When Danika Oriol-Morway was walking through McPherson Square in Washington, D.C., she noticed a pile of blankets laying on the ground. The 29-year-old Cambridge graduate saw that the blankets were partially wet and frozen, covered in dirt, and had likely been slept on by the homeless the night before.
As she was walking, she noticed a city worker enter the park with a trash bag and pick up all of the blankets. She assumed that the worker was throwing them away, and continued her walk. Yet the next day as she walked through that same square, Danika saw that on the bench, there was a large stack of those same blankets; all had been washed and neatly folded. There was even a nice sleeping bag added to the top of them.
Her heart was touched after seeing this; that rather than throwing away the dirty blankets which were being used by the homeless, this person had washed and folded them all. She took a picture and shared it with the following note online:
“Yesterday this pile of blankets was all over the ground filthy, partially wet and frozen having been slept in the night before. I saw a D.C. city worker putting the stuff into what looked like a trash bag. Then this morning I walk by the same spot and see the blankets had been washed and folded… Made me smile.”
It turns out that the city worker who washed the blankets is part of an organization in D.C. that provides blankets for the homeless who aren’t in shelters. They regularly pick up the blankets, launder them, and then return them to several locations around the city which are frequented by the community’s rough sleepers.
It’s beautiful to see the city taking that extra step to care for the homeless; making sure that they are staying warm, and that their blankets are clean and dry.
“This is the kind of post I need to start my day,” commented L.D. on Danika’s photo.
“Things like this add hope to lives that are many times so abused and abandoned. He/She is a real citizen,” shared G.T.
“Love this! Wish more people would do similar things for persons in need!” wrote Sue Taylor.
Others shared how their companies donate sleeping bags to the homeless, make blankets for them out of discarded clothes, and one person wrote that their local dry cleaners washes clothes for the homeless for free.
After understanding how difficult, stressful, and lonely the lives of our homeless are, we realize how important it is to do everything we can to help them.
You are Loved.
Please share kindness with others: when we share stories and examples of compassion and kindness, we inspire and encourage others to be kind and compassionate in their daily lives, making the world a better place for everyone.
