Operation Deep Freeze

Date Night at Operation Deep Freeze

Doug and Diane Iverson

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Coalition for Compassion and Justice (CCJ)

 

It is Sunday night and the predicted low is 21 degrees. I am the staff member on duty at CCJ Open Door’s Operation Deep Freeze tonight, and my husband, Doug, has volunteered to be second in command. We jokingly call this “date night”.

We open at 5 pm to a line of cold people who sign in and blow into a breathalyzer to qualify for a warm, dry place to spend the night. Tonight 22 men and women are our guests. They share a hot meal I have cooked from food donated by First Congregational Church, Granite Creek Hunger Ministry and Costco, then they settle in for a quiet evening. Two men play chess, one is already curled up in bed, three or four others read books they have brought, a couple more are having a discussion, and the rest are watching a movie.

At 10 pm we have lights out, and Doug beds down in the main room with the men while I share a smaller room with the women. One of them says, “Thank you for doing this. It really helps us.”
In the morning we will set out a modest breakfast, and by 8 am our guests will be on their way. We will clean up the space (always helped by some of those who have spent the night) and then our “date” will be over.

So why do we call it “date night”? Well, Doug and I have been very happily married for 25 years, and the thing about love is that there is always enough to share. You don’t run out if you give it away. After we are both in our separate rooms, tucked in our sleeping bags, I call him on his cell. “Good night, Doug. I love you.”

“Good night, Diane. I love you, too. Get some sleep.” Somebody coughs. Somebody else is snoring softly, but everybody is warm. I know for sure that Doug and I are warm and feeling the closeness that comes with shared values and having done this one small, good thing together. Yep, that’s pretty romantic.

Operation Deep Freeze depends on the community for donations of food, blankets, coats, coffee, cocoa and funds. For more information: directoropendoor@gmail.com or 928-776-0353.