Meet the woman who rented hotel rooms for homeless in Chicago during dangerous polar vortex

1895
Candice Payne
Candice Payne CBS CHICAGO

“Maybe they didn’t know how to or where to start to help, so I’m glad that I was able to be that vehicle,”

[fusion_code]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[/fusion_code]

A Chicago woman’s act of kindness helped homeless people stay warm during this week’s dangerous polar vortex. Candice Payne impulsively charged 20 hotel rooms on her credit card before it snowballed into a lifesaving effort by a group of strangers, CBS Chicago  reports.

Payne booked the hotel rooms after realizing how life-threatening the sub-zero temperatures would be for the Chicagoans without homes. She posted about it on social media and soon the donations and offers to help bring food came flooding in.

“Maybe they didn’t know how to or where to start to help, so I’m glad that I was able to be that vehicle,” she told CBS Chicago. 

Candice Payne
Candice Payne
CBS CHICAGO

 

 

On Wednesday, when temperatures plummeted to 22 degrees below zero, a group of homeless people had to abandon their tents near a highway after a propane tank they used as a source of heat exploded. But Payne and other volunteers dug deep into their pockets and picked up the tab for 60 rooms at a hotel on Chicago’s South Side.

With a little help from my friends.

Volunteers worked together like a family, turning a hotel bathroom into a makeshift kitchen and collecting donations to help replace the items that were lost. And they built lasting friendships even though most of them just met.

Jermaine and Robert, two men who stayed in a hotel room, call Payne their “angel.”

When they got the offer for a warm bed, they were getting ready to sleep on the street or to be charged with trespassing in their attempts to escape from the cold.

“We don’t get that type of help,” Jermaine said. “I really needed them at that point, so they came right in time.”

They hugged Payne and thanked her, touched by the unexpected kindness.

“We hear about that on the news and other places but I seen it up close and personal today, and I really want to thank y’all for looking out for our people,” Robert said.

So far, this volunteer group has been able to cover three nights at the hotel for approximately 80 people. They’re hoping to continue working together to help provide a more long-term solution.

homeless chicago
“Maybe they didn’t know how to or where to start to help, so I’m glad that I was able to be that vehicle,”

Their generosity made sure dozens of people in need had a warm place to sleep when conditions outside were life-threatening. Across the Midwest and Northeast, at least 22 deaths have been connected to the dangerous polar vortex, and winter still has a long way to got.

 

Support Labour Heartlands

PLEASE HELP US KEEP GOING AD-FREE

This is a "Pay as You Feel" website.

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by. If you've enjoyed reading the articles on Labour Heartlands so far, We would be incredibly grateful if you could consider making a small donation. Labour Heathlands is not your typical news outlet. We are not here to simply regurgitate the daily news cycle, that's for the rest of them. Our focus is on delving deeper, uncovering the untold stories and shedding light on the issues that the mainstream media chooses to ignore.

Our unwavering commitment to journalistic integrity means that we are not influenced by any external forces. We are not beholden to PR companies, advertisers or press barons, and we refuse to let anyone dictate what we report on. Our editorial independence is sacrosanct, and our only allegiance is to the truth.

While we do not align ourselves with any particular political party, we stand firmly against corruption, injustice and the erosion of truth and the rule of law. We believe that accurate information is the lifeblood of a democracy and that facts are not up for debate.

Once again, thank you for your support – We truly couldn't do this without you!

PLEASE HELP US KEEP GOING AD-FREE