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Indeed, Summit needs a homeless shelter

Gerrit HoeversDillon

In the letter titled “Summit needs a homeless shelter” (SDN, Feb. 4), I have to agree 100 percent.I know this may be a small community but there is a growing number of transients here every year.I currently work for Vail Resorts as a public safety officer. Last week, one of our officers found a homeless man with a dog in one of our homes under construction. At first, I was outraged that someone had the nerve to break into another person’s home but quickly realized that he was homeless. Unfortunately, we were unable to find him as he fled out an open door. And I say unfortunately because he spent that night, outdoors, in the cold. We live in a community that tourists and locals view to be something of a paradise. Let’s not forget the unfortunate ones who are a part of it.It may not be our fault that a person’s life ends up this way, but why not lend a helping hand? I know many people are thinking that people make their own choices. It is simply not true. Cindy Keiser is absolutely right in saying alcoholism takes away a person’s ability to be a productive member of society. Alcoholism is an illness, not a way of life. But this isn’t just about alcoholism. It’s about the people who spend every night out in the cold, desperately trying to find a warm place to sleep. Build a homeless shelter one. It’s a start.


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