Even in San Diego, winter is probably the least favorite season to be homeless.
The Veterans Village of San Diego opened its winter shelter this month and houses up to 150 veterans a night. Saturday, winter felt a little warmer for those men.
Two busloads of kids from Lemon Grove visited the shelter. They sang Christmas carols, and brought bags of gifts. The veterans were given blankets, warm clothes, a new toothbrush, and toothpaste, games, and other items a lot of people take for granted.
"As young as they are, they're thinking about people they don't even know," said Steven Stutmann. "It's a good thing."
Stutmann served on board an aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. He's now out of the military, and out of work as well. He said days like today give him hope.
"And I never thought that when I came back, I would have people come up to me saying that they appreciate that, and they want to do something nice for me now. And it really does mean a lot," said Stutmann.
Each bag delivered to the veterans had a letter in it from one of the kids. Joeleen Solis Macapagal, a 6th grader, read her letter to the entire crowd.
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"I know times can be tough," she read, "But we want to make things better for you."
The Veterans Village of San Diego has been operating a winter shelter for 13 straight years.
