Deadly nights

Our own Alan P. Linton Jr. Emergency Shelter has been literally saving lives recently. In November, the Linton facility sheltered 103 people, a third more than in November 2002. In recent weeks, the Linton shelter has been filled to capacity, having to shuffle its bed arrangement around to accommodate an increasing number of females who need shelter from the deadly cold.

Frederick should be proud to have such a facility that is available to desperate people at risk from the most basic of life's challenges -- the weather.

And, as the Rev. Brian Scott points out, the current economic difficulties, especially in finding jobs, more people have found themselves homeless this year. In fact there are many reasons why people end up homeless. For working people living week to week, without savings or others to fall back on for help, the sudden loss of a job can spell disaster in a matter of weeks, even days. Yet according to Rev. Scott, at least a third of people sleeping in the shelter have jobs or are actively seeking them. He describes many of those who use the Linton shelter as "average, ordinary people" who have fallen on hard financial times and need help.

This dramatic cold snap has also affected many whose work requires them to be outdoors. Sanitation workers, street crews, tow truck operators, utility crews, police and fire personnel, mail carriers, newspaper deliver persons and many others continue to do their work in spite of the bone-chilling single-digit temperatures and wind-chill factors we've felt in recent days. We thank them for their efforts under these difficult conditions.

Many of these people are responsible for the physical and service infrastructures that we all depend on. Without them, these basic services would grind to a halt. Imagine not having your garbage and recycling collected, or your mail or paper not delivered, or your cable or electric left unrestored, or a fire not responded to because it was "just too cold."

As for the founders and operators of the Alan P. Linton Jr. Emergency Shelter, we thank them for caring about their fellow man and woman. The alternative to not having such a place during days such as these is pain, suffering and possible death for a lot of unfortunate people.

As we said, this community should be happy and proud that it cares enough about the unfortunate ones in its midst to create and support such a place as the Alan P. Linton Jr. Emergency Shelter.