Growing up in a small country church, as a child I learned a hymn called “Count Your Blessings.” I’ve sung it hundreds of times, but this week, amid record snow and extreme cold, I finally understand it.

Count your blessings. Name them one by one.

Food. Shelter. People who care enough to keep me from sleeping outside.

Due to the extreme weather, I spent some time in our pantry last week, and I also volunteered for our community’s annual Point in Time Count, also known as the PIT Count. The PIT count is an annual census, conducted over a week, of those who are experiencing homelessness on a single night. For Indianapolis, that night was January 28. The high temperature on the 28th was 16 degrees, and the low was a bone-chilling -3 degrees. We had over 10 inches of snow on the ground following a weekend snowstorm.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, HVAF’s pantry is open to all veterans who need assistance with food, clothing, and hygiene items. Last week, many of our regular volunteers couldn’t make it into HVAF due to the weather, so HVAF staff pitched in to serve veterans who braved the cold. We were busy, and with your support, we generously supported veterans with food, winter clothing, and other basic necessities.

Every veteran has a story, and sadly, for many who visited the pantry on Tuesday, many were literally homeless. I shopped with a veteran who is currently unsheltered. He was looking for specific cans with pull off tops. I shopped with another veteran who is currently staying at a local shelter. She was looking for snack food, because she had no access to a microwave.

She was so warm and friendly. She initiated a conversation in the lobby, admiring the color of my snow boots.

Her joy turned to panic when after leaving, she realized she left her purse behind. It was turned into our front desk, and when she realized we had it, she burst into tears, hugging our staff.

She said, “I know $60 isn’t much, but it’s all that I have.”

Today, I volunteered for the first of 3 shifts in the coming week for the PIT Count. Garfield Park Library is close to my house, so I chose that location as my first site. As a volunteer, my job is to ask where the person slept the night of the 28th. Due to the cold, many people stayed in shelters, but I did talk to three men who stayed outside. One slept on the bus. Two slept outside.

Count your blessings. Name them one by one.

Thank YOU for being one of our blessings. Thank you for providing food, shelter, and compassion for veterans facing homelessness in our community.

Give A blessing TODAY