Letter: Give shelter from the cold for homeless newborns and parents
Recently the Montgomery Advertiser had a story about the warming center that opens when temperatures drop below 35 degrees. Christina Thornton, EMA Director, runs the warming center. Among those seeing shelter this month was a homeless pregnant woman. I asked Thornton what this woman does when the center is not open.
A car or the streets are places of shelter if all the local shelters are full.
People can apply for housing with the Mid-Alabama Coalition for the Homeless and other agencies, but they have to wait for months. Meanwhile, homeless mothers cannot have their newborns living in cars. When the baby is born, (possibly by C section) the state will take the infant, but the new mother will be back to sleeping in a car or wherever she can find a roof.
Maybe the new mother has family to possibly take her in so she can heal and bond with her baby. Maybe not.
Surely there is more in the River Region that can be done for newborns and homeless parents. Is there an apartment somewhere or a charitable group that can help newborns stay with their mothers?
This supposedly is a pro-life and pro-family area. If this is truly the case, surely the River Region will not say to a mother and newborn babe there is no room for you at the inn on Christmas or any other day.
Marianne Weber, Prattville
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Letter: Give shelter from the cold for homeless newborns and parents
