How Facebook Saved One Homeless Woman from the Deep Freeze
On Saturday, as the weather forecast threatened sub-zero temperatures, Deborah Hensley, an insurance agent and volunteer advocate for the homeless, began to worry about a woman named Dorothy, a well-known fixture on the streets of her neighborhood in Lexington, Kentucky. That day, she wrote on her Facebook page, "Does anyone know the whereabouts of an African American Homeless woman who pushes a few grocery carts, [wears] a black coat and very thick/broken glasses…I try to meet up with her on a regular basis and put money on a Kroger card that I gave over a year ago…Please friends, look after her and pray for her safety." According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, at least 700 homeless people die each year from hypothermia, and the recent blast of freezing weather caused by the polar vortex hit hard in communities in that don't usually have to deal with such cold.
More on Yahoo: Swirling Polar Vortex Over Northern U.S. Seen From Space
Immediately, friends and contacts began to respond with tips about Dorothy's location. One had spotted her huddled in sunny spot out of the wind, another near a church, and someone saw her pushing her carts along her usual route. Dorothy is one of about 1500 homeless people in the city, which has a total population of just over 300,000.
More on Yahoo: Enrolling the Homeless in Medicaid is as Hard as it Sounds
At 1:30 PM the following day, Hensley reported, "Thanks to many fine people with the Police Department (they are absolute saints) and professionals in the field of Mental Health we have Dorothy in a safe place. This is only temporary and we hope she will stay. Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers and all those who suffer." The police, including Sgt. April Brown, who previously served in the National Guard, had found Dorothy and provided her with a hotel room. "I said, 'Dorothy, we don't want to leave you out here. We don't want anything bad to happen to you,'" she told kentucky.com. "'If you stay out here, something bad will happen. The weather will be too much for you to bear.' I'm a soldier; been a soldier for 23 years, and even I would not stay out here if I didn't have to." Dorothy, who suffers from mental illness, but has been declared legally competent, acquiesced.
The reality is, that Dorothy, and other people living on the street have the right to refuse shelter, even in situations where their health might be threatened-and many she had turned down offers many times before. Ginny Ramsey, of the Catholic Action Center, a homeless shelter and advocacy group in Lexington, tells Yahoo Shine, "She's independent, that's the beautiful part of Dorothy. We receive about 5 to 10 calls a month about her, people watch out for her. She gives homeless people a face in our city." She adds that in the extreme cold, "Deborah Hensley, who is wonderful woman in our community, put it out on her Facebook." Ramsey also praises the police, especially Officer Brown. "We must have the most compassionate police force to the homeless in the whole country."
Unlike many of those living on the streets, Dorothy is fortunate to be known and cared for by her community. Neuroimaging tests have shown that people react to pictures of the homeless as if they were looking at inanimate objects instead of human beings. Michael Stoops, director of community organizing for the National Coalition for the Homeless, says the first step ordinary citizens can take toward helping end homelessness is getting to know individuals within their communities. "In 'Downtown America' we all come across people who are living outside," he tells Yahoo Shine. "The starting point is getting to know the person who you walk by everyday. It doesn't necessarily mean giving money, but asking their name and what kind of help they are getting…Every citizen should be able to link that person up with services in their neighborhood."
Stoops also points out that compassion tends to drop off after the holidays and cold weather have passed. "Living outside anytime of year is unhealthy and there are many dangers, especially for women." He adds, "We should ask ourselves why we allow people to live unsheltered lives in any community."
Meanwhile, Ramsey says she got a call on Thursday morning that Dorothy is back out on the street. "I keep saying 'look Dorothy, we are both getting older, it's time to come in.'"
Also on Shine:
Insecure? You're Not Alone. These Poignant Photos Prove It.
