Ensuring we're not left in the cold

Cold weather is coming, and no one knows that more than Kristy Jocelyn.
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Kristy runs a nonprofit called BASICS United. You’d know them as the homeless cold weather shelter, though it does so much more.

Kristy, who was once homeless herself, has a giant heart for those in extreme need.​

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Ironically, she finds herself in need after a post-Christmas fire destroyed her Inverness home. Seven people — Kristy, two adult children, two younger children, her grandson, and son-in-law — are now living in a hotel while trying to get their lives back in order.

I met Kristy a few weeks back for a Cattle Dog chat. We had never talked. I didn’t know anything about the BASICS (Brothers and Sisters in Christ’s Service) United until I heard Kristy at a Community Alliance meeting discuss the hundreds of homeless who live in the woods.

The chat was impactful. It gave me the basis for an idea that I’m playing around with and will be presenting in the next week or so.

We’re going to have lots of conversations this year about the underdogs in our community, the folks who struggle with stuff the rest of us find so ordinary. Like shelter. Heat. Running water. Regular meals. Health care.

Take the cold, for example. You’ve seen the weather reports. We’re expecting a bone-chill cold front next week. Daytime highs in the 50s. Nighttime, freezing.

Here’s what that means to most of us: Cranking up the heat. Hey, let’s all be honest, OK? I sleep in a warm bed with a roof over my head. I kid myself I earned all that but really, it’s God’s grace that got me this far.

Talks with people like Kristy and AnnMarie Briercheck, executive director of Daystar Life Center, help give me that perspective I’m looking for. They’re into what I call hand-to-hand combat, meaning they deal directly with people who have the actual need. Their anecdotal stories carry true meaning.

Back to the cold. There are neighbors in our community who live in the woods, or mobile homes with little heat. What are these folks to do when temps dip into the 30s at night? BASICS United, Daystar, and a smattering of helpful organizations and individuals ensure their survival.

My point: We need each other. And we need support.
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Kristy invited me to her house Thursday for a group prayer in the front yard, away from the charred ruins in back of the house. About 20 friends and strangers stood in a circle, holding hands, eyes closed, while a few people in the group prayed aloud. 

We prayed for Kristy and her family. We prayed that the insurance process goes smoothly. We prayed for the day that Kristy uses this awful experience to help another, cuz we all know that’s coming. We thanked God for Kristy, and we prayed for our community.

I met a man there who knew Kristy from the cold weather shelter. He told me of undergoing dozens of operations in his lifetime for ailments. He once was so close to death; they were about to cover him with a sheet when he suddenly reached out an arm to his wife. 

He said even in his unconscious state having a conversation with God, eager for eternity.

“I told him I wanted to stay. He said, ‘It’s not your time.’ That’s what he said,” the man told me.

I believed him. He then said, as assuredly as the sky is blue, that Kristy and her family will be just fine.

Here are some ways to help Kristy and the cold-weather shelter. If you can assist in any way, please do. If nothing else, though, please be aware that it’s not all sunshine and bliss for the underdogs in our community.

— The cold weather shelter is at Nature Coast Church, 5113 S. Suncoast Blvd. in Homosassa. They’re in constant need of volunteers and supplies. The BASICS United Facebook page has specifics.

— A GoFundMe page is raising funds for Kristy. She said the biggest financial need is closing the gap between what insurance will pay for her home’s loss, and the likely cost to replace it. Plus, insurance is picking up some of the temporary rehousing costs but not all.

— Seabass BBQ is providing food for a fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11 at the Nature Coast Church. Barbecue plates for $20, with all proceeds benefiting Kristy and her family.

Corny, but true: Cold weather, Citrus County, will not dull our warm hearts.

Have a great weekend, friends.

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