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
