More services needed to prevent deaths
Josh Derrah, 28, had nowhere to go to get warm on Dec. 20. Why didn’t he go with Gina Dias, the woman he was with who had been able to find warmth? According to the story in the Citizen, he lay down on the cold sidewalk without a blanket and his body temperature started to drop. No human can live long if body temperature falls to a certain point. So Josh Derrah died. So darned young.
There must be many others like Josh who cannot get to a warming place. As Mr. Arnold stated, there are no services at night or security to check on them. This must be corrected as soon as possible to prevent more deaths. It’s unfortunate that extra staff or volunteers were not contacted to replace those who were sick, since the snowstorm was forecast ahead of time and the shelter was supposed to open Dec. 18.
Manuel Erickson
Mill Bay