Our homeless, for the first time in the history of Lawrence, have 11 hours of shelter nightly; 35-57 avail themselves of the Salvation Army.

“Let’s face it, I don’t want our homeless defecating in my yard.” If not mine, whose? Yours?

I don’t want them lying on my porch, nor even in the area where I live, and I certainly don’t want them in our city parks.” Isn’t that what each of us thinks as a Lawrence citizen?

We Lawrence citizens WANTED an arts center and other pleasurable centers for golf, softball, etc. We eagerly met our wants by investing millions of dollars in these ventures. Fine!

Now we Lawrence citizens must insist that the human NEEDS of our homeless citizens be met.

What recourse have we?

The Lawrence City Commission should allocate the $2 million needed to provide a permanent shelter where our unfortunates may shampoo, shower, shave, wash and dry their clothes, and get off their weary feet. We must provide for them the luxury of a place to defecate!

It is the right thing to do.

Mary Siegrist,

Lawrence