Heer to Serve - Food, Advocacy, Love for Columbus Houseless Folk

Carolyn Harding with Emily Myers and Gary Witte, folks helping Columbus Houseless Folk with food, necessities and love right where they are. Emily Myers is a housing advocate on the far south side. She started Heer to Serve in Sept of 2020 as a way to make sure people who were unsheltered were able to have their basic needs met. She has lived experience in being unsheltered as well as her Aunt Patty freezing to death when she was unsheltered. Emily is passionate about engaging in mutual aid and solidarity while meeting people where they’re at. She’s studied social work and harm reduction. Gary Witte is a Retired United Church of Christ minister involved in Urban ministry all his career. He’s the Former Director of Open Shelter and co-founder of Friends of the Homeless. He Also has worked for the abolishment of the death penalty and feeding programs around Columbus. Welcome to GrassRoot Ohio. It’s the winter solstice, the longest nights of the year, and we’re heading into freezing rain and snow. A few days ago, early morning, I was having coffee and I heard a sound out towards my backyard and neighbors behind us, I thought it could be a Canadian goose or a hurt animal crying or a maybe even person? I opened my door and listened - it was someone crying/weeping. “Do you need help? Silence. Are you ok? Silence. Are you there? I waited. Nothing. I went back to my couch, my candle and my coffee, and I thought of the people you serve- outside, cold, unsheltered, without support, hot coffee, food, comfort. Heer to Serve Face Book page: https://www.facebook.com/heertoserve Needs for the Camp Residents: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0d4aafab22abfd0-heer?useFullSite=true#/ Heer to Serve Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3P5XXLAZF7DX2?ref_=wl_share&fbclid=IwAR3VtMeM-kiRUh26kMEa6klR-kSOd3pe1oaKPkC2-VKcdeua6guI4JrsmD4 Help the UnHoused Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-unhoused-in-columbus-ohio?utm_campaign=p_cp%20share-sheet&utm_content=undefined&utm_medium=copy_link_a