Long after the holiday season is over, the gifts and givers are forgotten, the tree stored for another year; long after the last shred of tinsel is brushed away and the candles are relieved from their window sill vigils and the goodwill bell ringers have counted their stash, there remains on our sidewalks those whose needs remain. They still have their little cups and card board signs in hope that shards of goodwill remain even if accompanied by catty remarks and woeful glances. The homeless and disenfranchised of our community exist on the fringe of our society and every day, we have a choice to either turn our heads with closed hearts or extend a hand of compassion, realizing that life could have dealt us a similar fate if circumstances were different.