Quit complaining and fund a homeless shelter

Time to get it together, folks. Moses Lake/Grant County needs a homeless shelter, and we need it now (“Homeless camps spring up in ML,” CBH, Oct. 2).

To those complaining about the visibility of homeless people in Moses Lake, shame on you. Show some compassion. You are judging people without even knowing their stories. Educate yourselves on how people end up in those situations. Medical bills ranks right up at the top, disabilities, mental illness, deadbeat parents – all conditions you could find yourself in one day.

We can’t just keep shoving these people from place to place. We need to get some social services in place that include housing and resources to solve the issues. Churches can offer a meal or a coat or a 12-hour respite from the cold, but that isn’t a long-term solution. Give a hand up. Maybe you could even consider saying a prayer for them – is that too much to ask?

State and federal grants and funds are out there, but we need to be willing to pay taxes as well. Quit wasting your energy worrying about who might be lazy or using the system; the greater majority have legitimate needs. Quit worrying that we will end up like Seattle – this is our problem. Worry more about how many are veterans. How many are children? How many are working minimum wage jobs?

Vaughn Blethen

Moses Lake