Oh, and remember: Put 215-232-1984 in your phone
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Kevin Burkett via Flickr Creative Commons
BTW, you have the Project HOME's Code Blue line saved in your phone, right? It's 215-232-1984. From this piece in homeless-run newspaper* One Step Away a couple weeks ago:
Code Blue gives outreach workers and the police legal grounds to engage people on the street, and those who cannot effectively answer a list of "inability to care" questions are offered the means to get indoors, into shelters, cafes and safe havens ... Those who show the ability to care for themselves are often left to do so, so the effort can focus on those who can't. ... Anything from frostbite leading to amputation and/or death is common.
So if you see someone on the street when it's dangerously cold outside and he or she doesn't look responsive (or is trying to sleep in dangerous conditions, like this little girl above), call up Code Blue. They don't harass or kidnap people who actively do not want to want to go with them and who are able to take care of themselves. They offer people a ride to somewhere where they won't be in danger. Save the number in your phone, seriously. Just do it right now.
*One Step Away's online presence is hosted on Philly.com, which of course means that the first comment on that article we linked is this:
