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!
