My name is Daniela Osgood.  I live in Walla Walla, Washington.  I work for a stockbroker, so paying my bills isn't a problem.  I am grateful that I can pay my bills on time and take care of whatever other financial obligations I have or need.

I am very blessed.  God has been very good to me.

I just wish that He could do something about the growing poverty problem that is currently going on in what was once our great nation.  I see people living on the streets or hear of families struggling to put food on the table, or hear of people losing their jobs, even their homes ... one wonders if the big wigs in Washington DC are even listening ... or CARE.

Somehow I highly doubt that, if today was any indication ... not about to go into politics, but I fear for our country now more than ever.

It seems that they are bent on destroying us and wanting to see us fall.

Anyway, back to my story.

Today I saw a mother, obviously homeless, pushing a grocery cart with her possessions, four little children trailing behind her.  Another child sat on the pile of belongings.  The oldest one couldn't have been more than seven; the youngest, holding onto her jeans, was a toddler, sucking its thumb.  My heart went out to them, especially with the heat wave that has currently entrenched a good part of the continental United States.

I went up to her and gave her $40.00.. I told her to get her and her babies something to eat and to get out of the heat: 100 + degree heat was no place for anybody, let alone, a young woman and her kids.  I offered to take her to a nearby restaurant, so I could get them a little something to eat ("My treat", I told them).  She resisted, saying that she was okay; I told her I wanted to do something nice for her.  She finally accepted.

With her help, I held the baby while she and her  oldest kids piled her stuff into the trunk of my car (I have a very big Lincoln Continental with plenty of trunk room), and then had them get into the car.  All of them were red faced and pouring sweat.  I could feel the heat radiating off of them.  

Good thing I happened along, I remember thinking to myself.  If I hadn't, any one of them could have collapsed with heatstroke (or worse).

We went to a nearby Golden Corral, where I paid for their meals,  We then sat and talked for over two hours.  (I called my boss and told her about what was going on; she told me to take the rest of the day off, as she had enough staff to cover for me. She thought that what I did was very nice.  I have a great boss!)  

The woman's name was Cici.  Hispanic.  Her kids, three boys and two girls, were named Carmela, Juan-Carlos, Jasper, Eduardo, and Mariposa; they were seven, five, four, two, and one year (13 months); they were homeless after a fire had forced them out of their apartment; they had been on the streets ever since.

My heart broke when I heard the hapless woman's story.  I wanted to cry but didn't.  I told her that I would try to get them to a shelter to spend the day and even offered to pay for a motel room where they could stay for a few days.  It was all I could do for them.  Nobody deserved to be walking in this hell-hot heat, let alone, living on a street corner, with nowhere to go.

~To be continued.~