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Welcome to Make It Count 2005!
Headline: 12-22-04 Kalamazoo Gazette: "Pullman
man's death likely caused by cold"~A homeless man known for befriending neighborhoold dogs apparently froze to death
Sunday in an abandoned, run-down mobile home as temperatures dipped to 8 degrees, Allegan County sheriff's deputies said.
The man, identified by local residents as William "Jack" Hawkins, had lived in and around the Pullman area for at least five
years. "Some people knew he was staying there, and they stopped to give him a sleeping bag and some food," Allegan
County sheriff's Lt. Ron Johnston said. "That's when they found him." Johnston said police suspect the man died
of exposure...The man was found about 8:20 p.m. Sunday in a house trailer with holes in the floor...Deputies discovered a
sleeping bag and a small black dog on the floor next to him. The animal, believed to be the man's pet, was taken to
the Allegan County Animal Shelter. Johnston said the shelter had no utilites. The man was known by several store
owners in the small southwestern Allegan County community. "Before we even identified him, people just knew him around
Pullman as 'Jack'," Johnston said. "Jack was a wonderful person. Anytime he was here, he was very pleasant.
He was pretty much a loner. He had every dog in the neighborhood as his buddy", said a worker at the Preferred Market.
The worker did not know many details about Hawkins' background, or whether he had any local relatives. She suspected
he may have lived on a small Social Security stipend. "He would come in and just by a can of food," she said.
"I just know he lived a very poor life." Johnston said, "He was a person who was probably not in the greatest of health.
It could have been a combination of factors, I suppose." Often, those who are homeless are especially susceptible to
cold weather, he said. "A lot of homeless guys are pretty frail to begin with. If they get subjected to a real
severe environment, they don't have any reserves to draw upon," he said. Tuesday, December 21 was National Homeless
Persons' Memorial Day. Do you have an intense desire and a burning passion to become active
on behalf of the poor and the homeless of our communities? If so, then you are in the right place. We are planning
big things...look further and you will see...
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The goal of Make It Count 2005 is to give our government and the opposition of homeless advocacy a visual of just
how many of our neighbors and friends are homeless and living at levels of poverty. We will do this by organizing many
events, but the big event will be a gathering of the homeless and the financially insecure in every city
across the state of Michigan on the same date and time at their local city hall...holding hands...and letting their silence
speak volumes. In our state's capital, we will gather outside of the capital building in hopes that our governor will
come from behind the door of her office and hear our voices. There are thousands of organizations, each with
a specific purpose or goal. There are so many reasons why one should consider becoming part of an organization he or she believes
in. By digging deep within our website, I hope that you will find the information you need to know if you would like to become
a member of Make It Count. If you have any questions, please contact us immediately for assistance.
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Be on the lookout in the future for pictures of our members, and
updates and alerts on events.
We invite you to visit us or attend an event. Our members are more than happy to answer any questions you may have about the
organization and how you can join.
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