To the editor:

So, Lawrence is now down to one homeless shelter, which is at maximum capacity due to the ill-advised closing of the Salvation Army shelter.

What will our city fathers do now besides waging war on the homeless?

As someone who once experienced homelessness first-hand, I know how degrading and terrifying it can be.

As a full-time volunteer receptionist at a local church, I get four to five calls daily from people in desperate circumstances as well as from overstressed social agencies that have run out of funds.

Our church does what it can, but because of our limited budget, we can help only a fraction of the people who call on us.

It should not fall to the churches and social agencies to shoulder all the burden. In the face of a still-worsening economy causing more people to become homeless, the city must stop dragging its feet and do something to alleviate this deplorable situation instead of putting roadblocks to every suggested shelter site. It has a moral obligation to act now before the start of the cold weather season.