A Really Easy Way to Do Some Good and Possibly Save a Life

It's always difficult for me to see the many homeless who spend the night on 14th Street and other nearby thoroughfares. In the winter it's particularly heart wrenching to see someone who is in immediate danger of dying from exposure. Though this week's forecast calls for daytime temperatures above freezing, overnight lows will still range from about 30 to 35 degrees.

If you see someone suffering out in the cold, please make a call to Shelter Hotline Transport at 800-535-7252. They make periodic rounds in the city, but, when alerted, will go directly to the location of someone who may be at risk for hypothermia. Those who turn down transportation to a shelter will be offered blankets and warm clothing. Last weekend when we called the hotline on behalf of a man huddled in the Zipcar lot at Corcoran and 14th Streets, the dispatcher not only sent a truck to his location, but also promised to check up on the man every hour through the night.

The hotline is a service of United Planning Organization, a DC nonprofit that provides human services to DC residents. Thanks to Street Sense for the information.