LOL!! Like totally! 
Posted on 11/19/2005 5:25:32 AM PST by greydog
DECATUR - Fire blazing in oil barrels, piles of wood nearby, as well as sleeping bags are just a few "conveniences" the homeless don't have.
On Friday, more than 30 people spent the night in cardboard boxes in the parking lot of Grace United Methodist during the chill of the night to get a taste of being homeless.
This is the second Box City event sponsored by the Decatur-Macon County Homeless Council Continuum of Care and Grace United Methodist Church.
"Jesus told us clearly that we need to take care of the homeless, hungry and poor," said Sara Isbell, associate pastor at Grace United Methodist Church.
"This event is an opportunity for us to see what people less fortunate are going through, and hopefully, make it a life-changing experience," she said.
Lore Baker, director of Homeward Bound, said the last study done in January revealed about 377 people were homeless in Macon County, and those numbers have since increased.
She said The Salvation Army's Homeless Prevention Fund, which is funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services, was bombarded by people needing rental assistance after Hurricane Katrina hit and gasoline prices skyrocketed in September.
However, for some adults and youths in the parking lot with duct tape trying to put together boxes as temperatures dipped to 35 degrees, it was a new experience.
Inside the church, they got the chance to view a documentary film titled "West 47th Street: Four People You've Tried Not to Notice" that showed the struggle of four homeless people in New York and associated mental illness with homelessness.
"We live in heated houses and have running water, so it makes you appreciate what you do have," said the Rev. Ed Broaddus from First Baptist Church of Moweaqua, who brought two young boys with him to experience sleeping in boxes overnight.
"We get to actually know what it feels like to stay out all night in the cold and have nothing," said Millikin student Jessica Colebar, 19. "It's kind of a reality check."
During the evening, the group also walked over to the Water Street Mission and were served beans and ham and chili dogs by the residents.>p> David Chapple, who lives at the men's shelter, knows well the plight of being homeless for the past year. He shook his head and said, "For these younger kids, I hope they get a good bite of reality by doing this."
Sheila Smith can be reached at sheilas@; herald-review.com or 421-7963.
Cardboard boxes are so 1970's. Why didn't they use ATM lobbies?
After chowing down on these, they'll have enough white-hot fart gas to instantly incinerate their cardboard boxes.
Help the homeless...
"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day."
When I was a kid we liked big cardboard boxes. We'd use the boxes as a hideout and play cowboys and Indians. One kid would crawl inside and we'd play "bomber" - get a running start and jump on top of the box. Then when the box was pretty much mangled, we'd get inside and roll down a hill.
Why are these people complaining?
Perhaps they missed the story about the Mother who made her daughter (who refused to take responsibility for herself) stand on the highway with a sign saying - bottom line - 'will work for food'.
Now THAT is a reality check.
As for the seriously mentally ill and homeless; perhaps Jimmy Carter has a solution to this problem as he is the one who seriously 'altered' the reality of the mentally infirm to live in the 'real world'.
What ever happened to forming Boy Scout troops and taking boys camping and teaching them life skills and self-reliance?
Oh, that's right they are all homophobes at the BSA so let's worship homeless people instead.
LOL!! Like totally!
- "This event is an opportunity for us to see what people less fortunate are going through..."-
Nonsense. Unless they were swilling MD 20/20, shooting up, digging through the garbage for something to eat, and pissing on the church building, the experience is shallow at best.
What's the word?
Thunderbird.
What's the price?
Thirty twice. Stone satisfaction!!
What's the word?
Thunderbird.
What's the price?
Thirty twice.
What's the action?
Stone satisfaction!!
"enough white-hot fart gas to incinerate their cardboard homes"
ROLFMAO!
What's the word?
Thunderbird!
What's the price?
Thirty twice!
What's the reason?
Mighty pleasin'!
Who drinks the most?
Us XXXXXed folks!
You are so right!! What a great thread. Also shouldn't they have been 'filtering' wood alcohol through white bread? Shallow indeed.
One young boy I can see, but doubling up is perverted.
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