A MEAL, BUT
ULTIMATELY IF YOU HAVE A PLACE
TO BRING YOUR LEFTOVERS HOME TO
OR PREPARE YOUR OWN DINNER, IT
SOUNDS CORNY, BUT THAT'S OUR
GOAL AND WE'RE HELPING PEOPLE DO
THAT.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO DO THAT.
I'M SURE PEOPLE WANT TO HELP YOU
WITH THAT GOAL.
YOU HAVE AN UPCOMING EVENT TO
HELP YOU DO THAT.
WE DO OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL
FUNDRAISING, BUT THERE'S A GREAT
NEW ENDEAVOR IN THE VALLEY.
IT'S DINED TO BENEFIT
ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING OURS,
BUT ACROSS THE SPECTRUM.
IT'S A ONE DAY EVENT SPONSORED
BY THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION OF
WESTERN MASS.
THERE'S CLOSE TO 200 DIFFERENT
NON-PROFITS SIGNED UP TO DO
THAT.
IT'S ON DECEMBER 12, 12-12-12,
PEOPLE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO
THAT AND WE WANT TO REALLY DRIVE
THE ON LINE GIVING PORTION OF
THAT AND PEOPLE CAN DECIDE WHERE
YOU'RE CONTRIBUTION IS GOING TO
GO.
IT COULD BE TO OUR ORGANIZATION,
BUT YOU'LL SEE ON THEIR WEBSITE,
ORGANIZATIONS FROM ACROSS THE
SPECTRUM.
IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS IT
SOUNDS KIND OF BAD TO SAY, SO
I'LL SAY IT, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE
PEOPLE COME AND DONATE THEIR
TIME OR GODS, BUT REALLY, THE
MOST HELPFUL THING BY FAR IS
CASH DONATIONS.
WELL, GENERALLY, YES.
IT'S HARD TO SAY, BUT IT'S
THE 21st CENTURY AND YOU KIND
OF NEED THAT FUNDING AND TO DO
PROJECTS THAT ARE BIG AS YOU'RE
TRYING TO DO.
IT IS TRUE, YOU WERE OVER AT
LORRAINE'S SOUP KITCHEN EARLIER
AND WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS WHO COME
IN AND SERVE MEALS AND THAT IS
THE CLASSIC THING TO DO AND WE
HAVE PEOPLE COME IN AND SERVE
AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET YOU OVER
TO SERVE.
ONE DAY.
IT CHANGES YOU, BECAUSE IF
YOU ACTUALLY ARE HANDING A MEAL
TO SOMEBODY, I REMEMBER, YOU
KNOW, THE FIRST TIME I WORKED IN
THE SOUP KITCHEN YEARS AGO, YOU
KNOW, IT'S SUCH A SIMPLE THING
SEEMINGLY, BUT SOMEBODY IS
ACCEPTING FOOD FROM YOU THAT
THEY OTHERWISE WOULDN'T HAVE.
IT TOUCHES YOUR HEART.
WHEN YOU SEE THAT, THAT MIGHT
THEN LEAD YOU TO GIVE MORE.
EXACTLY, TO BE ABLE TO DO IT
AND MAKE A TACTILE DIFFERENCE IS
SO IMPORTANT.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING
ON THE SHOW TODAY AND SHOWING US
ANOTHER WAY WE CAN GIVE.
TO HELP OTHERS, YOUR
