F = Freezing
Valentines Day George and Joyce Gruss were traveling through Columbus and stopped for a bite to eat at Wendy's on Route 161, right off the freeway with the intention of eating and moving onto their destination. They noticed a couple near them and the woman was crying. They seemed very low and down and out and so Joyce and George asked what the problem was. The couple was homeless, had missed the curfew at the shelter and had no place to go. It was 8 degrees, with a prediction of going lower as the night progressed.
Wanting to help the couple they took them to a nearby hotel, also on Route 161, The Super 8, and got the couple a room for 3 nights to keep them out of the cold. They prepaid for the room and left thinking the couple would have a few days reprieve before making their way back to the shelter. An hour later while Joyce and George were in no longer in Columbus and well on their way, they received a phone call from the hotel saying the weren't letting the couple stay, they were kicking them out. The couple didn't have any identification. So, out in the freezing cold in what was the beginning of the coldest weather of the year the couple went. No one knows what became of them, or where they went, of if they are ok. The hotel initially didn't even refund the Gruss's money. After a large out pouring of negative publicity on social media, their money was refunded. Super 8 is owned by The Wyndham Hotel Chain. Petitions gathered large numbers of signatures, again through social media to call this sad fact to the attention of the hotel chain and the general public. The hotel chain has apologized, but....
The George and Joyce have tried to locate the couple, both by coming back to Columbus and through social media, but my research hasn't turned up anything on that score.
The hotel has had problems before. Lots of problems with drugs and prostitution. In fact the hotel had been closed for a period 6 months because of such problems and they were under some pretty tough court guidelines of appropriate action in order to stay open. They had some business problems, perhaps management problems no doubt. Does that justify sending a homeless couple out in the freezing cold ...the public outcry would say NO! Social media can be a wonderful tool.
Yesterdays post, another sad story of being homeless, freezing and dying from exposure, so I do wonder what happened to the couple.
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Unbelievable cruelty.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the visit Delores, it is quite a story.
DeleteThere are so many stories of mans inhumanity to man that a person could spend their days in sadness and defeat. There is no one more cruel then people who think that they can justify their cruelty with some kind of reasoning. People who feel that for some reason they are better, smarter more successful and so that makes them able to be cruel to others without having to even think about what their cruelty can do to another person. There but for the grace of God go I.(one of my mothers favorite saying while we grew up)Do onto others, We are all Gods children.She taught us well to know that we were never to think we were better and to help where and when we could, being thankful that we were able to help. She felt it was a gift to be able to help others.Until we can all learn that lesson, there will always be a young couple freezing in the cold, huddled against a building or living on a grate, trying to stay warm against the winter chill and the cruelty of others. GOD BLESS THE HOMELESS, and God teach us all to be kind and realize that it can happen to any of us in the blink of an eye. marj in minnesota/50 degrees
ReplyDeleteSadly, you are right Marjorie far too many of these sad stories...Jerry's yesterday and now this Valentines Day Story.
DeleteSad story. It is hard to come to terms with the fact that there are people who don't know there they'll rest their heads tonight.
ReplyDeleteKeep up your good work.
So very true JL, it's hard to understand.
DeleteMy brother died homeless. He froze to death in an alley. He was also an alcoholic. His girlfriend died the same way. He did not want a home. In fact, he left a beautiful home, wife and two daughters for a homeless life with no cares and no bills. He chose it. No one could help him, he didn't want help. He had places to go and did not want to. Two days after Christmas they found their bodies. It is sad. Sometimes we can help... sometimes we just can't.
ReplyDeleteAs I See It Daily
Katy, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother and know that had to be hard on the family, particularly that time of year. Yes, we can't help everyone, but it's so important to try and help, you just don't know whom you can reach and whom you may not be able to reach. There are some like your brother, who've made that choice...most don't, and even those that do, sometimes change their minds and or made the choice while there were in a bad place in their lives, drugs, or alcohol and perhaps mentally ill where the decisions aren't sound.
DeleteSuch very sad stories. I am sorry about your brother A Katy Did Gig.
ReplyDeleteSo agree with you Sue
DeleteWhat a sad story. Surely the hotelier should have had some more compassion, even if they had had trouble there before. Who's to say these people would have caused trouble?
ReplyDeleteI so agree. I understand they have rules, but.....I wonder if anyone will ever know what happened to them.
DeleteSobering and eye opening. I've been reading a memoir called Runaway Girl by Carissa Phelps. It's really alerted me to the amount of YOUNG people (under the age of fourteen) living on the streets.
ReplyDeleteRight you are Megan. People tend to think all homeless are men who are bums...and that's soooo not the situation. The average age of a homeless person nationally is 7 years old.
DeleteIt somehow seems doubly tragic: the couple being homeless first of all, and then the efforts of George and Joyce failing for no reason they might have guessed.
ReplyDeleteYes very tragic x 2. George and Joyce tried to do something very worthwhile.
DeleteIt is sad in that the room was paid for and then the couple rejected to be able to use the room by the hotel chain. I too wonder what happened to that couple.
ReplyDeletebetty
Betty, I'm afraid we'll always wonder what happened to them. I only hope somehow they managed to get to the shelter on time at least the next day and get off the streets, it was truly frigid at that time.
DeleteI feel for those that are homeless as well as the families that have loved ones that are homeless. I too have a sister that way and sometimes it is their decision. We can only do what we can to make them safe and warm.
ReplyDeleteSherry, I'm sorry to learn you have a sister who is homeless. I hope she is ok. Thank you for visiting and sharing.
DeleteI hope they are alright. I am glad that the attention was brought to the motel. It is sad
ReplyDeletebut business should judge people own their merits
Thank you for the visit and comment Janis, always appreciate your support.
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ReplyDeleteThat just makes me mad! The injustice of it just gets me. I mean, how could ANYone put people out of a prepaid room on a night like that??!!
ReplyDeleteCommitted Thoughts
I tried leaving a link to my blog, but I think I left one to yours. ooops
DeleteI've done that before too, lol. Totally understand. Think I've added you to my blog log, so will double check.
DeleteI so relate to the anger. It's just hard to fathom how anyone could look someone in the eyes and say you have to leave.
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