Homeless in a Snow Storm

                                                  Living Rough under a Moira River Bridge

Well, an hour of early-morning snow-clearing and we may be largely done for today,Now we can brace ourselves for up to 30 centimetres on the weekend. It was good to get back into the warmth and here I am clacking away.  

Yesterday we got out early for a ski/shuffle on a trail by the Bay of Quinte, a bit of a mistake because the wind was bitter. I paused  as we went past a well-trodden side trail to offer a quick prayer for the people who live in a couple of encampments in the trees close to the bay. They are out of sight and out of mind for most. Again, we were able to head home, grouse about the cold, and sip hot chocolate. 

I saw this article about increasing homelessness in our region, a reality across our province. I know from chatting with those who take on the task of enumeration that this is likely under-reporting because it's such a challenge to identify those with no fixed address. On our rambles we've seen social workers and others connecting with those in encampments and sleeping rough but this is truly an imperfect science. 

I'm grateful that our congregation, Trenton United, continues to host a warming centre yet there needs to be so much more.  We can all say our prayers and ask those seeking election in this month's provincial election what they will do. Here is the article from Quinte News:

The number of people known to be homeless in Hastings County increased in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The County’s Community and Human Services Committee learned Wednesday that the number of people identified as homeless went up to 262 in October through December.

That’s an increase of 30 from the third quarter.

Of the 262 on the list 149 were categorized as chronically homeless, almost the same number as in the previous quarter.