The frigid temperatures of winter mean trouble for the homeless folks of Springfi eld. Although there is a temporary overfl ow shelter during winter for those who don’t get one of the limited spots at the yearround shelters, even the overfl ow shelter is often full, and people don’t always make it to the overfl ow shelter for various reasons. To help homeless people who might slip through the cracks, Homeless United for Change is distributing “Survival Kits” that contain items like warm socks, stocking hats, hard candy, personal care items, a Bible and even handwritten letters of encouragement. JoAnn Overholt, children and youth director at Laurel United Methodist Church in Springfi eld, said the church’s high school youth group collected items and put together 50 survival kits for HUC. Overholt says one question really crystallized the issue for the youth group: Can you name 10 places in Springfi eld where you could go to be safe and warm if you were homeless? At night, those options become a lot scarcer, Overholt says. The youth group performed its work while participating in a “30-hour famine,” which teaches young people about world hunger through fasting and encourages them to take action. For more information about the survival kits, contact Linda Gessaman, executive director of Homeless United for Change at 816- 2766 or [email protected].