by Jennifer Boggs

Created on: April 29, 2008

Why homeless shelters should be open year-round? I am amazed that this is even a question or a topic for debate at all. We live in America it is supposed to be the promise-land, the place where people can live " the American Dream ". So why are there so many homeless on our streets? These homeless people are not scum or an eye-sore, they are women, children, the veterans that fought for your freedom, the person that got laid off and lost their family home. With that said I believe that shelters should be open year-round because it is the humane thing to do, it keeps children off the streets and gives them a safe place, it helps homeless parents provide for their children and keeps families together in rough times, some of them even help the homeless find a job and start getting stable. Homeless Shelters are a necessity to the American way and as Americans, as people in general we need to do more to help each other. Not only should we keep the shelters open year-round, we need to build more in every city, there are homeless people being turned away everyday because the shelters are too full. I feel lucky that I live in a city where the shelter is open year-round, and I could not imagine what it must be like to live in a place where the shelters close for part of the year, especially if I were homeless it must be awful. Could you the reader put yourself in the homeless' shoes? I urge each and every person that reads this to go to their city official or congressman and ask for homeless shelters to not only be made open year-round but to build more shelters. Together we can make a difference, I know we can. The American people are always trying to help other countries and I believe that is great but what about our own people? Why should our own people suffer? Let us band together and make America a better place as well as other countries because no one should be left out. Also do not forget to participate in any food/clothes/toy drives in your city, these help the shelters provide the homeless with more necessities and also saves them money, which in turn will help them stay open more or possibly build more shelters. So with all this my answer to the topic question is a big YES the shelters should stay open-year round, its the right thing to do.

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