Much of the U.S. experienced record breaking chilly weather at the end of January fueled by the polar vortex, a wide expanse of swirling cold air.
Temperatures plummeted to an historic low in many parts of the Midwest, posing dangerous conditions for anyone who stepped outside of their homes.
But for those who didn’t have a warm place to shelter from the chill, it was a deadly situation.
In Chicago, where temperatures fell to 21 below, many stepped into help.
Homeless organizations used everything from city buses to opening warming centers to help keep the city’s 5,000 plus homeless population warm.
And one good Samaritan paid for 70 homeless people’s hotel rooms to help keep them safe from the cold.
Chicago’s cold snap was made worse by the wind chill which pushed down temperatures to a scary 51 degrees below zero.
A group of homeless people had made a makeshift camp in the city and were using propane tanks to keep warm when one of them exploded, according to The Chicago Tribune.
Thankfully nobody was injured but their tanks were confiscated due to safety risks, leaving them out in the cold with no source of warmth.
‘Wonderful citizen’
When the mystery good Samaritan heard about the group he offered to pay for their hotel rooms.
“All the folks there, some wonderful citizen is going to put all of them up at a hotel for the rest of the week,” she said.
“Isn’t that wonderful?” said Jacqueline Rachev, a spokeswoman for the Salvation Army. “Some wonderful citizen is going to put all of them up at a hotel for the rest of the week.”
This mystery person is an inspiration to us all. Nobody should be out in the cold in such dangerous temperatures.
Please share to remind others of the plight of homeless people, especially during the winter months.
