Magdalene's Mission

I was expecting the worst but received all the best.

Traci was sick, but Nick was coming out anyway, so I wasn’t alone.

Nick’s van is in the shop, but mine runs fine and I had plenty of time to pick him up before we left for Detroit.

I was struggling to manage making chili for outreach because I knew it was going to be cold, and my friend Janine asked me if she could make a large pot of pasta and sauce for the homeless friends we’d see last night. There were dinner rolls and pumpkin bread and homemade cookies. Lots of love in every bite.

One of the last men we served lived downtown. He came running up to the caravan begging for food. The volunteers pointed him over to Maggie, the big white van, and he did a jig right there on the sidewalk! His praise of thanks echoed between the skyscrapers. People were thrilled over the warm food. Blankets and socks were the big stars of the night.

It was a night where I knew we were useful. People were hiding. We found them. We fed them. My highlight of the night was I got to see my best friend in Detroit!

Darla!!!

My favorite homeless, three-legged, pitbull, baby! She remembered me! We hugged and snuggled all over the crunchy ground. I gave her and the 2 other pups a box of dog food. We were there and snuggling for a little while. The group had served her human, and the volunteers were ready to roll on. When Darla could tell were ready to leave, she bolted out from the tree line and ran straight to my van. The other volunteers were concerned and tried to call her back. I told them she’s fine. She knows where she’s going.

I opened the passenger door, and she hopped into the front seat. I turned the heat up and she snuggled up onto the seat and relaxed with me. I love her. She loves me. It’s the real kind of love. The kind of unconditional, nonjudgmental love that helps us to survive. Darla doesn’t care that I couldn’t quit smoking this week. She loves me anyway. There is no living creature I’ve ever met who exudes more love than this homeless, three-legged, pitbull dog.

We love each other because we’re going through this wild journey of life together.

And that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

p.s. please send more blankets & handwarmers

Last night was smooth like peanut butter. We made rounds to all the different types of living homeless. We went from bridges to tarps in doorways. From trap houses to abandoned lots, we found people. I desperately need more blankets. I’m about out.

It was somewhat slow and depressing, honestly. The stories and living conditions of our friends can be hard to hear and see. I start wondering if I’m enough. I wonder if I’m making a difference. I see other teams of volunteers and their fancy vehicles and shiny donations. Should I even be here?

A then God sent me a kitten. One loud mewling little kitten with white socks.

Traci yelled out, “Kayla! It’s a kitten!”

My entire spirit refilled and came back to life. I grabbed a can of wet food and ran out. Little buddy was all about it. I sat next to him as he ate two cans to himself.

I heard he ran into the house, meowed his presence, and hasn’t left yet. I love him.

He purred and let me scritch his back. He lifted his tail high in the air like a flagpole. He would look up every now and again. I assured him that I was watching out for him and his food.

I looked over at the back of the van every now and again. A small crowd was gathering around Traci and the clothes. The ladies and men thanked Traci for all her hard work putting bins of clothes together for them. Everyone we saw received a warm coat, hats and gloves, too.

I found a kind homeless man who worked, but not enough to get out of his hole. My darling and dearest friend Sharna gave me her deceased husband’s boots. I told the man I gave them to that the shoes he wore belonged to a man of great honor. One the most honorable Christian men I ever met. They were his to fill now. His shoulders squared and his face lit up. I could see the love rising up through his entire body. That guy is going to be okay now.

Maybe a pair of warm boots, and a container of pet food can be enough to change someone’s world. One living creature at a time, for now.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

In kindergarten, we learned that whatever we use, we return it better than how we found it. I believe that’s true of our life, and our world. That’s a big part of why we volunteer.

The wind was icy razor blades last night. We still managed to find a lot of our people.

The first woman we served was my One-eyed Widow. She’s still alive and kicking and doing her best to survive. Like we all are. She was starving hungry. I made mac ‘n cheese this week. My grandma made some of her homemade cookies. I bragged about it to every person we fed last night. And every volunteer I saw. The peanut butter cookies were homemade, too. It’s not random stuff that we pass out. Every item in that van is a heartfelt donation. Each one has a person and a prayer behind it. Every human being desperate enough to need something to survive from the back of my van knows it. You can tell in the way everything is individually prepared and not shrink-wrapped.

I couldn’t be prouder of our species.

Magdalene’s Mission isn’t funded by a corporation or government entity signing checks for their image and a tax write-off. This is what being human is all about. We work together as a single species. And we’re all Americans here on American soil. That means something to me.

My family, the Husted brothers, came here from England in 1634 and helped build 5 colonies into an American Nation. So, to thank them for their hard work and this country, I’m going to keep my corner of it nice. I’ll leave it better than I found it.

Thank you because we had enough blankets for everyone we saw.

We saw sex workers who were grateful to get a bit of warm food in their tummies, and some pepper spray while their next client waited for them. We saw a lot of hungry seniors. We found hidden tents desperate for hygiene kits. I met up with a guy who was staying in his jeep. Helped a man in a wheelchair.

We passed out a lot of food and Mag’s Bags (drawstring bags hygiene kits with extra everything in them), handwarmers, and blankets. A lot of people are trying to work their way onto the housing list. That team of volunteers sure have their work cut out for them. Keep them in your prayer. The work they do is the work that fixes problems.

The volunteers I serve in tandem with are fearless, and vital.  Every week they make Detroit a little better than how they found it.

Ms. GG is connected to a housing resource specialist. I kept telling her, “You don’t belong here. Get out of here. I love you. I will visit you in your new place.”

Traci told her, “You deserve a door with lock and key.”

Ms. GG’s eyes lit up. “A door with a lock and my own key. I want that!”

Whether it was one small donation, or full-time volunteer service, or accepting help from someone who can improve your life situation- last night, we all did something to make the world better than it was before we got there.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

The fog over Detroit felt like driving through the clouds. Serving the homeless in Detroit felt like being at home in God’s Kingdom. We are winning the war on homelessness. All of us together.

It starts with the volunteers.

 My faithful Traci helped me load up donations of clothes, prepared sandwiches, leftover Hostess Cakes, cookies, and sleeping bags.

Our dear Cecelia took time from work to come to Detroit. She helped me prepare hygiene kits, bag blankets, and load the van. Our committed friend stuck it out the entire night with us passing out food and hygiene kits.

My new friend of a friend is a real workhorse of a volunteer. He packed up about forty meals in about an hour. What an angel!

The Anderson’s showed up with their monthly load of hygiene items, backpacks, and baggies of hard candy.

Nick showed up in time to be our driver.

We have a van full of everything we need to keep people alive. That’s our part. We keep people alive long enough so they can save themselves. And they do! It takes time. It’s a case-by-case scenario. But we’re getting it done.

Magdalene’s Mission is an INDEPENDENT 501c3 Non-profit. That’s means no company or organization controls anything we do. It also means I will work with anyone who is willing to help us on our mission.  We volunteer alongside some stellar individuals. One of them is from a group that helps people get into housing.

We spent a lot of time with many people who were still shelter challenged, but did the work, and now they are just waiting for their number to be called.

It’s a tough road. A lot of or people are locked up or died over the winter.

It takes soft hearts and thick skin.

We came across several people living outside, but only for now.

We met a lady sitting outside. The caravan pulled over to see if she needed anything. I jumped out of the van and offered her food. I added my homemade beef stew to the snacks and sandwiches. I gave her all we had to offer. She just kept smiling bigger and bigger.

I offered her pepper spray. She asked me to repeat myself twice. She couldn’t believe I had that to offer her. She was ecstatic. Her husband trekked to the gas station to buy them a pop. He was going to be so surprised when he came back. We were parked around the corner from her but could still see her. Nick, Cecelia and I got to watch her husband walk back to her. We could see the shadows of two people unpacking little sacks and then jumping up and down and celebrating.

We kept driving around and finding another person until one a.m. We helped at least 20 people.

That many more people are going to live another day. Everyone has a story. Everyone’s life is a journey. We can be the plot twist to a happy ending. We can write our own happy endings. We can share our stories and inspire other people to never give up on their own.

We can and we will.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

We finally made it back on the streets this week.

It was another beautiful, chaotic, mess of miracles and warmth. Many tears. Many thanks. God has so blessed Magdalene’s Mission street outreach.

Nick rented us a van from U-Haul. It was enough to get all those donations of coats and blankets onto the backs of frozen people and food in their hollow stomachs.

It was a morning outreach, so there wasn’t time to sort and repack into storage totes before we left the church. It was me, Jesus, and a pile of 30 black bags.

On our first stop, we saw two old friends. One of them just barely survived a stint of pneumonia in the hospital. My grandma gave me her old shopping cart, so I passed it on to my buddy so he could carry all the blankets I gave him back to his fort. The girl told us to head up the block to another abandoned house where her friend was staying. She needed us, her friend said. I thought that was so kind of her.

They had a dog, so I made sure they had dog food. Her friend found a big leopard print fuzzy coat that was long and warm. We added a warm hat, mittens, and a scarf. It changed her entire life.

Each stop the swarms grew larger and for longer. Someone in a white truck must have driven at least 4 different people up to the back of my van. All of them were seniors. All of them were in threadbare jackets and shoes. All of them choked up asking for a coat and boots.

“What you do for the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you have done for me.”

The last stop emptied out the van. We passed out every coat, blanket, meal, and toe warmer. There were three stray cats in the area. They got fed as well. Tears for mercy.

People were so frozen, they ran up to me weeping for blankets and boots. Grown ups with tears in their eyes. They were sobbing when they put on a coat and dry socks. They praised the mercy of God when they had a pair of dry socks on their feet. We gave thanks together. I pray for them every day.

I ripped through bags looking for clothes, socks, and winter gear. Somehow, I did it. I saw at least 40 homeless people in those first 2 hours. We eventually passed out all the food, hygiene kits, warm clothes (especially pants) blankets and coats.

The food was a big deal. I had a lot of small, packaged snack food that will help keep people alive. We had cookies, and peanut butter crackers that will burn a lot of energy. (Thank you, Sharna Tanner’s Small Group!)

We passed out a lot of hand and toe warmers. No one is going to lose a finger or toes on my watch this year.

Everyone was desperate for a warm blanket. Someone made mats out of old grocery bags. My homeless friends recognized them right away. It’s a dry place to sit.

It was Day Outreach. We were with some different people. We went to some different places. We spent most of our time on the east side.

Next week, Maggie the Van will be fixed. I’ll have plenty of time to prep. A friend is donating sloppy joes. We’re going back out to all those people. We’re going to deliver to those poor souls a van full of humanity and hope.

The desperation in each person’s eyes was like another paper cut upon my heart. Then every heartfelt thank you was just enough to balm it.

Magdalene’s Mission was in a precarious pickle. But people decided that saving lives should continue. We’ve raised most of the money to fix the van, plus we’ve been able to pull off keeping the company above water while we do.

God is good. Jesus is so cool.

A win for Magdalene’s Mission is a win for humans.

Together, we are the right people

doing the right thing

for the right reason.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen,  

To donate:        http://www.Magdalenesmission.com

Good morning! Last night was an odd one. We saw people, but not a lot of people. I don’t know where anyone is! Homelessness is a bit different in Detroit. In most cities, I’ve noticed, the people who live without shelter gather up in an area where they can look out for one another. They find an out-of-the-way place and try to exist without much notice. Usually. I know all the exceptions. Remember, I’m me?

But for the most part, it’s a game of hide-please-don’t-seek. In Detroit, those camps are not allowed. In Detroit- you get your tent sliced up, and all your belongings thrown away. It’s against the law to sleep outside if you’re not renting a camp site. If you build a fort, the police burn it down. Our homeless people are scattered throughout the city and are always being forced to move around. No one has a phone. If the cops see you, they will arrest you if they recognize you. If you get arrested, when you get out of jail, you have nowhere to go, and no one to call.

But we are relentless with our love. We found people. I saw my Ms. GG! It’s been a while. At least I know she is warm and dry. Drug houses and abandoned houses seem to be the only real shelter from the weather. But I won’t give up. I see good things happening for people.

The people we work with are hard to connect with resources because it’s hard to stay connected with them long enough to complete the process. But the other outreach teams have some amazing individuals who are both fearless and brilliant at their work. One by one, we’ll all live in an even keel society.

The beginning of January Magdalene’s Mission will be part of another blitz. That means we will travel all over Detroit for 10 hours serving homeless people in every corner of the city with a couple hundred other volunteers. Thus, I am mad collecting donations right now. Everything on the wish list is going out. All the books, socks, notebooks and bibles, I can fill into a drawstring backpack. I need A LOT of backpacks. We can do a major amount of good right when everyone will need it most. If you’re looking for an end of the year tax-break, Magdalene’s Mission is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization (tax-deductible, baby!) All information is on the web site: Magdalenesmission.com.

Molly and Teddy, if you are reading this, you are irreplaceable. We’ll keep you busy preparing for the Blitz! These ladies provide the right amount of hands and hearts that Traci and I need to keep this going every week.

I ordered stickers! They should be in soon. That’s a thing I’ll be leaving around places and sending out. Request some and I’ll send them.

November 30^th, I’m speaking to the Women’s Ministry at Living Water Church here in Whitmore Lake. I’m excited about that.

AND

I start bartending at Tommy’s Bar on Third St. right next to Fort Street Presbyterian Church tonight. Come on in and say Hi! I’ll be working behind the bar on Halloween night, too. And before the Lions game on Sunday.

It’s a lot. But the efforts will be worth it. Every life we save, every ounce of self-preservation that you have helped inspire.

As far as our homeless friends go, and for everyone else out there struggling with their own battles. I seen you, too. Just don’t give up.

Like my old buddy, Sam, sings to me:

“There been times that I thought
I couldn’t last for long
But now, I think I’m able
To carry on

It’s been a long
A long time coming, but I know
A change gon’ come
Oh yes, it will”

Because that’s how we’ll do it in Detroit.

Amen.

(Songwriters: Sam Cooke)

Love is in the air tonight in Detroit. Traci and I heard it while we were driving past an alley in Mexicantown where we saw several pairs of teenagers dancing the salsa arms-length apart. Couples, old and new were a joy to see together.

But wow! That was a crazy night of street outreach!

Dude! We hit one spot. People just kept coming for two hours straight until the van was completely empty of every meal, hygiene kit, blanket, pillow shoe, and article of clothing packed into the back of Maggie the Van.

Traci is a brilliant Tactical Commander. At the first and only stop, she jumped out and I grabbed my data sheet. It was only one woman as far as we could tell. She was talking to other teams while Traci grabbed her a meal and a hygiene kit.

The next thing we knew, an elderly woman approached us for resources. She really wanted to look through clothes, so Traci let her look through a couple of totes. The woman was getting carried away. She managed her perfectly while simultaneously balancing a crowd of demanding people. Homeless people were going back to the abandoned houses and alleys and telling their friends to get food, clothing, and backpacks.

At one point, we saw a young mother. She had three children with her. A boy about 10 years old, a girl about 6 years old, and the littlest looked to be about 4 years old. As you know, as a rule, WE NEVER SEE CHILDREN. But this time… I was able to give them each a backpack, and a new blanket. I even had a pink backpack for the little girl, and she said it was the prettiest thing ever. She was excited to use her pink sleeping bag. She was proud of it. The part that I was the proudest of was that I got to share with them some of MY GRANDMA’S HOMEMADE OATMEAL RAISON COOKIES! My grandma made enough cookies for everyone.

It was marvelous.

By that point, I look up, and one of our favorite girls from that part of town was sitting next to Traci in the van directing the people we serve. She was impressive in action. The first woman was still there and became agitated, aggressive. Traci was able to quell the situation before it became out of hand. She was Ringmaster Extraordinaire.

The majority of the chaos exploded and then finally moved onto towards other resources. When out from the shadows I see a face that I have been grateful to see for nearly 6 years. She looked beautiful. She still lives in the exact same place.

It was the grand finale to an exceptional night. I got to have a nice long in-depth conversation about her life. We discussed her work hazards. We talked about how co-workers in the field whose job was supposed to be maintaining a safe work environment were obviously not conducting their part of the contract. And if they can’t work, no one gets paid.

These workers were putting their safety, health, and lives on the line every day. They had to find and maintain their own clients, provide all their own health care, and then were still expected to forfeit their gross profits for the entire day.

Pimps really need to step up their game.

By the time she and I finished talking, the clothes bins were empty along with everything else. We unloaded at the church, took the backway home, I wrote this, and now I must sleep.

Cuz that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

It’s a beautiful day. There’s a beautiful vibe. Today I began collecting data. We expected to see a lot of people. it was mostly only one, maybe two people for the first couple of hours. Then at the end we went to a couple places were there small communities of people and that emptied out the van pretty quickly. I believe that I may have to make finding a larger outreach vehicle our next side mission.

We packed-  

64 (lunches of a sandwich, orange, and cookies plus, a water bottle) 

19 bags with men’s hygiene kits 

19 purses with women’s hygiene kits 

17 blankets 

24 pepper spray 

11 flashlights 

4 cans of cat food 

2 totes women’s clothes 

2 totes men’s clothes 

2 bags of socks (m/w) 

2 totes of coats 

3 bags of shoes 

1 box of warm hats 

A whole lotta love. 

We made 11 stops all over Detroit. 

We served 30 people- 

64 meals 

17 men’s kits & 2 women’s 

2 pepper sprays 

17 blankets 

All the men’s clothes, and as much as the 3 ladies we did see could carry. 

We drove 153.4 miles from my door back to my door. 

Also, I have been told that we make the best pb&j’s. 

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. 

Amen. 

Street outreach was excellent last night! Traci is still on vacation, so my buddy Nick and I cruised Detroit from one end to the other and back again. We have greatly extended our outreach areas. We’ve been able to spend more time on the East Side because of the longer daylight hours.   

We went to see some of my favorite people while we were there.  It was mostly men there. I’d say at least ten, maybe fifteen, men came out to see us for food and clothes. There were a couple of females, so I made sure they each had a pepper spray. I made sure to buy at least a few cans of it while I was in Meijer buying bread and oranges for meals.   

My Raggedy Ann Lady is ready to be done now. She’s getting the ‘t’s’ crossed and ‘i’s’ dotted to get herself admitted to a rehabilitation facility. I made sure she had my card so that she could contact me as soon as she got out.  

“I have to leave this place, Kayla. If I go to rehab, I can never come back here. I’ll have to find another place to live.” She told me with confidence.  

“I know, baby girl. You cannot heal in the same place that hurt you.”   

She promised to keep in touch with me. Keep her in your prayers or at least wish her good luck. She’s quit before. She can do it again. It’s just physical agony and mental torment, but she can do it. She’s survived worse at this point.   

I gave her my last can of pepper spray, hugged her tightly, and told her I would pray my heart out for her.  

We cruised around the vast ghetto, servicing random people in random places trying to exist. We are very good at discerning which people are homeless and which women are sex workers. We found a few of each.  

One such lady we saw was out working that afternoon. She was very pretty, clean, and in a flattering outfit. We pulled over to see if she was alright. The medical team spent a long time with her. I brought food and hygiene supplies over to the medical team while she was inside getting treated. She was there for a while. I was correct to assume the worst.  

When she was done being treated, she emerged from the ambulance with a stone-hard look on her face. I asked her to come over so I could talk to her for a minute. As soon as she locked eyes with me, her character broke. She was just a small woman trembling beside my van. She took off her sunglasses and her eyes were filled with terror. I took her hand and opened myself up to her. She was trying to hold back the tears to tell me that she had been raped- twice- that week. The medical team told her that so far, she wasn’t testing positive for anything. She was relieved by that news.   

I’m crying for her as I type this. I just passed out my last can of pepper spray. I gave her the one that I keep in my purse. It was worth more than a gold brick to her. She thanked me from a deep and genuine place in her heart. I told her, “I love you, little sister.” She was so pretty.  

We drove around some more. We found three ladies we recognized. One of them, we’ve known for the past five years that we’ve been doing street outreach. As soon as she saw me, she ran to me, and she cried while I held her for a long time. She is a character! She thought Traci and I were lesbian partners. She was asking what happened to the lesbians who had food and clothes. She has since learned that we are both married to men and have children. I was glad to see that she’s still alive, and still as feisty. She’ll always drive me nuts, and I will always love her.  

She asked me, as so many people do, if I have ever been in recovery. Honestly, no. I have never been in recovery. I have never had the misfortune of an addiction like that. Sure, I still smoke cigarettes on and off, and I drink too much coffee, but that’s not the same thing these people are enduring.  

I was able to tell her that I haven’t. But I have been to too many of my friends’ funerals who died from crack and heroin. A couple of people made it out alive; but most of them did not. I told her how the father of 2 of my children died alone behind a gas station.   

Then I told her the story of my introduction to crack when I was a runaway in the South Bronx, New York City at 14 years old. There were all these people huddled together on the stairwell. Their clothes were tattered, even in the winter. Their lips were white, and their eyes were hollow.  

When I asked my new friend, Mitchell, about who they were, he told me, “Oh, those be crack heads. You don’t want nothing to do with them.”  

Huh.  

Then, my friend Virgil told me a story about a young woman addicted to crack, and the lengths she was willing to endure for more. It’s too crazy yo print here. You’ll have to ask me, or Mary, personally to tell you THAT story. It was enough to shock my friend who asked me. But it was effective. I never, ever, ever, did hard drugs. Not if they could make you do that. I am my Grandma’s Baby.   

If anything like happened to me, it would dishonor my grandparents sacrifice and efforts to raise me. It wasn’t even about me. I owe them my life. It’s not mine to throw away. Understand? That’s why I could be there amongst all those gang- bangers and crack dealers and not get sucked in. I already knew that the journey always ended in the same place.  

Unfortunately, not everyone gets a Mitchell, a Virgil, and a Kareem. Not everyone will be saved by angels like my grandparents.  

We ended the night at an abandoned building that is filled with men. They found out I had socks in my van and the crowd swarmed like it was a Kansas City barbeque. I had lunch meat instead of pb&j. There was supposed to be cheese on the sandwiches, but I forgot to take the cheese out of the freezer in time. So, ham or turkey. I tried. But I loaded it up with oranges, too. I had a killer donation of doughnuts and peanut butter cookies, again. That was pretty exciting.  a bag of chips, and a bottle of water rounded out the meals. Feel free to drop any of those things off on my porch if you would like to contribute.   

There are a lot of men out there. So many more than you realize. Many of them work. They fell between the cracks and now live at the bottom of the hole.  

There are a lot of women out there. I weep for them. They have to deal with everything that the men do, too. And they are constantly subjected to violent sexual encounters that the men are not.   

Men need more food, socks, and pants.  

Women need pepper spray more than anything. That’s why I’ll take it out of my own purse to give to them.  

Now you know.  

That’s how we do it in Detroit.  

Amen. 

“When you see a child starving on the street, you scream at God. When I see a child starving, I hear God screaming at me.” 

Tonight was one of those nights where everything felt like rhythm. It was an overzealous performance from the sun today. A cool breeze was the bass line in the background. They sunset’s solo in the sky carried on longer than normal, but no one minds. 

When we arrived at Fort St. Church, I saw a text that informed me that there was no power in the church. No one was in the building. The doors were locked. I use an electric code to get in. This was a concern. But when I used my phone to get in, the door opened right up. It was one of God’s jokes. 

• This makes no sense. No one could get in or out without a key at all that day. Traci and I went inside, confirmed that the other teams were still doing outreach that night. Then we made 50 meals, packed clothes and hygiene kits. We left the door propped open to load the van. We let the other outreach teams in when they got there. The power was off to the entire church. I could not get the door to open again for the rest of the day. If it would have been locked, we would have gone home. Uncanny. God loves us. 

  The adventure began far out on the west side of Detroit.  We went to an abandoned house that we had been to before. Last time we were there, a whole crowd of people came pouring out. This time was just one man. As the medical team helped him out, we noticed a trickle of older men come peeking out of the alley and sliding toward us. We helped a few men, but they told us that farther down there was a parking lot and a fence. We found a bunch of people who lived back there. Several women stayed in that spot. Everyone was overjoyed and full of thanks.  

I announced loudly for everyone to hear, “No matter how dark a hole in Detroit you try to hide in, God’s gonna find you. And He’s gonna send me.” 

“You know that’s right, girl!” “God is good!” “Praise Jesus, thank you sista!”  

We had a whole holy revival going on in that back alley! Can I get an Amen!? 

Clothes were a hit this week. Food is always the priority. 

We’re down to our last $28. Traci bought the bread this week and I bought the gas. I’m over half-way through writing that grant letter- again. I know we can do this. We save too many people from death and despair every week to believe that giving up is an option for us. 

We went back to an old spot. The harm reduction team had been there earlier in the day, but there was a lot of requests for food and clothing. That means us. The first woman we were there to see lived behind a dumpster. She only owned the clothes on her back. More people slowly slinked up next to us, waiting for their invitation. People are so polite and genuinely grateful. 

What I love about our street outreach team with Magdalene’s Mission is our unconditional love of ALL people. For instance, two men slowly walked up to Maggie the van. One of the men was dressed in a tank top and shorts. The person he was with was wearing a long white t-shirt that was ripped up but hung down past his knees, a pin-stripe suit jacket, and knee-high, black, suede boots, with a black hood over his face. Alrighty then. 

If that’s the way God made them, that’s the way God wants them. They looked nervously at the bin of men’s clothes, then the women’s clothes. I love Traci. She said, “Oh sweetheart, you can take whatever you want. It’s okay.” 

 First things first, out of the boots, and into a pair of attractive sandals. Ripped t-shirt exchanged for blouse. He/she had no pants on, fixed that. The dude with them was the boyfriend. Traci and I could see that he was scared and waiting for us to say something mean, judgmental or preachy. Traci and I know that we represent a whole religion of people who claim to adhere to the philosophy of Jesus Christ. Sometimes that means we take the guff for the ‘not so unconditional with their love’ people. We were compassionate and respectful. They were treated like human beings who deserved dignity. Because they are. By the time that couple left, they were both so relieved that they made new friends. We thanked them for their prayers and blessings they laid over us. 

Another young girl was wearing a tattered cocktail dress. It looked like something a doll would wear. She was so tiny, and yet the dress barely fit her. Sometimes I believe that the best thing Traci and I do on Tuesday night is to be nice to people. We love on them right where they are on their journey. That, combined with a homemade pb&j and socks, is sometimes just enough to remind you that God still loves you.  It gives one enough hope to fight for another day. 

We’re emptying out the van in just a couple of hours. We sure could distribute a lot more food to starving people out there. Bread, peanut butter, jelly, any snack food, anything. I’ll take it to them, and you can save lives, too. Magdalenesmission.com has links to all the ways to donate to Magdalene’s Mission outreach. 

There was an old man sitting alone on the sidewalk. We gave him a meal and hygiene kit. He gave us prayers, blessings, and a genuine hug. 

Everyone’s laughing. 

Everyone grins. 

Everyone’s happy. 

Everyone wins.  

And that’s how we do it in Detroit! 

Amen! 

It’s HOT. It’s raining AND… it’s HOT. We passed out water with the meals, and a cold water to boot. 

After Traci and I packed the van, we decided to hit up our new favorite taco truck for dinner.  People were out on the streets and hovering over street corners. Large dark eyes were desperate and starving everywhere. Before we even got to Danto J’ambre taco truck. we served at least four people meals and hygiene kits from my driver’s side window as we passed.

Once we headed out as a team, we immediately saw/didn’t see our friend who lives beneath a large tarp in a doorway. As soon as he heard his name, a happy face popped up. Like a jolly jack-in-the-box but covered in trash He was delighted to see friends who care. Traci said that when she talked to him, he was extra sweet and polite. She could also sense that he was developmentally challenged. She imagined him as someone’s whose parents passed away and then who got lost in an unmanageable world. 

There was a photographer out with us tonight. He works for an online news site named “Face Detroit”. I’ll have to let you know if there is an article about us. 

We were trying to take care of a particularly vulnerable young woman. While waiting for my Marilyn Monroe to come out, we were able to take care of a couple of other young ladies. The first thing they asked for was pepper spray. I had some, and they were ecstatic. They are supposed to get their apartment in just a few more days. 

For as joyful as it is when someone gets off the street, it’s just as gut-wrenching when you can’t even reach them. I want to run into Marilyn Monroe’s apartment; grab her, throw her over my shoulder, and run away with her. I want to hold her, and rock her in my arms and tell her that no one will ever do those things to her ever again.  

I wish I had the superpower to free her. 

As the teams were driving through Detroit, I noticed a car stalled at an intersection.  It was blistering hot, and this very large woman was pouring gas into her car from a large gas can while cars were whipping around her from every direction. I noticed that the gas station was kitty-corner across the street. Like her car couldn’t make it the last 50 feet. 

“What a crappy time to run out of gas.” I said to Traci. 

I turned around and grabbed one of the ice-cold water bottles from the cooler behind Traci’s seat. Then, I slowly pulled up next to the sweltering woman and offered her a bottle of cold water as cars whipped around me.  

“Oh God, yes, please.” was her relieved reply. 

I passed it to her through my window and slowly pulled away. 

“That was very nice of you.” Traci acknowledged. 

That is my superpower. 

And that’s how we do it in Detroit. 

Amen. 

What a night! What a year! This report is short and bittersweet. We drove all over Detroit last night, but there were only 3 stops, and I only got out of the car at the last 2 of them. There is a reason for this. Many of those beloved characters whom you have been following along with (45 people, to be exact) have been put in jail over the past 7 days. 45 homeless people in jail for being homeless during the holiday season. Most of the charges were minor offenses, such as loitering. The Day Outreach Team could only find a few people, so they left a couple for me.

When we did stop, it was near an abandoned building, behind a tall fence that apparently had a secret entrance. I stayed behind to guard the vehicles and play lookout. All they found was an empty tent.

We had 2 confirmed stops. One was to a man and a woman who have been on and off the streets for a long time. We pulled over was only able to meet up with the man.  He was delighted for food and hygiene for them both. He met up with the medical team, and as I waited, I saw an elderly woman pass by shivering in the night. I offered her a pair of hand warmers and she glowed from her smile to her toes. Finally, we went to my final stop of the night- Ms. GG’s house.

It is an actual house with utilities. Hallelujah! But it’s not like an actual house, it’s too many people. I know why we always go there. It’s full of senior citizens with handicap’s, and other people whom I can tell have developmental challenges that contribute to their situation. I’m not sure how it runs. I don’t ask. I just know that the 20 or so people who live together there all shared a full turkey dinner, with cookies and doughnuts for dessert. Then slept safe and snug in a fresh blanket.

During the middle of the swarm, I yelled out loud enough so that all of Detroit could hear me. “You are loved! Even into the darkest corners of Detroit, God finds you! He loves you!”  

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

And Have a happy New year!

My theme for this report is- Harvest. This is the season of the harvest. This applies to life, not just to farmers. In the winter, we dream. We grow ideas and plans for the coming year. The spring we set up. We prepare a fertile ground for ideas to grow in. Then summer is work. We are working that harvest. We watch it grow, we tend to droughts, the floods, and protect our dream from any invaders. 

Then finally, September, the harvest. We reap what we have sown. If we have done our job well, there will be much more to do. Work and reward are symbiotic. Then when all has been gathered, picked, canned, and cured, we rejoice! We shall feast, enjoy, and replenish. Then, come winter, we begin again.

The winter of Magdalene’s Mission was the seed implanted in my head back when I came up with the idea to collect purses packed with hygiene items and a small snack, then I would pass them out to homeless women.

Our spring was when we were The Valentine’s Day Purse Project for a few years.I didn’t have a Farmer’s Manual for this crop. I just had a Bible. In it, Jesus laid out perfectly how to set this up. 

If you remember, I went out to Detroit with Traci one night in winter to help with street outreach. We were witness to the real work that needed to be done. That was the first day of summer for Magdalene’s Mission.

Magdalene’s Mission was in a season of summer for the next 4 years.We worked and it grew, so we worked it and it grew. Then we needed more hands. And the crop just got so big I couldn’t even keep it in my field anymore! I prayed. “Help me! I will drown and this will all be for naught!”

Then the money ran out for the storage unit. Then my basement foundation cracked and water poured in and ruined the hygiene area. Then I wept. I very nearly gave up.The mission was starving.

Yesterday, August 29, 2024, became the first day of Autumn for Magdalene’s Mission. Our harvest season has finally arrived. Fort Street Presbyterian Church on Fort St. in downtown Detroit has allowed us to rent a part of their facilities. This is a perfect fit. 

I’ll have plenty of clothing racks, shelves and cubbies to store all of our clothes, hygiene, and extras. 

Every Monday, from 9a -5p, I will be there sorting and packing. Hopefully that means you, too. Or any other group, or team, or whatever, because there are several large tables available in the space the size of a gymnasium for working at. I have permission. There is a large secure parking lot. It’s wonderful. It’s better than I even prayed for.

Now it is September. Tomorrow morning will be the official equinox. God even lined up the stars, planets, and the moon for this.

Here’s the work left so we can get to harvesting the dream of having Magdalene’s Mission in its own base in Detroit: 

1. I need trucks and vans. I have to get everything out of the storage unit, what’s left in my garage and my basement, and get it down to Detroit.
2. I need help organizing all the stuff into its place once we get it down there.
3. I need $50 a month for use of the space.

Sounds easy enough? I am ready to go!

Message me if you have a truck and a little time. The bank account is down to $20 and I don’t know where another $115 that will come out on the 3rd is. I’m not sure how I’m going to buy bread to give to Wen on Monday to make sandwiches for Tuesday. No idea.

Actually, someone donated an old car to me that I could scap. Anyone have a tow bar I can borrow? I could get a few hundred for it.

I would put the money up myself, but Jet’s Pizza in Hartland is still closed. Thank Serv-Pro of Flint for the most diabolically horrible job at anything I have ever witnessed. It’s been a nightmare since the Jets burned down NINE MONTHS AGO!

I digress… This is the Harvest Season. We will take the bounty of our donation harvest, prepare it for the coming winter, then be set.

Fort Street Presbyterian Church can hardly wait to come aboard and join our mission. I believe God approves of this mission and our work. I am proud of us humans because:

Approved

Workman

Are

Not 

Ashamed

We are not ashamed to love on our desperate homeless friends. We are not ashamed to bring light into the darker parts of the world. We are the flashlight at the bottom of the hole. Let me show you where the ladder is. Every pair of hands, every heartfelt donation, are the batteries that keep the light on.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

The photo is from December 15, 2020 when Traci and I were working out of a bedroom in my basement. We’re getting ready for Tuesday night, packing purses. We didn’t even know how much we didn’t know then. Wait until you see how far we’ve come.

Only one word can describe last night’s outreach- WOW. Magdalene’s Mission had not been to Detroit in 4 weeks. It’s been one thing after another. First, my basement flooded where I keep my hygiene kit building station. Then the medical team was stuck out of the country due to hurricanes. I knew we would be busy, but ‘busy’ was a severe understatement. 

Met up with the med team, then headed out. I’m so excited for that awesome church to be our new headquarters! I meet up with the staff next Thursday to discuss stuff. This next week I am going to try to get everything from the storage unit in Pinckney back to my garage. I need to clear it out this month because we don’t have money for next month’s storage fee anyway. 

The adventure continues… 

Stanbulance is made its way smoothly down the Avenue. It was the feeling at the end of summer when the sun is extra bright, but not too hot. People out everywhere soaking in all the good vibes.  

We stopped. It’s a hectic spot, but let’s get it out of the way, right? After ten seconds or so, I noticed the faces start to pop up in my rearview mirror. First a woman, then a man, then three women, then 2 couples, then two more men, then another small group of women, and two more men. Then a trickling of passersby. Nick was on the food, hygiene kits, sleeping bags, tents, backpacks, pepper-spray, and flashlights. He was impressive. I stood at the back of the van and distributed clothes to everyone who needed clean clothes. And EVERYONE needed clean clothes.  

Part of my role is to help people facilitate how to handle what’s going on. One couple had very specific things that they started listing off and requesting to wear. “I need a nice outfit!”  

My response, “This ain’t Kayla-Mart! I ain’t your Wishlist list. But through people’s donations God has provided what you need to survive. I can’t dress you up, but I can keep you alive. Take more socks!” 

Everyone smiled.  

I kept clothing to one backpack per person and one or two totes. If the people started getting carried away, or excited, I’d just say,  

“Honey, you don’t got a walk-in closet to store all that!” 

And then they would giggle, look down at their toes and say, “But I just don’t have anything, Auntie Kayla.” 

And I tell them, “I know baby girl. But if someone sees you carry all that you’re a target. Then back to nothing… again. Here’s the most important stuff. This is how you keep it. Make it last until next Tuesday. You can hide one or two bags easier than a whole pile. I got you. I genuinely love you.” 

The crowd cleared out. We began a U-turn, then I noticed my Little Red-Haired Girl. So, before we even finished the U-turn, everyone pulled over again. Basically, we crossed the street. Another ten or fifteen people crowded the van at once. Nick passed out everything from the side and I manned the clothes in back. Nick is a very good friend to everyone already. 

It seemed like only a few more minutes, and we were down to two meals. Then two more ladies ran up to the van and asked if they were too late to eat. Perfect.  

We were cleaned out! One and a half stops! Just over an hour! WOW! 50 meals. 40 hygiene kits. 8 sleeping bags plus several blankets, 4 tents, and 4 large storage totes worth of clothes- POOF! 

And everyone was super cool and super patient with me and Nick. I told them we would get to everyone the same, and we did. Lots of thankful people. I missed helping them and boy did they miss our help. 

I would not live my life any other way.  

I write about the stratification of Out Groups so that the Majority can utilize their position to maintain a stable society. 

And it works! 

I’m going to want to move into that church ASAP! Message me if you are down to help with sorting or moving. I love you all.  

We worked hard.  

We kicked the devil back down in the hole last night. 

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. 

Amen. 

Honesty, transparency, genuineness. Before I dive into our friend’s adventures on the street, you should know how we’re doing business wise. The Peace, Love & Hygiene Report informs you on not only what it’s like to live on the streets of Detroit, but also what it takes to be useful on the streets as a nonprofit. Both are wild adventures with Jesus.

HUGE new potential developments for us. 

If you have been following along these past few years, you will have noticed/heard that I am exacerbated with clothes. It’s so important to my people out there, but it overwhelms me. Donors have become much more mindful and in tune with what is actually useful and what is not. Thank you! Unfortunately, I’m still sorting through three years worth of big, black, garbage bags. What’s even more frustrating is that I don’t have room in my house for the volunteers it would take to help to deal with it. It’s a catch 22.  

We have the blessing of a ton of donations, but the hurdle of not being able to keep up with it, combined with only being able to disperse it one mini-van at a time. It’s a wicked balancing act. I have been working and dreaming and praying for over 3 years to move the business out of my house and into a facility where all this potential could be utilized. But I can’t seem to make it happen. 

That’s what I commonly refer to as a “plot twist”. Fine. I’ll scale down the mission to hygiene, and some food. Not every prayer gets answered. Not every dream comes true. Disappointing, but that’s part of being an adult.

And just when I was ready to give up…

God’s got jokes.

Last week when I saw the medic team’s new digs, I was also informed that there is a huge open area with tons of shelves, clothing racks, and storage area, as well as big long tables, that are available for another nonprofit to use. Everything about it would be a dream come true. We could rent the space for $50 per month. Right now I pay $115 a month for a storage unit. AND we would be right beside the medic team we work symbiotically with every week. 

It hasn’t happened yet. I called the woman at that church. I have to write her an informative email that she can present to her board. 

Currently, I have $120.79 in our business account. $115 comes out today to pay for storage. The only reason we were able to make it out last night, is because Nick covered gas and a little extra food, and then Sean bought the 5 loaves of bread to make sandwiches. So that’s how tight it is.

But we made it out- me, Nick and Traci. 

It was busy! People were out everywhere tonight! There were several stops, but most of our goods were received at only 2 or 3 places. We passed out a lot of hugs and pepper spray. We had backpacks and blankets which is always an exciting bonus as well.

We saw one woman who was rushing down the sidewalk. We recognized her and pulled over. She talked to the medic team for a couple of seconds, and then hopped in the back of the ambulance. We drove her a couple of miles down the road to where she had some friends who lived behind the buildings. Someone was aggressively stalking her in their car. We had to give her food and pepper spray quickly so she could go back into hiding right away.

One of our girls is getting into rehab on the 11th! She was relieved to have a bag, and some of her own things to take with her. She’s tried before. She’s trying again. Obviously, we prayed it out big time before she left.

Here is one of the many other high costs of adding fentanyl to drugs:

The most common withdrawal symptom from heroin, after extreme nausea, is seizures. When a person goes into rehab they have to detox the heroin out of their system before they can take suboxone to counteract their deadly withdrawal symptoms. Unfortunately, fentanyl stays in their system much longer than heroin does. If you take any suboxone while you still have fentanyl in your system you can overdose and die from the medicine you take to help you. That’s exactly what happened to our friend who is going to try again. She almost died from a suboxone overdose. Another catch 22. 

She’s going in on her mother’s birthday. Her mother is the one who took care of a lot of people for a while. Then her boyfriend died. Then she became homeless. Then her daughter died an hour after we saw them together. Then she was just a wisp of a ghost. Then I prayed and wept with her. Then she got into rehab. Then when she got out, we rooted her on. Then she kept clean and got an apartment. Now, her mother is a success.

She is smart, beautiful, and kind. Just like her mother. I know she can do it, too! The xylazine is starting to rot holes on her gorgeous face. She is not afraid of death. She is scared to die like this. Not like this. Not an addict on the street. She refuses to accept that as her fate. She’s so ready. Another success story is happening in front of us.

Krokodil is in Detroit now. Look it up. It’s gross. A different animal tranquilizer that causes the flesh to die and scale up, like a crocodile belly.

Your donations keep us coming out there so we can cheer these people on. We might be the only people they ever see who are on their side. But I know from personal experience in my life, that may be all you need. I wouldn’t be here without the grace of God and the encouragement of my friends and family. Someone has to pray for them, too. It’s going to be us.

We aren’t going out next Tuesday. That’s Avalon’s week. So I have 2 weeks to see how God is going to pull off our continuing outreach.

Please pray that we can rent a spot at this church in Detroit. We could have plenty of room for all the volunteers we can muster so that we may operate at peak performance. I really want Magdalene’s Mission to live up to the potential God has laid out before us. 

I’ll keep on believing in my dream until it happens.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Peace, Love & Hygiene: Vol 122

This weeks theme is rollercoasters. The ride began Monday evening, and I didn’t get off from it until about 3 o’clock this afternoon. That’s the way life is sometimes, I’ve learned.

I’ll skip ahead to the fun part, street outreach! We saw a lot of people last night. The first person was an old man who was laying on the ground under a tree. He was only wearing a pair of ragged shorts. He didn’t speak English very well.

“You have more blankets for you?” he asked when I brought him something to lay on.

“Yes. These are for you.”

Okay, this, I take. This you take.” He returned the backpack with the hygiene kit.

“Salvation Army comes. You take.”

He had sparkly eyes and a white beard. His bloated stomach was all tan from the sun.

Next stop, Darla! I spent some time holding her in my lap while she smothered me with kisses. I let the puppy, Baby, drink an entire bottle of water from my cupped hand.

I was informed by the other team that Darla’s Daddy is in a domestic violence situation. The man who we saw with him hurts him badly. I hadn’t seen that other guy before. Maybe around, or something? This week I spent extra time with Darla’s Daddy. I had one tent donated this week. I made sure he had it so that he and the pups would stay dry when it stormed later that night. I gave him a sleeping bag and a blanket. His were destroyed in the last rainstorm. I had my usual bag of food for the dogs. Baby is a teething pit bull. I need to pick her up a couple of bones and toys, so she doesn’t eat poor Darla. They are sharing a tie. Next week, I’ll give him an extra dog tie I have. I can’t stop praying for him.

It’s harder to find people right now. Over the last couple of weeks since we’ve gone out, a lot of people have been displaced. Forts destroyed; tents tossed; people put in jail. It’s like we have to start all over again too so that we can find and help them.

We found my Widow. She is staying in a tent in an alley behind an abandoned shop. As we approached her tent, we announced ourselves. She wanted to see me, specifically. When I got to the tent door she pulled pack one side. The first thing I saw was her crying.

“Kayla! He attacked me again! He’s stalking me. This is the third time this week he’s attacked me.”

Her legs were all scraped up with road rash. I reached out my arms to her and yelled out to the medic team to come right away. She explained that she doesn’t usually get into cars. As soon as she recognized who it was in the car, she tried to get away from him, but he grabbed her and tried to drag her into the car anyway. A homeless friend saw what was happening. He grabbed Widow and got her away from the car, but the attacker ran over her friend with his car. She told me she only had 2% left on her phone but she called 911 anyway, regardless of her warrant. Now her phone is dead, and she can’t find out what hospital he is in or if he is even still alive. We took down his name and the medic team went to work trying to find him. They treated her wounds on her arms and legs. Traci helped her pick out some clean clothes for her, and for her boyfriend who is still working a construction job every day. Nick packed up meals of pb&j sandwiches and water.

We roll on…

Quick stop to see ShowTime. Then we saw my Little Preacher. Oh! She is hilarious! She began with a rant about The Holy Spirit. The Spirit is in us, and when we are with the Spirit we are with God. Everything is through the Spirit.

Then she looked over at our Medic Leader and said, “Why you cut off your hair? Why you do that? I could have made me a weave!”

I tried putting a hygiene purse in her hands. She looked up at me and through a toothless smile said, “I don’t need a purse! Do I look like some kind of a Mama?”

I opened the purse up and she started going through it. She pulled out some soaps and lotions and told me, “I’m into natural skincare. Dermatology is my thing.”

We saw a random dude outside of a party store. He recognized the ambulance and waved us down. He told me that the pepper-spray we passed out has saved a lot of his friends lives. Thank you.

There were still a lot more people out that we were able to feed. It was great. A lot of smiles. A lot of Praise God’s.

Our last patient had an abscess the size of a kiwi fruit on her bicep. Her biceps are smaller than my wrist. I let her hold my hand as she wailed in pain until she asked them to stop. And they did when she asked. It was a big nasty one, but you can die from untreated abscesses.

And dead people can’t recover and come home.

Our last person we saw for the night was my brilliant Ms. GG. What a high note to end on! We were out of food and clothing, but I offered her a hygiene kit and some water.

“Oooo! Candy! I love you ladies! Praise God!”

We made a lot of smiles. We shared the unconditional love of Jesus.

For Darla’s Daddy, and for my Widow, please pray for their safety.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

May 28, 2024

It was an excellent night of Street Outreach in Detroit. My Sissy’s husband, Chris Hildenbrand, made a heroic amount of goulash. It was epic. He even threw in French bread, cutlery and containers, then I threw in some green beans on top. A real meal. I was excited that our homeless friends were going to have such a healthy meal to thrive upon. It brings me great pleasure to communicate love through food.

I tell my friends, “You can taste the love, baby!”

They answer back, “I always do!”

I saw a rafter of turkeys on my way home from Portland. The massive tom had his impressive plums spread for all to see that he was ready to protect his hens. He guarded every hen as she crossed the road. He understood his role so well it was instinct. I never felt so close to a turkey before. What an odd epiphany? Turkeys are a sign of the future, to watch the weather. They were right to warn me.

God sent the storm in ahead of us to clear a path. Nick’s van huffed and puffed its way through the city lakes. The storm held its breath over southwest Detroit for us until we had to go home. That was cool.

We pulled over for the first young women we saw standing alone on a street corner. I offered her food, and she said, “Thank God for you, yes.” In case you’re wondering, God gets a lot of thanks when they see the unconditional love that we want to share with them. A lot of thanks.

We travelled on driving over the wet black roads. We saw a young woman begging, holding a sign, at the top of a bridge. I offered her food, and she ran fast to meet us across the street. I made sure that she, and the last lady we saw, both got their pepper spray.

“Thank you. Thank God for you. I appreciate this so much.”

Three other men approached us for food, hygiene and clean socks.

“Peace, love and hygiene, baby! God did not forget you!” is what I say to everyone. I love the smug smile it brings to their grubby faces.

One of the men we served said that he saw a van just like Nick’s earlier in the day while he was begging for change. A lady held $2 out of her van window. When he approached the car, he said she showed him her probation officer badge and made him spread eagle on the side of her van, right there in traffic while she patted him down. She didn’t even give him the $2. She told him she would put it in his commissary when he ended up in jail. Not a very encouraging encounter. Poor dude. I’m glad we were there.

More, “Thank you, God bless you’s.”   

One of many gentleman with crutches was out. He needed shoes, which I had at home, but I did not have room for in Nick’s van. We’re going to start bringing out both of our vans. One for food and hygiene, then the other one for clothes, shoes, blankets, etc. It’s like a paper cut on my heart whenever someone asks for something that I had but couldn’t bring. We’ll fix that.

We waited for my Ms. GG on the side of the busy road. The house we sat in front of was full of history. It was an old brick, 2-story with a black iron fence, and curved glass in the bay window. The door leading into the basement was wide open and the screen was torn off from most of it. A young man, probably about 12 was sitting casually on a seat from a car on the porch. There was a child size piano, a Red Rider scooter, and a metal chair with a pile of random junk scattered around him.

While we waited, I saw a man in tattered, too large clothes, walking down the sidewalk. I could tell by his gait that he walked with a disability. He was holding his hand under his shirt, close to his chest. I have a daughter with Cerebral Palsy. I notice these things. I approached him cautiously and offered him food. He spoke very slowly and with great effort. He was different though. He didn’t want anything. He didn’t need help. He didn’t like that we assumed he would. He was very polite, and respectful, but I could see that we embarrassed him. I think we were able to turn it around and send him away with a couple new friends.

I think my red headed girl is pregnant. She seems to be getting a bigger belly every time I see her.  She has definitely gotten more comfortable with me. Next week I’ll approach her and ask her if she is pregnant. It’s important to intervene with these situations. It would be impossible for her to keep the baby when she finally does deliver it. We must make sure the babies go into foster care or adoption. I’m hoping that this connection I’ve been building over the last few months will make a difference for her. I could get her to the people who can and will help her out.

The highlight of my night was of course, Darla! This week, Darla’s person had another member of his family. A little puppy! She looks just like Darla, only he is tiny and has all 4 of his legs. (Of course, pictures.) I had to put the puppy down to feed the people. (Sigh.) But when I was done, I went back to my girl, Darla. She sat on my lap and snuggled me down to the ground. So, I lay down on the ground on the corner outside this gas station in Detroit with her for several minutes. Darla and I looked at clouds together. I scratched her tummy, and she gave me kisses. That’s what it’s all about. That’s the meaning of life. That’s what God wants for us all. Those moments make life worth putting up with when it sucks.

Because somewhere in Detroit, is a homeless 3-legged pit bull who survives on donated scraps of food. She is the happiest, most free, picture of perfect joy and gratitude for every little thing. That dog, Darla, is genuinely grateful that we exist together on the planet at the same time. I aspire to be as genuine as her.

Therefore, I will keep bringing these donations of love to Detroit to the people who’s life hinges on our love. Because I am genuinely grateful to be together with all of you on this planet at this exact time.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

 4/3/2024

The theme for this week is Grateful. Magdalene’s Mission connects people to who or what is useful for personal success. Their success is a reward for us, and our success is a reward for them. Whatever side of my van you happen to be on- you are a part of this mission.

Bonnie Sheldon asked me if I could use a roasting pan of spaghetti and meatballs. Sure! I didn’t ask why or where it came from but the next day, I had a HUGE roaster full of warm food. I found some leftover Styrofoam clamshells that I have always wondered when the heck I was going to need them. I’m a pro at saving things for the right moment. Even if that moment is two-years later.

We were packed to the gills this week. We had plenty of everything we are proud to serve. Thank you.

The weather spanned all the moods of a rainy day. Sometimes, it was misty. Sometimes, it was raining hard. Sometimes, it was something in between. It was muddy, damp, and dark. But before Nick, Traci and I left, Detroit was drenched in love.

We saw two men on the east side before we drove across town to our familiar haunts on the southwest side. It was a great night!

The first person we visited was a man the medic team had just found. He wasn’t open to talking to anyone, but I put together a meal with a hygiene kit and walked it over to a pile of trash in front of a bricked-up doorway. It was the side of some old factory. It looked like it was probably a very busy important place once upon a decade.

It was raining lightly. I didn’t want his stuff to be wet when he got it, but I wanted to make sure he found it. I saw a cardboard box. I started to make it into a hutch when I saw a face pop out of the pile of trash! Surprised the crap out of me!

“Hi there sir!” I politely introduced myself. I told him about the warm food, extra food, desserts, fruit, and hygiene that I was leaving him. He only had one tooth in his face, but it was the only one his smile needed to let me know how grateful he was. I asked him his name. I told him he had a cool warriors name. “Peace, Love & Hygiene! God bless you, dear!”

When I got back to our van, the medic team thanked me and told me they couldn’t get that guy to talk to them at all. I got his first and last name at first contact. Sometimes, it’s good to look like a freak. There isn’t a stereotype you can put me in. I’m not like other people. You can tell. I don’t look like other people. And if you know me well, that’s the way I am most comfortable warning others. I like being honest and accessible. I like how God uses my oddness to help others on Tuesday night. I like being useful, just like everyone else.

The next elderly gentleman lived in a tent.  It seemed odd that it wasn’t better hidden, but for all I know the business owner knows he is there.

Then to the southwest…

Big Hands is on “Me probation”. He got a little overly excited to meet another female medical volunteer earlier in the day.  We agreed to let a male drop off food and we traveled on.

I got to see my buddy! I know, I have a lot of friends out here on the streets. This guy is awesome. I’ve talked about his before. He’s the one who builds the really cool forts for people even though he has a hunched back and is all crippled up. It looks like extreme scoliosis. He’s a tiny dude, but so sweet. His son graduated as valedictorian of his high school. His son lives with other family members. Every time I see him, he’s always helping someone else. I got a care package together for him and helped him carry it back behind the building where he lived with his friend. That’s us in the picture.

I introduced myself to his friend. I told him that I had a team of doctors and nurses who were ready to help him with any of his medical needs. He definitely had that. He showed me his hands. On his right hand (I’ve never seen this before) the ends of his fingers were missing. Some fingers had two knuckles, some only one. He had a different remaining amounts left of each finger. I led him to the medic van. We waited for quite a while for him to be treated. When he was finished, the nurse came over to our van. She asked if we could give him an extra meal because his body desperately needed protein to heal.

When he came over to collect his wares, I helped him carry it back to the wet fort. A small campfire was smoldering a few feet away. He was so grateful for everything. I asked him what happened to his hand to make him look like a high school shop teacher.

He said, “Frost bite. I went to the hospital. It’s so cold out here. The morning is so cold. At night its so cold you can’t even sleep. You just wait for it to be morning, but it stays so cold. The mud is so cold. You never warm up. You just keep staying cold. My fingers… The pain… They turned blue, then purple, then black. The pain was so intense. I went to the hospital, but they would only give me ibuprofen. It didn’t help at all, so I left.”

Genuinely concerned, I asked him, “Well what did you do?”

He shrugged his shoulders and looked down into the mud puddle. “I cut it off myself. I just pulled at it until I ripped the dead parts of my fingers off.”

He said that to me casually. Like someone describing ripping off a hangnail.

I was very grateful for all the gloves we still had left to pass out.

I saw a man on crutches begging at an intersection. He doesn’t have feet. He is another veteran of the Vietnam War. He is a very kind man. He was excited about having a sleeping bag and a lantern.

We parked for a few minutes at a busy spot. We saw Andy! What a gift. We saw a friend of ours who is going into rehab today. He mom has successfully completed a rehab program recently. She looked great. I’m excited to see her daughter follow suit. I know they can do it. They can be free from the prison of addiction.

It’s a prison where the only key to get out is buried deep, deep, down, inside of yourself. The darkness inside of us is the scariest place in the whole world to be.

A beat up old red truck pulled up behind the medic van. A lady jumped out and talked to the medics. I approached her and asked how I could help. She informed me that her house burned down. She had nothing left. I got her food and hygiene, and Traci got her dressed warmly. Nice lady. Nice husband. I hope they end up okay.

We drove on. Found my Miss Betty Boop again. This time, five or six more people emerged from the shadows behind the house.

Of course, I saw my buddy, Milo the cat. He devoured 2 cans of cat food while we served people.

Miss Boop told me a story. She told me that someone who was staying in that abandoned burned up house where they all were, woke up in the morning with their arm around something big and warm. They assumed it was Milo, so they snuggled up to him and started to pet his back. That’s when they felt the big, long rat tail! Ah!

I asked Mr. Boop what was up with their apartment. He was embarrassed to tell me this, but he doesn’t like that element in their home. If they use, he would rather they come out there. At least he’s honest.

The next few people that wandered out were… well, let’s just say, I don’t think a drug addiction was the beginning of their problems. The first guy was kind of big. Not as big as Nick, but larger stature than most. We were struggling a bit to communicate. His body language was odd. Very guarded. Every time I tried to make eye contact; he would turn his entire body away from me. I could tell that the words he was using were adjacent to the ones he wanted to use. My experience says autism and perhaps a bit of a learning disability. I adjusted my approach. I stopped looking at him when I spoke. I kept arm’s length away instead of my usual huggee-lovey approach. He seemed less overwhelmed as I led him gently over to the clothes and coats.

Another man came out of the boarded-up house, then another couple.

One of the young girls was just batty. We meet some cranky people sometimes. We meet people who are fussy, complaining that we don’t have what they want, etc. It happens. This chick though. She is a special case. She freaks out when people hand her things. Yeah. Work with that. She is in a hyper state of defense mode about everything, every detail. She needed a coat. She was freezing. Traci handed her a new, thick, warm, fur lined winter jacket.

“I can’t wear that! I can’t wear purple!”

Traci told me that her arm is covered in bruises and rotted skin from necrosis. She fought about antibiotics. She fought about bandages. She even fought over taking vitamins. It was the stuff you see in mental hospitals. With her large glasses, and black hair in a top bun, she looked like some severe Wall Street lawyer.

There were abscesses aplenty at that one spot. Traci informed our friend that he needed to stay up on those. We’ve lost friends from untreated abscess wounds. He didn’t know that was possible. Now he does. Dear Lord.

It was late. No one was walking around in the rain. We hit up all our usual haunts. We made a collective decision between the teams to find my Widow and leave the rest in her area. She lives in the abandoned minivan with a thousand other people.

The medic van and Nick’s van pulled up alongside the mud lake lot. Another medic volunteer and I announced our presence to a black bag covering a window. I heard my precious Widow sweetly say she would be out in a moment.

Her boyfriend was out of jail. He looked pretty good, actually. He had a very worried look on his face. He had a new job to start in the morning. He really was praying hard that God would keep his head straight and lead him and the Widow out of this hellscape.

Nick looked him in the eye, man to man. He told him, “You can do this. Just don’t give up. Don’t ever give up. 15 years ago, I had nothing. Now I own my own business. You just can’t give up, and that’s how you’ll make it. You can do this.”

I saw the young lady I gave pepper spray to last week. I haven’t gotten a chance to really talk to her yet. She’s obviously a sex-worker. She always seems very busy, and not happy at her job though. She’s guarded. It’s cool. I’ve got time for her to come to me when she decides she’s ready.  

Jesus said to be a light on the table that draws people near it. The light pushes away the darkness, the unknown. The light is warm.

 Most importantly, the light doesn’t shine for itself.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

February 27, 2024

What a night! This one definitely was an adventurous one! Lots of laughter, and a few unfortunate tears. I went out with my best bro, Nick, again. We went to several stops. The weather was unbelievable. It was supposed to be a nasty storm on us last night, but the temperatures stayed in the 60’s, and nary a drop of rain. The warm weather meant more people were outside. More people rustling about, means a higher police presents. I think I saw more cops out last night then in the entire three years I’ve been doing outreach in Detroit.

As a matter of fact, they were stalking the first stop we went to. The whole situation there was queer. We pulled up in front of a house that was in a neighborhood that didn’t have many houses left standing. Most of the ones that were, were condemned. We happened to stop in front of a house that I would have assumed was condemned, but there were lights on. The first thing I heard from the leader of the medic team, was, “Stay in the vehicle. Do not engage with the person coming out.”

Dang.

I saw a man come out and approach the ambulance. He left the front door of his house open. I could see a man inside the house who was painting a large lotus flower on the wall. Like, a four foot tall lotus flower. Cool, but not common. Then I heard another update: “Cops at your 10. Be ready to leave quickly.”

So the cops turn on their lights and pull next to the ambulance. They talked to everyone on the medical team. They pulled out everything in the bag of food, and harm reduction equipment that the medics gave him, and laid it out on the hood of the cop car for inspection. Nick and I just sat silent and stared, grateful to be ignored. Next thing we knew, everyone was packed up, and we got out of that area as soon as possible.

Our next stop, we saw a woman walking alone. She was homeless and very hungry. She became excited over a purse with hygiene products and I had clean socks AND clean unders this week. Very big deal. She was so sweet and so tiny. As I was finishing up with her, I heard another woman hollering from across the road.

“Hey! You got food? I need food! You people got food left?” She walked straight towards me with a purpose.

“Yes, I do, sweetheart. I have plenty of homemade food right over here. Come get some. I’m so glad we saw you!”

I remembered this woman. She is a veteran of two armed forces. She can’t understand why her government threw her away after she gave her body over to their wars. No benefits. Just sacrifices in exchange for homelessness. I meet way too many homeless veterans. As an American, it’s embarrassing.

We drive on.

The next stop started off as a drive-by. We were at a red light. I saw a man holding a sign, so I grabbed a hygiene kit from behind the seat, and Nick passed it to him out the driver window. Then, we turned the corner. There were about four more people at different corners of the bridge intersection. We pulled over to the side and turned on the hazards while I served people food, then grabbed them a fresh, warm outfit, and a hygiene kit. Someone was pulled beside us at the light. He saw what we were doing and gave Nick a big thumbs up. Nick yelled out, “Thank you! Look up Magdalene’s Mission on line!”

Our next stop was a bridge on the express way. It was a very steep pitch. The trail of mud was only a few inches wide. The tent was expertly hidden. No one answered. Our leader sniffed for a dead body, but didn’t smell one. I left one meal, and five hygiene kits for when they returned.

The next stop was a lot. We went to a space in between two empty buildings. It’s where my darling Marilyn Monroe stays. I was helping the throng of people who came from everywhere. I needed Nick’s help. I was serving five people at once, and then more kept coming. He passed out food while I did clothes. One man was getting pushy and aggressive. He kept asking for things, and then reaching around and stealing them. The medic team had to step in, and get him away. It’s good to know that we all have one another’s back.

People poured out of every shadow. I had to pee so very badly. I drank a lot of coffee all day prepping for outreach. We were parked next to a gas station, but the man behind the counter said, No public restroom. I gave him pleading, sober, eyes. He was neither moved, nor phased by my stress.

The next stop was pretty exciting. We saw our favorite Harm Reduction outreach person, Andy!!!! We also met up with the incredible lady who has been working relentlessly to get our homeless friends into housing and off the sidewalk. I tried to use the restroom there, but the sign on the door said “NO”.

Nick found one of our very vulnerable ladies. He was so sweet as he led her over to me for help with clothes. She is mentally disabled. She talks very slowly, but she is the sweetest little thing. As soon as I got her all loved up, I looked up and saw another girl I know well.

It wasn’t that long ago that when I saw her, the side of her face was swollen the size of a softball, and was green and yellow from bruising. I got her to let the medical team take care of her. For me she would do it. This time, I took one look at her and she looked at me. I saw that both of her eyes were blacked out by the biggest bruises I’ve ever seen cover someone’s eye. I never saw a boxer look that bad after meeting Mike Tyson. I’m not exaggerating. As soon as we locked eyes, my arms flung wide open and we ran to each other. We hugged so tightly. I just kept rocking her in my arms saying, “No baby. No. No, no, no, baby. Oh Lord, please. Lord, please. Oh, my baby girl.” And I cried, then she cried. She told me that she went to the hospital emergency room this time. She promises to update me in a month when she gets out of rehab. If you pray, please pray for her. I’m crying as I type this.

We took care of many more people at that spot. We ended up rushing back to the place we just were to meet a patient. Another assault victim. I found a telephone pole down the alley. Relief.

I saw my Ms. GG, though! I didn’t recognize her at first, because she had her hood up. Then I heard her voice, and we ran up and gave each other a great, great, hug. She is feeling better now. The bad person who hurt has been removed from the area. She told me that the guy who beats girls up has been busy. She listed off at least four other women off the top of her head that have been attacked in the last few days. One of them was cut in the face badly. Another girl, she told me, was pistol whipped.

After that spot, we were cleaned out of meals, hygiene, and most of the clothes. It was definitely a productive, successful evening of outreach in Detroit.

Magdalene’s Mission is down to just under $40 until the Valentine’s Day Fundraiser money comes in. I’ve got the help I need to get grants written. You can pray for us for that to happen. As soon as it does, PEPPER SPRAY. Ms.GG says she would like to buy our girls tasers.

By the way, I finally used up all of the packed hygiene kits. They were a thousand hours of work saved for us. Buckle-up youth group! Im going to be hitting you up soon!

Last night was another beautiful example of using all the myriad of gifts that people have, and we put a little bit of everything together and we did GOOD.

I’m not exactly sure how we’re going to make it out next week. I do know for a fact that if God wants it to happen, it will.

Speaking of miracles- I took Maggie the Van to Hamburg Garage for an inspection. I’m still waiting for the bodywork appointment. March 25th. I knew that after the wreck she’d been in, it was dangerous to not get it looked over for safety before I took her out to Detroit again. The mechanics were shocked. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the suspension, tires, alignment is perfect. The only thing that she needed was repair to the body, an oil change, and she could use a new battery. The Stema’s got that. I got the oil change, because Maggie’s health is integral to Magdalene’s Mission.

So for next week, if I can make it out, we’ll be duct taping her back together and calling it good! I’ll hustle up some help for building new hygiene kits. If anyone would like to utilize their OCD, or autistic disposition to sort thousands of tiny hygiene items, contact me. Wen and Julie have been reliable to make sure people can eat one real meal a week. Clothes are never ending, but I’ll sort and pack an appropriate assortment for next week. It’s a lot of work. But it’s for so much good. When you have something inside of you, and you use it for good, the whole world gets brighter, One tiny spark of life at a time. Until one night, all I can see are the fireworks display of humanity.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Peace, Love & Hygiene Vol. 113

2/6/24

The adventure continues! I went back to  the car rental that loves us, Enterprise by the airport. When I walked up to the counter, the lady not only remembered me, but she said that she and the other employees were just speaking about us only a few minutes before. I watched white striped airplanes jump up and land around the tiny building while I waited.

The young man who helped me at the counter thanked me for what we do in Detroit. I gave the glory to God. I replied that it was a lot of people he moved through to make these miracles happen. I was grateful they went above and beyond for me. They are a part of it.

Then he led me to me awaiting chariot for the evening. Another perfect minivan. But before I left, he wanted me to know something important. He told me that he was a Christian, but that the other people that he worked with struggled with their faith. But when I came in two weeks ago and talked about Magdalene’s Mission, it gave them reason to believe that God is real and does good through us. That there were people who believed in the right things for the right reasons.

I told him, “Honey, I BELIEVE in Santa Clause. I KNOW there is a God. I think what gets in the way is the White Jesus believers trying to look good because they belong to the right club. But the Real Jesus was a rebel who loved on the least popular people the most. We only have to love each other, and people still find a way to get out of having to do it. Thank you for being on my side.”

God is good

All the time.

And all the time

God is good.

Traci’s daughter Lilli was a badass sidekick for the evening. She was warm, and engaging with every person.

Next order of business- The Bad Date List.

A friend of mine in Portland, Oregon mentioned that they have a list that sex workers can report men who were abusive or violent to a list that other sex workers can reference so that they can avoid those evil customers. I mentioned it to the SOT (Street Outreach Team). They said that several groups have a compiled cross-referenced list already available.

I said, “I’ve never heard of it. Are you sure our ladies have? Let’s bring it up.”

As a matter of fact, I did bring it up to a couple of lovely young ladies who were sex workers. They said they had never heard of it. We’re going to have to fix that.

I saw my Girl Who Reads. She has an apartment, but she keeps getting robbed. Her landlord is supposed to be helping her with that.

I saw my sweet smiling Widow. Her lame eye doesn’t look as bad anymore. Thank you medical team.

I saw the same guy eating out of a trash can again. Again, he was overwhelmed with joy that I gave him food.

I made cheesy tuna casserole out of leftover food donations. Mac n’ cheese, cream of mushroom soup, tuna, and peas. I didn’t have any milk or butter, but I had a case of mushroom milk. Weird, but perfect. A little bit of black pepper and BLAM! Warm comfort food for 35 people.

Wen and Sommer did their awesome job of making 50 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and packing them up with the other desserts brought by our food angel, Julie G.

One of my ladies begged me to make brownies again. Nothing was so good in this world as when I bring out homemade brownies.

That last spot was a new spot. We had a swarm of people from every direction. We cleaned through all of the food, all of the blankets, the coats, the clothes, and every last hygiene kit, with people begging for more.

Lilli and I waited for the medical team to finish before we pulled away for the night. People kept coming up to the windows begging for anything. All I had were empty totes, and one white jacket that no one would take because it was bright white. No one can keep clothes clean. It would be a waste of a pretty jacket, they all said.

We made a lot of people happy last night. We delivered keys to self-preservation and hope. I prayed over people. I let people pray over us. I learned about a new way to keep our working ladies safe. I learned of a new place where I can help many people at one time. A few I recognized, a few I didn’t.

When I opened the doors on the van, people came out of shadows from every direction. There was one tiny lady who approached me first but was getting shoved out of the way by more desperate or aggressive people. So, as I was getting things for others, I kept putting stuff just for her in a bag. Then I grabbed her a fat hygiene kit and extra food. She was standing several feet away from the van as the mass of outreached hands surrounded the van. I broke away from the throng and took it to her.

“Here you go sweetheart. I SEE you. You are precious. God SEES you, and I see you. You will not be forgotten or walked over on His watch. Not while He’s using me. 

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

1/23/24

The theme for this week is chutes and ladders.

I decided to rent a vehicle for the night.  I went with Enterprise Rental at the Ann Arbor Airport. What a wonderful, serendipitous, decision that was! I got a good deal on a compact SUV, but there was a hiccup at the last minute with my credit card. I told a kind woman at the counter, Q, that I would be right back. I said a little prayer, then got on the phone and went outside to come up with another plan. I hadn’t even walked twenty feet away yet, when she stopped me.

“Ma’am, we have an alternate vehicle that you can rent with your debit card! It’s a van. I hope that will work for you. It does cost a little less though!”

That. That right there is why I cannot be convinced that Magdalene’s Mission is not blessed by God.

We loaded it up with your thoughtful donations of coats, and blankets. Traci and I packed all the bags and backpacks with hats, gloves, and socks, in addition to a hygiene kit, sweater or sweatshirt, candy, and snacks. It was nice.

We only went to 3 places last night. The van was nearly empty after about an hour and a half.  Please, allow me to share this intense evening with you.

The first stop we went to was on a busy street. We were there for the medical team, but it’s one of the places where we get swarmed with a lot of homeless people. The very first 2 ladies we saw came running up to us begging for a warm coat.

I was passing out coats and clothes. Traci was busy passing out food. Then we switched.  We must have seen at least 25 people over the course of an hour. Everything  was running smoothly. I even got to see a couple of my favorite people. One of them was my Angel!

She was doing okay.  She’s been staying away from trouble. She even has a job! The store owner is letting her keep her belongings in a locked area on the property. She is allowed to sleep in the alley behind the store if she keeps herself neat and discreet. She confessed that she was still living outside. She was in touch with the housing specialists, but these things take time, and she hasn’t heard back in a while. I gave her a tent and blankets.

She was dumbfounded by her good fortune. She admitted that she hadn’t been in that area for a few weeks. By the time we were done, she had a large, cumbersome load to try and manage down the dark icy sidewalk. I offered her a ride, and we all thought that was great.

We got her to her new spot. I prayed for her and told her how proud of her I was.  We traded numbers again and promised to keep in touch.

That counts as 2. The third place we went to was right behind that place. The teams were waiting together for a moment when Traci, called out, “It’s GG!”

I jumped out of the van with her, and we went to work making sure she was hooked up. GG loves her hygiene kits. She is a wisp of a woman, so we always make sure she eats.

She was her usual self in the way she was happy to see me. But she wasn’t her usual self. She was shaking, distracted. We kept asking if she felt alright. Did she need medical attention?

“No. I’m just stressed.” Ms. GG told me.

I put gloves on her tiny hands, one at a time. I asked her, how was she doing?  Was she still in the same place? Who would have the audacity to stress out my Ms. GG?

She told me, “I turned the light off to go to sleep. Then he turned it on. Then I turned it off. When he turned it on again, he had a pistol pointed at me!”

I grabbed her and held her close to me as she wept into my leather jacket. I prayed over her, for her, and beside her with every drop of Love in my entire soul. After I said Amen, I heard a few other “amens”.

I looked up and opened my eyes. The medical team was already nearby. These people are the real angels out there with me. I asked her if she would allow the medical team to offer her a test for STI. She agreed. Then I went back to the van, and I wept.

I turned around and looked to see what was left. We were out of food. 50 sandwiches are a lot of sandwiches, but when it’s all the food we had, it went fast. The blankets and backpacks were on bodies who were genuinely grateful. We found a worthy home for our tent. My good friend has a job! She’s climbing that long ladder off the street.

As one of the nurses put it, “So often we get a chance to see the absolute best in people. Then sometimes, we have to deal with the absolute worst in them, too.”

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Peace, Love & Hygiene: Vol. 110

So cold. Cold to where it felt like a lead blanket of dry ice was smothering you. All of our muscles would clench to our icy bones the second we stepped out of the vehicle.

We started the day at 5 am. Traci and I went to a workshop for volunteers to learn about how to treat hypothermia and wounds with massive bleeding. We even got our Stop The Bleed certificates! We came home after a few hours, picked up the food, and finished the last of the prepping to go. Traci is smart. She took a nap.

We have the most wonderful, and thoughtful donors. As Traci was getting into the Comella’s van when I picked her up to leave, her neighbor, Lynn, from across the street had an extra coat, blanket, and clothes to add. The roads were clearing up, but we saw a lot of accidents all over the roads the whole way down there. 

There was a pastor at the meet up spot. He prayed for our warmth and safety. He told us that our job probably wouldn’t be much fun that night, with the below freezing temperature and all.

I easily replied, “It’s better than sitting at home worried and wishing I could do something about it.”

He smiled, and nodded.

There was a good group of volunteers out last night. The Stanbulance was back on the road. First, one client on the east side, then off to southwest,

We parked in front of a hotel. An older woman came running out of the alley. She was desperate for food and freezing cold.  

Second stop, we were still on the east side. Traci and I got her survival supplies together while she was being treated. While we waited, I saw a stray black long-hair cat, and I fed him a can of cat food.

Next, we precariously drove along Highway 96 until we stopped under certain bridges where people actually lived. Most of the places were empty. I hope that’s because they found a warmer place. It was scary watching the volunteers scale the slick slopes. 

Back on the southwest side, we drove up and down the boulevards searching for familiar faces, and secret hiding spots.

We found Girl Who Reads! She is still in housing and doing okay. I’m going to get her address soon and bring her some household items, and books, of course. 4 or 5 more people came out and we were able to get food in tummies, gloves on hands, and blankets on bodies. 

Next, we checked out behind a power box next to a building.

We parked behind a strip club for a while while volunteers scoped out forts beneath bridges. 

Then another couple we recognized who were walking around in sandals and bare feet.

Then down another dark alley behind a large church. An older man had a little fort built back there. We even saw a campfire.

We saw another homeless woman walking alone, and we were able to get her in a safer way. She asked me for help getting into rehab, so I pointed her to the Stanbulance. A couple of people were served as well.

Finally, we went to an abandoned building. There were a few people in there that had gotten in contact with the medical team. It looked like a clean place, just no lights, or heat. There was a lot of gratitude for the blankets and food. But, the item that was extra crucial were flashlights. Sunset is 5:30. We pack a lot of neat stuff in those Mag Bag’s, but what good is it if no one can see what’s inside of it! 

I fed another stray cat.

It was funny, because we gave a flashlight to one girl who lived there and we could see the beam of light move through the room.  A few minutes later, everyone else came out for flashlights, too. White light sabers pierced the black windows across the street.

A man came out asking for pants. Traci didn’t have any men’s pants left. As she was standing over the clothes in the back of the van, she told the man to come closer.

“Look, I don’t want to embarrass you, but here is a pair of womens leggings. Put them on under the pants you have on and that will keep you warm.”

He smiled shyly, then thanked her for her discretion and compassion.

It was late, we were running low on food, but mostly, we were exhausted and I still had an hour drive home. We left the remaining food with the other outreach team. They still had a couple of more hours to go. 

It was the coldest night of the year. It was the coldest night of the winter. Being outside for even a few minutes at a time felt like torture to the body. We imagined what it would be like if there was no respite. No warm van to shiver back to. 

That is the power of your donations. We saved lives tonight. I was privileged enough to be a useful part of God’s plan. God put it all together, we just had to show up and follow through.

Show up.

Follow through.

Just like the Detroit Lions.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

This is another report that took me a couple of days before I could talk about it. I’m glad I waited. This mission…. Challenges, blessings, and how to combine them.

Between the weeks when Maggie got wrecked and I could make it back to Detroit, (GOD BLESS AND KEEP THE COMELLA’S! Thank you for letting me borrow your van for the night) – 7 people died. 2 people had died just in the last two days. Exposure and overdoses. I’m not starting the winter season on a successful note. We won’t give up.

We started our rounds on the East side of Detroit. The first person we came across was a pretty, young woman, walking alone down the street. She looked so young. She was ecstatic to see an outreach ambulance. I watched her through my windshield talk to the medical team. I saw a nurse point to the Comella’s van. Then I saw this girls whole face light up. She yelled out, “It’s my birthday! It’s my birthday! Oh, thank God for you! I am so, so, hungry!” She didn’t own a warm jacket. We gave her a long, wool coat from Angela. She was so happy to keep warm. We loaded her up with food, and a survival backpack. Katie Nolan loaded us up with candy and sweet treats. Merry Christmas. The sugar is potential body heat. 

The medical team gave this precious young lady a ride back to the abandoned house she lived in. She brought out a couple of other people who lived in the same abandoned house. Maybe there were other abandoned buildings they lived in, I don’t know for sure. But we had at least 10 people come up to the van sweetly waiting to be offered food. Julie G and her cronies made those awesome backpacks, as well as drawstring bags of nonperishable, ready to eat foods. Thanks to Cathy, Chelsea, Paula, and a couple other thoughtful people, we had plenty of warm blankets to pass out. Smiles were so bright, I could have lit up the entire East coast if you could put a smile in a wire. 

Things I love to hear: “Do you have feminine hygiene in those bags?” 

Because I can say, “YES! You do!”

Funny things I hear: “Do you guys have hot dogs?”

I felt happy to be there for people. People were happy. 

The next stop was extra special. We went to where my Great Grandma Lady lives! (We’ll call her Ms. GG) She is still getting medical services from the Stanbulance. I love that medical team. Several senior citizens came out of that house. It had lights on. That’s good. They were all so tiny and skinny and hobbling about. Bald heads and broken hips crowded around the side. They ate well that night. Everyone can keep clean. We fitted everyone with a suitable winter coat. Ms GG already had one from the last time we saw her. She was very sad though. Her nephew had just died the day before. I think it was the only time she didn’t come over to hug me in the 3 years we have known her. 

We drove around for another hour or so from tarp to tarp, to cardboard signs, and to huddles in doorways, until we were out of sandwiches and hygiene kits.

Then we lugged our way back to Whitmore Lake. I crashed hard that night. 7 people.

Also, when I got to Detroit, I texted my Grandmother. My Grandfather is not well. Trigeminal neuralgia, and he already deals with dementia as well.

Plot twist!

This is how it’s going to work for… a while, or so-

I have to go to Florida. My grandparents need me. My grandparents practically raised me, so being there for them is non-negotiable. But it’s okay. God loves Magdalene’s Mission. I have the phenomenal Ms. Wen who has sandwich building under control. Julie G is keeping sandwiches in our friends tummies with her donation. I have hundreds of hygiene kits made up by the People’s Church youth group. The clothing situation gets resolved this weekend. Everything that isn’t useful for a homeless person will be donated to Purple Heart. Wen is driving it out there for us.

Monday is my husband Sean’s birthday. Now it’s also early Christmas for the Donldson’s. 

Avalon goes out with the medical team the second Tuesday of the month.

Traci will go out to Detroit on Tuesday nights without me until I get back. 

I’m probably leaving Wednesday. I don’t know how long I will be gone. As long as I’m needed, I guess.

But I never fear (for long). I know that I will be okay. Always.

Traci is still going to need gas money. I’ll push donations her way. If you were waiting for a time to offer your skills- wait no more. The time is here. You are now. We, as a species, are healing our hurt spots to make the society as a whole better for everyone. Check the stats for Detroit for proof of it. I can’t fix most of the problems in the world. But I will do everything I can to be a help and not be a hindrance where I can.

I’m going to use the time to publish a book of the Peace, Love & Hygiene reports. I can put time into maybe even getting us a grant, like the big kids doing non-profits have. 

Honestly, I rather enjoy my little grassroots, out of my garage, held together by the hands of a lot of little church ladies from churches all over Michigan, and anybody who just feels moved to do a useful thing, idea. 

I am one very small person. But I can do a lot of good things. I know a lot of little people with big hearts and wise heads. So I invest in their potential.  And from that, we watch miracles happen.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit!

Amen!

This is Thanksgiving this week, so the theme for this week will be, Grateful. Magdalene’s Mission was grateful for the donations we had this week. Julie G and her team put together 40 or so backpacks filled with everything we could ask for to help our fellow humans. We had a bounty of blankets, thanks to my beloved friends, Chelsea Woods and the unstoppable, Cathy Mazur. I even made hot cocoa because I know it’s getting cold out.

The city was already pitch night by the time Traci and I got to Detroit. We drove up and down the boulevards with our stoic street outreach co-volunteers. This weeks special guest was a veterinarian. A lot of homeless dogs partner up with homeless people. Cats are always important to keep nearby as well. They protect us from vermin.

We found a tarp tied to a fence. A person was living under it. We went to a box laying beside the expressway. The person who lived in it wasn’t home. We checked on the guy who built a genius fortress inside the buttress beneath a bridge on the expressway. He wasn’t home, but it was cool to show it off to some of the new volunteers. We helped a man with crutch. He lived in an abandoned house. He was extremely grateful to own a flashlight.

We had to see my Grandma Lady. She isn’t doing well, health wise again. Traci took care of several people while we waited for her to be treated.

While we were waiting, I got to my Mama Bear! She looked better than I have seen her in years. She was out of rehab, She was grateful for a clean and sober mind. She looked like was taking care of herself. She had roses on her cheeks, and beads on her wrists. She was all smiles.

The next stop was so awesome. I got to see that pit bull puppy I gave Ripley’s leash to last week. I don’t know why I didn’t notice before, but she only has three legs. She remembered me! We cuddled and snuggled for a few minutes. Her person needed to spend some time with the medical team, so I told him I would keep her safe until he was done. I ended up letting her warm up in the front seat of my car for a while until he was done, and the medical team was trying to leave. She looked up at me with her shiny gold eyes. We love one another so very much. That’s her picture at the top of he report.

We found a few more people who we were glad to help. We made a few new friends, and ran into a few old ones. A young man asked me to please pray over him. I did. For a grand finale, I got to see my Widow who sits. She’s living in an abandoned vehicle right now. It’s better than some of the other places she’s been since I met her. She has as much unlimited resilience as she does pure sweetness. I love her, too. We are both grateful for our friendship.

I am grate for Traci, and how she is all-in for Magdalene’s Mission. She’s never ready to give up. She doesn’t give up on the Mission, or on our homeless friends on the street of Detroit. And she doesn’t give up on me, either.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Good morning beautiful people! This weeks post actually covers the last few weeks. There were two weeks that I went to Detroit and couldn’t even talk about it when I got back. Last night was my and Traci’s By week. Avalon goes out with the medical team and passes out food, clothes, and other survival resources. That was a good thing. I needed time off to think. I was ready to close down Magdalene’s Mission for good. When I say, for good, I mean for the good of my sanity.

Here are the notes. Then I’ll explain my reasons. Then, there will be a lists of events in response. Have I ever expressed how crazy this Ministry is, and we operate on chaos and miracles?

3 weeks ago- First stop, east side. Young girl and toothless guy. Police stopped and asked us if we were alright. I told them we were a non-profit. They said “Cool.’ and drove away. We are giving them a little of everything. The girl has a medical need. The Stanbulance is a mini van this week.

Alternatives For Girls just drove by. I swear they stalk us.

The medical team are symphony of finely tuned instruments of medicine and compassion.

A train whistle blows in the distance. They walk away smiling. The angels pack their wares and take notes. No one lost or left behind.

Next stop, people begging on a bridge. Feeding. Healing wounds. The Moon approves.

“Thank you guys. Bless you guys. God bless you guys for what you do. You ae wonderful.” I wanted to pass that along.

Fire trucks and sports cars off in the distance.

Two Spanish speaking men. The first three guys keep coming back for more things. The Spanish men are using their cell phones to communicate with the nurse.

PLH v104, I went to Detroit. Passed stuff out. Came home. The end.

People were so desperate and needy that night. I couldn’t give anyone enough. I was exhausted. I was scraped out by the time I came home. I couldn’t even write about it.

Next week, Traci and I went to Detroit for Halloween. You read all about it.

Last week. Last week I came home and I wanted to quit. I was up and starting to work on outreach by 8 am. Around noon, Traci’s cold was so bad she could’ make it out. Without a third person, my People’s volunteer couldn’t come with me. So I did everything from start to finish by myself. I made 35 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I would have made more, but 2 loaves of bread had went moldy. I packed up lunches, I prepped 40 hygiene kits. I packed clothes, blankets, cat food, flashlights and pepper spray. I got everything ready and made it to Detroit. I had a couple of the other volunteers ride around with me.

First stop, a crowd of hungry people.

Second stop, we went to the place where the Hobbits used to live. There is another couple living in that same spot. They are sober and trying to get back into functioning society starting with nothing. From what I could hear, some agencies are more useful than others. There is a housing resource specialist that comes out with us all the time now. We can thank her in our prayers for the multitudes of people who won’t freeze to death outside this winter. They went so far as to get permission from the property owner to temporarily be there as long as they take care of the area. Don’t attract attention, or leave a bunch of trash laying around. They are wonderful people. I look forward to seeing them reclaim their humanity.

I found out that my Brothers are out of the abandoned factory and live in a real apartment now.

The people who lived behind the one factory have been cleared out. They are still in the same area. We just have to find out where the new hide outs are. We always do. My buddy, Skater Dude, He is super smart. He builds and uses science a lot. He would be scary successful if you put him in a college classroom. He built a heating system derived from used pipes and hand sanitizer. and had it safely set up in a fort that he built out of abandoned pieces of boards and drywall, box spring, etc. The cat came in and somehow knocked the lit part over. The hand sanitizer caught fire and the fire spread through the whole inside of the fort and outside as well. He got it put out. But he was starting from scratch rebuilding a safe environment to live in for himself and a couple of other guys who are nice guys but aren’t clever in the way he is. They would freeze to death without Skater Dude. We argue over music sometimes. He claims that Bauhaus is quintessential to Goth music. I claim that Robert Smith and The Cure out-Goth Peter Murphy and Bauhaus all night and every time. Robert Smith is the true King of Goth music. Then we laugh and hug it out, because nothing really matters.

A few more people, then we were at my last stop of the night. It’s a busy spot. I cleaned out of food rather quickly. After I was cleaned out of food, a man in a hoodie came up and asked for help. I told him I just ran out of food. He immediately transformed into a small child. “But they said you had food! I’m so hungry!” Then he walked slowly over to the curb. He sat down, put his head in his hands and cried.

I wanted to leave. I needed to wait. The vehicles don’t like to travel alone. That’s how someone got held up at gun point one night. The guy in the house across the street was outside on his balcony waving a gun at them earlier.

Then, I saw HER. She stumbled towards the van in a dramatic ‘S’ path. She walked as straight as a snake. She’s usually about as friendly, too. That night , she was in a silly mood. She walked up to van, joking around. But she also had food in her hand. It was falling out of her mouth and inside the van through my rolled down passenger side window.

When I told her I was out of food, she threw her head back and wailed. I told her there was no more clothes to go through and shrew threw herself down in a fit in the middle of the road. I rolled up my van window, and drove back to Whitmore Lake without pause. When I came home that night, I didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t like the way I felt.

That’s what happened. Here’s how it worked out:

I called on my sisters for advice. They told me to follow my gut. My instincts are good. My logic was solid. Traci was not supportive of tearing down MM. No, no, no. Friday November 17 will be the 3 year anniversary of Magdalene’s Mission. It is the day we officially became a company. I still don’t have a facility to operate from that isn’t my tiny house. I’m still buried under clothes. The garage sale was a disaster. The storage units are an absolute cash drain. My husband has been paying for car insurance on the van for years. Last couple of weeks, I paid for gas myself so we could have food and water. My garage is a nightmare. I’m sure my land lady hates it. I haven’t written a grant. I can’t. I can’t even hire or find a grant writer. Every lead fizzles. I’m operating a full-time non-profit that requires infrastructure and a full-time staff. But I don’t have either of those things. I have a version of that that we make do with.

What am I even doing? What would make me think I should be doing this? It’s not even MY thing. This is all God’s thing, and I was just a chauffeur.

Naturally, prayer and meditations followed. I tried something a little new this time. I didn’t ask God for and answer or a sign. That’s rude. God isn’t my puppy. His grace follows faith. If you start demanding evidence, it ruins the whole deal. I was thinking of really awesome other things I could do with my time, my garage, and my basement, other than store stuff for other people. But something in my heart knows that what I do with and for these homeless people in Detroit is significant. We’ve done so much, but I feel we are still in the beginning of our journey. love the feeling of purpose that this gives me. I don’t want to work for other people. It always ruins it. I’ve got a great method. I’m just…

I kept my mouth shut and my eyes open. I’m in love with the book of James right now. James was Jesus’ brother. It was the first testament written after Jesus was crucified. He wrote it only a few years later.

James 1:19 19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

Therefore, I shut up and listened to what the universe had to say. I watched for signs, but I didn’t beg for them. I prayed for open eyes, ready to receive. I sat back and waited for it. I decided that I was disappointed because I hadn’t lived up to the dream I had for myself. My dream is good, but what I’m doing already is enough. It’s perfect. I keep learning the lessons of how companies get too big, It becomes hyper-regulated and a dehumanized method of supporting machines and systems instead of humans who it the system was created by and for. So maybe I’ll just focus on food and hygiene. Later that day the husband of a woman who attends Christian Community Church in Sterling heights dropped off four cases of feminine hygiene products, and two large boxes of snack food. The youth groups at People’s are going to rock out hundreds of hygiene kits for me today. Traci’s client Julie Grandquiste is keeping us stocked up on peanut butter jelly and bread, at the moment. Now what about those darned clothes? God had a plan. God’s got more plans than the A Team.

Last Thursday, Traci and her sister Jillana, met a woman who owns a 2nd hand store in downtown Brighton. it’s called Grace & Whimsy- Sustainable Resale. If Traci loves anything, she loves to talk about Magdalene’s Mission. She has opened up so many doors by just being herself. It just so happens that the store owners non-profit is focused on keeping clothes out of landfills! How crazy cool is that?!?! She is going to take ALL of our unusable clothes. Finally.

Yesterday, Traci and I used our outreach time to go to Dan’s house, empty out his garage and drive it across the street to the storage unit. Technically, my best bro Nick had to let us borrow his van because the battery died in Maggie.

Can anyone help attach a rear view mirror? A deer hit my car a few weeks ago. Mouse ordered me another one, but I can’t figure out how to get it on.

I don’t know how to introduce this next part, other than, “Look what I found while studying the Bible that you may have forgotten about”

James 1:27- ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 2:14-26 Faith and Deeds

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder….

… ²⁴ You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

And a favorite:

John 15:12- ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

So for those reasons, Magdalene’s Mission marches on. I’ll keep making peanut butter and jelly or banana sandwiches. The youth group will keep me stocked up on hygiene kits. I’ll keep collecting blankets, flashlights, pepper spray, coats, boots, practical clothes and socks. I just won’t store overages anymore.

I can handle that. That is what I do well.

Its time for me to head to church. I have Jets Pizza from Hartland Jets to deliver to a bunch of hungry middle and high schoolers. They’re going to pack hundreds of hygiene kits for me in just a couple of hours. I can handle that.

I couldn’t pull off the dream I had and I was very disappointed in myself because I believed I was not being effective enough.

But then I remembered Ephesians 2:10 ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

And so,

That’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Happy Halloween!!! The spirits were definitely upon us in Detroit tonight! The spirits of Hope, Faith, and Peace were with us in powerful ways. I am continuously in awe of the human spirit, and prolific effect God can have come from the smallest of offerings. Let me tell you where Traci and I followed our stoic medic team to on this this crisp Halloween evening through Detroit.

We started out on the east side. It was one of those neighborhoods that doesn’t look like anyone should live there, but in a few of the houses they actually do. Many were torn down by now, but a few charred skeletons remained. One house in particular perplexed me. The windows were all boarded up, but there were motion lights hooked up to the front porch. Odd things we see, I suppose.

The medical team were awesome and inspiring tonight. They had a few different people who needed desperate care. They were the ones who walked into houses haunted by despair.The were brave enough to engage someone else’s nightmare. Magdalene’s Mission had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, granola bars, fruit and a hygiene kit for a treat. That brought a lot of smiles. Thank you, Julie and Mary,

From there, were traversed back to the southwest side. It was a peaceful night. We saw some kids in costumes. The weather was still cold, but it hadn’t started snowing yet. Someone left a box of hand warmers in the donation closet at people’s church. Thank you so much. You were a direct answer to peoples prayers. I love that about Magdalene’s Mission.

Sometimes, we get donations of really nice stuff. I often have had people tell me that I should sell the items worth money and use it to buy more useful items for the homeless. I won’t do it though. I like giving really nice stuff to people who would otherwise not have the opportunity to own that particular item. I have this radical belief in extreme altruism. I learned how to perfect it by studying about Jesus,

Mathew 26:6-13

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9“ This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, ^a but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

We took care of a few different homeless people that we saw alongside the road. We saw a couple who were standing at different corners of an intersection begging for change. We did a u-turn and pulled over to help them. It was a young man and a young woman. They were relieved to see us. After speaking with the medical team, the lady was directed to come see the white van. I gave her a hug, and invited her to come over and get what she needed. As we were talking to her, we discovered that she was pregnant! She and her boyfriend were sober. They had graduated from recovery months ago, but still couldn’t get off the street. They were trying to find a place to live before the baby is born. I told her about the housing specialist, and she was thrilled. The medical team offered her a variety of resources, and made sure she was receiving prenatal care.

While we were there, I saw my Girl Who Reads! I had a special gift for her this week. My dearest friend and author, Robin Moyer, gave me signed copies of her Journey To Jakai book series. In addition to that, she gave me a Nora Roberts novel to give her. It’s always a treat to see her, to. I am so proud of them both. They never give up.

The next man we saw, thank you. Thank you. He lives in hidden fort. He was starving and freezing when the medic team directed us to him. He was a frail wisp of a man. Robin had also given me a new, LL Bean winter coat that she had inherited. She could have sold it and bought a nice dinner. I could have sold it and bought a few cheaper jackets. But we gave it to him instead. He put the coat on over the lightweight hoodie he was wearing. He started to shake, and then he wept. He wept and said, I love you, you saved my life, over and over again. We also gave him a nice sleeping bag and some hand warmers to go with the rest of the basics.

I think they deserve a bit of beauty just for not giving up. You never know.

Our last stop of the evening cleaned us out the rest of the way. Men and women of all ages surrounded the big white van in minutes. One lady in particular was extra glad to see us. Her mother is a lady that Traci and I have been worried about for weeks. She used to live in that neighborhood. Then her husband died. it only took a few weeks for her to be on the street with the very same people she was always trying to help. The last time we saw her she was with her daughter who died a couple of hours later. Her other daughter reported that the Mama Bear was getting better now She was safe. That’s mostly what we prayed for her.The Daughter thanked us. Tears trickled down her soft, bony cheeks, Traci held her gently as she cried. Poor thing.

For the faux fur coat, it made that girls face light up the entire street to put it on. For the hand warmers, they were worth more than the finest perfume. For the purse that I gave The Daughter, it offered her the priceless comfort of a good friend. Until society evolves to a post-scarcity level, we probably will always have the poor. But we won’t always have the opportunity to be a good friend to our fellow human.

Tonight, we carried that spirit of friendship with us to everyone we met.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Tonight was a wonderful and joyous evening. Things started off a little rough, but the end of the journey was pretty much as perfect as it could be. Isn’t that the goal for most of us?

Our first stop was a pretty popular one. We unloaded more than half our wares on the one curbside. 

I got to see my Great-Grandma! She was in good spirits, but since her health crisis a little while ago, she hasn’t had quite the same spunk she used to. We exchanged, “I love you”’s. She is so independent. We helped a couple of random people on the side of the road. Lots of love, lots of hope and blessings.

We met a charming young man. He was a lot of fun to help and serve. We laughed a lot, too. He gave Traci the nickname, “Little T”. He said my name  was “Kaykay” from now on. A pair of ladies succeeded at sneaking off with a bag of women’s clothing. I’m sure they needed it.

We saw a couple who we hadn’t seen in quite some time. It was my Betty Boop and her husband! They are so adorable. The reason I hadn’t seen them in a few months was because they are no longer homeless. They moved into housing! They have a little apartment together. They are working on getting it put together a little at a time. Mr. Boop is starting a new job for a cleaning company. He is very proud of their progress. When I saw Betty from across the parking lot, Traci yelled out her name, and she came running and squealing with joy.   

At the last stop of the night, we followed the Street Outreach Team into a gas station parking lot. A couple came from across the intersection, slowly at first. Then Traci said, “It’s Our Girl Who Reads!”

I jumped out of the van. She picked up pace and sprinted straight towards me with her arms wide open. We hugged for the longest time. We just kept repeating how much we loved and missed one another. I worry about her. She’s so tiny.

It just so happens that she is also into her own apartment!I have an old bookcase. I want to fill it up with books and deliver it to her. Come to find out, Nora Roberts is her favorite author. 

There is another housing resource specialist coming out with the Street Outreach Team now. She is amazing and quick, too. I noticed that she spent a long time talking to every person we met. We went to quite a few stops of one person here, another person there, sometimes a crowd, and she was available to everyone.

I am enthralled with the bounty of success I get to hear about each week. I am proud to tell you that our system is working. We’ve prayed for this. It was a crazy prayer. It was ludacris to believe that so many people would get off the street, into rehab, into affordable housing, and be a part of a vital community.

It would be preposterous for me to move forward with a business plan where the financial budget be: 

“Whatever people give us will be perfect, because God will always be sure of it.”. If that model actually worked, that would be an example of functional insanity.

But it does work. 

It only took 2 chicks crazy enough to follow Jesus’ example literally.

But we did do it.

And you believed it, too.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

#magdalenesmission   #peaceloveandhygiene

The theme for this report is “We are not fighting alone”. Traci and I didn’t go to Detroit last Tuesday. We stayed back to allow room for another nonprofit group to go out and help our homeless, vulnerable friends. I have had some amazing help from some unexpected places this past week. Magdalene’s Mission, and the work of the good, are in full-swing. 

The Community Christian Church Pantry in Sterling Heights offered us a generous donation of some healthy snacks to put in our lunches. It’s a major boon to our food program. An infinitely kind couple brought it to us.

Yesterday, I met up with a woman out in South Lyon. Her mother had grown up poor in Tennessee. Appalachian Poor is a whole other level below what you think of as poverty. She told me through tears how happy her mother would be to know that her possessions were a gift to someone who was in need, and not just taking up space in a landfill. I was able to console her by letting her know that those blankets would be warming up cold shoulder in just a few days’ time. That the gratitude would be beyond belief. That her moment of compassion would save many lives.

The name of the group going out on the 2nd Tuesdays of the month now is Avalon. I love these people and how much help they offer to our women friends. They will be bringing not only food and clothing, but cell phones, access to medical care after sexual assault, resources that help women help themselves out of a dangerous life. The following personal story about them is pretty severe. 

I first heard of Avalon from Andy. I received a phone call at 3 a.m. once, a while ago. It was a homeless friend of ours from the east side. He told me that his girlfriend (an absolute sweetheart of a young lady) was out “working” that evening, when a customer attacked her violently at knife point. He then put her in the trunk of his car and told her that he was taking her to another location to kill her and dispose of her body. She bravely found a way to escape, and after a few hours was able to make it back to her boyfriend. He didn’t know what to do for her because she needed help, badly, but she was afraid of having to deal with the police. Could I please help them?

I texted Andy and he told me about Avalon. That they are true advocates for women and what they truly need, regardless of the circumstances. Those are the people who will be coming out with the medical outreach team the second Tuesday of each month. That will be a catch up week for us, and a beautiful gift for some of our friends.

The second group we were able to work alongside this week is a pretty exciting story. A couple of years ago when I was out in Detroit doing street outreach for Magdalene’s Mission, I met a woman who told me that she was going to open a homeless shelter in Detroit. When she did, I told her to get a hold of me and I would help her out if I could. She seemed like a determined lady, but you never know. About a month ago she called to tell me that she had her place, it’s called Angel House. It’s a shelter for men who are transitioning from the street into a stable, self-sufficient life. We were able to provide her with sheets, towels, kitchenware, canned food, and some hygiene supplies.

And my baby Sissy, Jennifer, saved someone last week! She told me that she saw a girl on the side of the road with a very descriptive sign. After pulling over to talk to her, she discovered that the young woman was homeless because her parents had kicked her out of their home. She had revealed to them she was gay, and so they disowned her.

Jennifer bought her some food from Walmart. It was raining out. The girl was wearing a long sleeve shirt, but took off her hooded jacket so that she would have something dry to wear later. Jennifer literally gave her the coat off her back. She gave her the number to a resource she knew in Lansing, Punks With Lunch. They are an amazing nonprofit that helps the homeless as well. 

There are innumerable examples of the worst of humanity. They are easy to come by. I’m here to represent what we are capable of being. We are a strong, resilient, altruistic species. I’m going to keep doing all the good you beautiful people have set me up to do.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

We did it, folks! Tonight was full of great news. We made it to Detroit and we made a difference for other humans’ survival. We met a whole new crop of people for most of the evening. I noticed especially a lot of seniors who were out with their children. The medical volunteers were busy tonight. Traci was happily passing out clothes and food to people. We had a couple of medical volunteers nearby to field for any health concerns. 

I made 50 peanut butter and banana sandwiches to pass out. We have a local church who has offered us bread and peanut butter every other week now. That will add a significant stability to our food program.

Our first stop was to check on a very young woman who looked like she might have been in a precarious situation. It turns out she was okay, but her grandmother was in need of serious medical attention. Many more homeless and starving people crept out from behind the burned out houses. Most of them were middle-aged to seniors. There were a lot of requests for shoes tonight. We were out of them by our second stop. 

The second stop we parked at was to find a woman who needed medical attention. She found us, and her daughters were there to help her along as well. The first thing I heard her yell was, “Don’t try and take me to the hospital! I’m not going to any dang hospital!”

A volunteer asked her if she needed medical attention. 

“I’m pretty certain I need erythromycin or an antibiotic.” was her reply.

While she was being helped by the medical volunteers, we helped the other random homeless people who were walking by. One was a lady pushing a big shopping cart without much in it. We offered her something to eat. She was famished. I heard her mention that it was a shame to be a homeless veteran. She was a veteran twice over, she then named two branches of the military. I heard a volunteer say that he can get her into housing in two weeks if she’s a vet! That’s one more off the street!

We made a few more random stops to some bridges, and vacant lots where people were hiding out, trying not to get caught trying to live. We passed out a lot of sandwiches and granola bars to a lot of hungry people. I was able to pack a dose of Narcan into every hygiene bag, because you never know who you might run into.

Our last stop of the night was more like a grand finale. Remember my Angel Girl? She was the one who got her bachelor’s degree but she’s still homeless with a bunch of crazy drug addicts. I gave her my card, but my phone number was printed wrong. I had not seen again until tonight. My heart sang with joy. She was the first person I got out of the van to talk to all night. We hugged and hugged. She’s trying to survive. She moves around a lot and doesn’t like to stay in the dens with other people. She’s still trying to get out. I’ve got her number now. I can get her to that next rung on the ladder. We’ve been texting since I got home. What great news!

And I saw another dear lady tonight who is a sweetheart. She is so beautiful. She’s going to rehab. She’s done with that life and she’s ready to change. I told her that Traci and I would still be there to hold her hand through rehab, and we would be there for her when she gets an apartment, too. A lot of people had stories of friends who were getting clean and off the street. That’s at least three more on top of that!

I still have friends whose child isn’t there quite yet. I won’t give up hope. Every person has the potential. It’s up to them to make the choice their addiction won’t allow them to, but I will work my hardest to give them every opportunity to make it. On the subject of work…

I quit a job last week that paid me decent money. But no matter what work or task I accomplished for them, nothing got better. It was just more complaining. My job for Magdalene’s Mission pays me no money. It doesn’t matter to me how many hours I spend cutting bananas and making sandwiches, or breaking down wipes into plastic bags, or diving around creepy neighborhoods for free. Every person I gave a hygiene bag, lunch, or a t-shirt to was genuinely thankful and grateful for your heartfelt donation. Although I may not generate any income for myself, Magdalene’s Mission generates an infinite amount of joy that compounds week after week, month after month, and year after year. 

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

PEACE, LOVE & HYGIENE- VOLUME 100!

100 essays of over a hundred trips to Detroit. Over 100 times we had enough donations to provide food, hygiene, and clothing to Detroit’s vulnerable homeless people. If you read my reports, you know that we go to neighborhoods that don’t have shelters, or food banks. We climb under bridges and through abandoned buildings, behind alley’s, and over piles of broken boards to get to our people. We go to where we are needed and to wherever God leads us.We go with Doctors, nurses, councilors, dentists, podiatrists, housing specialists, artists, friends from church, friends from work, and friends for life.

You would also know from reading past reports that what we pass out is so much more than food, hygiene, and clothing. We pass out blankets, towels, tents, tarps, flashlights, phone chargers, McDonald’s gift cards, backpacks, notebooks, pens, literature, reading glasses, hugs, and hope. There are thousands of homeless in Detroit alone. 

Did you know that Detroit has one of the lower rates of homelessness compared to other larger cities? That’s because there is actually affordable housing available in Detroit. Which would explain why I have seen so many people be able to get off the streets and into apartments this past year.

Magdalene’s Mission has still been going to Detroit on Tuesday nights. I’ve been sending Traci out with supplies and a partner. A couple of weeks ago, Traci and I went out to Detroit.I didn’t write my report as soon as I came home. I wrote it the next morning. It came out too weird, so I never published it. Something really weird happened to me that night. I ran into someone I knew personally while I was doing outreach. That wasn’t where I knew him from, though. I hadn’t hung out with him for years. I even sat down on the broken sidewalk with him next to the wooden box he lived in. I’ve been talking to him and writing about him for over a year. I hadn’t even recognized him. It wasn’t until the next day that I finally figured out who he was. Suffice to say, it was a night to remember but difficult to write about.

Traci went out last night. She said people were asking for blankets and warm clothes again. I’ve been able to make some storage space in my garage. It’s not a ton of room, but I can take donations of warm clothing. I’m especially hard up for men’s clothes. And socks. I could never have too many socks.

Here is my personal story that is going to sum up what Magdalene’s Mission is, what it means to people, and why it is important to God that we do this.

The other day I was at work, and as is common for me, I ran into someone I knew. It was a Sunday afternoon so I asked them how they enjoyed church service that morning. Was it a good sermon?

They replied that it was a good Sunday service. The message was about helping others. Like, how it is good to help people, but there are some people who you don’t have to help. Like, homeless people who you know are drug addicts and will just spend your money on drugs. 

You’re not required to help them.

I was speechless.

I was courteous.

I went back to work.

Soon after that, another woman who knows me from Magdalene’s Mission stopped by my work to see me. She had a very thoughtful donation of several purses, each one filled with useful gifts. She is a very kind woman, slightly older than me. She has a soft face, and kind eyes. She’s the sort of person who you know is really listening to you when you speak. Anyhow, she pulled me over to the side of her vehicle to talk to me away from customers.She wanted me to know that her daughter called her recently. 

See, her daughter was a victim caught in the opioid epidemic. They did all the right things as parents. Their daughter did all the right things as a kid. But right now, she’s on the streets somewhere, addicted, homeless, and helpless. Her mother is always praying and hoping that her daughter will run into someone like me and Traci. She begs God for some charity to give her daughter a sandwich and a bottle of water. Maybe they would give her a blanket so she isn’t cold, or sleeping on the ground. She prays that her daughter might have a flashlight at night, and pepper spray to protect herself. She wants her baby to survive so she can come home and finish healing.

She told me all this through teary eyes, “It was such a relief just to hear her voice. She tried asking for money again, but I told her we won’t do that for her. I told her that I am in a judgment free zone. I don’t care where she’s been, she doesn’t have to be ashamed of anything. I will always love her no matter what.She will always be loved by me.”

“She is a valued person to someone no matter what she might look like to someone else who sees her standing at an intersection holding a sign.”

You can’t imagine how many people tell me a nearly identical story.

They just want their daughter/son/mother/father/brother/sister/cousin/aunt/uncle/cousin/best friend to please live long enough to recover. Because so many people do. I see it first hand all the time. For over 100 weeks we watched people suffer, and we watched people heal. Some of the flowers in our garden of friends have withered and died. Some of them within hours of seeing us. Some just stay the same. Some of them take off like an arrow into a sky of success. We never give up hope everyone will eventually get to be free one day.

We are never required to help anyone, ever, at all.

We do it because it is our privilege.

And because for over 100 weeks-

THAT’S how we do it,

And how God does it

in Detroit.

Amen.

Peace, Love  & Hygiene Vol. 99: The theme for this week is- Potential. You may have noticed that I haven’t gone to Detroit the last couple of Tuesdays. Magdalene’s Mission is all of our mission. That’s why I am as open and honest about everything that happens as I can be. We are in a bit of a crossroads.

I have so many clothes I can hardly move. I didn’t have enough money to keep up the storage unit. My garage is so packed with bins and bags of clothes that I can’t deal with it. What began as a mission to support hygiene grew into donations of food and clothing. For quite some time I was able to keep this going. Unfortunately, the cost of storage has negatively impacted our food budget and we are not able to meet expectations.

Operating out of my house at this level is no longer an efficient option. The medical team is having difficulties with us because I can’t be consistent regarding the schedule of when we can come out. Nothing about Magdalene’s Mission is consistent. It has always been a collection of random blessings that I chauffeur to vulnerable people and God makes miracles from it. As heartwarming as that is, it’s not a long-term business model.

I need Magdalene’s Mission to have its own facility. I have many groups of volunteers, from businesses to college students to other nonprofit agencies, that have offered group services. But I have nowhere to put them. My house is too tiny and too full.

I need grants. I have one for $10,000 that we are in the running for. I’ve been connected to a lady in Detroit who can help me get connected to a lot of other grants, as well as other the non-profits that we could be utilizing relationships with.

I need some time to do this. My treasurer has advised that Magdalene’s Mission holds back from street outreach for two months. The goal is to return in October with a new headquarters and enough funding to get us through the year. Over the past 2 years, our operating expenses have been just over $10,000 a year. From that, we have helped hundreds of people stay alive, get clean, get healthy, earn degrees and certifications, get into housing, find Hope.

 As you may have heard, I have successfully rejoined the workforce. I love my job. I love the people I work with. I am taken care of by the company I work for. I can’t give up this opportunity. The difference it makes for my family is extremely significant. It’s full-time. I can get Tuesday and Wednesday off for outreach, but those are my only days off to do everything.

Magdalene’s Mission has also been my full-time volunteer work. My family and house are also a full-time commitment. I can’t even get to church anymore. I try to listen to the sermons at work.

It makes me feel like I am running on a hamster wheel every week trying to scramble to get everything done. The hamster wheel is buried beneath a mountain of clothes. I’ve called Shalom in Pinckney, the Community church on Rickett Rd, and the Salvation Army in Brighton. They accept clothes on the days Traci and I work all day, but not Tuesday. I don’t want to throw them away, but I have nowhere to keep them and no place to take them. So now I’m on a hamster wheel that can hardly move. We cannot keep operating like this.

“Winter is coming.”

Therefore, through the rest of August and September I am going to focus on grants and pushing our nonprofit to the next level. As always, I am open to any help or suggestions that anyone may have regarding such an endeavor. I have never done this before.

I’m going to use our present challenges as opportunities to be better and stronger.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

The last 24 hours were a cycle of extremes. Traci and I experienced both best and worst cases situations related to being in this Magdalene’s Mafia. It’s the streets. It’s intense either way and that’s the natural flow.

Monday was a boon of blessings. I had 2 sweet ladies fill my van to the doors with a household for a young couple clawing their way up the ladder and up off the streets and they are released from the prison of addiction.

The building is romantic in a historical, old brick way. The neighborhood was historical and beautiful. I was so happy for them to live in such a peaceful area. Their apartment was on the second floor. Traci and I just kept binging load after load to them on the landing. Their gratitude filled the entire stairwell. Aaron kept repeating, “You are angels, just angels. I can’t believe this is happening for us.”

Kelly’s eyes were huge. She saw an air fryer, pots, pans, food, dishes, a bed, bedding, fans, towels, dish drainers, and more come pouring out of Maggie our beloved van. I didn’t even tell you about the torrential  thunderstorm that our beloved van traversed with valor. Maggie was on a mission from God. That van is a powerhouse of mercy.

After everything was upstairs, Traci got to come up for the official tour. It was tiny but clean and full of historic character. The four of us discussed the feeling of accomplishment that comes with defeating your demons. Aaron told me horror stories of things he had seen in the darkest holes of Detroit. Images that are scars in my mind and I wasn’t even there to see it.

“It was the absolute lack of respect for human life that some of these people had. We had to get out. I couldn’t become one of them. It was powerful some of the things God exposed me to just to get my attention.”

I felt that.

At the time, he didn’t believe in a Christian God, but his girlfriend Kelly did.

“He would tell me stories about his polytheistic pagan beliefs. I would laugh to myself and keep praying for him.”  She has a great giggly laugh.

Aaron talked about this man that would approach him when he was outside begging. The man would always offer to help him. He was part of a church that could help him get clean.

“I know that God sends his angels to us all the time. All the time, he just kept casually pursuing me. Everytime, I would tell him that I wasn’t ready. He wasn’t able to help me, I told him. Then one day, I felt it. I couldn’t take this anymore. And I felt strongly the presence of a God I didn’t even like. I rejected him every way I could. But God didn’t let go. He still loved me. And I told that man finally, that I was ready.”

Then they did the work. They kept doing the next right thing. Just because you don’t believe in God, doesn’t mean God doesn’t believe in you.

Traci and I reveled in knowing that we aren’t out here in vain. Real people can really make it. A little love and hope and we get success stories. We are not just a hospice on wheels, dang it.

The next morning, Traci and I woke up and started preparing for Tuesday Night Outreach. This time, we had a giant lumberjack of a nurse come out with us. Our lead for the night asked me if that filled my criteria. He most definitely was the presence we needed.

We spent time on the east side of Detroit first. That was fun. We haven’t been in those creepy corners for over a year. Our first stop was at a dilapidated hotel. The people came out from the wooded alley behind it. As we were feeding people a man pulled up in a vehicle and asked Traci about donating to us. She grabbed me, and I dealt with it.

He was a veteran who was recently off the streets. He was severely underweight still, so the VA gave him 12 cases of Enfamil a week that he can’t realistically drink it all. He asked if we could use them, and heck yeah, we could. I talked to him for a few more minutes. He told me the story of how he was living in his car, then he got a job working on a house and part of the payment is a place to live in the house.

He also told me of a time when he was still a soldier in the Marines.

He started be saying, “I didn’t always used to be like this. I used to have plenty of money. One time, there was a guy I knew, and he said that he needed ninety-nine dollars for a new suit. He had an interview the next day, and it was crucial that he made a good impression. So, I told him that if he does that, it will look like a cheap ninety-nine-dollar suit. I’m going to take you out and buy you the right thing. And that’s what I did. We went to a suit store, and I bought him a nice-looking suit. I never thought about it again. I never saw the guy again until about 10 years later. And he says, ‘Don’t you remember me? You bought me this suit. I’m wearing it right now. Because of that nice suit, I did get that job. The job came with its own apartment and a company vehicle. You changed my life.’”

“I mean, you never know what just being nice to someone can do for them in the long run.”

I saw one of my favorite ladies. Traci rushed around the van feeding homeless men and women  while they dug through bins of clothes. I saw my girl walk up and we hugged and talked for a while. I sat down on the grass next to her and we talked about where she was on her journey. She showed me this beautiful star carved out of an agate stone. She read to me the meaning of the stone off the card that came with it. She told me that she bought it for her daughter for her thirteenth birthday. I told her it was perfect.

She replied, “This is what I was able to use my money for today instead of buying drugs.”

We talked about the struggle of not having any bottom teeth, only upper dentures. She got hit by a car at an intersection earlier that day. The car never even stopped to see if she was okay. She has a line on an apartment though. She’s working with an agency so she’s  going to be free from the street prisons, too.

I talked about my little job. I told her about how I was too messed up to hold down a job for quite some time. But I got better, a little at a time. Then I got a part-time job at a gas station. I found out I liked it, and I was good at it. Now, I’m a manager and I’m going to get health insurance and paid vacations. She said that sounded like something she could do, too. Then I remembered some wise words that my dearest friend Sue Corwin says.

“You only have to do the next right thing.”

My girl says that is her new mantra. I signed a copy of my book for her and gave her a journal, flashlight pen, and a deck of cards that Heather McDonald gave me when she came over to help make sandwiches that afternoon.

The sun was snuggling down behind the bridges. It was time for her to go back to a safe spot for the night. We hugged it out. I hope she gets her place to live soon.

After all the people were attended to, the teams conferred regarding our next step. That’s when I found out Shelby died.

Remember my last report? At our last stop of the night there was a  group of people we knew and a couple of their children. The old Mama Bear: it was her daughter. She died of an overdose within 12 hours of us seeing her. And Traci said, “Sometimes we are just a hospice. We keep people comfortable and loved until they inevitably will pass away.”

We saw one last girl before I was ready to come home. I saw the Girl Wo Always Reads!

“I have something for you, sweetie!” I yelled from the van.

“Is it your book?” she threw back at me.

“Yes!” I laughed.

I signed a copy and passed it out the window. Traffic made it dangerous for me to get out. She’s getting a place to live, too! She’s getting off the street. She’s getting her life and herself back. Her boyfriend has starting abusing her physically. She’s getting rid of him, too. Too bad. He seemed like a nice guy. At least she’s being smart. My clever ladies.

It took me a while to process before I could put all these experiences into words. I saw the best- and worst-case scenarios. Is it worth it? What do I do about it? I’ll do the next right thing.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Peace Love & Hygiene Vol. 97- This night was dedicated. This night was dedicated to the children who have lost a parent, as well as the parent who has lost or has a missing child. This night is dedicated to their scarred families.

Tonight, I didn’t see the faces of homeless people. I saw daughters, sons, mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers. I saw children  of God. I saw smiling eyes. I saw determination and grit. It felt good to be back in Detroit.

To be fair, it felt good when I was driving in on 8 Mile and down old Grand River. It felt good to grab a falafel hummus wrap and a latte from The Congregation.. It felt good that they remembered my name there and to address my order to Tawanda. I gave the barista my card and told him to give it to the owner. All that was dandy. When I saw that it was only five of us girls out tonight, I got nervous. And as soon as the van pulled away, I told Traci so.

“I don’t like it. I don’t like it, and for the record- I don’t like it.”

We saw an old man at an intersection beneath a bridge. We were able to pass him food and a hygiene bag through the window as we drove by. We took care of a woman and another man who came out from an abandoned building.

It was at this point that I told our fearless medical leader that I had reservations. Traci and I would power through until sunset. Then we were riding back west like 2 cowboys coming home to a pig roast. She made a mental note of it.

As we drove toward wherever it was Katie led me, Traci and I discussed having a dude who could ride along with us. Traci said she was going to go to work on it. I said,

“You know, we have to pray on it. Dear Jesus, please send us some big dude energy. We really need it as soon as possible. Thank you. Amen.”

One…

Two…

Three…

F-

“Look, Kayla! It’s Andy!”

I kid you not. I’m as serious as a judge. It was that weird.

Andy heard (?) that we were going to be out so he stopped in an area where he figured we would go. He randomly decided to come out for outreach that night. We went together to the next few patients. One of them was a young woman who we had seen homeless for a long time. She was in an affordable housing community now. The city air was bathwater warm and hot shower humid.

Our last stop of the night had us taking care of a group of seniors and a couple of their older kids who travelled around together. We took extra special care of the old man everyone called Grandad. It was wonderful to see them. It always is.

On the way out of Detroit we saw the girl who we had helped earlier still at her intersection. I asked her if she had ID. She said that she didn’t. If she could just get ID again it would change her world. Something so small, yet so significant when you need it.

Every face was tied to someone who missed them and was very worried about them. I loved them like they were somebody’s baby. Or some baby mama. We tried to make it a little better. We don’t pity. We love. My species is so weird, but I love them all anyway.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

(It’s after 12:30. I have to be up early for a hygiene packing event at People’s Church. The yard sale is still going on. More stuff coming soon. I’ll edit this better later. Good night.)

June 28, 2023

HELP! The theme for this week is help. I need help. Not a lot, but I need it a lot. Magdalene’s Mission is the most effective, efficient, and genuine way to run a non-profit that combats homelessness and its causes that we can run. The last two and a half years of outreach have produced tremendous results in people’s lives and communities. We are difference makers. We make all the difference in the world every Tuesday night we can make it out.

That’s why days like yesterday break my heart. I just couldn’t get it done. I had all the heart and drive, but none of the physical capability to make 40 hygiene bags from scratch as well as 50-75 sandwiches and pack them into bags. Traci takes on the clothes by herself. They don’t come to us neatly sorted or organized. They come in knotted up trash bags.

From the trash bags we must, or Traci must, go through each item individually. Homeless people live mostly outside. They can only take clothes that are practical to wear. I am so touched by the beautiful silk office dresses and stylish pumps. But no one can wear that. If you wouldn’t take it with you camping, my homeless friends can’t use it. They need socks. Lot of socks. They wear jeans, leggings, sweatpants, t-shirts, tank tops, shorts, and hoodies. Clean unders and a sports bra are extra special. They need backpacks and duffel bags to hide the clothes in. Clean clothes can change a person’s perspective on themselves. It inspires self-preservation.

The huge yard sale this week will get the clothes that I can’t use out of the way so that I can find the stuff we need. I have my garage full, Dan’s garage full, a storage unit full, Bonnie’s storage unit full, and usually half of my living room full of clothes. Most of them are too large, the wrong season, or impractical for my friends. But we go through all of it because we can often find the good stuff mixed in.

No one lives with electricity in their tent or forts. Flashlights are a prize. Women and men are violently assaulted often because of their vulnerable position in society. Pepper spray saves many lives. Blankets are useful. Notebooks and pens come in handy. Writing is a key to sanity and mental clarity.

Right now, it is by the Godsent grace of Mary Anderson and her husband that we have enough hygiene products to take out every week. She drops off a load of wipes, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, washcloths, bagged candy, ear swabs, etc. every 4-6 weeks. The rest of it comes in large bags of assorted items that need to be sorted and put away in whatever makeshift area I can. I need my youth group to throw down and pack up a couple hundred hygiene kits in an hour or so, like we did before.

If you know me then you know I am a proud independent person. I am an only child and the eldest grandchild. I am self-sufficient and in charge. Traci and I have been getting that van packed up with love for over two years now. Everyone reading this has contributed in some way that made all the difference for people at some point. But it’s time to be humble. Jesus talked a lot about keeping one’s ego in check.

Deep breath…

Will some people please help me? I couldn’t go out last night because I couldn’t get everything done in time. I’m working 40 hours a week now. I never did get a chance to write up all those grants. Through Jesus, Magdalene’s Mission has healed me to the point where I can work again. Hallelujah. I only have Tuesday and Wednesday off. In theory, I should be able to put in an hour a day and be ready. For some reason I am just exhausted. I can’t seem to feel rested no matter how much I sleep. This is a problem. I want to do stuff and my body won’t do what I tell it to. My arms are torn up. My right shoulder has rotator cuff issues. My left elbow and forearm have tendon issues.

But I refuse to sink. I refuse to quit or give up. Traci and I are committed to this. To love one another without prejudice is a commandment from Jesus.

Matthew 25:36 (36 )I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

The streets and addiction can be prisons, too.

I’ll supply the products, hygiene, or food. I just need help packing.

I’m trying to get to church, but I work 2pm-10pm Saturday and Sunday. I usually make it up there on Monday morning instead.

Cecelia & Caity Stema play a huge role behind the scenes. They have been helping me keep donations organized in the garage and making deliveries to the storage unit in Pinckney for me. They stop by every couple of months and make a world of difference.

I have some help. I just need a little more, and we can be amazing. Here is what I need-

1. Sandwich makers. Dan volunteered to help me out. Dan is a rock star like that. I’ll provide peanut butter bread and jelly. Pick a week, any one week, anytime. I need 50 sandwiches to pack into 50 lunch bags. Drop them off by noon on Tuesday and I’m golden.
2. Hygiene kits. Again, I can supply the products and the bags. It’s a perfect group activity. It can be your small group, youth group, friends & family group, pineapple appreciation group, I don’t care.  More hands make less work. Just pack them into a plastic freezer bag (that I can supply) and I can do the rest.
3. Clothes. I need more mindful donations. Magdalene’s Mission is a genuinely honorable non-profit organization to contribute to. I never want to deter people from donating. But I do need to be efficient to be effective. If we are only sorting what we need, then I can keep a large supply in my garage, overflow in Dan’s garage, and I don’t have to spend $100 a month for a storage unit. That’s 10 cans of pepper spray. That’s two weeks’ worth of meals I could be passing out. That’s 10 packages of socks. That’s how I think. That’s why this mission rocks.

I need to be able to get up on Tuesday morning, load up hygiene kits into purses and backpacks, put prepacked bins of clothes into the van, load up the food, load up the extras, put a notebook and pen someplace handy, and then me Traci and possibly another volunteer be on the road by 4:30 pm.

For now, I’m selling everything I can’t use this weekend. Stan won’t be going out during July.  I have one month to prepare and put time into those grants.

I’m so close to our dream. We’re going to have a base in Detroit. Mitchell’s Crib will be a haven of resources and community support. I want a Detroit version of the Hull House in Chicago that was conceived by Jane Addams. We have the combined talents of so many people making this mission possible. I have just a couple more holes to fill before I can take the vision there. We met unlimited potential and unutilized talent lingering on the streets of Detroit. They have a place to become everything they can be at Mitchell’s Crib. I know a plethora of retired people, part-time workers, people with skill sets that they don’t always get to use in pro humanity ways. They too are all waiting for this next level to begin. Can you see it?

Can you see the cooking classes, the gardens of food, and the tables for people to eat at? Can you see The Girl Who Always Reads volunteering as a medical assistant and teaching literacy classes? Can’t you see my Angel helping people to deal with their legal backgrounds, and as a councilor who can help people get their identities on track so that can rejoin society? My Widow is so wise. Her boyfriend can fix or build anything. It’s all waiting to explode in a burst of human success. A thriving community ready to be healthy. Everyone is ready for the job. They just need a direction. A focus. A couple more rungs on the ladder. Can you see it, too?

You can see the difference we’ve already made. The Hobbits have their own place now and if you would like to donate any household items including furniture, I’ll take it to them. Mr. Hobbit can’t wait to tell me their story. I can hardly wait to publish it and tell it to you.

And then, we can have a little more time to focus on the bright future ahead for the next person, who will create a better neighborhood, that builds a stronger community, which will create a thriving city, to prosper our beautiful state,  that is a special part of our wonderous country upon this awesome planet.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

The Summer Solstice 2023. The longest day of the year. It truly felt like it, too. I was up early this morning so that I could build 60 peanut butter banana sandwiches. Traci came over to work on packing up all the clothes. We parted ways for about an hour. In that time her reoccurring health issue reoccurred. She was too sick to come out. I was going to have to fly solo.

I showed up a little early to meet up with the team. Kyle rode with me so that I wouldn’t ride alone. The extra nurse on board was ordered to come help out if I started to get busy. The Stanbulance contained am extra guest tonight. She offers dental care to people. She has this chemical that with one tiny drop, it can kill the nerve and infection of a cavity while also filling it in seconds. The only adverse side effect is that it makes your tooth turn black.

Pre-game talk also revealed that an agency who was working with the homeless reported their whereabout to the police. An old, abandoned school that housed several people was raided by the police and the doors barred and locked. Everyone is evicted from their tents behind the abandoned factory. The gall of evicting homeless people. On top of that, the burned down house was burned down again the night before… 3 times! I found out more about that. We’ll get to it in a bit.

The first person we helped was an older man who had a piece of blue tarp propped up over some old tent poles that were only a couple of feet off the ground. He was a very sweet man with a generous smile. We drove to a gravel lot where we knew a man who lived in a tent under some brush in the back of the lot.

His tent wasn’t there anymore. It was just a patch of dirt.

We kept walking as a group. Stan told me that one of our friends lived in the fort at the end of the alley. As the team approached the shelter, I noticed a rat. The rat walked casually over the grass, then underneath the tarp I was approaching. I announced who was there. My buddy poked out his head.

“Hi guys! Hey, Kayla! Come inside and see my new place!”

He told me the story of what happened in that last place where so many people had been living that had been burned down again. And then again and again. A disgruntled neighbor took matters into their own hands. They relit the fire twice after the fire department had come to extinguish it. I assume they were trying to make a point without interpretation.

Morris the cat was back again.  I fed him again and he hung out in the van until it was time to go. There were a lot of people at that spot. I wonder where they will be next week.

I dropped off food to many more people in several more places up and down the streets, hidden in bushes.

I met a girl who had just come over there from another part of town. She didn’t have any clothes other than the ones she was wearing. Her shoes were worn this. We got her put back together again. At least the best we can.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

–

This week was a wonderful adventure. There were highs, lows, a lot of singing and dancing with the infamous, world renowned, immeasurably talented Sarah L M Mengoni. The experience was a gift for all of us. Perhaps that should be the theme for this week, gifts.

The first gift was that it rained, then poured, then stopped.

My hero and yours, the Stanbulance, has a gift for seeing the unseen. He noticed a man laying on the ground right across the street from where we start. I couldn’t see him at all until Sarah and I got out of the van and walked towards him with food and hygiene supplies. He was laying still beneath a gray blanket.

His feet poked out from beneath the blanket. He was wearing only one shoe. A tan heel poked out of a tattered sock. We left him a gift of clean socks.

We drove away to the burned down house. I asked about Marilyn Monroe. She’s gone. Her boyfriend was paranoid that he was being followed by someone or the police. We took care of five or six people there. The medical team had some work to do, too.

Then we went to the next little homeless campsite. I don’t think the factory is available to get into anymore. There is maybe ten or so feet between the building wall and the straight slope down to the highway. The Girl who Reads was there. I gave her a new book to read as a gift. Nora Roberts is her favorite author.

Big Hands was out. He came up to me and asked me for a hug. He told me that he just really needed someone who cared. I hugged him tight and told him how loved he was. He thanked me. We talked for a while.

Sarah talked to a man who had lost his mother recently. They were able to connect about the feeling of being an only child whose mother has died. They related to one another the feeling of a space inside you. There are a lot of choices how to fill that space. They gave one another the gift of compassion.

I saw a butterscotch tabby cat. I poured some food onto the ground, and he went after it right away. He gave me lots of cuddles as thanks for the gifts. He even jumped on the bumper of the van while I passed out food. We helped a lot of people at that one spot. I passed out pepper spray to all  the females. At our next spot, we sat parked on the side of the road for a few minutes before we noticed the large Victorian house next to us.

It was nearly covered with trees and vines. Eventually, people I knew came out from the side of it. They were there to see Kyle. He was in the process of getting them into housing. Kyle has the ability to gift people with the opportunity to not be forced to survive outside. Speaking of getting people into housing…

The Hobbits are finally getting into their own apartment! Mr. and Mrs. Hobbit worked very hard to get there. They jumped through hoops and unlocked the doors. They walked up all the steps. The opportunity was a gift. The work is all theirs.

We went to where the brothers usually are. I didn’t see them, and it concerns me. We did see another man with a cane. We were able to help him. We didn’t have a new cane for him like he asked, but we had clean clothes and socks. He ended up wearing womens jeans because we were out of mens.

Our last stop of the night was a very popular location for us. People walk up one by one. Then pairs, and groups and then always one or two more until the van was empty again.. We passed out gifts of 75 meals this week . That much I know. I am exhausted. It’s almost 2 in the morning and I’m falling asleep as I type. I need the gift of sleep. I’ll edit this after a few hours of rest.

We gave the gift of food. We gave the gifts of unconditional love and friendship. Tonight, we gave the gift of hope.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

May 9, 2023

This week was… intense, efficient, exceptional, short and sweet. I drove a mile from my house up to Eight Mile Road, , and drove it all the way into Detroit, through the old Millionaire’s Row neighborhood  and onto Woodward Avenue.  The Street Outreach Team was ready to go by the time Traci and I arrived.

We drove to a neighborhood we had never been to before. We were closer to the east side. It’s lighter out. Stan had a patient to meet. Within moments, a couple women were approaching the Stanbulance (my personal nickname for Stan’s ambulance in case you were wondering). I saw Nurse Katie’s hand pointing out the window at Maggie (my name for the Magdalene’s Mission van).

Traci climbed out and went back to where the tuna sandwich lunches were stored. The longer she stood there, the more people came from every direction. Traci ran from the back of the van to grab food and water over to the side to distribute clothes, then back for more water, then back for more clothes. Meanwhile, I was perched on the driver’s seat. I passed Mag Bag’s through the window and out the doors to Traci. A crowd of anywhere from five to fifteen people always swarmed us. Traci handled all the new friends like a champ.

I, on the other hand, had a different responsibility. I know I go to some unsavory neighborhoods. I know that I portray a generally confident air about our safety. I am 1000% aware of where I am, and the risks involved. I take a lot of necessary precautions. I stay in the driver’s seat so that we can leave immediately if needed. I monitor every window and door at once. I can watch over the area and see who is coming from every direction.

There were a bunch of really kind, sweet and fascinating people. There were a lot of hard stories of how some people lived. A woman asked me for 2 extra backpacks for her grandbabies, a little boy, and a little girl. She told me that she only needed one, and that they could share it. I gave her two, a pink one and a baby blue one. She was so excited for them, especially the little boy.

“He’ll feel like such a big kid with his very own little backpack!” She smiled with her face as she raved about her sweet grandbabies, and how excited they would be.

You never know, do you?

 Mostly, they thanked us for bringing them food, and water. I could have passed out a hundred meals at that one spot.

Instead, we passed out 42 meals, and 3 cases of water. I handed out all 40 Mag Bags. The clothes bins were empty.

We were there for an hour.

I never even left the driver’s seat.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Peace, Love & Hygiene: Vol. 91

Choices. For every random or designed action there was a series of choices that led to that moment. I’ll be honest. It was plot twist a plenty just to get Traci and I out the door at the last minute. But we were exactly where we needed to be when we needed to be there. I was in my element.

Our first stop was on a busy street. We recognized some familiar faces, and they recognized us right away in return. There was a gentleman in a wheelchair. He talked to Stan for a moment. Stan pointed to the van. Then I saw him point at his two friends. Again, he waved them to the van. The two gentlemen were over by the Stanbulance while the woman came over to Traci and I. Traci got out to get her a meal, while I leaned in the back for some bags for her. When she came up to the window, I recognized her, but I hadn’t seen her in a long time.

She was on the road to recovery. She had recently been released from a psychiatric hospital. When they gave her a drug test, she expected to test positive for heroin. Except, that wasn’t what was in her drug test. It was a bizarre concoction of narcotics that she had no idea she was taking. Everything from an anti-depressant that she had never been prescribed before, to an unknown amount of ecstasy.

Next, we stopped at two different tent sites. While we waited for the medical team to come back from checking on them,  I heard a squeaky mew. We looked out the window and we saw a tiny black kitten. I tried to lure him back out with some of my chicken soup, but he wasn’t willing to relinquish his shelter inside the bottom of an old tree.

We drove around for a bit until we found The Brothers. We gave them both food, hygiene items and lots of hugs. They are working with Kyle and are getting into housing. A few people I talked to tonight were in the process of getting off the street and into housing. Everyone I talked to about it was looking forward to living someplace clean without any drugs.

The next place went to was a busy spot. It got kind of hairy for a minute. At first, we helped a homeless couple with some food and clothes. Then a car pulled off the road and into the same lot where we were parked. I asked Stan quickly if he knew these people. He said they didn’t.  Traci looked at me and I shook my head a subtle No. As she shooed them away from the clothes, I noticed a man start pulling food out of the back of the van and just start eating it.

I had to put an immediate and authoritative end to that situation. Around the same time, the girl who I got into an argument with a few weeks ago was making a beeline straight towards us. We gave her a meal and a Mag Bag, but Traci told her No on or going through the clothes. Thankfully, she merely pouted and walked away.

After that I saw a guy who, when sober, is brilliant and sweet, and creative, and artistic, and funny, and chock full of talent. Tonight, he was just out of it completely. He could hardly speak. He had tears in his eyes. All he could say was, “help me”. He didn’t want to see the medics. I got him a bottle of water and mixed the Liquid IV powdered vitamin mix to it. I shook it up and handed it to him.  He drank the entire bottle in one drink. I brought him a cup of chicken noodle soup. I’ll be concerned until I see him again.

After we didn’t see anyone  else to help, we drove down to the next place where a lot of homeless people camped out.

I saw my Widow Who Sits! She was in a great mood, she begged me to come out of the van and see her. I swung her around in the air to make her laugh. We ended up going through the last of our food while we were there. We made a survival difference for a lot of people who are so close to clawing their way out of the vortex known as The Streets. The Defended Girl is actively working on getting clean. She has been taking all the right steps. She is so close and nearly there. Like the first person I talked to, her drug test revealed all sorts of random narcotics that weren’t heroin.

I’m begging my friends who are losing their war on drugs and addiction, please stop. Please stop before you get the flesh rot. The motivation to quit using has become an urgency. It’s a matter of life or a fierce consequence.

I went inside another den tonight. It was a lot more organized than I expected it to be. There was a young black cat with a yellow collar that had a tiny bell. It’s the time of year to bring kitty food with me. Only a couple of people were there. Betty Boop was nearby. I love seeing her and her guy. They are just some of the most wonderful people to talk to. I know that they are making different choices and working towards different results.

Everyday, when I get up, I want to be a better version of myself than I was the day before. I see the good in people. I see the light in their eyes when I tell them they are so loved. I see tears sometimes, too. And I tell them they are so loved.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Peace, Love & Hygiene: Vol.90- Tonight was extra fun. This week I came out with Cecelia Stema (aka  Cecilia who is Cool, in my contacts list) We laughed a lot. We played a bunch. We hugged people relentlessly. It was a night I will most definitely never forget.

The first person we helped was a homeless lady walking down the sidewalk. Her clothes were dirty, and she was indeed very hungry. Mama Kayla’s stone soup is made so good you can taste the love. With the sack lunch Karen helped prepare, homemade cookies from Mrs. Julie, and a candy treat from Katie; I knew we were going to really show people what random acts of Love look like. We give, not just out of obligation to our species survival, but also out of unconditional love.

Everyone doesn’t have the same position in the circle. If that were true, Elton would have sung about the spot of life. Instead, he sang about the circle of life. Every point combined creates the circle. I think it’s near when we connect to the other spots along the edge. You never know who may meet. You might not always know who you might be important to. Which leads us to our second spot.

Stan was driving the Stanbulance again! We were driving around in circles through an impoverished neighborhood. At a side street intersection,  Stan stopped to talk to a small herd of young children, ranging from ages nine to twelve. He pointed to the Magdalene’s Mission van. They approached us slowly with secret smiles lit up behind their big eyes.

Cecelia and I jumped out and offered a healthy lunch to about seven children. I knew that if they lived in that neighborhood, a healthy meal would help. A couple of adults approached us humbly, so we offered them healthy meals that they were genuinely grateful for as well.

Before we closed, another man walked towards the van. I could see he was hoping we would offer him some food as well. He was very grateful as he blessed us and wished us safety.

He kept repeating, “Don’t let anyone take you out of your element. You hear me? Don’t you ever let anyone take you out of your element.”

“I am in my element.” I replied matter-of-factly. 

We explored an abandoned elementary school. I took pictures of all the graffiti on the walls. We climbed and explored every floor. There were still names written on slender lockers, and laminated pictures of penguins on the grey shattered floor.

 Stanley spotted a blue tarp on the ground. We both pulled over. Cecelia and I collected food and a Mag Bag for him. He had the warmest smile.

After driving around for a while, we went inside an abandoned building to see if we could find some people that were seen there earlier that day. We went through every floor. I saw moss growing beside the tiles.   We speculated and imagined different uses for the open spaces. Some, but not all the stairs had decayed away. It was so… empty. Even though there was graffiti art and marks of life everywhere, it felt like a lifeless tomb.

We went to a place where we know a lot of people are hiding out. I saw my Girl Who Reads. She told me that she was someplace looking for her belongings that had been stolen from her earlier that day. In an abandoned house, she found the original copy of the book I wrote and had given her.

Cecelia, Big Hands and I talked ‘80’s movies for a while on the sidewalk. I underestimated his breakdancing skills that exist in the days of yore. We saw a lot of my favorite people in that area.  

We drove with keen awareness down the boulevard.  We met  a man in a wheelchair who was panhandling at an intersection. Kyle, our housing specialist, was on hand to connect with him and begin the process of permanent housing.

We were out of sack lunches, but we had some soup and hygiene to offer. We found a few more homeless people who were grateful for our help and then we called it a night.

I had so much fun this evening! We explored. We had adventures. We had tacos. We saw friends. We made friends. We made children through seniors smile. We were blessed by many. We blessed many people along our endeavors.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.   

#peaceloveandhygiene   #magdalenesmission

p.s. it’s after 3 a.m.. good night. excuse my typos. I’ll edit inthe morning

This week, I am reporting as a journalist. I am writing the way Dierdra Humphries taught me to write journalism. I’m going to tell you what happened. You can make up your own educated opinions regarding the facts and observations I share. This is a report you’ll want to buckle up for. I can’t sugarcoat this one.

Traci and I arrived in plenty of time. We ran into Stan and his volunteer, Audrianna, getting coffee at The Congregation on the way to the meet up spot on Woodward. The Stanbulance is still in the shop being repaired. Stan, his volunteer, and an ER doctor loaded up Stan’s van. After we left, It overheated within 2 miles, so we limped back to the spot. The medical team switched to Audianna’s car, and away we went again.

We parked beside a motel and waited for the patient to come outside. Eventually she came out and brought a friend with her. Traci went to the back of the van to get meals for them. I grabbed a couple of ladies Mag Bag’s from the back.

Normally, the medical team rides around in an ambulance. The patients enter the side, and out of respect for privacy (and HIPPA laws) I back away once the door closes. But last night, all the medical equipment was in the back of a car. All the medical treatment happened in the street in front of my van.

The lady pulled her sleeves up and revealed yellow and brown bandaged arms. Stan asked me if I had extra trash bags for them. We did. The medical team continued to unroll long brown and yellow gauze from her forearms. When they finally reached the end of it, Traci and I both gasped. We didn’t want her to see us looking directly at her with horrified expressions on our faces. She had gaping holes all over her forearm. They were all larger than a silver dollar. I had never seen anything like it in my entire life. I am one of the hardest, if not the hardest person I know to shock. I was not prepared. Her skin was black everywhere, like ash. Then they took the bandages off from her other  arm.

Both of her arms looked like she had been held in a charcoal fire. The second arm had breaks in it, so it was swollen, disjointed, and covered in holes and patches of rotting skin. She was only a few feet away from me in front of my van. I could see the expressions on her face. She was trying as hard as she could to be brave, but it hurt her so much. Her friend was there for encouragement and support. Traci and I sat stoic and expressionless in the front seats of the van.

In my review mirror I saw an elderly gentleman roll towards us in his wheelchair. He appeared to be rolling towards us with intent. Traci went back to grab him a meal and talk to him for a moment. She asked if he needed any medical attention. He told her his feet were in a lot of pain, so I introduced him to Stan. He waited patiently until they finished wrapping the first patient’s wounds.  His wheelchair was parked directly in front of Maggie the Van.

When the medical team pulled his socks off, I saw that the ends were yellow and brown. Traci immediately grabbed some clean men’s socks out from the back for him (thank you Bubbleheads!)

His feet had been recently amputated. They needed medical treatment and upkeep to prevent infections.  Stan gave him clean bandages, medical treatment, and vital information. They traded numbers and now he will have an outreach team come check on him on a regular basis. He was happy and smiling when we pulled away, and we rolled back onto 8 Mile.

That was our first stop of the night.

We hit one or two more regular hideouts before I got to enter my first dope den. I never come inside. We always announce that we are there and then people come to the vehicles to see us. A few times I have helped people carry their stuff back, but I never actually crossed a thresh hold before last night. This place looked like an old laboratory or something. I can’t tell. It’s obviously abandoned, and several people lived in the corners inside. We went just inside the doorway. There were a couple of shopping carts, and some pieces of lumber making lean-to forts against the walls. Voices drifted up from the shadows that they would be out soon.

We helped a lot of people at the place, not just the homeless who lived there, but also a lot of other people from the area as well. Eventually, an elderly lady with a cane walked very slowly towards us after speaking with the medical team. She sat on the ground and tried to find a couple of clean outfits to wear while Traci looked for a pair of shoes in the lady’s size to replace the slippers she wore. After she had gotten a few things to make it- food, clothes, medicine, and love; I told her I would help her carry it back to where she stays.

We went all the way to the last doorway. I went inside. She led me to a metal folding chair with a small stand beside it. On the stand was an ashtray and a needle. Someone yelled out, “Is that you, Kayla?!” from behind a partition.

It’s me, sweetie.”

“I need you to please bring me a copy of your book!” some woman yelled.

“I’m on it, dear.” I replied.

“Thank you!” launched from a disembodied voice behind a wooden wall.

WE SAW ANDY!!!! It has been months since we’ve seen the guy. I’m publishing the collection of Peace, Love & Hygiene Reports and Andy is illustrating it.

While we were trolling the back ally meeting up with Stan’s patients, The Girl who Always Reads called me from Andy’s phone. It was so sweet! I adore her. She just wanted to say hello and to let me know where she is staying now so that I can make sure to see her next Tuesday. You know I will!

We saw a few more people, then we headed over to see The Brothers. We couldn’t find 1 Leg, but we found 1 Eye. I found out he lost his eye because he was shot in the face. He has another ongoing medical condition that he hasn’t taken care of in several months. He complained that it was affecting him too much to perform basic survival functions. Stan found him a clinic and a way to it while they talked. 1 Eye is passionate about working with Kyle to get into housing and out of the factory they live in. He’s a very smart guy. It’s impressive how he applied that intelligence into his and his brother’s survival. I like to imagine what else he could do with all that IQ.

We discussed the problem with the drug problem. He longed for the good old days when heroin addicts could do just heroin. Nowadays, it’s mixed with all kinds of crazy stuff. The necrosis has affected everyone. He swears that the drugs from Russia are over here. Several people swear that they have either seen or experienced Krokodil. It is a commonly used street name for desomorphine. It’s another drug with a side effect that blackens the skin and causes chunks of flesh to rot and fall off. If you’re still curious, you have a search engine. Google can tell you everything else.

We hit one more spot where we fed, clothed, and cleaned another 10-15 people. We were cleaned out of food and clothes by that point. Then we went to see one last homeless patient of Stan’s to give her the last fresh Mag Bag.

Finally, we headed home to Whitmore Lake. We didn’t get home until after midnight, and I had a lot to process before I wrote this week.

There were a few warm fuzzies last night. A lot of it was serious. We did what we set out to do, so I will consider it a success.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

#peaceloveandhygiene   #magdalenesmission

Peace, Love & Hygiene: Vol. 87- Friendship, kinship, partnership, companions, the bonds that we as people somehow make- that’s the best of Detroit outreach this week. On the low end, there is a drug worse than the fentanyl that is poisoning people en masse, and it is dissolving my friends in front of me.

My beloved sister, Tanya, was here in Michigan this week so she was available to come do outreach in Detroit with me. She made a delectable stew from the odds and ends of donated canned food we had available down in the basement. Combined with a heathy sack lunch, we were able to change the course of a lot of people’s night tonight.

I was pleased that I could introduce Tanya to so many of my favorite friends. Here are the updates:

 The first person we saw was super relieved to see us. He is unfortunately suffering from necrosis because of xylazine in heroin and fentanyl. He had open wounds all over under his coat from chunks of flesh rotting off.  I saw my Widow Who Sits at that first stop. She was in a great mood, and in good spirits. She was, of course, very hungry. Unfortunately, her eye that has been troubled since I first met her 2 years ago, is going to fall out soon. The medical attention she can receive from the Street Outreach Team is invaluable.

Marilyn Monroe is still not doing well at all. Her parents were able to adopt her baby. I am happy for them both in that regard, but she seems to have just… given up. I know she’s down in that basement. Someone told me that there are rats that live in there. I want to bust through the door carrying enough love for her in my arms that she would love herself again.  But that isn’t how addiction, or despair operates.

People were hungry, so hungry. I was easy for people to find tonight. The big white van with the Magdalene’s Mission sticker has become a refuge. The relief on their worn faces means we are doing the right thing. We had the simple things they needed to survive another day; to survive long enough to tell the tale of how far they came.

I’ve been on this journey with some people for multiple years now. There was a girl who we saw tonight that I hadn’t seen in months. The last time I saw here she was struggling alone on the streets trying to panhandle. Even while I was helping her that day, someone who knew who she was stopped to berate her as he walked past. I came to her defense and stood up for her. She told me tonight that she never forgot that. Ever since that day, she believed she was a good person and their opinion of her did not define her.

I saw my Tiny Mama. She has only gotten smaller. Things have only gotten worse for her. I’ll keep praying. We’ll keep trying.

The Hobbits are on their way into their own apartment!!!! They have been working within the system and jumping through every hoop in front of them. They only have a couple of more hoops to go. Sometimes the Universe will do the right thing. All those prayers added up!

I saw people on every stage in the journey to leave the streets, or to try and escape the poison there. From the sounds of it, at least in those areas I was in, you can hardly find heroin anymore. It’s fentanyl and xylazine cut with everything from Benadryl to caffeine powder. The number of my friends who suffer from necrosis multiplies significantly from week to week.

Kyle came out with us this week. He has been able to find housing for several of our friends. I am excited for them. A couple of them began the process, but then we never saw them again. Who knows?

There were a lot of dear hearted friends out tonight. There were as many smiles to pass out as there were meals. One young woman explained to me and Tanya.

“You don’t know how much what you do means to us out here.”

I thought you should know that. Because even if it is dire, even if the odds are against them, we never give up. Because even when the odds are against us, God is for us. I am for us. Tanya is for us. And every single person who has ever contributed to Magdalene’s Mission is for us.

For Detroit.

For Michiganders.

For Americans.

For Earthlings.

For all of us.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

#magdalenesmission   #peaceloveand hygiene

Pure joy. Joy with a capital J. Pride in its most virtuous sense of being. I have a lot of fascinating adventures, and heartwarming stories to tell. I must tell you of the most wonderful news. Remember my Girl Who Always Reads? Remember how we would bring her books, and journals and pens? I gave her a copy of my book and she read it twice, then someone stole it so she asked for another copy to read? Well, first- she quit using heroin!!!!!! She did it!!! She made it to the other side!!! Second, she is in school!!!! She is training to be a medical assistant! She couldn’t wait to tell me, and I couldn’t wait to tell you. May God bless and keep her. It’s an online program. The reason hadn’t seen her in so long was because she is dating a guy who drives semi-trucks and they have been driving around the country while she does her school work. Unfortunately, he got ill, lost his job, then their apartment, and she’s homeless again. Hence, I was encountering her again on the street. I hugged her brains out a million times. I told her how strong and powerful she is. They panhandled enough money until they could get a hotel room. That way she has internet and can use her laptop. I kept asking her what she needed, heck, or anything she perhaps only wanted. She just said, “Another copy of your book is the only thing I need that I don’t have.” That girl…

That was the most wonderful, perfect, empowering news I have heard in years. I could not even think straight until I shared that with you. We all have been holding her hand and helping keep her alive for 2 years now. She is a fierce little woman. She is absolutely worth it. She’ll be working at the outreach center, Mitchell’s Crib someday.

Our first stop of the evening was at the fort you see in the picture. He was a Spanish speaking man, but he could communicate in English. We carried food and hygiene supplies to his makeshift house.We were awestruck and impressed with his house. It seemed an opulent living arrangement, until we compared it to living in an actual house.

Socrates claimed that being poor made one more resourceful and self-sufficient than one who is wealthy. Sometimes, I can see what he means by that.

As we were driving, we saw a homeless women whom we recognized. We waited for her in a nearby parking lot. We were able to help her as well as four or five more homeless people, and direct a couple of them towards medical attention. Jenni came out with us tonight. Traci and I would have struggled without her. Everyone asked about our friend Wen who came out with us last week.

We went to a spot that we have been to quite often over the last couple of years. The occupants rotate, but the vibe is the same. I have always wanted to look inside. This time, we went all the way down the alley, behind the building around to the other side, down the stairs, and up to the door. It’s the basement of a burned down building.

At first it was a couple, then a few, then several people who we were able to feed, and to keep warm and clean. Three people spoke to me about rehab. They were sick of life there. They had goals, and prizes waiting to be won in the Straight World. One man was trying to have a positive relationship in his sons life.Betty Boop and her husband know that they aren’t supposed to be there, or belong there either. They are all working diligently to get themselves into rehabilitation.

Stanbulance had a call so we followed. One of our friends wasn’t doing well at all. I held her. I hugged her and I prayed over her for a long time. Until we both were crying.

The teams had a couple of quick medical calls, then we were heading out to visit the Hobbits. That’s where I saw The Girl Who Always Reads. It’s also where I ran into the Widow Who Sits. As long as she is alive and well- I love her.

Oh my. We didn’t get home until 12:30 ish. It’s after 2 am and I keep falling asleep as I type. So, I will probably edit this after a few hours of sleep. I hope you find great joy from reading about all the new inspired adventures. We believed in someone until they could believe in themselves.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#peacloveandhygiene #madalenesmission

Happy Mardi Gras! I started writing a report last Tuesday night, but I fell asleep. I started again the next morning, but by lunch, I took a nap and was pretty much out for the entire day. Then it’s back to work, and so it goes. So, the theme for this week is: Love & Excess.

We had warm meals to serve to our friends this week. It was frightfully cold and windy.We had sandwiches and cookies as well as bottles of water. The warm coats, pants, and sweatshirts, especially with hoods, were welcomed gratefully. We had our beloved housing assistant Kyle with us again tonight. There were many people whom he met with us on Tuesday night outreach that were currently on his caseload. It was difficult to stay in touch with people on a regular basis, but he has been diligent.

We started off in the downtown area first. The first few people we helped were sleeping in doorways of towering castle-like buildings. I couldn’t even tell they were there. Stan would point to a blanket, and inform us that there was a person underneath it

A few more men who were living under a bridge along the highway. It seemed like it would be a very loud place to try to be at rest..They prayed for our safety after we delivered food to them.

We saw our Brothers. The one who was determined that he couldn’t be helped asked for Kyle right away. That warmed my heart. He proudly displayed to me the quilted vest he wore beneath his jacket. He was proud of his thrift store find.

We saw several more people while we waited for the medical team to finish helping a patient. One of them asked me if we get paid for any of the stuff we do. I laughed. Traci told him that our payment is the love we get from people like him. The opportunity to love on him was all the payment we needed.

We travelled around a lot in just a few hours.Our very last stop of the night had us visiting with a couple of old friends. They weren’t doing very well. The one girl, who looks like Karen Allen (Marion) in Indiana Jones, was significantly better after we saw her and got her warmed back up again.I gave her my number so she could stay in touch with me, and we could be sure to meet up on Tuesday nights.

My other friends, she isn’t doing well. Her husband of many years just passed away. Her best friend is dying in the hospital. Now she has been evicted from her apartment. She was a skeleton who sobbed. She hadn’t eaten anything in days.She was grieving and worried all at once. I put my cell number back into her phone. We connected her to Kyle. We held her while she wept. She’s the one who was always there to take care of everyone else. Now, the only person she needed to care for is gone. No one is left to care for her.

I hope that now that we are connected again, she won’t feel abandoned any more. She was reminded that she was definitely not forgotten. Peace, Love & Hygiene, Baby.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

The theme for this week is friendship. I have watched season 1 of Wednesday on Netflix at least five times. Not just because I can relate to her, but also for the social analysis. Wednesday feels she is alone. She feels like it is her vs her family, her school, her family history, and all of her peers. But through the course of her story, the people who she resolves are against her are the ones who save her life. She had friends she didn’t know she had. By the end, she accepts that she is not working through life independently. She is a unique part of a collective whole. She has found a space where she can maintain her individuality, and still appreciate others individual contributions. I identify completely. Wednesday’s Nevermore is my Detroit.

It was a challenge tonight to help our friends living on the street last night. It was so cold out that there weren’t many people we could find. When the teams went to some of the places where we knew people lived, their forts were abandoned. Maybe they moved. Maybe they found another shelter. Maybe… The Hobbits are gone, the old man who sleeps on the steps of the abandoned schoolhouse is gone. His fort has been dismantled. All we can do is pray and hope for the best.

Eventually we did find a familiar face. I found my brother with one leg. I love talking to him. I love real conversations. I’m miserable at small talk. We talked about what it’s like panhandling at that corner. The light changes quickly at that particular intersection. He has to be able to hobble quickly up to cars. He has to protect that corner from other panhandlers. I asked him how he lost his leg. It was a crazy story. He was battling coming off from drugs. He was struggling and one night fell asleep in one place of a house, then woke up somewhere else and didn’t know how he got there. Then he remembered being in a hospital. Then he remembered waking up again in the most pain he had ever been in in his entire life. The next time he woke up, his leg was gone. He’s still not sure what happened to it. But he’s on his third prosthetic leg. He said this one was a good one. He really needed a sleeping bag this week. Thank you to the person from church who donated a sleeping bag. You saved a young man from freezing to death at night. You saved my friend.

The next stop we went to was to see a women we hadn’t had a chance to meet yet. That seemed surprising. We parked outside on the curb for several minutes. Stan let us know that it would be a few minutes before she could come out. The dealer who runs the house where she was at hates our outreach teams. She had to pay him to leave the house, and then also had to pay him again if she wanted back inside. What a sweetheart. She was so grateful for the food and hygiene supplies. It meant a lot to her to have her own blanket to sleep with.

We traveled around a little bit more. We heard there was a person naked and bleeding, so we rushed to that area. I’m not sure what happened to that person. A couple of young ladies came running to the van. They were desperate and frantic. Honestly, they were not the humble sweethearts that I like to write about. They are entrenched in “Survival Mode”. They took extra purses even when I said “one per customer”. They wined about not having clothes they like in their sizes or style, even though they took as much as they could carry. They complained about not having enough backpacks. They just complained about everything.

It’s not always easy. But Traci made a good point on the way home. We know those girls are living an unthinkable life. That life probably isn’t going to be a very long lived one. Traci said that sometimes we are just a pillow of comfort until their final rest. Not even Jesus saved every person he met. There were times he came to town, even in his own hometown, and no one wanted to hear it. But the lesson I learned from that was that you power through. Keep doing the right thing and the people who need you will find you. I cannot save everyone. I can show up and do my best. Our best is plenty for many.

Magdalene’s Mission is a network of friends from all over the United States. We are all Americans. We are all Human Beings. We are all struggling with our own personal human experiences. Those of us who can spare a little for another person, do. We can all do better, for ourselves, and for our species. And whether its someone who I have their number in my phone and we late night text, a woman held captive in a dope house, a paraplegic, or a whiney sex worker, we will be there sharing the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#magdalenesmission #peaceloveandhygiene

Tonight’s theme would have to be: Jesus went to the woman at the well. I said it many times this frigid evening. This weeks outreach was a collection of extra special donations. First, my dearest, beloved sister Tanya came up to visit us from North Carolina. She spent last week helping me sort and organize donations to help make my work area more efficient. It was a significant effect. Katie’s food donation came to me in bulk, frozen but pre-cooked. It made meals a thousand times easier this week. So if anyone is interested in baking 3 or 4 casseroles and then freezing them, that would be a great way to help. She also had hotdogs, which was another good idea. To top it off, I brought hot water and cocoa, plus a pump pot of coffee. The handwarmers were another boon. Thank you for the blankets! But the donation we had this week that made eyes pop was backpacks. Really really nice backpacks. The guys were ecstatic to receive them with a Mag Bag and a blanket in each one. To top it all off, Traci had a donation of McDonald’s gift cards. It’s like they are made from dodo bird feathers. They are so cool that no one believes they are real.

My favorite thing we had the joy of transporting to the homeless tonight was a guy named Kyle. Kyle is incredible. He is the rung on the ladder we’ve been missing this whole time. He is a housing specialist. His job is to help vulnerable people get off the street. This might mean an apartment, a room to rent, a nursing home, temporary shelter, section 8, and all kinds of assistance programs that are available to people who would have no way of knowing that. The Stanbulance was filled with volunteer medics, so Kyle got to ride with us.

Our first stop of the evening was to go back to that one old abandoned building we went to a couple of weeks before. The old man who lives on the front steps is now a client of Kyle’s. I’ll call him Ahab, because he looks like a old fisherman, or boat captain. Ahab hadn’t met Traci or Kyle yet, so he was very standoffish. Then when I came around the van, I said, “You remember me, right sweetie?” And of course he did. He let Traci get his some food, while I got him a back pack, some extra socks and a blanket. Then I found a warmer coat for him, and grabbed that, too.

Kyle was talking to him about helping him. He admitted he had breathing problems from a factory job he used to have. He’s been homeless since he’s lost the job from the resulting sickness. He was hoping that now he was a senior citizen that he could get help, but now he was so far removed from the system, he didn’t think he would get back in. He had accepted his lot in life. He believed it allowed more room for someone who might need the help the help more than he did. If God wanted something else for him, he would have that. He was content with the life God gave him.

But I know people. Those are the things we tell ourselves to accept situations we feel powerless to change.

So I told him, “Hunny, Jesus went to the woman at the well. He comes to you where you are. He finds you. This man right here is your golden ticket off these concrete steps. You can be in a house. It’s your turn. You do so deserve it.” I’m pretty sure he believed me. He’s meeting with Kyle again.

Next, we visited some people who lived beside a bridge on the expressway. It’s a place where we must use a lot of caution. Traci grabbed the food, and one of the nurses helped me carry blankets, purses, and backpacks, up the steep hill. When we asked the girl what other supplies she might need, she said that they could use propane. They had what was called a “little buddy” heater for their tent. I’ll have to look into that.

Eventually, we ended up waiting in a parking lot as we often do. I found out that we were meeting some old friends, but in a new place. It was my Brothers!!!! First we talked to the brother with one leg for awhile. I was excited to introduce him to our new fancy housing specialist. He was afraid though. He had all these reasons why he thought that he wouldn’t qualify. Mainly because he didn’t believe that any agency would be willing to provide assistance to a drug addict. He didn’t want to start a program that he would have to stay clean to qualify for. He didn’t know if he could do it. I told him that it couldn’t hurt anything to ask. As a matter of fact, drug addicts qualify for housing assistance, too. Running the system the other way doesn’t help. People are less likely to return to using drugs if the are not living on the streets in the same dens as other drug addicts.

I said it again, Jesus went to the woman at the well. It makes no sense for me to require you to be healthy before you “deserve” help.

Then his brother came up and we talked to him for a long time. We talked about ghosts, curses, and addiction, How damaged people poison all of their personal relationships. He talked about how exhausting it was to be homeless. You can’t take a single day off. There is no down time. I got him to talk to Kyle as well. He was excited about the possibility of living away from the drugs and constant suffering that surrounds him.

It’s like people are either homeless because they have been damaged, or damaged from having been homeless.

But having that one guy say he could help, really help, it offered a whole new layer of hope. It is that missing rung on the ladder to get up and out off the street. It’s the ladder to a safer life.

We stopped a couple of more places, but by the time we hit our last stop, I had some of the greatest conversations. I ran into a guy that is just brilliant, and cool as heck. He was telling me why he always has narcan with him. He told me about a guy who overdosed on fentanyl right in front of him recently. The guy was flatline dead. He had narcan on his person, and he said he gave it to the guy, and it was like he could see his soul rush back into the guys body. After he made sure the guy was okay, he kicked him out of his car.

He talked about how much he hated being on he street. It’s impossible to be in that life and not fall back into using drugs. He’s quit a bunch of times, but every time, he ends up having to come back. He hated how some people don’t understand that not everyone has family that cares, or can help. Not everyone has a friend who is doing okay. This guy is smart. He knows he can use his intelligence for much more productive means. But that isn’t what’s in his reach. He even works a full-time job, but it isn’t enough. I introduced him to my new friend, Kyle. He was filled with joy for the potential a sober life could hold for him. The idea of being out of the rat trap was more than merely a dream. It was a process that he began tonight.

The light that was in his eyes! Marilyn Monroe’s new guy came outside while we were talking. He’s working as well. He’s clean and just needed a couple more items, like an ID and a couple other documents to get on his feet. Our new friend was able to help him with all of that. That kid is going to make it. They both will. I predict seeing them again in the future when they will be volunteering at my outreach center, Mitchell’s Crib.

He and I also talked about the challenges of loving someone who has an addiction. I told him that when she says those hurtful things, that’s the addiction fighting you, not her. I told him about my personal experiences with loving an addict. We consoled one another’s shared pain on the halogen lit sidewalk. The hazard lights on the van flashed red spots on Traci’s legs while she packed more warm meals for the men who slowly oozed from behind the leaning fence.

Kyle has already met The Hobbits, and is well on his way to working them into a residency. Hopefully, soon I will be bring dishes and bedding to them instead of charcoal and handwarmers.

We went to where the people who needed us the most were. I feel we successfully helped all of the homeless people we could find tonight. I had thought provoking conversations about the real issues in their very real lives. We quelled some real fear. Offered tangible alternatives to homelessness, and brought life with hope back into people’s dreams.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#peaceloveandhygiene #magdalenesmission

Tonight’s theme was finding light in the shadows. I came out with another new volunteer this week. My friend Sally came out with me tonight, I should have taken pictures, but you know me. I’m too busy living in the moment. She was a formidable co-pilot. We laughed a lot all night long, and we also spent time reflecting deeply on the impressions that coming alongside the homeless had upon us.

There was no Andy with us on this adventure. Stan had two volunteers, and I had my one. Five people was all it took to make a difference tonight. It was very cold. The longer we were out there, the colder it got. I made bean and ham soup with a ham that Ann donated to me. I must confess, I had a bowl for lunch and it was magically delicious. I was excited to serve it to my friends tonight.

Our first stop tonight was at a hotel. The medical team had a pregnant woman they were meeting there. It was a pretty dumpy motel for the number of expensive cars we saw in the parking lot. There were a few junkers, too. But then we saw the junker car follow the shiny Cadillac out of the parking lot. Sally and I just laughed. We saw a couple of women walking from their rooms to cars and back. If they were sex workers, they were at least safer doing it there then they would be walking around and getting assaulted. A tall man with long dreadlocks walked all around the hotel, upstairs and down. Finally, a tiny blond girl came wriggling downstairs.

When we brought her the food she was very thankful. She said she remembered me from a while ago, but the person she had met me with was dead now. She was glad to get to see us again. I wished well for her and her baby.

Stan and his team had recently met a new group of people who lived in an old abandoned building. First, we met with the older gentleman who lived on the front steps. He would only take what he didn’t already have, and he didn’t have warm food. Check. We had to drive around to the back to sneak in through a back door that was unlocked. All I could see was as far as Stan and Mary’s headlamps would reach. The paint was peeled from the walls and the ceiling so it looked like scales on a massive arctic serpent. The air was somehow colder inside the building than it was outside. I imagined the cement blocks trapping the cold like bricks of ice. It felt like walking through a giant two-story igloo. There were ropes hanging from the ceiling with empty half-gallon milk containers tied to the ends of them. My best guess for that is, maybe it helps people find their way in the dark? I could see the occasional remnant of another outreach group. Small, plastic bags, and white, paper bags would lie outside the occasional doorway. If they were there, no one would come out to see us.

Part of me wanted to stay and explore the entire building,. There were remnants of the buildings original purpose everywhere. I wondered about the thousands of people who had walked these same hallways. Did they ever imagine it would look the way it does now? It was pitch black inside the big, brick igloo. If it weren’t for the other teams headlamps, I would have never found my way out again.

I was excited to bring Sally to meet some of my friends who live in another burned down building. Technically in the basement, because the above ground part is gone. One of the men we talked to was nearly free of addiction. He dreams of buying the house next door for $10,000, and then using it as an outreach center for homeless persons. His first idea was to make a warming center. His eyes were bright with dreams, and how close he was to achieving them.

There were only a few people there. One of them was Marilyn Monroe’s new boyfriend. He is very frustrated with her. He can’t get her to engage with wanting to recover, or even barely live.

“It’s like, I can’t get her to want to do anything. She hopeless.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. We were fighting. She won’t come get anything. Can I bring her some of your food? I know I can get her to eat the cookies, at least.”

I pray that I get to see her again. I just want to hold her until she believes she can be loved. She lost Writer Dude. He’s dead. She lost her baby. She never got to bring him home from the hospital. She doesn’t have a home. She loses her battle with addiction every day. The last time I saw her, she looked hollowed out. I hugged her and she just crumbled into a thousand pieces in my hands and wept. She cried until she was dry, then walked slowly away and faded like a ghost. I pray that God is holding her close until I can get back to her again. I know it’s considered taboo for the volunteers to go into the dope houses, or dens. But I might bust a door down to get to her. I just found her again. I’m going to pack her the biggest love bomb I can carry to her next week.

We went back to the spot where the guy built a camp for all his friends. It’s hidden so well. He is very proud of himself. It’s a miracle, considering that he can’t even stand all the way upright, and even if he did, he’s still shorter than I am. He told me that his sister had died four days ago. His nephew was having a very difficult time processing, or handling, his grief. He told me that the kid had lost both sets of grandparents in the same year, and now his mother. He didn’t want him to fall off the great track he had been on. He was trying to be a good uncle for his nephew.

It got me thinking about how when your homeless, being homeless might not be your only problem, or even the worst of your problems. It’s just the environment that you have to work from. We talked about how close we could be to destitution, ourselves. We both consider ourselves living in stable environments, but only to a very limited degree. We’re one tragedy away. We’re only one or two good friends away from falling over the edge. That’s the only difference between being on the receiving, or the giving side of the van.

Once you start to talk to people and hear their stories, you realize how alike you are and how much you have in common. It is an intense feeling of vulnerability. Next, you feel a secure appreciation for every time you are tired, and there is a clean, warm, safe place to sleep. And if we are hungry, we just walk into a room filled with all the food we like to eat and ways to cook it. Using the bathroom is not a whole process.

We visited the Hobbit’s They weren’t home but I did leave another bag of charcoal and some cans of soup, along with some other basics beside their camp.

I got to see my Handsome Brothers. Unfortunately, because it is so wicked cold out, we didn’t have long to talk. There was another young man who came timidly up to the van after my Brothers did. He was somewhat larger of a guy. I could tell by the look on his face that he was used to being passed over because of his size. I think he was assuming we would ignore him, but was wishing super hard that we wouldn’t. We gave him some food. I noticed he didn’t have a jacket on. He told me it was okay because I wouldn’t have anything in his size. But I did! I very, very rarely see larger size men. But this week, I found a jacket that was one of the nicer ones I had ever seen- in a practical sense. It wasn’t thick as down, but it was insulated in a heavy duty way, so I brought it, and it was a 3XL.It wasn’t going to be baggy on him, but it was warm and it fit. I was able to give him a duffel bag with a few extra survival items, such as handwarmers and a blanket. He was a real sweetie. Thanked us graciously, and then scuttled back across the street.

We drove to a few new places tonight, and a few familiar ones. I saw a lot of creative camps. I love tracking through the backs of vacant lots and abandoned buildings. I am fearless in the shadows. That is where I very often find the people who are hiding the lights inside themselves.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen

#peaceloveandhygiene #magdalenesmission

Merry Christmas and a Happy Two Years!

Honestly, tis is the Pt. 2 version. I was falling asleep as I typed so I wanted to go over it one more time. That picture is Traci in my basement two years ago. We’re building tables from a variety of random flat surfaces as we sort and pack.

Magdalene’s Mission has been running the streets for two whole years of hands-on street outreach. For two years, I have been the witness to an onslaught of miracles and tragedy. For two years, I have witnessed the absolute best in people come out in a myriad of ways. Everyone who donates, contributes, and volunteers, is just doing some little thing that they believe could help a homeless person. The ways that people contribute are as unique as they are. It is these infinite hues and shades of the human spirit the make our shared image so detailed. Our collective vision of what humanity can be is precise.

There were only two other volunteers out with Stan tonight. Magdalene’s Mission included me, Traci, four crockpots of goulash, pb& j lunches from Katie, turkey roll-ups, Gatorade, juice, and water, as well from Jenni. I had a bunch of blankets that came from friends at People’s Church as well as Traci’s clients whom she loves to talk about us. My cousin Melissa donated scarves that she made as a fundraiser she organized through her family’s business, Boza Boutique. (That’s the guy who does the amazing woodworking projects) I had a bunch of purses to take out (thank you), and the last of the Christmas bags from Kelly Bowen and her mom. Mag’s Bag’s were looking good this week, thank you Mary Anderson. Her husband finds a lot of great backpacks for us that are amazing and thoughtful. When I was able to hand that to someone to put their stuff in, it changed the trajectory of their life a bit. Mary puts together hundreds of baggies of hard candy and then delivers all these thoughtful donations and so much more to me every month.

Stanley led us in prayer over the walkie talkie to bless and guide our outreach before the two vehicles rolled out. We didn’t know where Andy was yet, so we just drove out to the southwest side and hoped to find him because he was probably helping someone. Along the way saw My Widow Who Sits. She was technically standing at an intersection with her sign. She looked miserable. We drove around the block and parked nearby.

She was feeling sick. She was embarrassed, but we understood. She asked if she could have an extra meal for her Handyman when he got home from work.

Marilyn Monroe’s new boyfriend came out and introduced himself as such. He asked if he could please have food to bring back to her. He didn’t want any for himself.

We helped a few people out from that group. Our next stop had us parked across the street from a party store where the teams could meet up with someone who needed medical attention. It was the couple I had met a couple weeks before. They had an abandoned house that they claimed as their own. It was a step up. They were relieved to at least not be directly out in the elements anymore. Mr. Anthropology refolded all of the clothes in the totes after everyone had gone through them. Then he stacked them neatly back into the van. He said it was the proper way to show his appreciation and gratitude for what we do for them. It meant a lot that we cared about them.

A friend of theirs approached the van. Super nice dude. He was really skinny. He did need a coat though and fell in love with a large jersey type jacket. He didn’t want hardly anything from us, but he did need medical attention. Next, we met the strangest family. That was a very bazaar encounter. A young man said that these dear old people needed food and blankets. We replied, of course, and packed everyone a bag with a meal in it. Everyone said they needed a blanket. They were sweet, but the little old Mama kept saying, “Gracias! Gracias!” Then tried to leave with my bags of turkey rolls… at least four times.

Traci and I went to a new hidden homeless camp. Stan warned us to be careful when we got there. That felt ominous. When we pulled up, I realized why. We were underneath a bridge, and parked on the shoulder of an entrance ramp to the highway. We loaded up enough food and hygiene supplies for five people. When I turned around again, everyone was gone. I saw Stan come down and he said to just walk straight up the hill. That seemed insane and impossible for it to lead anywhere, but I trust the dude.

Only when she and I got to the top of the hill did we notice the ring of tents. One women with short hair cam out to collect supplies. I love the relentless tenacity of humanity. We refuse to just roll over and die when stuff gets hard. We convince ourselves to live in spite of death.

We fed a man tonight who lives under a pile of wood that looks like a trash heap in a vacant lot. Brilliant disguise. He appreciated the warm food.

We drove around Detroit for four hours before we met our last friend of the night. She is homeless. She’s trying to get into rehab. She tried sex work as a means of income, but ended up being brutally raped over the course of several hours. He had a series of humiliating tasks for her to perform for fear of her life. He video taped the entire thing. She confessed, that she her instincts told her that if she did what he said, and didn’t fight him, that he would let her go. After several hours of violence, he eventually released her. She never reported it, or received any medical attention, for fear of legal retribution. She tried warning people to be on the look out for him. She was angry because she felt that other people weren’t taking her advice. Anyhow, that’s why isn’t able to do sex-work any longer, so she decided to panhandle because it would be safer. But she reported that competition was fierce to stand at an intersection. Especially for a single female. She just wished she could work for an hour or so. She could make ten bucks. She is currently putting all of her energy into quitting heroin. She believes she is still beloved by God. She won’t stop being generous with whatever she has left, no matter how crazy it may seem. Her goal is to open a non-profit someday. She wants to help children. She wants to be an advocate for children in the foster care system. I couldn’t see her smile behind her scarf but I could see it in her eyes when she talked about the person she was working to become.

Those are the human encounters that validate the purpose of existence. That women lives a life that you better be grateful to not understand. She lives with physical violence every day. It is a battle and a struggle to survive every minute of every day and night for her. Someone called her a bunch of names and was fighting with her even while we gave her some food.

I was able to give her a list of resources, including Avalon, and connected her with Andy who is one of a few persons who has great resources and connections with many of the rehabilitation centers around Detroit. Sometimes he can unstick a sticky situation. It is a step in the direction she’s trying to head. All she wants in her life is to be stable again so it can be her turn to take care of someone who cannot take care of themselves.

Who can blame her? It’s what every person who has ever decided to make the world worth surviving for has felt. It can be better than this. We can make the world a happier place. One person at a time.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen

#peaceloveandhygiene #magdalenesmission

post-script: It is after 1:30 a.m. am so exhausted. I may just have to rewrite this after I get up.

Sweet dreams on moonbeams!!!

‘Tis the season of giving. The outpouring of love this week is what the best of humanity is all about. I struggled a bit with putting together outreach for this week.  Certain tasks were taking significantly longer than planned. My plan for making goulash fell through, but at the last minute, the night before, a friend informed me that she had already packed 60 meals for our homeless friends. Another friend added the desserts that people have grown accustomed to associating with the flavor of Love.

 As you know,  I have recently begun to bring out new volunteers. This week the talented servants were Cecilia and Catie . Cecelia and I have served together on countless teams for our church and her daughter sings splendidly for our church band. Cecilia is a feisty Irish broad from Detroit. I knew she would fare just fine.

The very first person we helped was a crippled senior gentleman who panhandles at an intersection. We grabbed him some provisions and then scooted over to where he was as quickly as we could. He was working on untangling his tire’s innertube from the frame of his bike. He felt blessed for the provisions we supplied him. I gave him a big hug before we headed back. We drove around a lot. It’s cold and wet outside, which means most people we know are hiding, but we found quite a few tonight. The team uncovered yet another hidden shelter that no one will ever find. We met the man who built it, and he was very proud of his work.

My volunteers were naturals. We rolled through the cold and misty streets excited and content all at the same time. Eventually, our teams meandered our way to where the Hobbits live. We gathered up some food and headed that way. This week I was able to procure a tiny LED lantern and some fresh rope. The medical team arrived first and said that they weren’t there, so we trekked back to our vehicles hoping for the best.

We went around the corner to where my Brothers can be found. We found one of them, the amputee. His brother was working to collect money. We luckily had a duffel bag with a strap that helped him to carry the supplies back to where his brother was waiting for him. While we were there, the Hobbits arrived! We ran towards each other and gave each other big , mega hugs. We had the best talk! Let me tell you about it. Its what Mr. Hobbit would want me to do.

I told him that I write about him and his wife. He loves it. He thinks it’s wonderful. As a matter of fact, if I give him some paper and pens, he said that he would write the story of how they became homeless and everything that has happened to them since they have been on this wild journey. He told me that he wanted to give me the extraordinary story so that I could share it with all of you. How cool would that be?!?! So, yes, I am bringing him journals and pens for next week.

Mrs. Hobbit eventually confessed to me that she loves to color.  Then from a tattered green canvas bag, she tenderly pulled this coloring book with some of the pages slightly hanging around the edges. She colored exotic patterns of birds and flowers and hearts all inked in metallic pens. She proudly displayed her art to us. She admitted that she likes to use the finished pieces as Christmas cards. She would be sure to have one made just for me for next week. I can hardly wait.

Next, Mr. Hobbit introduced me to gaunt man standing quietly behind him. He told him, “See, these are the girls I wanted you meet. They might be able to help you and your wife.”

 Yes, another married couple. They were wonderful people as well. We talked and chatted for the longest time. We talked about how she was dealing with the loss of her younger brother. He had died from an overdose. Their mother was beside herself with grief. We talked about some other stories, and as she looked through the bin of clean clothes, her smile on the her face lit up the entire street. She reminded me of a Princess who left the castle one night to roam among the paupers and fell in love.  I guess that makes her Jasmine and her husband would be Aladdin. I hope someday they really do find a genie.

We made friends with another new couple on the southwest side. We had a great time talking to them for a long time, too. Mr. Anthropology. He also studies people. He broke down for me all these different psychological aspects of panhandling and homelessness. For instance, his girlfriend asked him to choose between which coat to accept, a black wool peacoat trench, or a tan camelhair trench coat. He told her that she should take the black one because it was more worn and beat up. If she wears a coat that nice, no one will believe she’s homeless. He also informed me that he can’t look people directly in their eye or they will get embarrassed and ignore him. He thought that people who had the gall to approach cars had no couth. To be that forward was an expression of pride. He wasn’t proud. He was humble, just desperate.

I met a pit bull named Psycho. He was the sweetest, most snuggly dog in the whole world. I am madly in love with him His owner was taking care of him for a friend. He said that Psycho had some food. That’s his picture. What a Romeo!

Like at ever other stop that night, we had such a great time talking and especially listening to our clients on the street. And like every other stop, poor Katie would be sent to tell us to pack it up. It was time to roll. Lots of hugs. Lots of love. Tons of gratitude. “Can’t wait to see you next week!”

Finally, we got to see one of my best friends on the street- My Widow Who Sits. I hadn’t seen her in a few weeks. I wasn’t sure it was her, but I was staring at her trying to figure it out. As son as we locked eyes, her whole face lit up like a Silver Bells Christmas Tree. I jumped out of the van and ran to her. She hugged me until my feet left the ground. I was that happy to see her. I got to introduce her to my friends, Cecelia and Catie.

We talked about stuff and things. She and her Handyman are in a house. It’s a dope house, she admitted, but it was inside. No more sleeping outdoors in an abandoned van. At least they were warm, and they even had their own room. It’s only for a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed. She looked okay, even if one of her eyes is almost completely closed now. For as much as My Window is always looking out for everyone else, I’m glad she has her Handyman to watch out for her the other 6 days and 23 hours a week I can’t be there.

But for that hour, or for those precious few hours it takes for us to disperse Maggie the Van’s bounty of carefully crafted donations, there is the absolute best of humanity. There is generosity, compassion, empathy, joy, celebration, brotherhood, sisterhood, perseverance, tenacity, gratitude, kindness, creativity, ingenuity, and best of all friendship.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#peaceloveandhygiene   #magdalenesmission

We had a spectacular night of community outreach. Tonight’s theme was positive vibes.

I had 2 new volunteers come out with me this week. My cohort, Traci, wanted to take a week off just as my friends Jenni and Liz were available to come out. The did everything excellent and on par with the level of compassion that Magdalene’s Mission is famous for. They created both a sweet and effective interaction for every person they had the privilege to serve.  

We got to serve Mr. and Mrs. Hobbit! I was so excited to introduce them to my friends. Mr. Hobbit felt the blessings of Christmas. Mrs. Hobbit felt some hope that they might survive a little longer. I asked them to tell me what other items could be useful to them. He said he needs to get some rope so that he can hang the tarp back up that surrounds their camp. I asked him about a lantern, and he confirmed it would be advantageous.

One of my friends on the street found a small, beat-up little guitar in the trash. He started playing it. He confessed that he hadn’t played in a couple of years, but that everything was coming back to him quickly if he kept playing. He promised us a song the next time he sees us. H proclaimed with a grand bow that the music is healing his soul. But isn’t that the purpose of music?

We passed out all the flashlights. Jenni was impressed at how crucial such a seemingly random item can be. I was impressed with how comfortable they were in every place that we visited.

The Women In Stitches  made a beautiful supply of snuggly hats. People have been making super warm, extra soft, snuggly blankets. Everyone got handwarmers this week. Everyone got a Christmas bag. Everyone we met left warmer, and safer, than when we met them.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#peaceloveandhygiene   #magdalenesmission

I know I’m a few days past when I usually posts my report. I didn’t get to bed until after 3:30 in the morning, then pre-Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, post-Thanksgiving clean-up, I barely sat down for 4 days. You can tell on me to the owner, but, I am the owner!

We had the van locked and loaded. I brought out these adorable Christmas bags that my friend Kelly made. Another nurse volunteer provided meals this week. That was an enormous help. Once we got to Detroit it was already dark. More volunteers from the medic team packed Maggie tight with blankets.

As you know, we focus heavy on our friends who live outdoors right now. I found the coolest squats hidden in dark corners of Detroit. It reminded us a lot of The Boxcar Children.

Let me tell you about my new friends, Mr. & Mrs. Hobbit (that’s what I shall call them). The Hobbit’s are an adorable couple who live outside in Detroit. They are resourceful, inventive, humble, and vulnerable. They have a tent in the back of a vacant lot littered in random refuse. Behind a clump of trees in the corner, they have pieces of plastic tarp hanging from ropes and branches to surround the campsite. Once behind the plastic wall halls, there is a small area they have made into a home. It’s just a small tent and a campfire.

Mr. Hobbit spends a lot of time keeping Mrs. Hobbit safe from predator’s. We have to keep our lights low, and make sure no one spots us heading towards their camp. He has to make sure no one else finds their fort. There are also coyotes, coons, other animals, and the persistent ghosts to always be aware of. He’s been using bricks to keep the heat up on their campfire, and also to cook on. He gathers scraps of wood to burn for heat. Mrs. Hobbit says she has gotten to be pretty successful at mastering campfire cooking. She can even make cinnamon roles, and biscuits! I have a little hibachi grill that I never even used last year. I asked him if it would help. He tried to be humble, but he admitted it would be a dramatic game changer. I think I have enough in donation cash that I can buy them a bag of charcoal. I have some canned food in donations that she said she can cook by putting the can right onto a brick in the fire. She was so cute and funny.

I think what connected me to them was their spirit. They both had the attitude of, ‘we’re not poor. we’re just broke right now.’ Mrs. Hobbit was a woman who was not going to let her situation define her. I get that. It’s important to remember who you really are. Mr. Hobbit is a scrawny little guy, but he defends his wife and builds for her the best house he can provide. His first concern is always that we take care of her first, her safety.

I was able to connect Mr. Hobbit with a social worker who was out with the medical team that night. Mr. Hobbit was having a heck of a time getting his identification back. She was able to connect him to the resource he needed so that he could continue on his mission to get him and his wife into an inside home. They really are powering through it, saying their prayers, and doing the best they can to survive through the winter. I love Mr. & Mrs. Hobbit.

We walked away from the Hobbit’s Home and immediately saw a tower of smoke and flames in the distance. Stan was champing at the bit to save someone, or attend to a serious wound, deliver a baby, reverse on OD, etc… So we drove to where the drama is. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be us!

Those are the pictures I posted on-line. A lot of our people live in that area. We’ll find out through the grapevine if anyone got hurt.

I met a woman who was mute. I could look into her bright eyes and read everything she tried to say. Every time I handed her somethings she put her hand together in prayer, and thanked God. Her pretty hazelnut eyes told me everything she felt. I found her a pair of new tennis shoes to wear because her sandals were worn all the way through.

At our last place we parked, a women pulled her vehicle off the road and pulled right up to us.

“Do have blankets in there? My grandbabies ain’t got no blankets! Can I get something for them? They are freezing at night and my daughter ain’t got nothin’ for them.”

Of course.

“Thank you, ma’am. My babies need these for Christmas. I’m so grateful I saw you!”

You never know, do you?

I’m thankful to have a useful purpose. My friends in tents are thankful they were not forgotten. That random lady is thankful her grandchildren are sleeping under blankets through these winter nights.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

#peaceloveandhygiene #magdalenesmission

post-script: My plan is to work on updating the web page today. So keep your pages peeled for updates!

Tonight’s theme was ‘What Happens When One Takes a U-Haul into Detroit for Outreach’ It was a lot. It was a Lot of Work. It was a lot of stuff. It was a lot of boring driving to one person at a time. Then it was a lot of people. Then a lot of chaos. Then a lot of ‘one more person’s’-  for the next 30-40 minutes. Let me tell you about it and some of the people I met tonight.

I rented a 15-foot U-Haul and filled it with clothes, blankets, coats, shoes, food, water, and hygiene, etc. I was going to rent the 26-footer because I knew that was how much room I could utilize. My husband and brother talked me into a 15-footer. They are in a perpetual state of concern because they know me too well. I filled it up immediately.  There was a bounty of donations just from this week to contribute. If you are one of those donors, Thank You from the bottom of my punk-rock heart.

We had plenty for everyone for about 2 ½  hours. First, we ran out of food (66 meals). Then blankets, then the pickings got slim.

The people kept coming though. In particular, I remember a couple that another volunteer introduced me to. They were living in a pick-up truck, with their three sons. He told me they were going to be a family that really could use everything we had. She asked me for any help finding a shelter that I knew of.

“We both work honest jobs, I promise! I’m just trying to get us an address so the boys can be in school.”

I told her I was in her position before, and I made it through. As a matter of fact, 7 years and 3 months ago, my family was homeless. It was getting towards the end of August, and I was worried about the kids not being enrolled in school on-time. What I didn’t mention was that God is good to me and a friend of mine from church let me rent one of her houses. She charged us a reasonable rate. Ever since we have been working to upgrade the house as much as possible (a little DYI at a time) to show her our appreciation. Without Miss Cindy, I don’t know where we would have ended up. We bounced around from family member to family member, but it wasn’t like we could set up a long-term base anywhere. Eventually, those couches get worn out. Three kids, I get it.

Sean and I were both working the entire time.

 Anyhow, we had a crowd of people behind the U-Haul gate. We would let them in 2 at a time to pick out clothes, shoes, and coats. It went on and on and on…

I couldn’t believe how fast we went through food. Coats, coats, coats.

“Blankets, do you have blankets? Oh wow! Can I have a pillow?”

And then the Street Outreach Team wanted to go see a patient, but… we have a safety protocol where we can’t’ leave any vehicle alone. We always move as a team- Safety in numbers.   

They just kept coming though- hungry, cold, scared.

Traci and I just kept loving them. If they needed anything medical- there is the medical team. Is it swollen, broken, or oozing? Go see the medical team.

Can you believe we emptied out a U-Haul in 4 hours? I don’t know if I can handle it again. I’ll consider that a win. I learned that me, Traci and a 15-foot trailer is too much for our wee bodies to do again anytime soon, But-

It was incredible the number of people we were able to help. We saw all people who were shelter challenged. We, as a team of humans, really went out there and passed out as much survival care as we could before the temps reach below freezing temperatures.

I’m exhausted. It’s 1:15 a.m. and I am struggling to type anymore.

We did it, and we did it with gusto.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

Post-Script: I’ll add more pics in the morning.

What a night! The theme for this week’s report is- Ghosts. It is the Dios de los Muertos today. The Day of the Dead. I was out ready for ghost sightings. I asked nearly everyone we saw tonight if they had had experiences with ghosts while living in Detroit. Almost everyone said that they had.

The first place we went to was on the southwest side. I asked the young lady we were serving about her experiences. She said that her grandmother had died in her house a couple of years ago. Two weeks later, her grandfather joined her on the other side. In the past year or so since then, everyone in the house has claimed to see things. Nothing dramatic, just always seeing things move out of the corner of your eye, but when you look directly at it then it’s gone.

She asked for clothing for a friend of hers who also lived in the house. This friend was larger than her, but desperately needed a warm shirt or any pants. The poor thing had broken both legs and she wasn’t able to come out to the van to see us.

A few moments later, a couple of gentlemen came up to the van. We had seen them talking with the medical team as well, but in a friendly manner. Not so much a client manner. The first gentleman introduced himself as a fellow volunteer from the Catholic Social Services in the area. He told me that he had been a substance abuse councilor for many years, but finally the grief of losing people whom he loved and invested in took its toll too many times. He was still active in other ways. As a matter of fact, he had heard of the ladies who pass out food, hygiene purses and backpacks, clothes, and blankets. Everyone loves us! We’re a big deal when we hit their neighborhoods. (Psst… that’s you donors!)

I love to brag a bit on how everything I have to pass out has been donated. Everything single thing including the van I deliver it in!

His friend was a fascinating character as well. He was also born and raised on the Southwest side. He said that the neighborhood had changed dramatically over the years. He’s both white and black, he said. So, he saw a lot of both sides. He told us that the neighborhood was mostly white when he was growing up. There was a lot of businesses that people owned and that added affluence to the area.

Nowadays, the area is significantly more diverse than before. The businesses that were once owned by families who lived in the neighborhood, are now employed by the people who live in the neighborhood.

“It’s like everyone is poor now, but because it’s happening to all of us, we understand and help each other out.

Ex-councilor wanted to make sure I got food and some clothes for the lady with 2 broken legs as well. I told him someone else made sure before him.

She was walking outside of the store across the street when a man pulled into the parking lot. He had a seizure, and his foot slammed on the gas. He drove right straight into her and broke both of her legs. I remember reading about it in the news. Now the article is a part of my outreach.

His friend said he intended to hang out with me and Traci until the other volunteers came back out. He wasn’t going to leave us alone. What we do for the people in Detroit is so valuable. It means so much. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to us.

“So, you guys are our guardian angels now?” I joked.

“Girls, what you do, EVERYONE knows who you are. Ain’t no one allowed to mess with you. You got guardians all over Detroit.”

That’s why we don’t carry. That’s why I don’t worry. We’re protected from above and below.

Of course, they see ghosts in Detroit. Just in the houses though.

One of the guys we were talking to used to own the house we were standing in front of. When his dad owned it, back in the day, it was a gambling joint! People played cards and dice in there.

What a couple of neat people to meet.

The cops came so we had to leave.

The next stop was to my Brothers. Something special we had this week to pass out was charger blocks. Someone had donated 40 charger blocks! We were also able to pass along toilet paper. By the way, that is a MEGA need. We got them prepped for the week and made sure they each had a warm coat and a blanket to get through the cold nights. The older brother has an eye for quality. You should have seen him talk up the coat we gave him.

We went back to the vacant place in the middle of everything, but it looked like nowhere. This time Traci and I got a little braver. We walked into the hidden encampments and talked to the people inside. I hate coming at someone in a herd of volunteers. It feels awkward and intimidating. Tonight, I powered through it. We walked to the back of a field, behind some trees, under a tarp, to a covered path leading to a tiny tent.

They were so sweet and grateful. The guy came back with us to get a coat, blankets, etc.

It was pitch black, but they guy helped us find a few more camps that were hidden beyond trees and such. He told me that some of the people won’t come out to meet outreach people because they are afraid that they will bring cops with them. Or that cops will follow the outreach team. Staying hidden is of utmost priority.

We cruised up and down Michigan. We parked in front of a burned-out house on a side street that had several homeless people living in what was left of it. I saw a woman across the street on her porch with her cell phone pointed at us. We helped a couple of men out. Then a couple minutes later we had to leave because the woman across the street called 911 on us. We trekked on…

Traci saw a man flag us down on the street. The caravan whipped around to meet him. He was such a polite gentle man. He was on his fourth day off fentanyl. It was making him yawn a lot and his bowels were in a state of chaos. He especially appreciated the water and food. It was just what he needed to power through what his body was going to do to him until all the drug was out of his system.

I gave him all the positive energy I could. I even prayed over him so that he would feel strength. Holy Ghost size strength.

My Widow Who Sits was busy working when we got to area. Her boyfriend seen us though and got supplies for them both. People on the southwest side really are always looking out for one another. That’s a major difference between poverty and affluence. When one is aspiring for affluence, one will always be competing with their neighbor, always jealous. When you’re poor, you are willing to help your neighbor, because you’re compassionate.

“Everyone is poor in this together.”

I want to be able to express to you how intense the gratitude for what we do is. The gratitude cannot be overstated. We save lives. We give people hope. We make people feel their lives are worth saving. We help people survive. We are important to our species.

 I don’t take any credit. I’m a chauffeur. There are many people who feel called to do what God has told them is in our species best interest, protect the vulnerable. There are also many people who just like to be good people because it feels right. Yeah. That’s evolution, too. I don’t care what inspires you. But if you want to really help real people, I have a suggestion.

I’m renting a U-Haul for next week!

Have you been meaning to clear out space in the pantry? Have blankets, sheets, or towels that aren’t “kindling joy”?

Are you feeling guilty over how many winter coats you accumulated?

Are you storing winter boots that weren’t the size you needed them to be?

Random food?

Are you stuffing a stockpile of hoodies or jeans that you don’t wear as often as you thought you would?

Drop it off on my porch!

Text me!

Because around here, in America, if you can’t use it-

let’s see if your neighbor can.

That’s what good people do. And also,

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

Tonight’s theme was Tricks and Treating. We did things slightly differently this week. The Harm Reducers (not an official name) took the week off, so it was the Street Medicine Outreach team and Mag’s Miss (that’s us) working together tonight.

The weather was as wonderful as an autumn evening could be. I get to see a lot of historical sites in Detroit. The city is 321 years old. Everywhere we go, it seems everything is alive and has a story to tell, or a secret to hide. For example, the very first place we stopped was in front of a church. It’s one of the oldest in Detroit. It opened in 1911. It has a rich history. These days it is covered in homeless people seeking refuge from the weather, or less than hospitable property owners.

We kept driving on to the southwest side of the city. We saw an old man standing at an intersection with a spare change sign. As we were helping him, another man slowly made his way across the busy road. He used short crutches because I don’t think he had whole legs. He was blind in one eye, with a white curly beard under his warm grin.

I saw my 2 brothers again! They asked me if I had any batteries. They needed new ones for their head lamps. They were both very grateful for the food and everything, of course.  I overheard the younger brother, who only had one leg, bragging about how well his brother had done to build them a safe and comfortable shelter. Shelter cannot be underestimated. It’s at the top of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs. Humans will go to great lengths to create any type of a shelter for themselves.

The next stop we went to was nearby, but it looked like an abandoned part of the city. We pulled up next to a desolate field. It looked like the sort of place where even the ghosts have ghosts. The ambulance emptied out. We were told to grab three meals. Our motley crew of volunteers abandoned our vehicles and trod to the back of the field. A long wall with inspirational quotations written in illuminating graffiti led us through the shadows. Finally, we were someplace the light couldn’t find until our flashlights broke through it. We found the hidden encampment. We were able to help them all. After we made it back to the vehicles, we waited around for a few minutes. The shadows released a few scant souls. People were asking for food and tents. Winter is coming. The rain has made shelter more crucial and more challenging. I was glad we packed extra food and blankets this week.

We drive on…

The next stop was interesting, for sure. It was a random immediate pull-over. We saw a woman walking alone. We asked her if she could use our help and she very much could. As she was getting some desperately needed clothing, I saw the homeless man who needed small jeans. I still had some of the smaller sized jeans that a buddy of mine gave to me. I packed them especially for him and I was so happy I saw him. He was happy to see us too. He had a friend with him that wasn’t much bigger than he was, only a bit taller. As we got to chatting, we started talking about ghosts. There was a ghost he saw regularly when he went out at night. There are traumatic deaths every week in Detroit. Ghosts and hauntings are everywhere.

Just then, an elderly gentleman came up and asked if he could have some food. We talked about the old gangs that used to run in Detroit. The Purple Gang was the big one back in the day. We discussed their downfall. We talked about how important it was to have a code. Whether you follow Allah, Jesus, or the Street, you must have a code to live by. You must have standards, honor. Even the old-time gangsters knew that. The Purple Gang broke their code and turned on one another. Look what happened to them. The old man, G, he complimented my Mary Medallion. He stroked a beautiful gold cross at his throat.  That says to me, his code is that he would rather eat a sack lunch out of a van then to hock a priceless memento. Some things are worth more than something as common as money.

Our last stop of the night was exciting. I had been there once before, but Traci hadn’t yet. We were in the business district downtown. It’s a kind of underground thing kind of by the river. All the volunteers piled out. We only expected to see three people living there. Instead, there must have been at least ten men all living together. They all looked so sad. Then they looked scared that there may not be enough food for everyone. Traci and I went back to the van and gathered up the remaining sack lunches and blankets. By the time we came back, The Medic team found more people who were living in corners, and behind walls. We had just enough food and blankets for everyone. There was only one female in the entire homeless compound. I overheard her birthdate. She’s the same age as my daughter.

There was no moon to light our way tonight. We had to go by instinct. We went the way that the spirits led us.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#peaceloveandhygiene   #magdalenesmission

Tonight, was a whirlwind of desperation and compassion. Magdalene’s Mission and Stanley’s street medicine outreach team met up with Andy and his harm reduction supplies at a busy intersection on the southwest side of Detroit.

We were parked there for mere seconds before men and women came from everywhere towards the caravan. Food was the most valuable commodity tonight. Then came the Mag Bags, then blankets and clothes. Backpacks and duffel bags were filled one after another.

The teams always try to make sure everyone gets a what they need. When people come for food, we are always sure to ask if they would like any medical attention for any wounds, abscesses, breaks or infections. If we’re lucky, we catch a girl who is pregnant. Tonight, we were lucky, twice.

Something that is key to our caravan’s ability to access so many people is in our approach. For example, the pregnant girl I met this evening was desperate for food and clothing. She had none. I overheard her mumbling that she was pregnant, and I saw her stroke her swollen mama-belly. I told her that there was a medical team if she wanted it.  She looked down and replied that she had it taken care of. I subtly, and strategically went over to where the med team was standing, and I told brought them into the situation.

When I got back to the young lady, I let her know that I cared about her. I wanted her and her precious baby to be healthy and safe. Would she please let them talk to her. I would feel better if she was okay. That relaxed her a bit and she talked to a couple of nurses for a while. Now I know that someone is aware and watching. Our guardian angels are in a borrowed ambulance.

Andy is amazing. He is so humble that it makes you feel humble just to be near him. The way he fearlessly walks freely into any occupied shadow is like nothing you have ever seen. He searches out people others avoid by instinct. He peels them from the shadows because Andy makes the light safe. He makes it possible for suffering people to survive so they can figure a way out of the dark places. He does this in all his spare time because it is the right thing to do, and someone should. And he can. So, he does. Because he genuinely cares.

He’s not paid to care. Or forced to care, ordered, guilt tripped, required, etc. It’s just who he is, and it sure feels nice to a have a purpose. It sure feels nice to know he is out there.

I met new people and saw a few familiar faces, too.

Remember the first lady I gave a Jackpot purse to? I see her all the time. She’s a great-grandma and her great grand baby is doing wonderful! She said she is fat and healthy with gigantic kissable cheeks. I told her to give that baby an extra big kiss from her Auntie Kayla. She said she would. I love her.

There is a guy who wears a size 29 waist in men’s jeans. He is always so polite about trying to find clothes in his size even though we never have pants small enough for him.

The first two questions out of everyone’s mouth were either, “Do you have food?” or “Do you have coats?”

We could say yes to both. Because whatever they asked for first, the other was second.

People kept coming towards us, but we still had time to talk to some people as well. Stan mentioned that we should find another van to fill and drive around with us.

I know I’m always repeating how kind, grateful, and sweet people I meet are. The most heartbreaking point of the evening was at the very end. A scrawny little woman with her hair in a ponytail was walking across the parking lot. She was a bit of a ways away. As soon as she saw the caravan, she came running up to the back of the van.

“Do you have any food? Please say you have some food. I’m so hungry.” She pleaded with me.

We had only been there less than an hour and I had just given away the last of the forty-four meals I prepared for that night. When I told her I had no food left, she cried.

“I’m so hungry! I’m just so hungry! It isn’t fair!”

Most homeless people weren’t born on the streets. They were born in hospitals. They grew up with families inside of houses just like you and me. They have mom, dad’s, siblings, and grandparents just like you and me. Tragedy, hardship, addiction, death, they happen to a lot of families, just like you and me. In some cases, they make it through. It some cases, for a plethora of reasons, people don’t. If the right circumstance comes along, they can beat it. If doesn’t, or maybe another bad circumstance happens, then they won’t.

I have a plant. I bought him off from the clearance rack at the grocery store. I named him Nick Cave. I put him in a sunny spot. I watered him. He was about 6 inches tall. He was alright. Until he wasn’t. He just kept getting a little weaker and a little weaker. He wasn’t dead, but he was obviously just surviving. Traci told me he needed a new pot. I kept being distracted. I mean, he wasn’t dead or anything. Until finally, Traci gave him a new big, huge pot. That motivated me to buy a big bag of soil. I repotted Nick Cave. He grew to almost two feet tall in a matter of days. Traci informed me that he was meant to grow several feet tall, but he could never become what he was meant to in that unhealthy place. He needed to be in the right place with better soil.

And that’s the meaning behind Tuesday night outreach.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

Tuesday September 6, 2022

Tonight was poetry and helpers.

Each week I bring a notebook with me so that I can take notes and not forget details. More importantly, one of the many people I met that night could fall beneath the many layered scenes I enter, or stories I witness. When I get home at the end of the adventure, I reread them and tell you what I can of what you want to know. Here are tonight’s notes, and then the stories behind them:

3 kids on bikes

gave purse to a lady

Lady is clean

Trying to be all the way

Another lady on the side of the road

Man who lived in neighborhood 12 years

wants to help

is always helping

Used to harm, now he helps

Putting batteries in flashlights

Black boys on dirt bikes

And white girl with handbags

Mouths and hands open

For brown bags and purses

blankets and light

(An old man wants something mall enough)

Old man insisted God had many names.

“Believe it!”

1 more couple after we thought we were done

1 by 1 they come

G- Helper girl

Autumn is the mother of Summer

Her boyfriend died.

The first time the caravan pulled over was to assist a woman who was walking down the side of the road. Three young boys, probably aged 10-12 rode up on dirt bikes and asked if we were okay. They wanted to make sure we weren’t broke down. The back of the van was up and a boy asked for a bottle of water. Then it became “If you give mouse a cookie”. Because if you give a boy water, you’ll give him and extra cookie, which will lead to needing a bag, which will lead to can I give that bottle of body spray to my mom, then they trade, then a handbag, no that handbag, now they want a regular bag and they will give away the handbag to a homeless person for us.

I watched their slender shadows shrink as the boys glided down city street and past the bridge that loomed between a wooded lot and a vacant one. Eventually their shadows touched a shadow that was then slowly growing larger as it limped towards the bridge. The boys handed her the handbag, as promised, and continued their youthful hijinx around the next street corner.

The medical team was still assisting the first person we saw. Eventually, the shadow limped up to our van. She was struggling but trying her hardest. She told me that some kids gave her a purse and told her that if she was hungry, we would help her. They were correct. We helped her meet some of her survival needs. Then, we talked about the progress she had made. Their were a lot of people she had lost to drugs, but the one who had beat drugs really inspired her. So for all you Quitters out there: You are someone else’s reason they believe they can quit, too. It’s powerful stuff.

A man walked up to us and asked if he could donate to us. He’s lived in the neighborhood for 12 years. He tries to help in every and anyway he can. He leaves out food. I gave him my card. Andy gave him narcan and showed him how to use it.

BTW, I have narcan at home. Message me if you want any for any reason. I don’t care.

We only went to a few spots tonight. The next spot felt like a trickle. In a way, that’s kind of the best. Then we can help a lot of people, but still get the opportunity to talk to each person. We care about their stories. We want to know if there is something else that either I, or one of the other team member can do to help.

The next spot was all it took to empty the van. One by one, they came from out of the alley’s, or a piece of a shadow would break off and walk towards us. One by one, they came. They came hungry, they came nearly naked. Grown men came up to me begging for hygiene products and socks.

I had pepper spray and flashlights. Now, 19 more women and 1 man do.

40 more meals were served.

30 Mags bags. I would have made more, but I am out of women’ feminine hygiene products and also deodorant.

We went through all of it in 3 hours.

I heard some truly inspiring stories of survival tonight. I had the privilege of serving people alongside some of the most brilliant volunteers I have ever heard of. I sat down in the dirt (literally) with my clients/friends tonight. We talked about what mattered to us. It’s unexpected the things you can live without that you never thought you could, or would. It’s surprising when you can’t live without something that you can hardly remember choosing.

Remember, at Magdalene’s Mission we don’t judge ya’-

we just love ya!

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#peaceloveandhygiene #magdalenesmission #Detroit

Tuesday Aug. 31, 2022

I know I usually write these reports as soon as I come back, before I go to bed. We got back too late last night. I thought I would write better after a little rest. I met some incredible people. I heard some far-out stories. I saw some dramatic stuff. But I also drove around a lot and waited a lot.  Things seemed to be moving very slowly for a long time. We were visiting one or two people at a time at first. Random clients of the other two teams. Some people need medical attention. Some people need harm reduction supplies. EVERYONE needs to see Magdalene’s Mission.

Tonight, our van a.k.a., Maggie, was loaded up with the following:

50 healthy meals

25 filled women’s purses

25 filled men’s backpacks

50 water bottles

50 bananas

12 jars peanut butter

12 sleeves Ritz crackers

4 blankets

4 bins of women’s clothing

4 bins of men’s clothing

1 large bag men’s undergarments

1 large bag women’s undergarments

20 cans pepper spray

30 flashlights

Approximately 30 books

1 box of random extra’s (sewing kits, playing cards, etc)

2 bins shoes

Box of cloth bags

6 duffel bags

6 rolls toilet paper

2 pillows

4 emergency blankets

2 feisty volunteer ladies

And a whole lotta love!

The theme for this week- Just survive.

Our first two friends we made were beautiful young men. They were brothers. The younger brother only had 1 leg. The older brother had problems with his eyes. They were unfocused and I had a hard time finding his good eye. They stood outside at an intersection with a sign begging for spare change. We met up in the parking lot across the street. After giving them food, Mag Bags, toilet paper, etc., we talked for a bit. The older brother was talking about the shelters he had created for them. Last winter, they found abandoned space in an old factory. He had a propane heater, but it caught fire and burned up all their possessions.

They were most proud of their head lamps. The brothers explained that they went without and saved up until they could afford the nice headband flashlights. The younger brother used crutches to help him walk and I’m sure carrying a flashlight became a problem when you are navigating through a black, abandoned, factory warehouse at night with only 1 leg. He said he saved up until he got the nice ones.

I offered them toilet paper, and explained what stuff was in the Mag Bag I gave him. He was impressed with how thoughtful everything was. I told him I gave him what I missed, or needed, when I was homeless and had to live on the street.

“I want you to survive.”

He told me about the care he puts into constructing a safe shelter for him and his brother. “My brother is the handsome one.”

Remember that big tent and cab I saw last week? We were across the street from there. I asked him if that was theirs.

“Oh, no! We live inside someplace I cleaned out for us. Once you get inside, it feels nice. It feels like a home. Just because I live on the street doesn’t mean I have to live like an animal. I can make the best out of what we have for a life.” He humbly confessed.

That’s why I love him. That’s why these are my people.

I told him that I got out and I got better and now I know all these wonderful people who I can tell what’s it’s like to live out here, and then they can help people that they know appreciate and need them. It’s a win-win-win.

He told me that he wishes he could write a thank you note to every person who donated to us to keep them alive. He loves you. He thanks you all from the bottom of his enormous heart that you took time to care for him and his crippled brother.

Now they are your people, too.

I met a lady who just may be the most kind, humble, literally nicest person in all of Detroit. She was sweet and gentle as an angel. She couldn’t believe all that Traci and I had for her. We sat in front of 4 abandoned houses while Traci and I played the guessing game of which one she would come out from. We were the only 4 people out on the street, so we had plenty of time to love on her. Andy watched over us as Traci pulled clothes out for her.

“I’m sorry I’m so skinny. I’m trying to gain weight. I know the crack isn’t helping but I try.” She looked down into the sidewalk and began to curl into an embarrassed little ball.

“You’ll get it honey. Don’t give up. I’ve seen lots of people quit. I know it can be done. I know you are strong enough.” I reassured her.

She softly spoke, “See, that’s why I love you guys. You don’t care if I’m addicted to crack, or what I am. You just want me to survive.”

“That’s right.” I said. “You are so beloved. God loves you so much. He sent me and Traci here just to tell you. We’re on your side. You are believed in.”

She told about her tormenting struggle with addiction. She asked us how we did it. How did we get out. We told her our experiences.

“One of these days, I’m going to quit. I want to quit so bad. When I do, I’m going to be like you and Traci, and I’m going to come back and help save people.”

I hugged her boney body tight, and I told her that I knew she would.

We’ll call her Tiny Angel. Keep our Tiny Angel in your prayers, thoughts, good vibes list.

We took care of another homeless couple. These guys were adorable. The guy was quiet. He hadn’t had clean clothing in a long time, and it showed. He worked hard though. Significantly more than you would expect, guys do work. It’s not enough to get out of their hole, but it’s enough so that their girlfriends can pan handle instead of being sex workers. Some still are, occasionally, if work dries up on the guy’s end. His girlfriend was a little firecracker. But we would need so much therapy just from one day living like our friends do. These girls are tough as hide leather. I love her. She was the cutest person and funny, too.

She told her boy friend and Andy, “See, that’s why I like these girls that come out. They don’t care about our bullshit. They just want us to survive.”

Pepper spray.

That same girl was just raped again the other day by the same Arab man who has been yanking young girls into his car and does horrible perverse and violet things to them FOR YEARS. I’ve heard other girls talk and warn about him, too. She was panhandling that day, not working. She described her hours long violent sexual encounter to me. She told me about what this same man has done to her friends as well. She recently stopped him from nearly pulling her friend into their car. I made sure she had access to medical attention. I told her that I could get her to a doctor to test for STI (sexually transmitted infections). Then, she told me something hopeful.

“I make sure I get into Planned Parenthood everything 3 months to get checked out for diseases. Thank God for Planned Parenthood!” She exclaimed.

I went to a familiar spot and met a new friend. She said that she had seen us stopped in that place a few times. She noticed we were helping people. She finally got up the nerve to ask. She had a cute little dog with her. I should grab her a bag of dog food for her little guy next time. Dogs are invaluable security systems. (Thank you, Lt. Ripley) She has a daughter, too. We found her a couple of clean outfits for her and her kid. Purses, food, pepper spray, etc. She gave us tons of thank you’s and gratitude in return. I like this lady. She’s tough. She’s trying. She has dignity and respect.

At one point in the evening, all the streetlights on Michigan were flashing at once like strobe lights. And the traffic lights were all flashing, too. Super surreal and very trippy.

The last stop of the night was a swarm spot. It’s in a busy area with plenty of hidey spaces. I got to see my Girl Who Reads! I packed a bag of books this week, too. She said she really likes Danielle Steele. But she just loves to read everything.  She took as many as she could carry with her. About 10 books.

I saw my Widow. Her eyes aren’t well, but she was still in bright spirits and enjoying her friends. She couldn’t stay long, but we at least got to chat for a few and get at least 3 extra hugs.

Most people are excited for the clothes. It’s a big project and not every nonprofit can do it like we do. Everyone we meet always wants clean clothes immediately after food. One of the men I spoke to, and one of the ladies said that they couldn’t take clothes that looked nice. That was the first time I had heard that.

My girl said that people harass you or won’t give you money if you wear nice clothes. It doesn’t matter where they came from.

The man said that he tried panhandling for food once when he was hungry. But the man in first car that pulled up to him criticized his shoes and his jeans and told him that he thought he was scum. He said I was so humiliated I never tried panhandling again. He’d rather starve.

Well, he didn’t starve last night. He survived.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#magdalenesmission   #peaceloveandhygiene

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Peace, Love & Hygiene: Vol. 66- What an incredible evening. I have had to stay back the past couple of weeks because of some health issues I was having. I’m feeling better now. One of the first things I wanted to do was get back to my mission.

The theme for this week would have to be: Reunited. It felt good to be back where I belong. Whether that be on concrete with other crazy, committed, volunteers; or with the homeless widow who is always there to look out for everyone, or the old man who was thankful and full of praise that he got to eat that day. We were all one team again. We were all on Team Human.

It was one of those nights where all we had to do was pull over and before you knew it, there was a handful of starving people excited to see us. Traci was diligently handing food out to all the people who needed it. Then she helps everyone get clothes while I get the personal care purses, etc.

One thing I noticed right away was that the girls had more bruises and knife wounds than usual. Everyone was out of pepper spray. Every person asked for it. A few girls told stories of how they wished they had it during a violent encounter. It was wished for sorely by every lady I saw tonight.

We fed a homeless man who had no legs.

We saw my Widow who Sits! She was in high spirits despite anything else. She said she wished I had pepper spray because she was too afraid to pan handle without it anymore. Her boyfriend is very good to her. He’s a nice man. He’s trying to use his handyman skills to get them off the street and into an actual apartment or something. He was doing okay for a while, but she said he was having a rough go of it lately. We talked about some of the things she was working on and dealing with. Then we gave lots of hugs and had more laughs before parted ways for the week.

I met an older man named Peter. He talked to us for a long time in a very prophetic way. He told Traci and I truths about ourselves and even our children. He spoke very quietly so you could barely hear him. But he spoke to Traci for a long time.

I thought I would see Marylin Monroe tonight. I was super excited. I heard she had a baby.

We parked at an intersection for a little while. There was a vacant lot that had a man-made tent on it. There was also a truck cab that I could see had a tarp thrown over the top of it to make it a shelter. I noticed a large pile of trash on the curb near where they were. It made me wonder if it  attracted rats. I thought it looked like a scary place to live.

The last spot of the night had us ending on a high note. There were many sex workers who recognized the van and gravitated, or sometimes ran to us. They were also homeless and hungry. We were able to give people what we had in clean clothes. Everyone was extra grateful to be clean.

Even after we ran out of food, there were still people who kept coming up and asking. We offered them clothes and hygiene though, and that still helped a lot. After we passed out the last meal we thought we were done.

Then I saw something I don’t I have ever seen before. And that, my friends, is NOT and easy accomplishment. Traci and I had just packed up the van and I was programming the map for home when I see a very pregnant lady waddling for all she’s worth in a bee line towards the van. As she got closer to me, I rolled down the window. That’s when I noticed the huge cigar she was smoking.

“Do you have any clothes left? I really need clothes!” She was about 5 feet tall and had a voice like Larry King.

“Of course, we do sweetheart. Go around to the side and take a look at what we have left.”

As she was going through the clothes, at least another 4 people came and asked me for food. Sometimes, I look forward to the days I might get a big government grant so I can really help all the people we see. I talked to another volunteer who said he would come out earlier in the day with us so we could see more people. Especially the ones whose neighborhoods are too unsafe to go to after dark.

It felt good. It felt right to be where we were tonight.

The Magdalene’s Mission Team is working on putting together a yard-sale fundraiser. Details soon!

#MagdalenesMission #PeaceLoveandHygiene

Peace, Love & Hygiene- Vol 65: The theme for tonight is Friendship. Magdalene’s Mission is a successful endeavor because of a lot of real friendship. I don’t mean the polite, acquaintance kind. I mean the genuine compassion and understanding that comes from someone you have kinship with.

My friendship with Traci is essential to a successful outreach every week. She came over after work Monday evening to organize clothes. She came over Tuesday morning and helped me pack clothes, lunches, and Mag Bags. She rides along and sings along to all my favorite songs with me. She’s fearless when it comes to engaging anyone she sees on the street. She’s my Street Outreach Director. She does all of this because I am her friend, and she wants to see me succeed. Even more, she sees my vision of helping people. She treats everyone with respect and dignity. She helps people where they are and doesn’t judge them for it.

Friendships with other team members mean we travel well together. We all have a common goal- Save Lives. We respect each team’s unique contribution and knowledge.

Friends from all over the country have trusted me to help the neediest people in the most direct way possible.

Tonight, we saw people who were living in the most precarious places. I am always in awe of human ingenuity to survive.

What it’s all about, is the friends I have who are homeless and struggling to survive. They are my friends. They never judge me or look down on me. They respect that everyone has a story. We are all humans. They are always honest when I ask for opinions. They inquire of my well-being and pray for my safety. We bless each other.

And they know I am their friend, too. I want them to survive. I want them to make it. I want them to know that someone believes in them and loves them unconditionally. When they see Maggie the Magdalene’s Mission Van it’s like running into a friend. A friend just wants to help and isn’t keeping tabs or deciding if you are worthy of  it. “When a friend asks you for help you help them.”

The quote of the year comes from Stan. According to him, “We do good for people in bad situations with even worse equipment.”

Or as Abraham Lincoln would say, “You do what you can with what you have where you are.”

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

(Forgive the short report, but I am exhausted. A good night of good work well done. Sweet dreams…)

#Magdalenesmission   #peaceloveandhygiene

Tonight’s theme was Thankful. From start to finish, everything around us was smothered in gratitude. When we arrived in Detroit to meet up with the other teams, I had thank you presents prepared to pass out. It was just a little something to say that Magdalene’s Mission was proud to be a part of Tuesday night outreach with them. I wanted them to know that their dedication and commitment to being the hands and feet of Jesus message. I wouldn’t be a part of a team that ran any other way. It seems I offend both Christians and non-Christians equally. But most of you guys all get what I’m doing here. Anyways, they thanked us, and we thanked them, and it was all a lot of squishy appreciation for different people’s skill sets working together in harmony. What are the end results? We save lives.

This went down pretty amazing, but Traci and I cleaned out the entire van in 2 spots and in less than two hours.  We were stunned. It was stunning. Our fist spot we went to as a team was at an abandoned house. It was odd because all the houses were boarded up, but the lawns were all nicely mowed. A tiny pregnant lady came out of a boarded-up house. We got her some food and hygiene supplies together. As we did, about 10 more people came out from behind trees, and from around the corner. They just drifted slowly over to the van hungry and dirty.

I made a conscious effort tonight to ask people what they wanted most in their hygiene kits, or in general. I got some great responses. The hygiene kits are perfect. I’m going to up the quantity of wipes I put in bags because people really like them the most. Anything that they can wipe themselves clean with. Pepper spray. Flashlights, batteries to refill in flashlights, any type of light or lantern to see at night with. Most places people live do not have electricity. Note to self. We also are nearly out of men’s clothes. Underwear and socks also topped most people’s list of items they could most use.

The second stop we went to is a place where we know a lot of people but still manage to meet a lot of new ones all the time, too. I had the most wonderful, positive, encouraging, hopeful, and soul-searching conversations with a ton of people.

Over and over, I heard, “You guys don’t realize how much this means. Thank you.”

“I am so happy I saw you.  I needed this so much. Thank you so much.“

“This is the best thing that happens to me. Thank you. ”

“Thank you. You make me feel so loved.”

“I can’t believe you guys can do this. This is amazing. Thank you.”

“I don’t know what we would do without you. Thank you so much.”

“You truly help people stay alive. Nobody comes here. Thank you.”

All the above statements are said with ultimate genuine gratitude.

When they were hungry, we fed them.

When they were dirty, we gave them a washcloth and soap.

When they were cold, we gave them coats and blankets.

When they were sick, we led them to a doctor.

When they smile, we smile together.

And when they cried, we held them close and told them we loved them.

Because THAT’S how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

#peaceloveandhygiene   #magdalenesmission

The theme for this week is hot and fast. It was hotter than a mug in Detroit tonight. Everyone was grateful for the extra water we packed. Katie brought me a case of fresh plums. Fruit is delicious and life saving on a day like today.

Another extra special part of our mission this week was to deliver tents to a few different homeless women who had reached out to Magdalene’s Mission or were spotted sleeping on the sidewalk outside by another team member. Traci found 4 solid tents at 5 Below and we were able to afford shelter and safety for those women. We gathered up blankets and pillows that were donated and added that, too.

We only ended up at a few spots tonight. It’s so hot outside that more people were out and about. Every spot we went to started out with just a person or two, and then it became a mini swarm around the van. So many people were desperate for food, clothing, and a way to keep clean. I usually say ‘grateful’, but this week I mean literally desperate. I’ve started giving out food other than the meals, too. I have boxes of cereal that have been donated and people are super hungry for anything I give them. Clothes was a big need this week. I ran into a girl whose boyfriend threw away all her belonging when she broke up with him. She’s such a sweetheart.

At that very first spot I met a homeless woman who was getting ready to go to rehab in 2 days. She was scared. I kept telling her I knew she could do it. She told me to find a friend of hers who if I saw her, she was in desperate need of medical attention. She had in infected wound that had started to get maggots in it and was smelling very badly. “She just smells awful. She needs help.”

(Apparently, maggots are not an all-bad sign because they eat infected tissue and leave the healthy tissue behind. But she totally, obviously, definitely, desperately, needed to seek medical attention. Like, maggots are not long-term first aid. I hope. Weird stuff I learn on the street.)

She was nervous because she was going to rehab in 2 days. She repeated it over and over. As if she needed to validate its reality. One of the volunteers from the Street Medicine Team offered to pray with her. It’s what they often do. She told the volunteer that she didn’t know if that was a good idea right now. She was struggling with believing in God at that moment. The volunteer was sweet about it, and said it was okay, she still loved her and wished her the best.

I piped up with, “That’s okay if you don’t believe in God, sweetie. He always believes in you. And so do I.”

We parked in some weird places while Andy disappeared behind fences or old buildings to look for our clients. Sometimes, he found them. Sometimes we rolled on to the next person. The last spot we were in was a new neighborhood for me and Traci. We stopped there because Andy recognized someone in front of a store. Half an hour later, we served so many people that we were cleaned out of food and hygiene supplies. We went through the clothing. Traci and I didn’t even get a chance to see the people we got tents for yet. We passed them on to the medical team who would be out for a few more hours.

Fortunately, however, when I got home there was a text from Katie saying that she was able to give a tent to one of my favorite girls in Detroit. She was so excited! She said she is going to take it apart every day so that she can take it with her wherever she goes. Hallelujah! That girl is a special cookie.

The streets were hot, and the food went fast. We came. We saw. We served it with style. Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#magdalenesmission    #peaceloveandhygiene

Wow. The theme for this week is Compassion. Please have compassion on this report. I am so tired, but I want to share with you this amazing evening. My, my love was in the air this balmy Spring evening. I drove around anticipating the strawberry moon. Like a big, fat, pink kiss right over Detroit.

It’s also Construction season in Michigan which led to us being an hour late. We met up with the team 8 miles down the road from the meeting place. It was one of those neighborhoods where there aren’t many real houses left. There’s just a lot of empty, grassy knolls, marred by dilapidated and charred buildings. But the people who come out are so sweet.

We helped a pregnant woman. My food angel this week was my dearly beloved friend Marti Towas. I had so much going on this week I don’t know how I would have made it without her. Fortunately, we were blessed to have 50ish heathy meals to pass out to many famished people.

One girl came back to van after a few minutes. She told Traci that she so hungry and the turkey sandwich was so good. May she please have another? Of course, my dear. She was an absolute sweetheart.

We passed out a lot of pepper spray. I love how engaged the other team member are at helping each person as a valued individual. They stay with them until they know they have taken care of them the best they can.

We were prayed over by no less than 3 black men this evening.

One stop was extra busy. It usually is. A lot of drama can happen there from time to time, but there are a lot o desperate people in those derelict houses.

A couple of people texted me who I wasn’t able to see. One girl lived in a neighborhood where we shouldn’t go after dark anymore. Another girl, we just ran out of stuff before we got to her. Another guy just wanted to say hi and that he missed us.

This week we had something extra special to go in the bags. The brilliant Nancy Lybrink made  these flyers for me. The have a list of all the local community resources that proved medical care, harm reduction supplies, food, shelter, and ME- Magdalene’s Mission.

There were a few people who came up to the van looking very defeated, very sad. By the time they walked away, they were smiling, praising God, excited. It was wonderful. One woman, Traci put this adorable dress on her. It looked somewhat expensive and had these beautiful turquoise beads across the neck. Traci said she cried when she put it on. I found a pair of matching gold flats and  pretty flowered purse with a gold chain strap that had her hygiene kit in it. She was so excited. We first saw her; she was sitting on the sidewalk crying about how bad everything was. When we left her, she was prancing.

It was a night full of people. We saw a lot in a short time.

Our last stop of the night, we gave food and blankets to a man who was begging at an intersection. He asked if he could please have food for his wife, too. Three youths rode by on bikes. They asked if they could help us out. They collected broken lawn mowers and bicycles. Then they fixed them up and gave them as payment to people so they could they catch their own fish. I gave them my card and a meal. They were hungry. They said I was one of The Cool Kids. Giovanni said so. It’s officially official.

I let them take our last four meals to the southwest side. I jumped on the highway we were only a block away from and made the long journey home.

 We passed out a heck of a lot of love tonight. A lot of our people are out and about. So much gratitude, so many smiles, so many blessings passed back and forth. So many compassionate volunteers with tremendous skills are bringing it to the place where people require it the most but expect it the least.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#magdalenesmission

#peaceloveandhygiene

May 31, 2022

Alive. The theme for this week must be, alive. I don’t know about you, but the last couple of weeks were brutal. There was so much death surrounding me in every direction. It was up close, far away, arm’s length, but always close to home. I did not go out to Detroit last week because I was still recovering from surgery. It put me behind on getting ready for today. Lots of pain and death last week.

But where there is a strong-willed woman there is a way. Miracles abound for Magdalene’s Mission somehow, we got it done on time. I packed 40 healthy meals. 3 cases of water. 40 Mag Bags, and 5 totes of clothes. 2 totes of shoes, a bin of blankets, pepper spray, and a bag of socks and unders for guys. I’m out of women’s underwear and sports bras.

I usually write down everything as we go. It helps to write an accurate report and helps me to remember details. Tonight, I did not. I was completely engaged. I was Alive. The teams were all pumped up tonight, too.  With all the activity where we were, it’s really important to pay attention to everyone in every direction coming from everywhere at the same time. That’s where the danger might be, or another person who needs our help. Either way, the city is a living, breathing entity. Everything living, or once living, is a part of the entity which is Detroit. There are sick cells floating around and it’s like the nonprofit teams are the white blood cells.

We drove around all over the place. We saw so many people out and about. We fed them all. We made sure everyone was taken care of. One older gentleman was frustrated because there were people out on all the intersections, and he didn’t have anywhere to go where he could beg. He just wanted to be out there for a half our or so. Long enough so that he could buy a pop, and then take a nice nap on that park bench. He shared with Traci and I some of the insane things he had seen people doing out on the street just that day. We all had a good laugh. Then we sent one another off into the dusky humidity with a mutual blessing.

Again, another nonprofit saw the caravan and inquired about what we were doing. The name of their organization is called Alternatives For Girls. They work with young women and teenagers who are either sex-workers or human-trafficking victims and offer them support, such as counseling, and housing, so that they may transition into a safer life. We discussed how we overlap clienteles and outreach neighborhoods. They agreed that I should have a place so that we could have all these different nonprofits can help each other help people. The immune system is its own living entity. With different glands and proteins and hormones, made up of individual calls all working together. Life is possible through the interconnectivity of billions of separate networks which all have the same common goal. That goal is to be alive.

I met homeless construction workers again. I meet a lot of homeless people with jobs. Panhandling is considered at least more respectable than crime. Interesting perspectives.

At our last stop of the night, we parked under the big neon lights and waited. It didn’t take long for people to come out from everywhere. I saw a friend. She is a wonderful, sweet lady. Unfortunately, her husband was very sick, and it was making him act psychotic and violent towards her. She said she got him away from her finally, but now he’s wandering around the streets acting weird. Pepper spray! I met a guy who had a mace can on him that his wife gave him that was from me. It stopped some guy from stabbing him while he was walking home from work. You never know. The jungle is a fierce living organism. He’s still alive to be a part of it.

Our very last client was a man who saw that we had food. He stumbled up to us in a filthy shirt and shorts that looked too big to stay on his tiny body and carried a heavy bag. He was gasping for air and could hardly speak. All he could get out was, “Food, please. My clothes… so dirty, please.” I ran over and grabbed the attention of the medical team. It was showtime. They poured out of the ambulance, and I knew he was going to be alright.

By then we were out of meals and nearly out of Mag Bags. I talked to a couple of other volunteers on how they could start their own nonprofit. They know they can be more effective than the organization who they are representing. I know they can, too, because they understand the value, the treasure, the gift of Life. It’s sacred. It’s special. It’s special because it’s fragile. It’s not guaranteed.  Every human experience is unique. Some are easy in some ways. Most of them are hard in some way. Either way we want to say it’s worth it. I want to be able to say that I didn’t merely exist. I actually lived. Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#magdalenesmission  #peaceloveandhygiene

If you would like to donate to Magdalene’s Mission so that we may continue to save lives:

Square: https://magdalenes-mission.square.site/

Cash App: $MagdalenesMission

Venmo: @Tammy-Donaldson-21

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

The theme for this week is Led. Led to donate. Led to volunteer. Led to my van. Led to believe. Led to commit.

It was a b-e-a-u-tiful spring evening in Detroit tonight, my friends. We are so blessed. Maybe you have noticed, but there is swanky new logo sticker on both side doors of Maggie. It really makes us stand out as an official non-profit organization. The name Magdalene’s Mission is spreading on the street, and that is a good thing. Reputation is everything. Degrees, certificates, resumes with classy cover letters don’t matter; the only papers that matter on the street are green. Who you are is not your papers. It’s what you have done. I want to share all that God has led me to do this week.

Despite getting lost on the way to Indian food in Livonia, two trains, and construction season in full-bloom, Gladys from my Google Maps led us safely to the other teams. Everyone noticed the logo on the van right away. After some laughter and last-minute potty breaks, we loaded up our vehicles with all the volunteers we could hold and hit the strip.

We were led to an old man slumped over on the sidewalk. He had a sign but was mostly laying over it. He looked so frail and weak. There was an elderly woman a few feet away from him. She sat quietly in her chair. Traci gathered up some food for him. We gave him a blanket and he curled it up and used it to cushion his head from the sidewalk. Traci said that it was difficult to understand him. She said he had a hard time communicating and you could see it somewhat frustrated him that he knew people couldn’t understand him. The nurses spent enough time as it took to make sure he wasn’t going without a service we could have provided just because he didn’t know how to say it.  

We were led to a lot of pan handlers. Eventually, we were led to one of our favorites, Lil One. I hadn’t seen her in a few weeks. We gave her a hygiene bag, but not a lunch because she has a peanut allergy. I love that girl. I love that I was led to her.

A couple of spots later, we ran into a good friend of ours that we had not seen in a long time. He was still alive and kicking. We got to talk to him for a bit. He talked about his difficulties quitting heroin. He explained how the drugs that were supposed to make him quit heroin made him feel worse and he couldn’t quit those no matter how hard he tried. Finally, he would give in and just go back to using heroin because it was cheaper and less complicated to get.

He’s been trying to quit for good for many years. My guess for why freedom has eluded him is because you can’t heal in the same place that hurt you. Even though he’s been to rehab, the only place to go when he gets out is home. He said he’s ready to try methadone. Maybe that’s what will do the trick. I hope so. I’m in your corner, buddy. I’ll be praying for the angels to get you through withdrawal. That’s the part that is scary. He’s proud of himself that he’s only panhandling though. “It’s not much money, but at least it’s honest work.” He told me.

We drove around some more until we got to an area that was under a lot of overpasses. There were busy roads all around us, so the people were panhandling there, too. We took care of several people there. All of them became new friends. I think the logo helps lead people to us.

One of the people led to us was a volunteer from a group named Crossroads. She comes out to help people with mental health issues. She works as sort of a case manager. She said there were plenty of students hungry for internships working in the community. I told her about my dream to have an outreach center were all those volunteers would be matched up with people who desperately needed their help. She told me that she had heard of Magdalene’s Mission on the street from some people. Andy bragged-up how good our food is. The Psychologist and I discussed the importance of self-esteem and dignity.

We were able to feed a man who was homeless but on his way home from work. He carried his construction tools in a grocery bag.

I told him I glad I was he was led to us. I said, “God is good.”

He said, “All the time.”

I replied, “And all the time-“

And he knew the response, “God is good.”

Andy is working to get more of these non-profits coordinated with one another. A little at a time. We really can make a positive difference. We can be led to do the right thing.

At our last stop of the night, we met a couple who were panhandling at a busy intersection. She laughed that people would always tell her that they were proud of her for begging instead of going on “dates”, like most of the other girls end up doing.

“That’s not exactly setting the bar very high if you’re proud of me for panhandling!” she laughed with that gorgeous mile that made her sun kissed freckles sparkle under the halogen glow.

I gave her 2 pepper sprays. (Thank you, PJ!)

For all those positive moments tonight, one shadow lurked before me. It was just enough to keep one space dark. My Writer Dude died. His name was Shawn, and he was beautiful, and smart, and sweet, and creative, and a truly genuine human being. He asked for a copy of my book. I used to give him notebooks and pens every time I saw him. We used to discuss literature at length. He recommended a book by Chuck Palahniuk. I told my husband about it, so he bought it for me, and I really like it a lot. Not long after that Shawn was hospitalized. That was several months ago. A couple of nights ago, Andy said he found his name in the obituary. I met Shawn and his girlfriend the first nights Traci and I went out to Detroit to pass out purses. I took their picture because they were the cutest couple in the whole world snuggled under one blanket together walking against the winter wind. I haven’t seen her in a long time either, and the updates are never good. After he went into the hospital it was like she became a fine mist, mostly evaporated, translucent but still heavy enough to exist. I hope she was led to someplace better. I hope she found a version of herself to love.

We made a lot of people happy tonight, though. I also must tell you about how wonderful the efforts and results of these other teams are. Street Medicine is so important. Some of the volunteers are nursing students, some doctors, and some nurses and EMT’s but all of them are chiseled from diamond. Their compassion is unlimited. They bandage knife wounds, treat STI’s, and brace broken bones. They hug people. They pray with people. They save lives.

Andy and Andrew are an important part of what we do, where we go and who we see. The more I’m learning about harm reduction programs the more impressed I am with their effectiveness. It’s yet another way of saving lives, both short term and long term. What I think is impressive is how much they teach people. Andrew is brilliant. I try to ask questions or eavesdrop as much as I can. He teaches people about all the different ways they can keep themselves safer, and all the different options there are for rehabilitation from drug addiction.

Andy knows everyone. Everyone knows Andy. He’s the guy that can go nearly anywhere and get people to come out to us. He’s the one they all trust. People are led to him because he has a way of making you feel safe. He’s the guy you call because he knows who can help. If it’s a problem in the Magdalene’s Mission realm, he texts me, then Traci and I get a suitcase out and start packing it. You guys have saved a lot of girls whose problems I cannot discuss openly on the internet because it is uncouth for several reasons. Just trust me when I saw you made the difference between surviving and not several times.

It’s after 2:00 a.m. Later this morning it will be Marley’s last day of high school.  I am so super proud of that one. Marley plans on studying to be an EMT. That’s my junior, carrying on the family tradition of healing and love that stretches back for generations.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#peaceloveandhygiene  #magdalenesmission

If you feel led to help:

Venmo: @Tammy-Donaldson-21

Cash App: $MagdalenesMission

https://magdalenes-mission.square.site/

https://bagsinbulk.com

May 3, 2022

Tonight’s theme could only be, Grace. Our outreach team would like to give thanks to Our Father, Who art in Heaven, and in our hearts, in boxes in my van, and behind the sunken eyes that reflect a spark of hope from the bottom of a black hole. I have seen God everywhere in the darkest places of Detroit. Hallowed be thy name on the lips of the man leaning against a gas station wall. His chin was all the way to his chest. Traci and I mentioned it to the other teams, and Andy was already on his way to approach him. Marley packed him a meal and grabbed him a Mag Bag. When Traci came up to him and presented him with these gifts of unconditional love he immediately praised God over and over again. Thy kingdom comes to a lonely man who everyone else would rather walk by than acknowledge. Is it because they are ashamed of his helplessness,or their own? When Thy will be done, I am the good Samaritan that Jesus referred to in Luke 10:35-37 (NIV) It is inserting care where there is an immediate and genuine need. It is compassion for a person’s human experience. The Kingdom of God On Earth, it might not always look like you imagine it As it is in Heaven.

We went through all 44 meals, and 2 cases of water in just a few hours. I put 119.1 miles on Maggie tonight. She held 60 Mag bags, 4 huge bins filled with warm clothes and coats, duffel bags of socks, and our last few blankets. We gave away our last 2 tents, and 8 cans of mace. Someone told me tonight that the homemade desserts were heavenly. He gets excited when he sees us because he knows he gets a homemade treat. He knows God remembers him, too. We appreciate it every time God gives us each day, just Our daily bread. Just enough to survive. Just enough so that you feel like the world wants you there.

The Street Outreach Team was off on another mission tonight. This evening Magdalene’s Mission drove around with the harm reduction team. We met up with a lot of shelter challenged individuals very quickly. There are a couple of new groups of people we have been recently introduced to and I absolutely adore them. My favorite senior lady told me tonight that she is a great-grandmother for the first time. Her great-granddaughter is only 2 days old. She was so proud, she just beamed!

God was so good to her, she said.

The volunteers discussed how much we love being around the people we see who live on the street. They are some of the kindest, gentlest, generous, compassionate, considerate, brilliant people. There is no judgement between us. They Forgive us for our trespasses, mistakes, and former selves. So, we forgive them, and ourselves, for having human experiences, As we also forgive those who trespass against us. Because at the end of the day, if you have a bed to sleep safely in and access to food and medicine, then everything else is usually an inconvenience.

The Girl Who Always Reads just finished my book. She said she really liked it and she wants to read it again.Then she asked if it was okay if she passed it around to some other people she knew so they could read it, too. I told her that would be my highest honor. That’s exactly what I hoped she would do.

I learned about all of the products and items that are in the back of the harm reduction cars. There were items I didn’t even know existed. Things like, fentanyl test strips! By the way, I have access to them and also to Narcan. PLEASE ASK ME if you want them. I don’t care why.

“Dead People Can’t Recover”

But a Pastor’s wife can be an alcoholic and recover. And so can a drag queen. I’ve met successful millionaires who were hard drug users, and also a man who owned a million dollar business, never used drugs. Both still wound up homeless.

We all want to have stoic willpower. We all wish for formidable foresight. We aspire to be not just self-preserving, but self-improving. We want to have lives that give us righteous intention, and to have healthy coping mechanisms that Lead us not into temptation. Trauma can break a person wide open. Addiction can attack the most famous actress in the world. Or the worlds best musicians. Or your neighbor. Or your loved one. Maybe even you. We are not perfect. It is unrealistic goal for any human. But, Lord, I pray, deliver us from evil. So that we can at least have the best of ourselves to offer this phenomenal world.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#peaceloveandhygiene #magdalenesmission

April 19, 2022

The theme for this week is the Rebirth. We drove all over and around Detroit tonight. Over the past 16 months, I have immersed myself into the horrors that humans must endure to survive. A lot of it I have shared with you here. Some of it was too inappropriate to confess on Facebook. Even though all those things are still true and ongoing, I have been blessed to also see the strength, the pride, the longevity, and the positive examples, too.

Every Tuesday, we stop someplace in Detroit to pick up dinner before we hit the streets. We have found so many delicious homemade meals this way. This week we ate from a tiny place named Sheeba. The food was so delicious and fresh. I ate a falafel sandwich. There was a Greek Coney Island next door to that named King Grill. Marley ordered from there. They have spectacular round layer cakes available by the slice. It’s another family-owned business that hires from the neighborhood. Those are places that I am grateful to spend money and tip well.

Stanley now operates his own Medical Street Outreach team. The space that he uses is part of another Detroit nonprofit. There are different nonprofit outreach groups that go out with the other teams more often. Sometimes they are medical professionals, or students. Sometimes the people focus on harm-reduction and addressing the opioid epidemic. Sometimes they are advocates for the women who are in the sex worker industry. I’m starting to learn the different programs there are to try and help people with various situations.

I have seen volunteers from every walk of life that all have the same drive to improve the world in some way. We need to be there even though we don’t have to be. We know we need to be.

I drove by the Faygo factory. I drove by several urban gardens and neighborhood hoop houses. We drove through the Wayne State campus. We saw an infinite number of boarded windows, but the lawns were always mowed and kept. There are a lot of newer updated houses in areas where there aren’t usually very many nice houses. It’s a start.

People often come up to our outreach caravan to ask what we are doing. After we tell them, they either tell us about the community improvements they are working on themselves, or they ask how they can help us.

We helped several people in a couple of different places before heading to our favorite spot on the East Side. There was a swarm of friends who hadn’t seen us in a couple of weeks.  There was a couple of new people, too. There were also a couple of people who were missing. We can only hope for the best.

At one point a police car pulled up and asked Traci what we were all doing. She began to answer him, but then pointed him to Andy who had just walked up to help. He explained what we were all there for. The officer asked about one the clients. They wanted to be sure he received medical treatment for a wound they noticed he had. They weren’t there to be a hassle. They weren’t there to intimidate anyone. They were there to make sure everyone was as safe as they could be.

I talked to my preacher friend for a while. He has some hard things to deal with right now. Someone close to him has begun a rapid decent towards dementia. They cry together. They pray together. I know it must feel like a lonely battle for him most days. I’ll keep bringing brownies for her.  

We took our time with the people we saw tonight. We talked to everyone. We made sure they were okay. Sometimes people just like talking to us. We don’t want anything, and we don’t judge. I love watching the other people take care of one another.

I love seeing the rebirth of Detroit first-hand. Detroit has survived a lot. It is a historical beast of phenomena and forensics. It is also someplace where people are willing to do the work. Detroit knows it’s had some shady exes in the past. But it’s had enough time to get its priorities straight. Detroit is ready for a healthy relationship with itself now. Perfect is an unrealistic goal. Just so long as you can see a marked improvement over time, then you’re always getting better.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#peacelove&hygiene   #magdalenesmission

April 12, 2022

The theme for this week is The Parts that Make a Whole. This week was truly great. I was blessed to have help from friends this week and it really made a difference. First, enough can’t be said to praise my friend Jennifer Crandall. She has enormous health complications right now, but she is determined to find a purpose, even through her trials. I understand that completely in my own way. Her epic contribution this week was to do some of the busy work that ties me up from doing the big stuff. She packed little cutlery/napkin baggies for me. She broke down into baggies nearly a case of baby wipes, and she also broke down a couple packages of cotton swabs that I use to out in the Mag Bags. She saved me hours of what would have been for me, tedious work. Instead, I could pack hygiene kits and undertake 45 portions of chili. My beloved Marti Towas made chicken and peanut butter jelly samiches. She also went the extra mile and donated bananas, oranges, and cookies. Ann Janike brought me some of Kathy’s famous homemade desserts.

I used up the last of the lotion, shampoo/conditioners, and deodorants, but I still had 25 women’s bags, and 15 for men.

We had 4 totes full of clothes. We made sure to bring a tent.

We stayed mainly on the southwest side of Detroit tonight. Here, we find a lot of people just walking around, or trying to find someplace to just be. Most of the people here live in anything abandoned. We were able to give the tent away to someone tonight. This guy thought his tent was hidden well enough, but the property manager discovered it and got rid of it. He was really excited about not having to sleep outside. He asked us for a flashlight, but we were fresh out. Traci gave him the one she had on her purse. He told us that the LED lights from the dollar store were helpful at night. I’ll have to keep my eye out.

One of the places we were requested to come to is becoming more important each week. It’s several people in this one tiny spot that make up the whole experience. There is a sweet little Puerto Rican lady who I talked to for a bit tonight. She and her husband live in a tiny apartment. She asked me if we ever have pillows. She really missed pillows. She’s struggling to keep up with the rent that is already late, so the little extras that I gave her are going to make all the difference for her and her husband. She really needed the blanket. The best part for me was when she came back and told me that her husband said my chili was amazing. Better than Wendy’s. Better even than his own mother’s. 

Honestly, that was the highlight of my night.

My ‘Window Who Sits’ seems to be having a change of luck. Her living situation has upgraded slightly. She’s still homeless, but in a place more secure than a tent. Her boyfriend found a way to access electricity. She was in such a great mood. Almost everyone was happy tonight.

It had to be that big fat bath of sunshine we all took today. It was like a big dose of vitamin D for Delightful.  The smiles were contagious.

I received a donation of 2 cans of pepper spray in the mail. 2 more women were ecstatic.

We passed out A LOT of socks.

All these little things mean the world when you don’t have it. The world is a scary place. It’s also filled with mostly people who are just trying their best. Every person is unique. So, for every person, there best is a different unique gift. That’s one of the things I love about Magdalene’s Mission. I get to collect physical gifts, monetary gifts, gifts of time, of skill, of experience. I put them all together, and it becomes a whole major philanthropic endeavor to heal humanity. If even one among us is suffering, then the whole is not well. Each donation we distribute is a blessing that someone will share.

Parts of a whole.

What about the parts of a hole? I think that is relevant to this analogy as well. There is opening on top of the hole. That’s where we fall in at. Where you were standing on the ground, now you are falling down. There are the sides of the hole. That becomes the walls of our prison. Sometimes we claw the sides to keep from sliding further down. Then there is the bottom of the hole. That’s the lowest point of our existence.

Sometimes, someone drops a flashlight down to the bottom of the hole. The flashlight won’t lift you out, but it will help you to see the ladder running up the side of the hole. If you are willing to climb out, if you’re willing to do the work it takes to get there, then at least you can see the way back up again.

I want to be the flashlight. Drop me in.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#peaceloveandhygiene   #magdalenesmission

April 6, 2022

The theme for this week has got to be, Good Vibes. It was a little bit weird, a dash of crazy, and a whole lotta love.

Let me start out by saying that I have seen the best of people when they make donations to Magdalene’s Mission. This week, an angel named Lillian dropped off an enormous box on my front door. I had to wait for Sean to come home to help me get it inside the house. I couldn’t even budge it. Inside was everything I could ever ask for, plus a few things that I hadn’t even thought to ask for. Everything was useful and clever. There was a bunch of the drawstring backpacks and a few nice purses. I was able to stock up the Mag Bag nice this week. I was proud. Ruth came to the rescue and restocked my pepper spray. Ann Stocked me up with a box of Rice Crispy treats. I used cans of donated beans, a donated ham, some canned carrots, chopped onions, and my secret blend of herbs and spices, and Viola! Homemade beans and ham soup. It was so delicious; the kids ate a cup before we left.

Unfortunately, Traci has been under the weather and needed to stay back this week. A lot of people asked about her. Her infectious smile was missed. I had my kid Marley with me as co-pilot instead. Marley handles food distribution. Tonight, there was plenty in each meal. She had her hands full. The night began with a lot of people in the caravan. It was a full team of doctors, nurses and harm reduction volunteers. There was also a new group that came out with us. They work in a community leadership capacity. I’ll share more about them soon.

The spirits rose with the temperatures. The renewal of life is in the air. There are little, tiny green buds of hope at the ends of everyone’s fingertips. I passed out my car to several new people. We made some new friends. I hugged so many homeless people tonight. What can I say? It’s Springtime! Love is in the air! Lots of empathic enthusiasm regarding the pepper spray. My goal is to eventually train these creepers to know not to try it on a Detroit girl. Andy gets a secret pleasure from knowing that we arm the women of the night. I love that dude. Detroit loves him, too.

By the time we got to base, it was time to head out. Along the way Marley and I saw a big fat hen and this enormous scraggly rooster hanging out in front of a house that was next to a bridge that went over the expressway. It was so incongruous. Our first visit was to meet up with a young homeless couple. They were humble and polite. They asked about help getting housing. Apparently, that is something that needs to be addressed for a lot of people.

As we left the Meijer parking lot, we saw homeless man begging for change. One of the other team members recognized him. We all pulled over and we gathered our wares. Then Katie ran everything down to him herself, so as not to scare him.

I met another person who was shelter challenged and was grateful for the tent. I had a nice thick mat, a pillow, and a blanket to give him as well. He said he was looking forward to getting some actual rest. I got to see some girls I hadn’t seen in a while. That’s always an emotional exhale.  

We drove to six more stops. By the time we hit our final stop of the evening, we were nearly out of food clothes and Mag Bags. It’s my favorite spot though, so I couldn’t wait to take Marley and introduce her to everyone. My friend who was supposed to go to rehab told me she was turned down. She has an appointment to go to another one. At Least 2 other people there have said they thought maybe they could do it this time. They are going to try. It’s not a matter of desire. Most of the people I meet desperately want to quit. They just don’t think it’s possible.

I told my girl that I’m on her side. I told her I believed that she was capable of anything. I believe in her. I’ll be her biggest cheerleader to go. I’ll celebrate her battles won. I’ll brush off her battles lost.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#magdalenesmission  #peaceloveandhygiene

March 29, 2022

The theme for this week’s adventure in Detroit would have to be Joyous. It was a wonderous night. We saw a lot of familiar faces who remember us. We made some new friends who were immensely grateful to have crossed our path.

This week, we had a full boat. I decided to adjust our outreach model slightly. Magdalene’s Mission is a team of three on Tuesday nights now. Traci oversees distributing the clothes. This is an immense job. I need Marley to oversee the meal distribution. This is another immense job that it helps to have one person consistently on that station. Then I remain the captain. I watch the helm, and pass out Mag’s Bags, blankets, pepper spray, flashlights, etc. This allows me more time to keep stats.

Tonight, we passed out all 10 men’s bags, all 10 women’s purses. We passed out 33 bags of food. They included desserts, chips, drinks, muffins, and a box of Girl Scout Cookies. 18 of them included my homemade chicken casserole that I am proud to say raved is about. Yes, you really can taste the love! We passed out another 12 blankets, 3 totes full of clothes, several backpacks, and 4 pair of shoes. That was all I could fit inside of my van, until I couldn’t see out the windows.

Our first 2 clients were unexpected. Traci, Marley, and I sat outside the Pegasus Tavern waiting for some homemade Greek food. While we waited for our takeout order, we heard the most beautiful Italian opera music playing loudly for everyone to appreciate. Traci and I noticed a man sitting on the sidewalk with a sign. Well, it’s what we came to Detroit to do, so, Marley packed him a lunch while I grabbed him a Mag Bag and a blanket. Traci walked it over to him. On the way back to the van, an elderly gentleman asked her if she really had food. Marley packed up another bag of warm food and delicious sides. We grabbed him a Mag Bag and a blanket. Traci said he was genuinely surprised, and super delighted with all the unexpected gifts that came his way.

We met up with the Street Outreach Team and Andy’s distribution vehicle, then hit the road. Our first stop was to visit a couple. They are a very sweet pair. He works his own business, but it isn’t enough to hit all the necessities. He gets injured a lot because of his job. We saw his girlfriend and she recognized us right away and came up to deliver big hugs. We got her some food, clean warm shirts, and Mag Bags. Then we were requested at the next stop already! Andy went ahead, but said the person was really hoping to see Magdalene’s Mission. That felt great. She is another adorable, sweet young lady. We were able to get her resupplied with some basic items, a solid meal. She asked for pepper spray, but unfortunately, I am out. As soon as possible, that is at the top of my priority list.

The teams have been travelling together for so long now, we have our own wavelength. There was a homeless man in the middle of the intersection. We all slowed down and pulled over on the nearest side street. One of the other volunteers brought the man over to where we were. We all gave him what of our wares he needed. He informed us that there were a lot more homeless people further back down the road. We told him we would be back. Traci gave him my card and told him to text me if he could find a way, and that we would come back and help him every Tuesday night. He just kept thanking us and telling us how much he appreciated everyone and everything we did to help people. Not just him, but he was also grateful for all the people who we came across and made their nights better, too.

The place we went to next happened to be another stop upon request. There is a hole in the wall. It looks like a door. But all the tiny waifs of women pour out of it. They are just the gentlest, kindest, most gracious, lovely women. They range in age, but the are all just slivers of women. Again, they asked me politely if I had any extra pepper sprays. I told them I was working on it, but they would be the first to know. We assisted another 6 people at that spot. It’s become a new regular place and I like that.

The place we went to next, was some hidden woodsy area to set up a tent for a shelter challenged person. The Street Outreach Team worked together to get it all set up for him. They left him some blankets and a Mag Bag.

As we kept driving, Katie recognized a woman who was walking alone. The caravan pulled over. As we started taking care of her, a few more people came by, and we were able to pass out warm clothes, warm food, and Mags Bags to another 6 people.

Finally, we stopped to see one of my favorite people. I hadn’t seen my widow who sits in a few weeks. She stays near a lot of another people who all live in abandoned cars. While we waited for people to come out, I turned up the volume in the van so Katie, Traci and I could dance on the sidewalk. Andy went to her shelter, and they brought back several more people who were very hungry. We laughed and danced until my girl came out and I danced and laughed with her too. We all hugged and reveled in each other’s presence. It’s a relief when we all make it back together. That means that something is going right in this crazy world. Today is her 3^rd Death-aversary since her husband died. It was a difficult day, but she says she still has a lot to be grateful for. I am grateful for her.

I am grateful no one was stabbed, strangled, shot, robbed, run over, or dead. It was a good night.

And that was it. We went through all 20 bags, 30+ meals, 12 blankets, etc. It was great. Everyone was happy. Everyone was laughing. We danced in the 34-degree air like we just didn’t care.

At the second to the last stop where we met all those new people, the first girl we talked to told us how nice it was to see people who truly loved their jobs. She could tell by the way everyone was with people that we truly wanted to be there. What a great job this must be if it makes us feel this happy.

Then Traci burst out, “Oh, this isn’t our job! We do this because it’s our passion!”

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#magdalenesmission  #peaceloveand hygiene

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3/22/2022

The theme for this week is Needs. First of all, I have health needs. I have been walloped by the flu since I came home from Detroit last Wednesday morning. I can’t remember the last time a flu virus has really infuriated my immune system the way this one has. I told Traci that I didn’t think I was going to be recovered enough to go to Detroit this week. Then I got a text.

Monday afternoon, I got a text from a lady who was one of our very first friends, The Classy Lady. My beloved girl was going to rehab by the end of this week. She told me she knew that she could do it because Traci and I told her that she could. She said that if we can rise, so can she. She wants to be a good mama more than anything. She is ready.

She needed clean clothes to fit her growing body. She asked for hygiene products for her stay. She asked for coloring books.

She asked for a journal…

So, maybe even if I didn’t do a big trip this week, we could still help some people. That’s what we do. We help people out by being on their side while they try to survive. You need to have someone on your side. My Lady needed us, and I wasn’t going to let her down.

Traci agreed. Today, we put together a nice suitcase full of maternity clothes, and selfcare items. I packed her a couple of coloring books, and a couple of spiral notebooks.

We arrived late because I’m slower moving than I would care to be. I know they need us, so I power though.  I caught the team driving past, so I jumped onto the end of the convoy. It was the darnedest thing. We drove straight to the exact neighborhood where she stays. She’s not in the same house anymore, and that is a huge improvement.  

She came out right away. We talked for a while about what it was going to take to be successful at her goals. She was grateful to have all of us in her corner. I told her about how much she meant to my friend who made her the blanket. She is loved. She is worth saving.

It didn’t take long for the rest of our friends and favorites to pour out. We passed out almost all the food and blankets at just that one stop. We needed to see them. They needed to see us. It’s the food and hygiene, but it’s not just the food and hygiene. We talk to everyone about where they are at and what they need. Last week, I was able to get a girl connected with resources to help her get her ID.  This week, we gave another young woman an arsenal of confidence. We’ve had her back for over a year now. Her up and downs, in and outs. We’re going to watch her climb out. We have plans for her to work for Magdalene’s Mission when we finally get our resource house in Detroit.

It’s a good thing she needed us. I talked to a very kind, senior man tonight who I have only started seeing recently. Traci found out that he was shelter challenged and she was able to give him a tent and a couple of blankets.

We took care of nearly 20 people in just that one spot. The temperature was dropping quickly. It was starting to rain. It was turning into a recipe for exacerbating my already weakened body. I called it a night. We did what we needed to do.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#peaceloveandhygiene   #magdalenesmission

March 1, 2022

The theme for this week is Helpers. I was introduced to a Brownie troupe of adorable little helpers. These little girls and their parents helped make nearly 60 peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Then they packed them into lunch bags with cookies, chips, and a juice pouch.  It was astounding how much they could put forth in a short period of time. They felt so good after they were done that, they couldn’t wait to help us again.

My Food Angel, Ann, brought over her highly anticipated box of homemade cookies. I had a quick cash donation that helped pay for gas to Detroit, all over Detroit, and back. All the donor helpers who make sure I can keep delivering hygiene and survival supplies to our most vulnerable neighbor make this possible.

Remember when Mr. Rogers said that his mother told him that during a crisis, look for the helpers?

The Street Outreach Team helped several people tonight that probably would have taken a turn for the worse had they not been there. The Doctor came out tonight to help. The nursing students who come out to help are super eager to help people with all kinds of crisis. From gun shot wounds to prenatal care, these ladies are ready to help the most vulnerable people they can find. They are the helpers when it’s a life-or-death crisis for the uninsured, uncollectable, and unwanted.

Detroit Rehabilitation Project is a Harm Reduction Program. That means that they pass out clean syringes, clean crack pipes, Narcan, and other various items that make sure people can reduce the amount of infectious and life-threatening diseases that affect people with an addiction illness. They also advocate for people to help get them into treatment for their disease. A lot of the people who work there are success stories that prove these programs can and do work. Their goal is to end the war on the victims of drug addiction. DRP are the helpers in the opioid crisis.

“The Lord helps those who help themselves” is not anywhere in the bible. But the Lord help those who asks, is written many times. (John 14:13-14, Matthew 7:7-8, Psalm 121:2, 1 Peter 5:7, John 14:14, John 16:23-24, to name a few)

I pass out my card to a lot of people and I tell them to text me if they ever need anything. Well, last week, Lil’ Boo texted me. She wrote that her birthday was Saturday, and she really needed clothes. Andy said I could help her. Could I please bring her clothes and maybe shoes?

I don’t know if you know this about me, but I am obnoxious when it comes to celebrating birthdays. I found the biggest and best bag. I filled it with the best stuff I could find in her size. I added all kinds of neat specials that come randomly through the donations. I bought her a birthday card to “My Sister”. One day of the year, we should stop, take inventory, and celebrate our life. One day of the year, it’s nice to hear that anyone was glad you were ever born. Me, I helped my Lil’ Boo enjoy her birthday.

The very first lady I spoke to tonight was turning 50 today. She was super kind and friendly. She was just the kindest lady. She was going to be a grandmother soon. She was going into rehab again. She wanted to be the best version of herself for her grandchild. She asked us to pray for her. Andy set her up with a case manager to make sure she had guidance to stay on track and support her success.

The first spot we went to ended up being busy. Traci and I would call out to people who walked by and asked them if they needed something to eat. Usually, they said yes. After that we talk to them and find out what else is going on.

An elderly gentleman walked past us with a cane. Traci offered him a meal.

“Nope. I don’t need it.” He replied curtly.

“Do you need any medical care? We have a medical team that can help you”

“I don’t need anything.” He declared and then limped off into the shadowy urban decay.

We went to our favorite house on the east side. Something Traci and I heard a few times from different people was that they loved us so much, they didn’t know what they would do without us. We were a part of their life now. When we don’t come by, they worry about us.

That sounds, at first glance, like a dependency. But that’s not it. Not at all.  I know because we’ve been watching people grow. Tiny One is brighter, stronger, and more assured all the time. My Classy Lady is cleaning herself up. She’s working hard at getting healthy. We’re going to pack her up a comfy maternity bag for next week. She said that its people like us who believe in her that make her feel like she can do it.  My Reverend prayed for us again. A beautiful prayer to make the angels blush. His mom still talks about the chocolate brownies I made for her. I’ll have to try to remember to make her some more. We show up and we care. We help. My little buds are blooming!

They help each other. Someone grabbed a medic and told them that they had someone who needed immediate medical attention. They were right. Just as we were getting ready to leave, another person came up to the medic van to ask for help for their friend. When helpers show up, we call them our heroes.

Our very last stop was to see our Lil’ Boo. We ran up and hugged one another. I gave her the packed duffel bag, and a super warm, fuzzy blanket that Ann made. We fed several more people who live in abandoned houses in that neighborhood. By then it was after 11, so we gave the last few meals to the Street Outreach Team to pass out as they continued for the night.

A the very first stop we went to, a man came up to Andy, Katie, Traci, and I and asked who we were, what we were about, and what exactly are we doing there. He lived in the neighborhood. He told us that if we were one of the non-profits that he wanted to know if he could help. He really loved seeing all the good that was being done by these small groups. Traci gave him my card. Andy gave him Narcan, and Katie showed him out to use it. Now it’s a nasal spray. It’s not like that creepy scene with Roseanna Arquette from Pulp Fiction anymore.

We help. You help. They help. The helpers are the heroes.

We can be heroes.

Just for one day.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#magdalenesmission  #peaceloveandhygiene

February 22, 2022

Peace, Love & Hygiene Vol. 50!

Volume 50 means this is the 50^th time I’ve gone out to Detroit to distribute hygiene, food, and clothes since last January. The theme for this week- Extremes. Everything was all one way and then all the way the other. Traci and I arrived at the meeting spot with time to spare. This of course meant that the other teams were running way behind. Unfortunately, the medic van was stuck in the mud and awaiting a tow truck. While we awaited further instructions, we heard sirens wailing in the distance. Then they were quite loud. Finally, they were screaming past us. A house was on fire the next block over. It made a creepy sunset fiery glow behind the houses. I wasn’t sure if the emergency vehicles or the fire was the brightest Iight. Then there was more smoke and steam on the horizon. Water damage. Fire damage. I haven’t even left the parking lot.

All crisis having been successfully averted; we took our improvised troop along its outreaching way. I had someone get in contact with me this week. She told me about her boyfriend, who I remembered. He was desperately in need of boots. She said his feet were getting soaked on the walk to and from work. We were able to find boots for him, and some clean, warm clothes for her as well. We drove out to their neighborhood with another team whose outreach they also in needed.

While I was sitting in the van, a car pulled up beside me and rolled down his window. My window was already down a bit for the fresh air. He kept trying to sell me drugs, Mostly, he was trying to convince me his heroin was the best. I told him I wasn’t interested in anything from him. He told me that the first one was always free.

“Look,” I spoke loudly and clearly. “I run a nonprofit that’s out here feeding homeless people. You don’t want to have anything to do with me. I am boring for you. But good luck on whatever and have a nice night.”

Then he rolled up next to Andy’s car then rolled away. Andy called me immediately. We made fun of the guy and laughed the situation off. All part of my weird evening.

We were still waiting for the medic team to reload, so we headed to another house on the east side. It is favorite house of mine that sucks dry some of my favorite people. We were there for a long time. My Tiny One was driving a car when she pulled up. I had never seen her leave the house unless she was coming out to the outreach caravan. She gave me the biggest, longest, tightest, squeeze. She’s getting stronger every time. I see a small warrior behind those dark eyes.

We couldn’t wait for the medic team. One of our clients was hit by a car and still couldn’t use her arm. She is a dreamer. She always has a plan to get out of there. She has schools she wants to get into, family she wants to see, career goals, life goals. She is so intelligent. She wants to work for Magdalene’s Mission in any way she can. She’s gonna kick tomorrow…

I solved a mystery. There was a gentleman who I knew didn’t use any drugs, but I always saw him get supplies from the harm reduction team. He goes out there to get clean needles for his mom. We do what it takes to protect the ones we love. He’s the one who told me how excited his mom gets when I make her brownies. He is a good son.

One of my dearest friends there is pregnant. She’s trying her hardest to be healthy. I pray for her every time she tries to quit. She is so brilliant. She is limitless. She wants to be free from her sickness and the burden of nurturing it. As I was passing out food, it was nice to hear all the ladies talking and catching up with Traci at the back of the van as they picked out a warm shirt or grabbed some more clean socks and unders.

Traci and I have made a lot of friends over the past year. We’ve accumulated 50 weeks’ worth of experiences and relationships. We thought back on a few people we hadn’t seen in a long time. We asked Andy if he had heard anything about them. One of the girls we hadn’t seen since last summer had died. She overdosed. She was beautiful. Her name was Mariah. She was a tough nut to crack! It took us a long time to build trust with her. At first, she would ask one of the other girls to get her food and hygiene from our truck. Then she would come up, but only for a second, then she would run away. Finally, we got her to talk to us, tell us her name, was there anything else she needed. She was so sweet. A couple of times, we packed nice bags just for her. She was a very soft-spoken thing. Once we got to know her, the things that came out her month weren’t always so soft and sweet though! You knew she was one tough cookie!

She had people who loved her.

We drove back to the southwest side. We pulled over on the side of a road. Several tiny women poured out of a hole in the wall. They were all hungry and barely dressed. They were all thrilled for the socks, scarves, hats, hygiene bags, and especially the pepper-spray.

Sometimes, we hear about how someone whose life was saved because the medic team was there, or they were able to use Narcan to prevent an overdose.

Sometimes my friends die. Any of them could be the next person I hear about. I don’t want it to be. I want everyone to be healthy and happy. Sometimes they are. I got a lot of smiles tonight. I helped a guy get to work with dry feet.

I have a little notebook that I use to take notes throughout the night to help me write accurate reports. Every so often a page will have an inspirational message written on it. The last line on a page is: Mariah died. The message on the next page reads:

“Savor the moments that are warm and special and giggly.” – Sammy Davis Jr.

I have a special magic bag that I take to Detroit with me. I fill it with all the laughter, tears, hugs, wonder, curiosity, hopes, dreams, schemes, messes, creations, gifts, and burdens that I find. I can fit everyone’s entire life and their death inside my bag. I can cram in 50 weeks of drama and adventure, and 50 x 50 weeks more, and still have room to spare.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#magdalenesmission  #peaceloveandhygiene

1-4-22

The theme for tonight was bullets and beauty.

Traci and I pulled up to the meeting point ready for war. We must have had at least 60 meals ready to go for tonight. It took us 6 hours to get all the hygiene bags packed up, clothes loaded up, food ready to serve, blankets and everything else ready to go. It took 3 hours to empty the van.

It was bone-clenching cold out tonight. As the volunteers were standing outside having our pre-outreach chat, we heard a ‘pop’ in the distance. It was immediately recognized as a gun shot. Conversation casually continued. A few minutes later there was another ‘pop’, then silence. After a few seconds we all had different hypothesis for the timing of the shots. A few moments later there were 3 more shots in succession. Two quick, and then a third. After another 10 minutes or so we heard the sirens. We left to go out shortly after that.

Our first stop was behind a hotel. The couple we met were receiving medical help. Traci offered them our wares but they politely turned her down and said they didn’t need anything. We got back in the van and gave them their privacy. A few minutes later, the nurse came and got them some food after they were feeling better.

Our next stop was to see one of my favorite people. She used to stay in a really bad place. She hated where her life was. She is in the process of changing it. She’s living in a cute neighborhood now. She looks healthy and her boyfriend has a job. She wanted to see us because she had a job interview and she was hoping we had a couple warm outfits she could have. Also, she just really likes to see us. I am so proud of her. Her daughter is on the honor roll again.

Sometimes, it can be a real rollercoaster of fear and fantastic.

The next stop was a new stop. Andy heard about it from someone he knew. It was an abandoned house that had several people living in it and they were sharing a single space heater for warmth. We were able to make sure they had plenty more blankets to keep warmer. There was enough food for everyone. I was so glad they all had warm chili. I made sure there was a hygiene bags, too. Their dear souls were so sweet.

Our next stop was a familiar place with great people. One friend in particular wanted to make sure he didn’t miss us. He is one of the nicest people to talk to. For a second there, he thought Santa Clause lost them. But I told him Santa left his presents at my house. I somehow still had 1 Christmas bag left. I always wish it was more, even though he tells me it is plenty.

Our final stop of the evening was our favorite spot. We saw many people. There are some people from another abandoned house nearby that have started coming out when they know we are there. They trickled over a few people at a time. Traci stood at the back of the van regulating the clothes. I went back and forth getting food from one side and purses from the other.

At one point we saw someone walking up who we could barely recognize, because they looked too skinny to be that person. But it was him. This dude. This dude and I have cultivated quite the friendship. I thought he was a ridiculous human being when I first met him. He thought I was just being stuck up. We stood toe-to-toe exchanging words one night. After that, we decided we were the same height. We’ve been buddies ever since.

Tonight, he came straight up to me and Traci. He asked us for clean clothes and a hygiene bag. I got him a meal and I put extra food in it. When I brought it to him I told him I gave him extra food because he was getting too skinny. He said he had been shot in the stomach, so that’s why he wasn’t eating as much. Then he lifted up his hoodie to show us the gunshot wound with white and pink gauze peeling off below it. There was a giant hole in his stomach! I asked him if he had shown the medical team yet. He told me that he already went to ER. Not good enough. I walked him to the medic-team, and told him I would bring his stuff. The medic told him that he needed to lay down. To rest. He was aggravating the wound and it wasn’t able to heal. He replied that he couldn’t rest. He had to keep moving. There was nowhere to lay down.

I gave him my best, ‘Mom says do what the doctor told you’ speech. Now, I pray and I pray and I pray…

By the time everyone from that spot came to see us, we were out of food. We’re also out of hats and gloves. The one thing we’ll never run out of is Love for people. All the people I meet on Tuesday night are my people, now. I love them like I love on my own. I mother them, but I don’t smother them.

Tonight there were a lot of bullets and a lot of beauty. Both are reasons for me to keep coming back. Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#magdalenesmission #peaceloveandhygiene

Volume 9-

This evening was as unique as every other. Tonight’s theme was things being Completed. Our little team made it out a little earlier than usual. It’s daylight when Traci and I arrive in Detroit now. It stays light for a couple of hours after we get there now. This is significant because now we can actually see everything everywhere we are going. All of the little spots we had been going to suddenly came together on the map. I think I’m finally getting a feel for where I’m at. The first spot we went to, I didn’t even recognize where I was at until I saw the house across the street. It was someplace I had actually taken pictures of. Everything looked unfamiliar in the honest daylight. One of the volunteers went inside the dilapidated burned down house to get the residents to come out. After a few minutes, they did. There were several people who were all very hungry. They were very grateful for their survival bags, too. There was a woman who was panhandling at an intersection nearby. We were able to take care of her, too. She was so sweet. We made a couple of new friends. One lady told me that the building was named The Church. Perhaps that was what it was once upon a time. We were parked half on the curb with our hazard lights on, but still, someone yelled at me out of his big, shiny truck, “Get out of the road!”

I felt bad for the people who were standing behind the truck getting clothes. We were out of the way.

After we helped everyone we could, we floated on down the city streets. Everything feels so timeless there. The history is unlimited.

We trekked back to the spot where the tent was. A week earlier, we had met the nicest couple who lived there. Today, it is a blackened patch of earth. They were using some sort of heater, and apparently it caught fire. I’m choosing to assume they are okay until I hear otherwise. Just one black patch under a tree.

The next spot we sat in for a little while. Stan let us know that he was glad to have us on the team on a regular basis. I felt like I finally got the validation I was waiting for there. It felt… complete. One woman told us that she’s smart because she sleeps on the tops of buildings, on the roof, so no one can charge her with breaking and entering. She was looking for a tent, but I didn’t have one.

I did however, happen to be in the possession of, what I like to call, a jackpot purse. Now, I have a sweetheart friend of mine who like to blow a whole wad on “one super phatty-boom-batty purse to condescend all other purses”. It’s so wicked, I can’t even open it, because I wouldn’t be able to close it. She bought it because she saw a girl in one of my post, and something in her told her to give that to her. I’ve had it in my truck for about 6 weeks now and I haven’t seen that girl again. So I asked one of the volunteers if he had a way to contact her. He did. We waited in the parking lot for a while. We served a bunch more wayward people in need. Finally, she was there. I grabbed her jackpot purse and went up to her. She is so beautiful. Literally, she is stunning like a movie star. But she looked really sad. I reminded her of who I was. I told her about the purse, and why it was just for her. She just looked at me. I told her to take it because it was just for her. I put it over her shoulder. She grabbed me and hugged me for a long time. I just kept telling her that she was loved, she was so loved. She was loved by me, she was loved by people who never met her but didn’t need to in order to love her. And her body shook in my arms. She didn’t let go. I just kept telling her I loved her. I wanted her to be okay. That she deserved goodness. She cried on my shoulder. I held her until she was ready. “I love you, baby girl.” The journey of the Jackpot purse was complete.

Traci had already loaded up her boyfriend with food and survival bags. She kept saying, “Thank you” and then slinked off into the urban decay.

We stopped at a couple of more places where Traci and I were able to distribute more food and survival bags.

Our last stop was our familiar stomp. It only took a couple of minutes before the people starting coming out of the plethora of vacants and into the street up to the van. I have to admit, food was the star of this evening. And while I’m admitting things- I admit, my chicken salad sandwich lunches are praise worthy. It’s homemade. They really can taste the love. The dessert is pretty impressive, too. But, while I’m in a confessing mood. I confess that fresh fruit is a darn special treat. The meals are complete. The hygiene bags are complete. I think I have blanketed twice over every homeless person on the east and southwest side of Detroit. That’s a good thing. Everyone was fed, warmed, and cleaned to the best of our abilities. We went through all the food, all the hygiene bags, all the socks, all the clothes. We emptied out the Denali in 2 and a half hours. I wish we could have brought more.

A homeless gentleman I helped tonight called me a daughter of God, and he prayed over me. What more do I need?

Volume 8-

Tonight’s theme was, Hopeful. Traci and I left Detroit just a wee bit awestruck tonight. Words like Potential, Progress, and Inspired were thrown around a lot. Every week is so different. Something things get weirder and other things evolve into something better week by week.

The first person we helped came before we even left Covenant Care property. As I was talking to Stan, a lady came to the gate at the end of the parking lot. He dropped the box I gave him on the ground and ran to help her. After she was treated in the medic van, the medic team sent her to the truck. I noticed a large knot on her head with a bleeding head injury. I didn’t ask what happened. We made sure she had one of everything we had to offer.

The next place we went to was, how do I put it… Someplace I knew existed, but even after seeing it , it was hard to believe it was real. We drove down a bunch of alleys, behind some buildings, in the back of the rutted dirt parking lot. Traci and I expected ladies to come out of the building behind us. I couldn’t decide if it was the ugliest hotel, or the crappiest apartment building I had ever seen. Then, the medic team got out of the van and walked behind a fence and into the grass behind the parking lot. Under a low hanging tree, stood a small tent. Three of the team went up to the tent and gave a thumbs up to me and to Stan. One of the nurses told us that their next clients lived in the tent. Traci and I like to stay in the truck until people come out of the medic van. That way they can be sure to be treated for medical issues before being distracted by food. Traci and I got a chance to speak with the young man for a few minutes. He was very kind, obviously educated. Or least he spoke as if he was well read. He looked really, really young for his age. A good 15 years younger, we thought. He told us how he was living in his car, but now his car was in impounded with his phone, wallet, birth certificate, everything he owed in it. We found him some clothes in his size, blankets for him and his girl, hygiene bags, and a couple of sack meals. My dear friend Ann made the brownies.

“You will taste the Love.” I told him.

He told us that he was going to marry that girl in the tent. He loved her with everything. She was his true love. Tomorrow morning, they have an appointment to go into rehab together. He wants them to have a better life. A real life. He wants them to experience a sober, clean, life together. As soon as the finish their program, he told me that he was going to marry her. Traci and I both told him that we would pray for him. At first I apologized if he didn’t believe in such things.

Then I said, “Ah, fuck it. I’m going to pray for you whether you want me to or not anyways. You can’t stop me from loving you. How could I not? You are my species.”

And he literally took a step back. And I suddenly wanted to spray paint that exact quote across the sky.

I wished him the best of progress with his rehab, and a bunch more stuff you say to people who are about to do something that will be painful but good for them.

That’s their tent above. You’ll never find it.

As Traci and I sat and waited, I saw a rat that ran from car to car, and then off towards the trees.

One of the volunteers drove a young lady over to us. She was so sweet. She just kept saying “thank you, thank you” over and over. We asked her her size, but she had no idea. It had been years since she had gotten herself new clothes. We let her try some things on so she could have a couple of different pants and warm shirts. She was just amazed.

Before I even left for Detroit, as Traci and I were getting everything ready to put in the back of the truck before we left, I got a text from one of the other volunteers. He asked me if I remembered a certain young lady. Then he told me she left a very bad situation, but she couldn’t take any of her belongings with her. I asked him if he had access to her clothes and shoe sizes, and I would be on it! I found the cutest pink duffel bag someone had donated and filled it with clothes., and a couple of extras. I was able to give her a full size hygiene kit, a warm blanket, and even a small pillow! She smiled so much! She was so happy. She was so genuinely, truly, honestly, grateful. The best part? Her favorite color is pink! I had already packed everything into matching pink bags. How cool is that? (God is so cool)

Our next neighborhood was one we went to on our first night out. We hadn’t been there in a few weeks though. We sat in the van quietly with the lights off for about five or ten minutes. Then you see other people come from down the alleys. We took care of a few more groups of people. All of them so grateful, and surprised.

Our last stop was our favorite. We got to see our favorite girls. There are a lot of people in just the one house, but a few more people come to see us each week. This one girl has been coming to my truck for food, clothes, and hygiene bags for a couple of weeks now. She looks too young. Someone in a car drops her off and picks her up later. We are just starting to build a relationship with her.

One of the ladies is a special person to us. She always looks at you like the dog who was abused too long, and then left alone in the shelter for too long. Today though, we saw progress. We got out of the truck as soon as we saw her. She came running up to us and gave us big, long, tight, genuine, hugs. We saw her smile! Someone tried to steal her stuff again, but this time she stood up for herself and got it all back. We had some more items that Covenant Care had given us, panties, bras, undershirts. We made sure she had fresh ones, and a new hygiene bag for the week. We loaded her up with extra food. She promised she would eat it all up! She was excited for tuna fish sandwiches AND peanut butter and jelly. What can I say? I have to spoil my girl. She loves the extra love she gets from me and Traci. She seems to be opening up, like a flower to the warmth of the sun.

Another lady was looking brighter and brighter each time we saw her, too. It’s a light behind the eyes. When someone doesn’t have it, you notice right away. But if suddenly that light appears where before it was just sadness, no hope, it hits you like an electric jolt.

And we got to see our best girl, too. I told her about how Traci and I thought she was brilliant. That she was the most capable, qualified, and strongest candidate to be in control of of her her own rehabilitation center someday. I could, we all could, see her accomplishing Great Things. Any things, really. She is so smart, and organized, and intuitive, etc. She told us that she has 5 years of college education as a substance abuse councilor.

“Wow. Pretty ironic.” I said.

She looked down at the ground. This is the part that will punch you in the gut. She told me, (and I can hear it like it’s Memorex)

“I wish I would have known you and Traci back then. Maybe if I would have known you guys, I wouldn’t have given up on myself. I wish I could have known you so I would have believed in myself. I wouldn’t have wasted these years. There are people I met in jail. They have never been sober in their life. They don’t even know that there is another life. One with promise. One with purpose. I just cried my whole first night there, because I felt so bad for them. At least I know what I have to aspire for. They don’t even know that there is another life. They have never been free for a single day of it. I wish I would have know you back then. I wish I knew someone who believed I was good, like you guys do.”

One day, I hope she will love herself as much as I do.

Our best girl is signed up to go into rehab again on Friday. We tried to pump her up all we could. Thoughts and prayers, yo. I can picture her at the helm of her own community outreach group. She is starting to believe in herself. She believes that WE believe in her. That right there is powerful.

Through your donations, contributions, thoughts and prayers, we have been changing lives. Most importantly, for the better. I’ve seen people get jobs and find housing after several years of living in a vacant. I’ve seen people who no one would have, do good for someone else and seen their own life increase. We are making making miracles. We are changing the projection of people’s lives just by showing up and telling them we care if they live or die.

“You can’t stop me from loving you. How could I not? You are my species.”

From the biggest donor, to the most pathetic recipient, you are all my species. And I love you, too.

Sweet dreams on moonbeams. We made the world a little bit better place today. Now I can sleep. 2:57 a.m.

Peace out-

Love,

Kayla

Peace, Love & Hygiene Report: Vol. 4-

Tonight was an onslaught of Love. Traci and I had an epic adventure. Oh, my goodness. We were packed up with 2 large bins of blankets, 2 large bins of hats/gloves/socks/scarf packs, 2 large bins of Mags Bags (survival/hygiene purse), a medium size bin of socks, and 50 bagged lunches. (Shout out to Ann for taking me to the store and then making chicken salad and PB&J sandwiches in hyper-speed. It was impressive to see her work.) I threw in a banana for potassium, and a mandarin orange for vitamin C. I also put in a drink and a napkin. Good stuff! (Shout out to Panera Bread in Green Oaks and to People’s Church for the bread donation) We squeezed in a small tote of ladies boots that Ann brought over, and hit the road.

We have started a tradition of ordering take-out from Mi Pueblos’ on Dix Road before we get there. I strongly believe that we should fill up on authentic Detroit food before we begin. It’s the best of Detroit coursing through our hungry veins. That’s out of my pocket, btw. I happened to sell a book today!

It was a lot warmer tonight, 49 degrees according to my rear view mirror. Our first stop, we only talked to a couple of people, but one guy we talked to for several minutes. He was the nicest dude. He couldn’t stop thanking us and telling us what a blessing we were to him. He had heard about our ministry and kept trying to make it out to see us. He got his days mixed up, but this week he thanked God he found us. We gave him everything he needed to keep warm until the next time we saw him, and a healthy meal. Then we told him it was because he was loved, come see us next week. He told us, “Maybe, unless I can get into a clinic.” He opened up to me and Traci. He wanted us to know that he was a drug addict. He told us he wanted to tell us the truth, because he also wanted us to know that he hated it. He wanted to be free. He said he would get clean, but as soon as he got around those same people…

I remembered some of the sage advice I learned in church. Traci and I tried to build him up. He asked us, so we prayed over him. We told him we would keep him in out prayers. Traci and I don’t lie about things like that.

We drove around a lot tonight. At one place, a few ladies came out, and then one came out for herself and some friends inside who were afraid to come. We packed her up until she could hardly walk; purses, blankets, food, extra socks and hats. We then fed, warmed and supplied several more people.

We parked across the street from a park I would not have encouraged my children to play in. Traci and I remarked on what a horrible place it was for children to play. Only one gentleman came to us there. We gave him food, hats, blankets and a bag. He asked for one for his girlfriend, too. He also told us that he had recently adopted a puppy that someone left on the side of the road. He said it was all starving and banged up, so he had to be there to make sure he lived and was loved.

We traveled on…

*Our highlight of the night: Somewhere near a bunch of highways there was a guy on the side of the road with a sign. I don’t even know what it said. The light was green. I couldn’t risk losing my caravan in front of me. I reached behind me as fast as I could to grab a lunch bag. Without stopping, I rolled down the window and and handed him the food WHILE STILL DRIVING! I yelled out the window, “It’s food! TAKE IT! TAKE IT!” Then I screamed, “I LOVE YOU!” as we drove away. We laughed and laughed about that all night. It was SO totally ninja.

We went to another neighborhood. We had many people come up to the vehicle super appreciative. A small swarm. An older gentleman gave me his mother’s number. He said she really could use clothes. Would I please call her and help her? Of course we will. He opened up to us, too. He told us his tale. He asked us to pray for him so we did. Then he asked me to call him and check on him from time to time. Of course I will. One of the ladies was completely choked up because we loved on her like we did. We just want her to be safe and warm. She told Traci, “No one loves me. No one tells me that.” Traci looked her dead in the eyes and said, “Well, I love you. I do. You ARE loved.” She just stood there with her arms full of bags and cried.

We went to another neighborhood we had been to before. This time, a couple of people came out of their houses and curiously asked what we were doing. I asked them if they needed something to eat, a blanket, extra socks. Eyes lit up like UFO’s. Another man drove by in his car, and asked what was going on. He was so hungry, and cold. He couldn’t contain his appreciation for the food, and survival supplies.

One of our last stops of the evening, was a bunch of very elderly men. We were out of men’s bags, so I emptied the contents into a plastic grocery bag so he would be less insecure. We loaded them with extra socks and extra food. They shuffled off together into the darkness.

We were glad that we could help as many people in need as were led to us, or could find us. By midnight, we had given away all the blankets, bags, food, socks, and almost all the hats/etc., that had filled my truck just a few hours earlier. We had to call it a night. Traci and I took down a couple of pants and boot sizes. Next week is clothing, for sure.

What a wonderful evening with a bunch of new friends, and the delight to see of few of our friends who really look forward to our visit. I heard over and over how wonderful it was what we were doing.

“No one does this.”

“People forget that we are here.”

“Thank you. You are such a blessing.”

I just chauffer the blessings.

Shout out to ALL my donors! You save lives! You open doors! You give hope! You shower forgotten people with love! We are a team. We are fighting the good fight, and we are winning battles.

It’s 2:22 a.m. I am taking the next train to Sleepy Town.

p.s. don’t call tomorrow, but anytime after that