[Sailariel]

I am going to keep our Soup Kitchen open on Christmas Day. It's not a time to be cold and homeless. A good meal and some comraderie will go a long way. Our paid staff will be off. I did find a couple of volunteers along with my wife to make this happen. Just like Thanksgiving, we will serve Turkey with all the fixings. There are a lot of homeless who do not have a warm place to stay (some are living in abandoned buildings and under bridges) Most of them are Veterans ( I get sick when I think about that--being a Vet myself, I think, "there for the grace of God" I could have been one of them.) I'll stay open as long as I can. The insurance on the building does not allow anyone to stay overnight--even if it is below zero outside. I have to push myself, especially since I am the CEO (unsalaried) and my Board of Directors to raise 3/4 Million by July 2011 so that we can build a homeless shelter. Seeing these people, many who gave their all for this country, in these circumstances, makes me sick and depressed. There is no excuse for this in this land of plenty. I may not be able to do it all, but I am sure as hell going to make a dent whether the community likes it or not. We can't ignore the Elephant in our room any longer. The nice thing about being securely retired is that you can raise awareness about problems in society and not be accused of some sort of political or financial motive. I have been apolitical for the past 30 years.