My name is Carter Mandel, I am 9 years old and I want you to help me help those in La Crosse who don’t have a safe place to live. Last year on Monday nights my dad would drive me to my rehearsals for BoyChoir. During the winter we would go by the church on West Avenue and there would be a line of people standing outside in the gathering darkness.
It would be cold those nights, very cold. I would ask him why those people were there and he told me they were waiting to get into the Warming Center. When I asked why they needed a warming center he told me they were homeless. That made me so sad, that I wanted to cry.
The idea of so many homeless in our community is something I wanted to do something about. When I read about people dying on our streets in the winter I felt terrible. I wondered, isn’t there something someone can do?
So when I came to SOUP two months ago I found what I wanted to do. I asked my dad if a kid could make a pitch. When he said “sure, I don’t see why not” I knew that I wanted to raise funds to help the homeless in La Crosse.
It’s getting cold. Last night it was barely above freezing. And it’s only going to get colder. Did you know that 7% of homeless individuals die from exposure each year? That number means if we don’t do something, then we face another year where people die on our streets.
That doesn’t have to happen. You can help me make a difference. You can make that not happen. I am raising money to buy cold weather items for the La Crosse homeless. I will work with the Warming Center to help make sure the most vulnerable get these items. It is these people who are at most risk of dying on our streets, in our parks, and along our river.
I have figured out, with the help of my dad, how much it would cost to equip the most needy with a warm jacket, boots, hats, gloves, long underwear, and more. It’s not cheap. But with what SOUP provides I believe we can help outfit at least 30 homeless individuals to face this coming winter.
I may be just a kid, but I don’t believe anyone is a “just a.” Everyone can make a difference. Help me help our homeless and help me show the next generation that you’re never too young to do something to make the world better.
Support me and you can help too. You can help our homeless survive this winter. You can show that you care. You can prove that it’s not physical size that matters, it is the size of one’s heart that counts.
You may be thinking that this doesn’t fix the problem forever. It doesn’t build shelters, it doesn’t reduce homelessness. And you’re right. But those solutions are beyond the scope of a nine year old, for now.
Keeping our fellow community members from dying on our streets is something we have to accomplish. No community can truly call itself that, if we turn our backs on the most basic human needs.
So I ask for your vote and ask you to help me save lives this winter. Help me show that we are a community who cares. And ultimately show that La Crosse is a place where everyone is cared for.
What will you buy with the money?
I will buy jackets, boots, gloves, hats, long underwear, and socks.
How will you get the stuff to the homeless?
I will work with the Warming Center to get the items to those who need them the most.
How many homeless will you help?
For every $100 I think I can help one homeless