Dear friends ,

As we make plans to demand family shelter and look back over another year, its hard to forget the ãblizzard of 96 ã.

As we awakened, we deliberated whether it was worth it to struggle through over three feet of snow for about a mile to open the soup kitchen as we do each morning. If businesses wouldnât open, they, the homeless, might stay where they were rather than take a chance of walking to the ã9:30 clubã (as we are called on the streets) to unwelcome doors and not a crumb.

Since most of us had been homeless at one time or another we head out into the cold dark morning. Surely the soup kitchen and its hot stove would be warmer than our house.

Before one pot is finished, guests are banging on the door for entry. As soon as we learn that we are the only soup kitchen open in the entire city, an appeal is made to local media for help. Its amazing how fast word about food spreads on the streets. We especially needed plastic bags for protection for feet that were already wet and cold.

Into the early afternoon, we serve over two thousand meals as people in four wheeled vehicles from all over the metropolitan area respond to our media calls for food and supplies. It was one of those rare and inspiring events that brought out so much from so many different people. THANK YOU !

Meanwhile, across town in SE at ABRAHAM HOUSE we hear of an apartment building that has had no heat in a week. We quickly seek shovels and organize a team of volunteers who want to commemorate Martin Luther Kingsâ Birthday (see newspaper clipping).

As discussion raged concerning the plight of homeless families, the OLIVE BRANCH began organizing a Christmas party at Archbishop Carroll High for the ABRAHAM HOUSE youth and homeless families. The city announced the day of the event that two shelters would open.

We celebrated instead of organizing (see newsclipping ). We acted prematurely! Before the winter is over there was only a net gain of about 15 spaces for a waiting list now of over 500 families.
 
 

With your help we must start all over again.

Please call to help us organize ! 682-9056
 
 
 
 

We are presently without a vehicle and desperately need your financial support. Please give as much as you can; much of our former support has abandoned the area.

For the community,

Harold Moss