Public Libraries... Good for the Community; Good for the Homeless

During my time spent homeless in Mankato, I spent a lot of time at the Blue Earth Public Library. I realized that I wasn't the only one. There were a large amount or homeless people around there everyday. One of the first things I did when I arrived in Rapid City, SD was find the library, and again I've noticed that I'm not the only one who has chosen to use it as a place to relax and escape the heat of the day.

Besides the air conditioning (and heat in the winter), a public library is perfect because it's free. You can sit and read books, almost any book you can think of, and no one will kick you out if you dose off for a few minutes.

This library is especially nice if you want to be in a quiet place off by yourself. There are a few little nooks with pretty comfortable chairs. I also really appreciate the art. Right out side the front door is this statue of a grandma reading to the kids, I makes me think of my own dear gramma who used to read to me. There's some beautiful art inside too!

So far Rapid City has been good to me. I've met a few people who have told me a lot about there experiences living on the streets and how they got there. I just talked to a man named Russ who told me where to go if I need a meal, and if I need some work for a day, he told me where the Day Labor Office is.

As soon as I pulled into town I found a nice park to go to during the day if I need a place to hang out. It was weird I drove right to it like I'd been there before. I found some places to park my car over night to sleep, and as I was getting ready to go to sleep I got a call from an old friend who apparently lives in Rapid City. So I stayed there last night.

I guess it's good to have good friends who will help you out. I know I'm lucky and that most people don't have that.