With temperatures starting to drop below freezing, the wind chills is starting to become unbearable, B.B McGowan hops into a church van and starts his search for homeless people that need help.
Last Monday night in Dallas, Texas, many people already felt the strong cold front of the season. For some, it’s the time to remind us that winder is coming and so is the holiday season. While for some, the below-freezing temperatures and the single-digit wind chills means being at home, cozy while drinking hot chocolate, for many homeless people, this means struggle.
Being on the streets, feeling the chilling cold wind, and looking for shelter isn’t really something that we can imagine, that is the reason why the City of Dallas opened the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
Its aim is to serve as emergency overflow housing for all those homeless people in need, just in case when other shelters became full overnight.
It was an amazing idea, a very thoughtful move from the city of Dallas. In fact, this emergency shelter was applauded by many local nonprofit organizations and even faith leaders who also offered to help homeless people on freezing nights.
As expected, dozens of homeless people lined up to be able to get into the convention center last November 11, Monday night and at other shelters too. It seems that even with all the help, there were still some homeless people that have nowhere to go.
They were also very fortunate if they would be able to run into B.B. McGowan.
McGowan isn’t a millionaire who has so much to donate, in fact, he used to be homeless himself. That’s the reason why he knows how these people feel in this situation.
When given a chance to get his life back, he worked hard with Oak Lawn United Methodist Church. He did his best so he can overcome his alcohol addiction and started to focus on a new life – now, he has succeeded and he vows to help others like him.
That Monday night, he drove around in a church van encouraging those with nowhere to go to get in the van and go to the church for shelter.
He goes up to people, and then offer them to come with him and make them feel that, tonight, they can feel warm and be able to rest.
“When I got sober, it was part of my heart to help, and I wanted to,” McGowan said in his interview with WFAA. “People fall down in this process, and the important part is getting up,” he added.
One simple act for many, but for those homeless people that he is helping, it’s a big deal.
“It gives you a whole new appreciation for life and for people. The things I took for granted, I don’t take for granted anymore,” McGowan said.
McGowan’s words are true and deep. The help you can offer, no matter how small, can change lives.
“You can be the difference for somebody, you can let somebody know that there’s a warm place to go, and you can have safety tonight,” Rev. Rachel Baughman of United Methodist said.
For those who know someone who needs help or want to help, don’t hesitate to do it.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
Source: WFAA
