Peace, Love & Hygiene- Vol.3:
All signs point to cold. Tonight, was pretty darn cold. We started off at the same spot. We saw a few new people. Everyone was shivering. Our caravan was 3 vehicles tonight. Covenant Community Care lead the way through the frosty streets of Detroit. People gravitated urgently towards the Denali as soon as they recognized us, or knew that we had warm blankets and clothes. This time we went through all the hats and gloves we brought with us. We brought an entire storage tub packed full. Next time we’ll take even more. Having the blankets pre-packed into a larger bag or backpack was something that people always remarked that they were grateful for. We didn’t see nearly as many people out as we had previous weeks. Every man and woman we met were deeply appreciative for the warm clothes, and coats and boots, just everything. The hygiene bags are a big deal, too.
Traci and I both noted that how humble people were. We were offering them anything they thought they could use inside my packed tight Denali. But no one would take anything they didn’t feel they needed. “Thank you, for the hat, but I only need gloves. Save that for someone else.” Men especially.
We went back to that one house with lights but no heat. We saw a girl from the week before. She didn’t have proper shoes. They looked more like worn out moccasins. Traci and I saved aside a pair of warm boots that were just her size, and also a matching Mags Bags purse. She was so surprised and touched that we remember all that about her.
The next neighborhood we went to, I noticed that there were more houses boarded up or burned down then there were habitable ones. It was like a ghost town, but some of the people hadn’t moved out yet. We all stopped there and waited a minute for one woman to walk out of a one-story brick duplex. She went straight to the medic-van. Traci and I chatted with one of the other volunteers. The lady had a festering wound on her leg that had turned mortal. Stan was begging her, bribing her, pleading, bargaining, anything he could do to get this woman to go to an E.R and treat her wound. Eventually she ran across the street, and back into her house. He was beside himself that she wouldn’t go. We had to drive on to the next place.
A few times, Andy or Stan would see someone walking down the sidewalk and they would call us to say “That’s one of our people. Turn around.” After the nurses were done attending to first aid-needs, persons made a bee-line for the truck. “Do you have clothes and blankets?”
By the way, I need you to know that when you donate to Magdalene’s Mission you change a life on the spot. I have enough warm clothes, blankets, and hygiene/survival bags for every homeless person I can find because of the goodness in you.
I saw the kid with the dreadlocks from the picture again. His adorable girlfriend wasn’t with him. I told him how popular the picture of them was and that it helped to generate a lot of donations. I told him he helped a lot of people like himself stay warm. That was the biggest smile of the night. He was so proud to have been a part of something positive that right away he beamed as he told his friend who was with him.
The last stop was one where Stan had heard that someone who needed medical attention was staying at. It was another burned down house. There wasn’t anything left. The front half of the house was melted off. It didn’t look possible for anyone to have lived in that. (This is coming from a girl who used to live in a burned out funeral home on North Rampart in New Orleans.) He went to the back of the house. It looked like a board leaning over a whole where a door used to be, but he knocked on it all the same. No answer. Traci and I stood there with eyes as wide as moons waiting to see who might come out. No one did. It was well past midnight so we called it a night.
Out of all the people I met tonight, I will remember on particular girl the fondest. She was from the house with lights but no heat. She said her friend told her that she should come see us for clothes. She looked really embarrassed at first. Then she saw how happy it made Traci and I to give her whatever she needed. The she smiled the sweetest smile. Traci was giving her a warm sweater because she didn’t own a long sleeve shirt. Traci started to tie it around her waist, then stopped and apologized. She asked if it was okay that she touched her. She said that she couldn’t believe how nice Traci was. She really needed hug. We sent her away warm on the inside and out.
It’s 2:50 a.m. Please don’t call me tomorrow morning. I plan on sleeping waaaaay in! I love you all! Peace Love & Hygiene!
