My first night of street outreach as a 51-year-old went as smoothly and as perfectly as a night could go. Traci and I overpacked the van the best we could to compensate for the larger crowds of people we have encountered lately.
Just before we left, we discovered that the other volunteers were only going to be out for a couple of hours. They let us decide where we wanted to go. I texted by dear friends on the east side. I told them to get everyone ready. We were coming, and we were loaded for bear. They moved into a different abandoned house nearby. We watched women and men (mostly women) trickle out of the house and form a scantily clad pool behind my van. We were able to spend time talking with each person as they dug through the bins full of clothes. Some of the girls we’ve known since we first started doing outreach. Some of the girls we’re just starting to know.
My dear Rag Doll was thrown from a car a few days ago. She has bruises scrapes and gauges all over legs. She can barely walk. She can’t really work so she and her husband had not eaten in four days. I loaded them up with 6 meals each. We arranged for them both to be seen for medical treatment. She curled up next to Traci in the back of the van just to be safe and cared about for a minute.
A car pulled up directly behind the van where we were. A young women got out of a car with an older man driving it. The older man sat in the car and watched her go from the food door to the hygiene-kit door then finally to the clothes in back. After a few minutes, he got out of the car and watched from a distance. Then he noticed that there were men walking away with clothes. He came up to the men’s clothes bin and started holding up a couple of different shirts for examinations.
I politely told him, “Sir, these clothes are for the homeless. They aren’t necessarily for people who own cars. Now, I’m a good Christian woman. So, if you truly need aa shirt sir, I won’t deny you one. But I would appreciate if you would consider leaving these clothes for the homeless who do need them.”
He folded the shirt. Then he put it back in the bin, hung his head and walked back to his car.
After everyone from the house had come and got what they could, one last little mouse came scurrying up to the van. She hates trying to fight through the crowd to get to stuff, so she always ends up getting the scraps, or nothing at all. This time we were able to let her find some more things that were in her size, and she had plenty of food.
Speaking of food, someone is already looking forward to my homemade chili!
Next, we went to the busiest spot in the area. By then we were nearly out of food. We found grateful homes for the rest of the clothes, and everyone was glad to have such a clever, useful hygiene kit. The hygiene kits were the catalyst for a new friendship. He was surprised to discover I had been homeless before.
We are out of underwear. That was our biggest request for men and women. We are starting to run low on socks. I think I should organize a sock drive, so if anyone has suggestions on that, I would honestly appreciate it.
Also, we’re out of pepper spray and flashlights. You can find these items, and more, on the Amazon Wishlist. The link can be found at Magdalenesmission.com, then click on the Donate link. You can find out anything else you want to know about us on the website as well.
The other outreach team said we did an excellent job. They were excellent as well. All in all, it was an effective, efficient, and enlightening night of street outreach.
Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.
Amen.
