Making a difference for the homeless

I've noticed, when someone wants to make a difference in other people's lives, they often think of helping the homeless. Perhaps the homeless are the most accessible group of people that we all know need assistance. And at last count by the Homeless Alliance in Oklahoma City, there were 1,930 people who were homeless. That's a number that's gone up dramatically over the last three years.

The Homeless Alliance reports, Oklahoma City has a high rate of chronic homelessness. A chronically homeless person is as individual with a disabling condition and has been continually homeless for one year or more or has had four or more episodes of homelessness within the last three years.

Because of the numbers, residents at the Grace Living Center in Oklahoma City (those who are in assisted living centers themselves) are helping people who live outside. They're making lunches and including toiletries, and they're also packing words from the Bible. They're the latest highlighted Oklahomans who are making a difference downtown on Wednesdays, here on News 9. You may also remember the "Hot Dog Man," he feeds hot dogs to the homeless on Sundays. And there is also a woman named Beverly, who gets together with a few girlfriends, packs lunches, and hands out white socks on Fridays.

It seems like there are a lot of generous Oklahomans helping the homeless. And still, the need is great. Although the numbers of homeless in our city is going up, you have to believe, that what they're doing, is making a difference.