Warmth in Winter

This morning my car was buried under two feet of snow. The wheels were encased in snow and slush, and the mounds from the plows that had come through hours earlier made the situation worse. I stared at my car in defeat, and as I was about to go back inside and ignore my responsibilities for a little while, I heard a voice behind me.

A man who works for the city and had a giant plow said to me, “I’m waiting for another truck, I could help you clear your car in the meantime if you want.”

Not only did this man help me clean off my car, but he also used the plow to clear a path for me to get out of the snow-covered edge of the street.

I must have said "thank you" about a million times.

This stranger spent a good amount of his time helping me in the freezing cold. Not many people would offer their time and energy like that. His act of kindness inspired me to think about ways that we can help people during the winter months.

Where I live in, the winters are unforgiving. This winter, temperatures got to below 0 degrees fahrenheit and the snow has been unrelenting. This kind of weather puts a lot of people in miserable and dangerous positions, especially the less-fortunate.

I did a quick Google search on ways you can help people when the winter weather is harsh. This article from mentalfloss.com suggests donating warm clothing, volunteering at food pantries and soup kitchens if you have the time, bringing food to neighbors who may be stuck in their homes, and other tips. I know one thing I can definitely do is bring coats I don’t wear, blankets I don’t use, and sweaters I don’t like anymore to the Goodwill near me.

This article from huffingtonpost.co.uk focuses more on the homeless and how they are effected by winter weather. The article stresses alerting local authorities on the whereabouts of someone in need. It offers some great advice on how you can help people who are homeless during the winter.

It’s not always easy to spend the time or money helping people in need, especially since our own lives are so busy. But during this time of year, it’s so important to keep others in our minds and hearts. Doing something so small—like donating an old coat—can make such a huge difference in someone’s life.

And helping someone in need is the best way to stir up a warm feeling in this cold winter weather.

Real Talk.