Last week, our Nurse Practitioner, Trish, and I were walking along the river in Boulder when we were approached by a group of homeless men who were camped along its banks. They frantically asked if we had a cell phone to call the paramedics because one of their friends was vomiting blood. Trish raced over to provide medical assistance, while I dialed 911 and tried to relay as much information as possible about the man who was bleeding. His name was TJ, and he was only 37 years old.
As we waited for the ambulance to arrive, we watched as TJ's friends gathered his possessions together. He had little more than a sleeping bag and a spare pair of socks, and he didn't have any shoes on his feet. We wondered how he would stay warm as the temperature drops. How would he and his friends survive a cold Colorado autumn and winter? Surely one spare pair of socks wouldn't be enough.
We felt called to action. So we decided to host a "Warm Hearts, Warm Hands & Feet" Drive here at the clinic. Throughout the month of October, we are collecting the following items to share with the homeless members of our community: new gloves, new socks, new scarves, new long underwear and new winter hats.
These items will be distributed at The Mission, a local shelter and hospitality kitchen that serves homeless families, singles, veterans and seniors throughout Larimer County. According to The Mission, the highest need item is currently socks for both kids and adults. Please only bring NEW items to the clinic during normal business hours: Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm.
For more information, please feel free to contact me at 970-223-1199, option 6.
Warmly,
Alicia Lipinski
CEO of St. Luke's Medical Clinic