Disabled vets looking out for the homeless
During a global crisis, such as the coronavirus pandemic, the homeless may get lost in the shuffle. Local Vietnam veteran John Cammick and Lee County Commissioner candidate and veteran Michael Dreikorn wanted to make sure that didn’t happen, by taking matters into their own hands.
The two recently purchased over 2,000 facemasks to hand out in kits along with food and personal hygiene packets to the homeless in downtown Fort Myers. According to Cammick, wearing a mask these days is more than simply donning protective gear. He likens it to waving a banner or a flag, that signifies the wearer’s concern for others. He was a bit surprised that not everyone seemed to feel this way, however.
“The majority of the people took them,” said Cammick, speaking of the facemasks. “Some put them on right away some threw them on the ground, but that was maybe only 5 percent.”
Cammick said the concern for him and Dreikorn is that the homeless are often found congregating in groups with little or no protection. In addition to what they’ve already done, Cammick said there will be 500 hand sanitizers also given out.
“Being homeless at any time is clearly a bad deal,” Dreikorn said, “but to be homeless during COVID-19 while everyone else was told to stay home, has got to be frustrating. What do you do if you have no home?”
Unfortunately, Dreikorn pointed out, that question remains unanswered, adding that there are local citizens who care about the homeless in Lee County.
“In a rather regular pattern, at 5 p.m. in downtown Fort Myers,” said Dreikorn, “many homeless will show up in a park where Good Samaritans hand out food, clothes and hygiene supplies. One of the primary organizers is Ramona Miller with A Voice in the Wilderness Empowerment Center, with support from City Gate Ministries and several other noble organizations.”
Both Dreikorn and Cammick are disabled veterans and Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Commissioners, who have their own stories and motivation for lending a helping hand, but what they both found most rewarding, they said, was listening to the stories of those living on the streets of Lee County.
“Each story was unique, and most had a common theme of being felt left behind,” said Dreikorn. “For example, when the statewide stay at home order was issued, the homeless had no home to go to. The various charities that would typically offer housing were themselves on shutdown, not accepting new admissions. The city parks were shut down, including public restrooms, leaving the homeless nowhere to go to the bathroom but outdoors. Aside from one local charity providing showers twice a week, the homeless had nowhere to wash up on a daily basis. When we think of the emphasis placed on washing hands, wearing masks and social separation, the homeless were not offered many options to follow that guidance.”
Dreikorn pointed out that unfortunately, even though most public parks are now reopened, the restrooms are not. He said there is a lot that could and should be done to ensure the homeless of the various municipalities of Lee County have hygienic options to keep them and other citizens safe.
“Governmental responsibility aside,” Dreikorn said, “Good Samaritans can still make a difference by understanding the challenges of the homeless and stepping up by lending a hand in any way possible. Often the most impactful contributions are those that show compassion of your fellow citizen and are simple and direct.”