My almost 26 year old son is walking me to the transit station after our very fine meal at Water Street Cafe. He's telling me something about reading Nietzsche when my attention focuses and I see someone curled up asleep on the pavement in a lit shop doorway. I hear myself make this low "Ohhhhhh" sound of empathy.

A few blocks away and my son tells me that he did not see the person in the doorway, but he did see someone sleeping on a bench nearby that I did not see. As we are talking this over, as I am questioning him about what he sees each night downtown, we exchange friendly greetings with two people on bicycles.

The two people on bicycles have full trailers that my son tells me are packed with food, blankets, and other necessities. He tells me that the bicyclists are EGYHOP (Emma Goldman Youth and Homeless Outreach) folks and that he sees them out most every night.

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I've certainly heard about EGYHOP and I know about homelessness but tonight somehow I really -got- it. Some new level of understanding has sunk into my head.

My life could be described as challenging and I don't have anything to donate to EGYHOP or Bread and Roses , but I can tell you what I see and know. Hopefully more and more of us will see the need and know that we can make a difference, whether by passing on the word or even by sharing whatever degree of the wealth we have.

It is 9:45 PM on a Thursday evening in our town, Olympia. There are people who need help and there are people who do what they can to assist. What will it take to ensure that all who want safe homes are sheltered?