Today is ABC Wednesday and this week’s letter is X. As best we can tell in this post-phonebook era, Greensboro has no citizens whose last name starts with an “X”. So, where do we go from here? Well…

X represents anonymity, the unknown; it is a signature for those who cannot write. X represents all of the people who are, seemingly, without identify, transient, homeless: Citizens X. Above, we see a photo of an unnamed person wrapped in a Mylar blanket. These ultra-thin waterproof and windproof blankets, originally developed by NASA in 1964, help protect those who are out in the elements.

Greensboro has many shelters and food banks to help the homeless. Urban Ministries is an ecumenical outreach agency that has been working to help the homeless since 1967. Greensboro also has Partners Ending Homelessness, Interactive Resource Center, and local universities are involved in outreach to our homeless citizens. Here is a directory of services in Greensboro. Last year’s count revealed that there were 1,064 homeless people in Greensboro. Let’s hope that the 2012 survey reveals a decrease in homeless citizens.

As we reviewed our People of Greensboro series, we realized that most of the people we featured have worked, in some capacity, to help those in need.  As time draws near to close out 2011 and we endeavor to make meaningful resolutions, lets do what we can to support the existing non-profits in their efforts to end homelessness.