On a recent morning, I took my 2-year-old daughter to Celebration Park — nothing out of the ordinary.

I usually take her in the evenings, when it is packed with other parents, kids and occassionally some young relgious people spreading the good word.

So I was surprised when we got to the playground and I saw what appeared to be a homeless woman.

She was sitting up but her head was hunched over as she slept. Even the sound of my daughter squealing didn’t seem to bother her. She had a worn baby stroller near her that carried an overstuffed backpack. Her legs were wrapped in a blanket and I was glad that she was warm.

My first reaction was to grab my daughter and go.

I worked in a homeless woman’s shelter in downtown Seattle long ago and saw some of the factors that led people to homelessness, including drugs. As I looked over at the sleeping homeless woman, I wondered if she was under the influence of anything.

As soon as I was comfortable with her presence, my daughter moving from the slide to the swings, I saw the men’s bathroom door swing open. A man rushed out, both hands full of plastic bags carrying his belongings. His clothes were sullied and I can only imagine he probably slept in one of the stalls for the night.

The birds chirped, the sun came out and I looked up, wondering where this man and woman will go as the weather gets colder.

Before me and my daughter left the park that day, my daughter ran up to the woman, whose eyes were now open. My daughter said, “Hello.”

She smiled.

One local organization, Reach Out, offers homeless winter shelter for men and women. Their shelters will re-open on Nov. 3. I recently attended the organization’s fundraising breakfast and learned about their efforts in our community. I hope you will too. For more information, visit www.reachoutfederalway.org.