As a kid, I thought power outages were fun. I felt like a pioneer doing my homework by kerosene lamp; and I always liked the adventure of navigating in the dark from one end of the house to the other attempting to find the emergency flashlight. Even as an adult, I still think power outages are kind of fun. My friends on the East Coast however think I’ve lost my mind.

Winter storms keep buffeting much of New England and the East Coast; these storms are dropping record amounts of snowfall, causing the temperature to fall into single digits, and knocking out power on a very regular basis. And with a lack of power comes a lack of heat. Fortunately, many counties are able to provide temporary shelters to both the homeless and those who have homes but need a refuge from the cold. And I want to applaud these shelters - I have read article after article that says “people may bring their pets, they will be provided for.” Granted the warming shelters themselves cannot accommodate the animals, but many of them have made arrangements with local animal shelters and animal control organizations to make sure that no family member freezes this winter.

Need to find a warming shelter in your area? Call your local red cross chapter (look the number up NOW and keep it handy for when the power goes out).