A Homeless Christmas Story

By Ryan J. Dowd

Illustrated by Bradley H. Clark

Dowd begins this story outside, with the line of folks waiting to get inside to the warmth of the shelter. Then he (Clark) shows the silhouette of an older man with a long beard trudging through the snow toward the shelter in a heavy coat and hat, but still struggling to keep warm. The man and the other people in the shelter are described as they slowly move inside, they are wished ‘Merry Christmas’, and welcomed to sit and eat.

A staff member notices the man and shows him to a room away from the others, offering him a seat. He puts down his trash bag and finds a little girl watching him closely. Soon the staff is overwhelmed by more children trying to get closer. The staff say they put him in a separate space because chaos seems to follow him.

This sweet holiday story makes us think and provides a clever little twist. This is a slightly different perspective from what we often see, but something we need to be aware of and see.