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/
