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HOMELESS SOLUTION In the recent City Council debate on closing the Lincoln Library grounds at night, opponents argued it was wrong to kick the homeless out of a place they felt safe without giving them another safe place to go. (“Homeless have nowhere else,” Bruce Rushton, Illinois Times, July 26).

Many said the solution was a 24-hour low-barrier homeless shelter, which would accept the homeless as they are, even those on drugs or with alcohol on their breath, and would allow them to come and go any time. One such shelter in Colorado Springs even lets the homeless bring their pets!

The problem – the City has no funds for such a shelter.

But there is a solution.

Another government within the city, funded solely by Springfield taxpayers, whose primary mission is to help the poor, has a whole boatload of money they are just sitting on.

The Capital Township Supervisor’s Report at the close of its last fiscal year on August 31, 2017, reported almost $2.5 million in reserves, including almost $1.8 million in the Township’s General Assistance Fund reserve. Surely this would be more than enough to create a 24-hour low-barrier homeless shelter, as well more permanent solutions to get our homeless sisters and brothers out of homelessness. Sam Cahnman Springfield

MISSION OF MERCY CLINIC One of my Dominican sisters and I had a wonderful experience volunteering during the Mission of Mercy dental clinic sponsored in Springfield by the Illinois Dental Association June 20-21, 2018. It was humbling to experience the gratitude of patients as they made their way through the efficient yet gigantic dentist office set up temporarily in the BOS Center.

One man, at age 41, received a partial to replace a front tooth he lost at age 8. Two elderly siblings – sisters – flashed new smiles gleefully as they waved goodbye after spending eight hours getting teeth cleaned and extracted. Wait three hours for the next part of the procedure? No problem. Persons who hadn’t had dental care in years were not at all put out by having to work their way through the process anew for each procedure. They were happy to have it done at all. I met two patients who spent chunks of two days at the Mission of Mercy clinic. They had so much dental work to be done because for years they couldn’t afford a dentist.

The volunteers buzzing around the center were easily identified by color-coded volunteer shirts, all emblazoned with a quote from our hometown hero “With malice toward none and charity toward all.”

Charity is important, but justice is better. Dental care, like other health care, should be a human right. What will it take to make that a reality? Sister Beth Murphy, OP Dominican Sisters of Springfield