The Lowell Sun

With Friday morning came the ice storm. Like many others in town, my power was knocked out. It didn’t really bother me. I was a scout; I’ve been out camping in worse… so I toughed it out.

OK, the fact is, I called a few hotels. No room at the inn, but I just decided to stay in rather than bother friends.

The day was busy with collecting items and setting up for the Salvation Army Radiothon for Saturday morning, and then Christmas shopping, so I wasn’t home much anyway.

As evening fell, I found myself low on gas, so I decided to stay in so that I would not have a problem in the morning.

I lit a fire in the fireplace, lit a couple candles so I could read, and settled in for a quiet evening.

Sitting there watching the fire for some reason made me think about those homeless people who were evicted from the tent city off of Rogers Street last month. I know it was meant to be for their own good, to encourage them to move inside somewhere for the winter, but I also know that most of them had not.

Major Henry from the Salvation Army had told me that many had moved into an alley across from the Army building in Lowell. I knew I might have been a bit chilled, but at least I was inside… with a fire and a warm drink. They had to be toughing it out in 20-degree weather behind a Dumpster.

The phone rang, and it was my oldest calling to see that I was all right.

When I told him I was nearly out of gas because all the stations around me were closed, he offered to bring over a couple gallons to tide me over.

Soon after, he arrived with the whole family!

Rather than be home in their nice warm apartment with television, food, and heat, he and his girlfriend came over with the two kids to spend a couple hours in my chilly home in front of the fireplace.

We chatted, watched the fire, talked about the upcoming holidays, and played with the kids. It was a memorable evening that we will all remember forever.

Even with the power out for almost another two days, I will still remember this storm because of that evening with the family.

However, I still keep thinking about those people out on Appleton Street trying to survive this storm under tarps and blankets. They won’t remember this storm as a happy time, but as another challenge to survive.

They do, however, at least get a hot meal from the Salvation Army, due to the generosity and benevolence of all of us.

This storm was an inconvenience to us, and it is groups like the Salvation Army who are there to make life a little more livable to those who don’t have the benefits that we do.

The Salvation Army Radiothon on 980 AM WCAP is being continued for another week because of the storm, and I once again ask you to listen in, bid on an item or just call in a donation.

Let’s help give the Salvation Army the resources it needs to make this time of year livable for the many of our community that are hardest hit.