Being out in California, sometimes I forget about the fact that other places, like back home in Chicago, actually go through huge temperature shifts. This past week, the Midwest made the news because of the polar vortex. Friends from back home were telling me classes were cancelled (and you know that means its serious because Chicago does not cancel classes often), and I got texts from my dad with the weather report, reading a temperature that “Feels like” -50. I even got texts from friends here, asking if everyone was okay back home, which was thoughtful. Yes, everyone I knew was fine, but that is because they could stay inside. Instead, my mind went to the people who don’t have a roof to sleep under, and I believe this class played a part in that for sure.

I thought about the people that are usually lined up outside the mission near my home, and sure enough when my mom called, she told me that they were using propane tanks to stay warm, and one even exploded. I was happy to see that the homeless shelters decided to stay open 24 hours, and didn’t turn any away in this weather, as some literally froze to death. However, it was another story that truly struck me, and it came from a regular citizen. Candice Payne, without worrying about what was going to happen, payed for hotel rooms for 70 homeless people who were otherwise going to be left out in the cold. She was eventually paid back by donors and other civilians, but this single act of human kindness is the type of thing that gives me hope for society. People often think, oh someone else will handle that for sure, shoot, maybe even the government? But no, Ms. Payne took matters into her own hands, stooped into her wallet, and saved lives. It is a shame that it even had to come to that, but im glad that there are people out there who are willing to sacrifice like Ms. Payne did.