One-night Stands

That's our normal policy. If a single, homeless man needs a place to stay for the evening, we will put him up in a motel for one night, then move him along to a shelter (we refer them to Norristown or Pottstown, and if there's no room there, to as far as Philadelphia). We simply do not have the funding to sustain all the men out there who have no place to live.

But when Bobby (not his real name) showed up at Manna yesterday morning, we needed to do something different. We called a local motel and set him up for four nights. The weather forecast was calling for snow and freezing temperatures, and it can be nearly impossible to get into a shelter on the weekend. Too, he had made arrangements to move into another place in town, but it would not be available until Wednesday. To turn him out on the streets after just a night or two just didn't feel right. Besides, Bobby is a regular guest at our soup kitchen. He's brings to mind what an troubled, older brother might be... a good guy, but one who, for a variety of reasons has had difficulty getting his life together.

We have our rules and policies, but at times it's necessary to break them, simply because it's the right thing to do...