[All-American]

Originally Posted by Adam

In this case, Larry's wife had died years ago. He had been in a bad motorcycle accident about 5 years ago and was disabled to the point that he couldn't work. He had metal rods in both legs and a metal plate in his head. His kids said that after the accident, he was not himself--much quieter and more withdrawn. He never completed the SSDisability paperwork.

He stayed with his son on occasion, on really cold nights. But there wasn't an extra room and Larry never felt comfortable taking over the living room couch. The Food & Care Coalition in Provo gives out motel vouchers to single mothers, usually fleeing an abusive husband, but don't have enough to give out to single men like Larry.

Larry attended church only sporadicly after his accident and the loss of his home (foreclosure after the accident). He didn't have a home ward. He was too embarrassed to go back to his old ward after he lost his home.

He would park his little tow trailer around the valley and had a small kerosene heater to stay warm. But people would call the cops on him--uncomfortable that some guy was staying in a trailer out on the street in their neighborhood. He parked out by the lake behind Geneva until he was robbed there in the middle of the night. Eventually the police impounded his trailer after another call.

On new-years day 2007 he would have gone to a shelter if there had been one. The metal in his legs and head got cold easily and warmed up slowly. It was very painful for him to get too cold. But there isn't a shelter in Utah County and so he camped out in the back of his jeep, hoping for a snow to cover the soft-top and provide some insulation. It didn't. He froze to death.

The Provo City council (and every other city counsel approached) has denied the zoning permission to build a shelter. In the Provo council meeting, one member actually said that the reason they opposed it was because it would attract other homeless people. We don't want to keep one warm, because it would attract others who need to be kept warm. Amazing.

I have been working with the Food and Care Coalition this past year to raise money for a shelter. The going is slow. A few wealthy individuals have stepped up. We still have a long way to go. Elder Bullock of the 70 is working with Bishop Burton to try to get the Church to donate some money. So far they have not.

We have been unable to get many people to donate because they give so generously to the church. One prominent business owner said he gave 6 figures to the new GBH building at BYU. Another said he was donating heavily to build the new Draper temple. Another said he was a big supporter of the PEduFund. All gave small checks. The church takes the charitable money in this valley and doesn't leave much for anyone else.

And so we have a great endowment to fund our operations going forward! We sure are fiscally prudent!

I frankly feel kind of sick to my stomach each month as I write my tithing check and know that 5-7 more people are going to freeze to death in Utah County next winter.

As you can see, it is for me very personal.

So what did you give him?