He disappeared underneath the pile of blankets. The man lay there motionless, camped out on Bo Diddley Community Plaza the night of Gainesville’s coldest air mass in years.
Cris Salazar gently placed a navy blue bag filled with food at the foot of the man’s pile.
An hour before heading to the plaza, the 38-year-old Gainesville resident and his wife packed about 30 bags to give out, each filled with food to last two days.
Freezing temperatures Monday night revealed warm hearts in Gainesville as some residents braved the cold to hand out hot food and drinks to those in need.
“My spirit was moved to say go out tonight,” said Salazar, a member of Grace Fellowship Ministry in northwest Gainesville.
He made his way around Bo Diddley Community Plaza, carrying several drawstring bags bulging with cans of Progresso soup, V8 juice, Nekot Cookies, water bottles and New Testament Bibles, among other items.
He and his wife carefully crafted each bag, taking into account the USDA’s nutrient recommendations, Salazar said. Each bag contained roughly $6.50 worth of food, he said, and each one weighed about 25 pounds.
As Salazar explained his service, fellow Gainesville resident Betty Mason got out of her car, followed by her 8- and 9-year old sons.
Mason also brought snacks, including a hot water dispenser, hot chocolate packets, tea, peanut butter and bagels.
Salazar stopped to shake hands with her. The two had never met before, but Salazar said he felt it was fate the two were in the same place tonight: He brought dried soup, and she brought the hot water.
“God’s people work hand-in-hand together,” he said.
The two sat down and began discussing life, family and the stigma some have when it comes to homeless people.
“Nothin’ different about me,” Mason told Salazar.
Then, a tall, skinny man in a blue hat and brown jacket approached them.
“Where the bag?” he asked.
“This one has your name on it,” Salazar said, as he handed him one.
Soon, Salazar was on his way again, handing out more bags around Bo Diddley Community Plaza. Another man called after him.
“Church man! Hey sir!” he shouted, heading toward Salazar for a bag, “I ain’t get nothin’.”
Mason smiled, and after he left, her 9-year-old said, “I hope that guy got it.”
Mason brought about $30 worth of food to the plaza with her two sons. It wasn’t her first time helping out on the plaza, but Mason said she thought people needed a little something extra tonight.
“I just thought it was gonna be super cold, so I wanted to bring something warm,” she said.
Mason said she’s always wanted to help the homeless from an early age, and now she has the chance.
“It’s funny: People always tell you not to do things like this because it’s dangerous,” she said. “I found it to be the opposite.”
After everyone left, Calvin Taylor stood on the plaza, getting ready to head to St. Francis House for a warm place to stay the night. The 58-year-old missed the hot chocolate and the bags of food, but he said he’s gotten items from Gainesville residents before on cold nights like this.
“I can’t complain because it’s free,” Taylor said.
As for chilly weather, Taylor said he’s lived in Gainesville on and off for 30 years and can handle the cold because he’s from South Carolina.
“The Lord won’t give you more than you can bear,” he said.
A version of this story ran on page 1 on 1/8/2014 under the headline "Locals team up to aid homeless in freeze"
