Remembering the homeless...

Outside, it rains.

Tonight, I wonder how many homeless people
have to spend a night huddled beneath make-shift shelters
of old canvases and cardboard boxes,
shivering in the cold while I type this over a cup of hot drink...
I wonder how many children have to go hungry,
while I have had my fill of good food...
How many sit alone in the darkness
wondering if they have ever had a family,
and if they did have loved ones,
why have they been forsaken...
How many of these were wealthy,
but money failed to last
due to folly or fate
and they were turned out from luxurious homes
into the dusty streets...
And if you were a parent,
how would you explain to your child
why daddy can't get you a proper bed to sleep in
and food to quench the rumblings of your stomach?

It often sobers me to drive through the town at night,
to see so many of these people hanging around,
their faces pale, dull and lifeless,
and not be able to help them very much.
But, I hope that someday, I could
make a difference, no matter big or small,
to at least one homeless person's life...
To feed the hungry, clothe the naked,
give a cup of water to the thirsty.
To be a vessel of God's love -
to kiss the unloved
and put a smile on at least one face.

Where and how do I start?