Staying warm in the winter requires thinking about where the heat needs to stay in and wearing the right clothes — when you have them.
Boots and thermal socks are always great ideas. Keeping your feet warm is essential; when your feet are cold, so is your body. If you have extra layers of fleece clothes and sweaters, wear them! When you’re working in the cold, look for places to go inside and get warm. When it is 20 degrees, you can’t stay out more than two hours.
Make sure your gloves fit snugly. If they don’t, your hands and fingers will get cold really fast. When that happens, it is really hard to sell Street Sense. Always try to wear a hat. Covering your head is super important to prevent the heat from leaving your body. Remember what I said about wearing layers? That applies to putting on sweat pants under your jeans. A lot of stores see Gore-Tex undergarments and winter undercoat layers. Those clothes really help beat the cold.
— Jemel Fleming, Artist/Vendor
All I keep hearing is R.I.P to different homeless people. Most of these homeless people was my friends. I wish the government would do some type of affordable housing for the people that passed away and the people who are alive for the dead. As you see different people leave us. Bundle up, stay warm and respect one another. Always hold on and don’t let go when people don’t mean you no good.
— Joe Jackson, Artist/Vendor
As I wait beside my window, I wonder whether it’s going to snow. If it does, I can make snow cones. Then I won’t need ice cream! My hand is freezing, but I don’t have gloves. Wait: I can use socks for mittens. And I can stay warm wearing my sweater.
Oh, the snow is so much fun! I’m making a snow angel. After that, I’ll make pancakes with syrup from a maple tree and some eggs to go with them. Scrambled? Poached? Sunny side up? Maybe all of them!
Best of all, the kids are out of school and sledding down the hill. The snow is great for running like Jack and Jill!
— Jennifer McLaughlin, Artist/Vendor
This is really called the “we care” program. I believe that if more homeless showed the public cares about their well-being and is willing to treat the homeless as human beings, the public would get better results from the homeless. It’s possible to get the homeless off the streets into some form of housing. But first the government must make these places available and affordable.
— Patty Smith, Artist/Vendor