Magdalene's Mission blog

Peace, Love & Hygiene: vol.180   3/17/26

A raccoon crouched on the ground near a brick wall, with bright eyes reflecting light.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! What a great night for street outreach, for giving hope and the ability to carry on another day to the homeless people in Detroit.

It was freezing cold, but my team was on fire connecting with people. Let me tell you about what your donations did last night.

I made spaghetti and meatballs. Nick packed up cookies, popcorn, oranges, Gatorade and water into plastic bags. We had hygiene bags/purses, blankets, clothes, socks and coats, plus, handwarmers, pepper spray and flashlights.

Nick drives, I’m lookout, and Traci was squished in the back seat.

Our first stop was only a few blocks away. A homeless man was living in a tent on the sidewalk. He kept part of his tent over a manhole cover for heat. I dropped off some food and hygiene while the other teams did their thing.

A few more blocks away, we saw the girl who lives by a bridge. She had her little sign up. She waited patiently for mercy. We passed her supplies out the window of the van. Then we drove around the block until the other teams could finish helping her. A couple of blocks later, we saw the guy who lives in a tent near hers. We passed his supplies out the window, too. Drive-by service with a smile!

We went to an abandoned school in the area. It was gated off, so we gave some bags of food to other teams to deliver for us.

The next stop was a big one. We went to Ms. GG’s house. She’s in the process of acquiring her own place to live, but she’s still in the process. Traci gave her some new larger sized jeans to fit her new healthier body. We helped at least 10 women and another 5 men at just that stop.

Some of the volunteers from the other teams were new. They stood on the curb and just stared at the swarm of people surrounding the van. So, I started handing them meals, flashlights and pepper sprays and told them to pass them around.

One young man was so sweet. He only accepted the food, but he was hanging out with an older woman in a wheelchair. He said that he was so touched and felt so blessed. He didn’t know that people came into his neighborhood to just help people. What a beautiful smile.

We seen the man who lives in the abandoned building. He’s still there. I stopped asking why and when.

I saw my buddy downtown! The guy who builds the forts and has a son in college is finally not homeless. He looked so clean, I hardly recognized him. He still needs a bit of help. He has MS and can’t stand up straight. We helped him out with food and hygiene. He remembered Nick and was super happy to see him. I got a big hug from him in return. He looks great. Thank you for helping me keep him alive long enough to see this day.

There was a very young person huddled up next to a building across the street. They desperately needed all kinds of help. I’m glad we found him. While we were there, a woman came out of the store looking like she was ready to be confrontational with the young person sitting outside. Traci stepped in and did her thing. She spoke to the homeless person before the other woman did. The woman slowed down once she heard the person’s story. She told Traci that she was most afraid of another overdose happening in front of her. Traci asked her if she had Narcan. She didn’t, so Traci got some and showed her how to use it.

Blam! Fear subsided. Another life could be saved.

We stopped the angry guy’s pile. He wasn’t there.

We ended up on the east side. There was a man huddled in the doorway of a church. We jumped out and helped him. Another lady was walking by, and we took care of her, too. Best of all, I GOT TO FEED A KITTY!!!

Our last meal went to a homeless old man on the side of the road. We gave him food, hygiene, blankets, and most importantly, a darn belt. His pants were falling off. He was holding them up so he could walk. Traci gave him another pair, a warmer coat, and a belt. His smile was all the thanks anyone would need.

The luck o’ the Irish followed us last night.

Last night, a woman asked Traci about Magdalene’s Mission. She was concerned that we would be sucked dry by energy vampires. That all this goodness and light we exuded would get used up on a scale exponentially larger than the returns. She was worried we would burn out.

I just laughed.

The source of love and goodness inside me and Traci comes from a source that is bottomless and eternal.

You know the one I’m talking about.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Magdalene's Mission blog

Peace, Love & Hygiene: vol.177- 3/3/26, Blood Moon, Lunar eclipse

A white minivan parked with its side door open, set against a backdrop of tall skyscrapers illuminated at night.

What a great night for exploring the shadows in Detroit!

We had a new helper this week. He is the friend of our other newest volunteer. This new helper just got off the streets himself. He is a wounded military veteran who was living under bridges.  Our volunteer got him connected with VA and housing.

We were busy packing up new hygiene kits. I asked him about our kits. Were they useful? He said they were excellent. Everything was useful, and necessary. Giant bottles of shampoo did nothing for him unless it was a rainy day. Our kits are very well thought out. That made me feel proud.

In honor of the Pistons, I made homemade Beef Stew. I had delicious peanut butter cookies and some other rando snacks to put with it.

This week, our first stop was the lady under the bridge. She uses propane to keep warm. Not every panhandler buys drugs with the money.

Traci and I carried food and hygiene bags through a wooded area beside the highway. The first tent we came past was empty. We kept trekking through area finding more evidence of human life as we walked.. The pitch of the hill next to the highway was very steep. The trail we leveraged was only a few inches wide. It was a bike path. I would have been too scared to ride a bike right there on a tiny track next to a bust freeway. But it looked like it was well-traveled, so someone does. Yikes!

We got to her tent, and she was so grateful to see us. Her area is neat, organized, well=kept. I saw a bike parked next to the fort she had put together. She’s a brave little woman surviving out there.

We went to a couple more places where we had seen tents, but no one was inside.

We went to Ms. GGs. At least 10 or 12 people poured out of there. Everyone was so sweet and grateful. Nick and Traci were amazing at helping people.

Ms. GG didn’t come out. I haven’t asked for her yet. I hope it’s because she found a real place to live.

We drove out to a shady hotel. There was a lady standing outside wearing pajamas. The caravan pulled over and she didn’t move. I got her some food, hygiene, flashlight, and pepper spray. I walked it up to her. She was hungry and happy about the pepper spray. I could tell she was absolutely suffering from mental illness. But at least she is fed, warm, and safer than I found her.

The next homeless lady we helped was overjoyed that we had found her. She complimented my bright red hair. She told me, “That hair fits you. I’m not just saying that because you gave me stuff either! I tell the truth!”

What a sweetheart!

We hit a couple more places on the east side. One was for just one lady who needed everything. I thought she was going to cry when Traci took her back to get new coat.

The last spot was a swarm of people. We pulled up next to an old, abandoned brick house. People trickled out from every shadow. Honestly, it was kind of scary. Mostly just creepy. It was a new place. New people.

We got out of the van, and the three of us covered our stations. Nick passed out hygiene and blankets. I passed out meals. Traci covered the chaos that is clothes. They were so grateful. So many praises to God that they were cared for that night. I hope we come back.

Which only proves:

The path of God

will never lead you

where the grace of God

cannot keep you.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Magdalene's Mission Uncategorized

Peace, Love & Hygiene vol. 166- 10/7/25  

This is for you, Paul.

It was an extra moist night in Detroit. My best buddy Nick came out with me this week. I love doing street outreach with him. He’s 6’4”. People tend to calm down when Nick’s around. All he has to do is get out of the vehicle and stand there. It’s great. Plus, it’s always a bonus when the men see other men helping one another.

We started off behind a bar where a few friends live. One of my buddies got a place, and he has been doing well keeping it together. His son is excelling in college and promises to not do drugs like his dad. He made his son make that vow.

I was able to help the only 2 females we saw. They are precious sweethearts, and I’m glad we saw them. Everyone was super hungry. I was proud to have plenty of food. One of the ladies told me, “I love to see you guys. It’s always the best, because you have the best stuff.”

Our meals are fresh and healthy.

Our hygiene kits are useful and well thought out.

Our clothes are clean and wearable.

Our blankets are bagged up for carrying.

We (often) have pepper spray, flashlights, and sometimes tents.

Thank you, donors.

I saw the homeless dog again. He’s in the same place. He still doesn’t trust anyone to get near him. His tail is fixed between his legs.

For the most part it was a mellow night. We cruised the area for a bit. We saw a shelter challenged person who we knew. We spotted him digging through the trash can in front of the gas station. We pulled over for a quick drop off out the window. I handed him a meal. He thanked me.

I recognized him as the guy who was staying in the same spot my buddy, Paul, was staying in. I asked him, what’s up with Paul.

“Paul overdosed. He went into rehab for a few months. He was in transition. He started messing with Girl thinking he’d be okay.  But he got into Boy, and it killed him.”

“What’s ‘Girl’ and ‘Boy’?” I asked him.

He replied matter-of-factly. “Girl, is crack. Boy, is fentanyl.”

“Oh.” I replied quietly. “Thank you.”

We reminisced upon Paul for a minute, then parted ways.

Next, we saw some bridge people. They have maintained their area of privacy for some time. I gave them blankets to help prepare for the winter.

We went to the abandoned school. Four or five young men and two older men came out. They were very sweet and respectful. Mostly they were grateful for food, blankets, hygiene and a backpack.

People are asking about winter gear, like hats and gloves already.

I miss Paul.

Traci and I nicknamed him ‘Big Hands’. The first time we met him was the very first night Traci and I went out on Tuesday night Outreach. He asked if we had any gloves. We did.

“I need big gloves! I have big hands! I have extra big hands! I need big gloves! Big gloves, for big hands!”

I leaned over into the back of the Denali to get him some gloves, and he positioned himself right behind me, uncomfortably close to my rear end. Traci went full-on Chihuahua on him. She yelled and hollered and scolded him right quick. He cried and ran back to the other volunteers.

The next time we saw him, he apologized profusely. We warmly forgave him. He promised that no one on the street would ever disrespect us in that way ever again. And no one ever has.

The teams kept searching until we found some hidden away places where homeless lived, and then didn’t, and now they do again. Businessmen walked past us as we ran food and blankets down to a hidden sanctuary. I was glad we found them.

Paul and I used to argue over who was the king of Goth music. He defiantly claimed it was Peter Murphy. I staunchly argued that it was Robert Smith.

Amid deplorable human trafficking, rampant drug trafficking, a homeless epidemic, starvation, overdoses, and huge rats, Big Hands and I could be people. We had normal people conversations. We talked about real life (for us). He built amazing forts out of pieces of the city he saw lying around. That’s what else we had in common. We saw the value in people and things that anyone else would have thrown away and forgotten.

I didn’t save my Big Hands. I couldn’t. It’s not even what I’m out there for. But I know for a fact that when he died, he KNEW he was loved.

I love you, Paul. Until we meet on the other side.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Magdalene's Mission Uncategorized

Peace, Love & Hygiene: vol.161- 08/20/25 

In Detroit. It rained all day. Sprinkles in fits throughout the evening.  

The gang was all there. Medical, harm reduction, housing, us. Woo Hoo! 

First, the Abandoned Man. Any day now he should be transported to a hospice, or something. I wonder why he’s still stuck in there.  

The team stopped to help a crowd of sex workers and a few men who watch over them. As soon as the small swarm began to make its way toward our van, the other teams announced they were leaving. I tried to make sure everyone had food at least. The big deal of the day was clothing.  

  1. Clothes 
  1. Food 
  1. Pepper spray 
  1. Hygiene 

Traci and I thought we were just pulling up around the corner, but the team drove nearly a mile down the boulevard. We met up with someone else standing outside. After a few minutes, one of the ladies from the last stop was peddling her tail off on her bike. She was riding straight towards me and Traci.  

Traci yelled, “Look! It’s one of our girls from the last spot!” 

Once she made it to the van, she panted, “Girls, I needed them clothes so bad!” 

She told Traci she had been wearing that same sports bra and biker shorts forever. It was all she had. She was immensely grateful. She was not letting that opportunity slip away. Traci loved her up. 

We pulled the caravan over to help another sex worker we saw standing on a corner. I jumped out to approach her first. I gave her a can of pepper spray, then invited her to come get herself something to eat. As we walked, I put my arm around her shoulder and asked her if she needed to see a doctor. She had a seizure recently, so I led her to the medical team. I introduced her, then told her I would be back with some food, clothes and a hygiene purse while she spoke with the other resources. 

She was very unwell. She could barely talk. She kept stretching her jaws. 

The next girl standing on a corner made her way along the caravan until she got to us. 

“I need clothes. Do you have clothes?” She frantically shoved clothed into a tote bag while Traci tried to direct her. Traci told her that she had as much as she could carry. The woman stopped. She grabbed her bags. Then she ran back across the street again. She reminded me of a squirrel. 

We found more people wandering between rainstorms.  Traci did most of the social engineering last night. I’m getting dark. It’s that time of year. Labor Day weekend will make it 9 years since my son, Ambrose, was killed. We were at a strip mall and must have helped at least twenty people by the time we left. I fed a cat though. That cheered me up. I’m out of dog food. I’m going to hit up some pet stores and see if they have any damaged goods to pass along. 

I don’t come out for me. I come out for people like the last lady we served. She’s a sex worker. She’s trying her best. She was relieved to see me and Traci. We’ve been helping her out for the past five years. Last night, she looked good. She looked healthy. She looked cute. 

There is so much suffering in the world. I witness so much desperation. But we don’t just shrug our shoulders and bury our heads in a glowing rectangle. We reflect on our moral integrity. If someone should do something, maybe I am someone. What little thing can I do? And that’s how we save hundreds of people every month.  

We do what we can and let God take of the rest. Because that’s how this mission has continued to operate every week for 5 years. 

And that’s how we do it in Detroit. 

Amen. 

Magdalene's Mission Uncategorized

Peace, Love & Hygiene: vol.146- April 15, 2025 

This post is dedicated to Shellie Renee Hunt, whose infamous memory helps inspire me to believe I can run my own business. 

It was a successful night of outreach. It was a little bit of everything kind of a night. Someone donated the ingredients, so I made a big ol’ roasting pan of Spaghetti. We worked with the volunteer teams that showed up to help us out with sorting/packing donations on Tuesday morning. They are truly wonderful ladies and gentlemen. Traci and I would be less well armed without them.  

We started the trip bouncing from a lot of abandoned buildings. We were able to help a lot of sick people, people sleeping on the ground, in huddled up in doorways, packed hidden amongst dead trees, or just wandering shivering down the sidewalks.  

Whenever we park the van on a busy road, people will just start coming from every direction. The smell of homemade spaghetti was too much to overcome! I was able to purchase more pepper spray. Someone donated a package of flashlights, and that’s an extra special treat.  

We were helping a steady stream of homeless men and women who trickled up alongside the van. As I handed a lady a fresh pepper spray and flashlight, she jumped up in the air and hooted, then she told me, 

“These have saved my life three times just recently! Oh, thank God! Thank you, ladies!” 

 I asked her what she liked best in the hygiene kits. What was the most useful? What was in there she didn’t need? Was there anything I forgot? I wanted her to have what SHE needed, not just what I thought she needed.  

She reported that our hygiene kits are tops! Baby wipes are the best. Everything in there is perfect. I asked her if any other street team nonprofits had good hygiene kits. She claimed that they did not. It was all large bottles of shampoo and body wash that no one could use because they didn’t have a shower, let alone access to running water. 

For our Magdalene’s Mission Street Report Card, we received: 

Hygiene kits- A+ 

Food- A+ 

Clothes- A+ 

Everything else- A+ 

When I say ‘A+’ what I mean is, we set the curve for the class. I am a competitive person to a certain extent. Most of us are. I don’t have to be the best at everything, but when I pick a thing, I want to be the best at it. 

Our nonprofit is that. Every item we offer, every purse, every pair of socks, backpack, blanket, homemade cookie, is presented as a gift of love. We treat every person we meet with compassion, and dignity. Every blanket is clean, folded, and put into a bag, or rolling suitcase they can carry it back in. We think of everything and take requests for even more. 

When Maggie the van drives around, it’s like Santa’s sleigh rolling through Detroit ghettos.  

We have the highest quality of generosity in street outreach that I know of in Detroit. At least, that’s what I have been told by my friend who is a homeless sex worker. Her opinion of Magdalene’s Mission is more important than any award, or anyone else in Detroit. She is the reason we are there.

It means that we have become the change in the world that we want to see. What we can give to our species is more of a status symbol than what we are able to hoard from it.  

Magdalene’s Mission will collect all the extra’s it can hustle up and you’re willing to give. Then we find people who cannot afford to repay us. 

First, we offer them peace. 

Next, we offer them love. 

Then, we offer them hygiene. 

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. 

In Jesus name. 

Amen. 

Magdalene's Mission blog

Peace Love & Hygiene: Vol. 145- 

It was a SPECTACULAR day of outreach in Detroit. Lots of people helped us out this week, so we were able to truly meet the needs of a lot of people. As a matter of fact, we were helping homeless people in Detroit before we even arrived at Fort St. Church!

We needed to make a stop along the way. I pulled over on a side street downtown to search my phone. There were several concerts last night, so traffic and people were more chaotic than usual. As I was pulled over, a tall man came over and asked us if we were the ones who had those hygiene kits. Yes, we are! We flipped the van around the block and found a safe parking space. Traci jumped out and asked him if he was hungry. Indeed, he was. He was so thrilled we found him. The food still already warm, and ready to serve. I had a few hygiene kits, and some socks, hats and gloves still in the back of the van. 

“God is so good!” he kept saying. His luck was turning around! He had been homeless for a while, but he was staying in a shelter now. He just got the job working as a parking lot attendant for events. We had clean clothes, a warmer jacket, and a kit to help keep him looking sharp. Best of all, a warm, homemade meal to make it through his first shift. 

If God can lead them, I can feed them. 

Winning the Channel 4 Go For It Award on TV last week has really gotten us a lot of attention. As far as I know, all of it good. Keep the wipes, bags, pepper-spray and flashlights coming!  

That Springtime joie de vivre had everyone in top spirits. The sun was glad to have us back, too. The first person we approached as a team wasn’t homeless. Awkward. But she did asks Traci and I if we could help her. She asked us if we could give her a ride to the rehab where her brother was living. She had come a long way by bus, and according to her map, it was going to be another 3 miles to reach her destination. She was carrying all these bags of clothes and food for him. I told the other teams we would catch up with them. 

She was a nice younger lady. You could tell that her brother had gotten on her last nerve, but it was her brother so had to help him or no one would. We took her to where her brother was. I offered to wait for her and give her a ride back to the bus station.  

She wasn’t allowed to see him, so it was just a quick drop off. That turned into a 20-minute wait. She had to wait while the nurse individually inspected each and every item she brought in for him. I walked in just as she was inspecting the items in the hygiene kit I gave her. I tried to tell them what stuff was, but they were not interested in who I was, or what I was doing there. 

It was going to be another hour until the next bus was coming to the side of town she lived on. So, Traci and I offered to take her back downtown to the Rosa parks station. She was a nice lady. She really appreciated the big black bag and hygiene kit. She tried to give us money for gas, but of course, we wouldn’t hear of it. 

We met some new friends. One of them was an amputee. The girl looked new. She was so young, and shocked by all the generosity and kindness we had for her. The other guy carried himself as though he had been there a long time. The open sores on his face proved it. 

We drove around and found a couple of elderly men curled up against a fence together. As they were being helped, a few more people came up and looked at us with huge eyes, and we benevolently offered them food as well. 

Traci and I fed and provided warmth for people living on every side of Detroit last night. We saw our favorite couple from the eastside! We’re out of women’s tiny pants (size 00) or leggings but we were able to supply them with just about everything else. 

We parked in a bust area and waited for a while. It didn’t take but a few minutes for a woman to come scurrying along the sidewalk and making a beeline for Maggie, our Magdalene’s Mission van. 

After we gave out the last of the food, we called it a night. We drove back to Fort St Church. We helped one more person with a couple of extra blankets on the way back. We unloaded our wares, then headed home. Traci saw a stray dog running through traffic. I just so happened to have a gallon size zip-lock baggie left in my van that I forgot to unload. He was afraid of me, but curious. I got his attention and then emptied the dog food along the edge of the sidewalk. 

And that was our last homeless encounter of the night. 

Venimus, vidimus, amavimus. We came. We saw. We loved. 

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. 

Amen. 

Magdalene's Mission Uncategorized

Peace, Love & Hygiene: vol. 144-

The outreach kept going for the past three days. Presently, I am in a quaint, East Lansing cafe drinking coffee with an old friend. Here we go-

Affirmation:

Street Outreach– What an intense and wonderful trip! Maggie the van was loaded with hygiene kits, clean clothes, socks, jackets, and most importantly- lots of food. We started out in a neighborhood that was absolutely dilapidated. It looked like projects, rows of government housing. More of the buildings were condemned than livable. A lot of plywood windows. I heard that everyone is being evicted by the end of the month. No one knew who we were, so we had to approach people as they began lingering and watching. 

“Are you hungry? Do you need clothes? I have some really useful hygiene kits!” 

Most people did. One gentleman was confused and took the entire tote of mens clothing back into his house. Traci and I looked around and noticed it missing. He must have been fast! We didn’t even see him! But when we asked him about it, he looked embarrassed and brought it right back. I told him that the clothes were for a lot of people, but he was more than welcome to take what he needed. Just DO NOT take my totes. We are in desperate need of more totes. That’s why I have to put a hold on clothing donations. It’s not that I don’t want them. I don’t have any place to put them.

We took advantage of the daylight and wandered outside our usual zones to find anyone who may need us. One woman we stopped to help told us that she could use our things, at first. But before we could hand her anything, she told us that she didn’t know us. She would rather not. That’s fair.

We started travelling towards more familiar territory. People who recognized us started pouring out of the shadows. I heard my name screamed from across the street more than once. The ladies came running up with looks of pure joy and comfort on their faces. I saw quite a few familiar faces all at once. I saw my Angel baby! She’s alive and kicking!

I received the best, perfect compliment from my Working Girls that night. They told me that they knew that I genuinely loved them. They told me that I cared for them like no one else did. One lady said, “No one says good things about us, or truly loves us like you guys do. No one else is as genuinely on our side. We love you. Thank you!”

That moment was so real, so affirming, that it felt like Jesus Christ himself came down from Heaven all the way to the ghetto to pat me on the back. 

If you ever wonder why I’m not more focused on the business aspect, or building my company, blah, blah, blah… that would be why. 

Because there is no money to be made. There are people. There are needs. There are people who can all put in together a bit at a time, according to their gifts, and we, as a species, we win. In case you somehow missed it, I, Kayla M. Donaldson, won an award for community service from Detroit WDIV Go For It! The link to the segment is below. It was great to be acknowledged by a Detroit Community icon.

When I hear how much we mean to the most vulnerable, persevering people I know, then we ARE doing the right things for the right people for the right reason. We made good things happen.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit!

Amen.

Go 4 It: Woman supports, aids vulnerable Detroit communities: https://youtu.be/_2sDVs3_5io?si=AQpPsWO2U-tD5zh_

Magdalene's Mission Uncategorized

Peace, Love & Hygiene: Vol.142-

Tonight’s report is dedicated to Rodney, who always had a smile and a hug for me and Traci. To Chief, a veteran of the Vietnam War who begged for money while leaning on his crutches. He wore a size 10 ½ shoe over what was left of his feet. Prayers to Heaven for the old man who looked out for, and took care of Ms. P. This is dedicated to all my brothers and sisters who didn’t survive through February.

Hi! To all my beautiful friends on the street that read what I write about you,  I love you.

Traci is still trying to recover from her flu, so she couldn’t make it out last night. I didn’t fly solo, though. The father of one of the other medical team volunteers rode with me. He was kind, yet also fearless and full of service in his heart. He’s so proud of the work his daughter does.

We saw a whole mix of people last night. I heard some pitiful stories, and a couple of hope filled ones, too.  

We started off going to a few isolated spots. It was light outside for the first hour or so of outreach, so that was a bonus. The sun shone brightly to show me that it was as glad to have us back as we were to see it. While my volunteer and I waited for the medical team to come back, we served 4 more homeless people who wandered past us.

We went into a few different places. Some had people there, some didn’t. One place was an abandoned school that was perfectly hidden. There was only one broken window that we could enter the building by. We all crawled in and wandered through the building calling out our presence through the clean, empty hallways. Every clock was stopped, but at a different time. It was dark, but I could see into the different classrooms. Many rooms had the remnants of homeless people on the floor. Lots of blankets, piles of handwarmers, food wrappers, and random bottles. There was a book from Alcoholics Anonymous sitting on the window ledge. I hope they were reading it because there were liquor and beer bottles all over the place.

Next, we found some bridge people. They had a tent and propane. It was well hidden, but the cops kept finding their spot and taking their stuff down. So, they must start over somewhere else. They somehow don’t “disappear” just because they aren’t wanted. She was a kind, sweet lady. I heard her say she is 36 years old. Her husband is 41. They just want to survive.

This next part was THE craziest thing. We went to an abandoned building we have been to many times. This time, we noticed something was different. First, the area in front that used to be filled with trash was all cleaned up. Cool. Then, we noticed that the large hole in the side of the building where we used to enter was completely boarded over. Okay. Then, as we walked around, we noticed that everything, every opening, was boarded and sealed up.

Not cool. There is an old man who can’t walk that lives on the top floor of that building. One volunteer was frantic that he could still be in there. We found a loose opening and tore it open so that one person could go through and check it out. We had to be sure. The first thing he found was a dead dog. Our brave volunteer ventured in further on until he made it to the top floor.

Sure enough, the old man had been boarded up inside the building! The volunteer informed us of another opening. The rest of the volunteers trekked through the brambles to find that missed hole in the wall. We all climbed in and made our way through the graffiti covered building to bring food to the old man.

By the time I got there, I heard him telling the other volunteers about the housing resource caseworker. “List? I’ve been on that list for so long, I don’t even think about it. I used to look forward to them coming to put me someplace I could live, but that’s not happening. It’s better to pretend there is no list. Thank you guys, for coming to check on me. I appreciate it. God bless you folks for seeing me.”

He asked us to pray over him before we left. If you could, keep him in your prayers, too. One of the volunteers is going to address his case manager.

Eventually, we made it to the main strip where a lot of people I know are. Right away, ladies flagged down the van and were running up to see us. A pair of girls grabbed me, hugged me, and cried telling me how much they missed and loved me. They were so happy to be loved on. They were also starving hungry, desperate for hygiene items, and in need of a sleeping bag. I loaded up the hygiene kits into backpacks that I had already extra loaded with socks, handwarmers, emergency blankets, gloves, scarves, and more socks.

I must admit it. I have a special soft place in my heart for the street walking sex workers in Detroit. AKA victims of human trafficking, AKA prostitutes. These girls are relentless. They are always working. They are always in the thick of it. They have such a perilous job. They are the least judgmental to me. They are the realest of people. They subsist on the underbelly of humanity and still find time to laugh with me  I asked them where they are staying. If they have a regular safe spot to sleep. They all said, no. They sleep when, where, or if they can. They all also were begging for mace. I haven’t had any in quite a while. I told them I would tell you that’s what they really need right now.

They also told me that the cops were arresting people for loitering and then serving 90 days jail. The plan is to remove the addicts from the areas so that the dealer will go away. We’ll see how that works out.

Another girl told me that a lot of the drug houses had been raided and taken out. That is good to have less drug dealers. But…

Unfortunately, drug houses will let pretty much anyone crash on the floor. I noticed that it has been common in the winter for a lot of these homeless girls to deal with living in one of those places just to get inside for a few months. Are they evil? Yes. Were they also warming stations? Uh, kind of. Weird, right?

That’s also how I found out about the 3 men who we’ve been taking care of for a few years now, who didn’t make it through the winter.

On a happy note! My Mama Bear is still clean, sober, and living on her own in an apartment! You have followed and supported that woman’s journey. How at first she had an apartment that a lot of the other sex workers, including her daughters, would find safety in. Then her husband died. Then she lost her apartment. Then she lost her will, and the addiction got hold of her. Then she lost her daughter to overdose. Then she looked just like a vapor of a woman. A faint impression where a whole woman once was. Then she wanted to be clean again. So, I prayed over her until we both felt our bodies levitate. We prayed our hearts raw.

Then she did it. She was saved. She got out! She lives; she doesn’t just barely exist. We never gave up on her.  I know she wishes that her other daughter could join her in a safe and sober life. Until then, we’re both praying for her, and we won’t give up on her either.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.   

Magdalene's Mission Uncategorized

Peace, Love & Hygiene: Vol. 131

Last night’s outreach was dedicated to my recently departed ex, Cecil Johnson. He had been living in a homeless shelter in Indiana for the past couple of years. No one I knew was aware of that. He had severe liver damage, and that is what he finally succumbed to. My dear friend of decades, Julie Miller, who runs the Lansing branch of Punks With Lunch, knew Cecil in his glory days as well. She said that she hoped someone like us was out there to give him a sandwich from time to time. Cecil’s addiction destroyed our relationship. It eventually destroyed him too, but he was still a human being.

Now you are connected to this, as well.

            The theme for last night’s street outreach was- Plot Twists!

My brakes and rotors are still waiting to be repaired. Still no vehicle for outreach. I was dealing with work and Cecil’s death at the same time all weekend and didn’t line up an alternative vehicle. I thought all was lost. Traci and Lilli insisted we could pull it off in Traci’s little matchbox car. She drives a Chevy Spark for goodness sake. Also, Lilli works at Little Caesars in Brighton now, and she found a way to donate 40 pizzas. I can’t let it go to waste. Allyn dropped off amazing coats and hats and gloves (and cookies!). And Alicia sent me a package of gloves everyone desperately needs. It’s going to stay below freezing for a few days. I couldn’t bear to hear the list of people we would lose to exposure by the next time I came back to Detroit. So, we made it happen.

            Lilli is amazing. She made all those pizzas. She packed up the car with everything somehow. Another example of loaves and fishes. I don’t know how she did it! She impresses me.

            We made it down there packed with what we could fit.

            The first stop was a huge old, abandoned factory by the train yard. I climbed through there a couple of times with Cecelia. This time, it was dark. We needed flashlights to find our way through. We found forts and tents in various corners. I climbed up wooden ladders, pallets, and over large holes to get to an opening on the roof. I love climbing. I love climbing on tops of buildings. We were able to leave some food and blankets for the people who were too shy to come out and see us. It’s a very private group who stay in there. They abhor the attention.

            Next stop, Ms. GG’s abando-minium. There are a lot of people in that one house. One of them is a lady, Ms. GG’s age. She told me that the next day, today, she will get her apartment! She was so thrilled and proud to have her own door and key. You can do anything for yourself if you have a door and a key.

            There was a man there who was very tall and slender; gratefully accepting socks, gloves, a hat and food. As he was going through the coats there was a red puffy jacket. It was super warm. It was a 2XL so it fit him all the way down his arms and covered his bum. The other folks around him cheered and congratulated him on such a clever find.

            It was a motley crew of people rummaging joyfully through what little we had. I hope Cecil had a warm coat to wear. One old lady who we helped had a large bag of clothes, blankets, food, etc., that she was having a hard time carrying. She yelled at a young man riding by on his bike.

            “Get off that bike, boy! Come help an old woman carry some stuff!”

            And he did. He jumped off his bike and took her garbage bag into the house for her. Before she left, that same old, black, toothless, bald woman told me, “I love you girl! Gimme some dap!”

            “You want what?” I replied.

            Then she held her fist out to me, like a fist bump. “Gimme some dap, girl!”

            “Ah!” I said. “You want bones!” Then I held up my fist and we had our fist bump moment and laughed.

We went down a few more alleys looking to see if we could find anyone we knew.  All we found was a gray and white kitten. We got to at least feed her.

            Then we saw our Crazy P. I swear she might not even be 4 feet tall, but you could hear her holler! I couldn’t understand a single word of it, but she was mad about something. One guy from the medical team and I know her best. We kept trying to get her to calm down, take food, take a few bucks, anything. But she just kept hollering and screaming incoherently. So, I prayed for her at least 10 times.

            A man who must have been almost seven feet tall was walking down the street with his little white pit pull puppy. He had a long, puffy, white coat, and long, black, neatly dreaded hair.

            I asked him if I could pet his cute puppy. The guy was super sweet and friendly. He let me try to pet her. She feared everyone and everything. What an ironic pair!

            Our last stop of the night was to see my Little Red-Haired Girl. She was busy working, as always. We were able to give her the last of our food, some gloves and handwarmers. Most importantly, we shared unconditional love with her. She had a beautiful smile for us in return.

            I couldn’t save Cecil. I can’t save anyone. When Cecil and I were good together, it was some of the most magical in love times of my life. I know it was for him, too. We gave each other warm memories. The bad was really bad. I don’t have nightmares anymore, just wise experiences. Remember my Writer Dude? He died of the exact same thing in the exact same way as Cecil did.

I just wanted Cecil, and everyone else I see and try to help on Tuesday night to know- I even if I can’t fix what’s wrong, in the moments we have together, you are truly and genuinely loved. That’s what I can give.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

#magdalenesmission   #peaceloveandhygiene

Magdalene's Mission Uncategorized

Peace, Love & Hygiene: Vol. 127

Last night was excellent! I have so much great news to share about some of our friends on the street. To share a Golden Girl Moment- “Thank you for being a friend!” Like a fan of the Journey, you “Don’t stop believing!” Excellent adventure we had last night. We got to the church about 1pm. We worked until 4:00, then we packed up Maggie the Van, and went to a tiny little bar to eat named “Tommy’s Place” right around the corner. It’s located at the end of the alley behind the church. Stevie Wonder was back to play a show in Motown last night. Being from Lansing, let me tell you how much we LOVE our Stevie Wonder. (P.S. Songs in the Key of Life is a perfect album) Great food, awesome prices. They have Faygo and Vernor’s on tap. I’ll be back there for sure

We met our first client before we even left the parking lot. Traci and I walked past him sitting on the front steps of the church after we got something to eat. We said “hello’s”. Later he walked across the parking lot to the van and asked if we had anything to eat. He was hungry. Of course we did. I also made good use of the giant rolling suitcases. I packed them with big, fluffy, comforters and pillows. I would squeeze a hygiene kit into the front pocket, and a towel if one would fit. The old man was delighted to have warm, dry, bedding to sleep safely under. I try to make sure that all of your heartfelt donations are utilized in the best ways.

Now, some people comfortably believe everything happens for a reason. Some people greatly appreciate when randomness and probability aligns in their favor. Me? This stuff is too much coincidence to be a coincidence… again. It was a clothing donation from a lady who own a thrift store in Portland that my Sissy, Jennifer, met and connected me to a couple of years ago. She had a wonderful clothing donation of newer small sized clothing. There were small and extra small sized, Fall maternity clothes. They were packed and folded neatly into a tote, and then lost in the piles of clothes spread out between 2 cities.

Last night, in the comfort of a gymnasium with all our donations organized in one place, Traci found those beautiful clothes. She packed them neatly into the street outreach totes. Our first stop was to see a girl whom I had not seen in a while. The last time I saw her was when the medical team informed her that she was pregnant.

The first patient was my dear friend, who is also my biggest fan of my Memoirs of a Changeling, is also pregnant. She ran up to me and held me tight for a long, genuine embrace. Next, she excitedly and proudly flipped up her shirt to show off her swollen tummy. She bragged about what an active boy she has bouncing around inside of her. She’s keeping as healthy as she can. We were able to supply her with an appropriate wardrobe for her changing body. Street Outreach medical volunteers are helping her keep up her prenatal care. I love it.

A lot more people were helped at that same parking lot. I recognized them all. My Pretty Red-Haired Girl came up. She’s so strong and self-sufficient. I never see her coupled up with other street people. Just in the area. I see her get in and out of a lot of cars. I think she’s the kind of person who is too thick-skinned to ask for help. I’ve been building a relationship of trust and mutual respect with her over the past couple of years. That way, when she’s ready, it will be on her terms, and she will have an advocate she can trust. Everyone needs someone on their side.

The crowd of people hovered over totes filled with clothes and shoes like crows. They stood guard over their food and bedding bags. I howled loud enough for everyone in Detroit to hear me. “YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN! GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN YOU! YOU! ARE SO LOVED!”

And just like when I was sitting on top of the church as the bells rang, I was right there when the praises rang out from the sidewalk to the sky.

Eventually, we rolled on up the road. The police have been busy the last couple of weeks tearing down peoples tents and forts. I heard that no less than 5 people we know had their shelters destroyed. The next side street we parked on, we had just begun to help our friend, when I got the message to leave immediately. Some people from the business next door were video recording us. Time to go!

The next spot we parked at was to help a couple who were living in the trees behind an empty building. More and more people made their way over to the van. We must have seen another 15 or 20 people. We had one meal left, and one sleeping bag. It was exactly enough for our next stop…

DARLA & BABY! She was happily greeting the volunteers from the medical team when I approached her. She ran full speed up to me and jumped into my lap and smothered me with happy kisses. I told it was time for me to hook up my best friend, and she made a bee line for the van, and hopped right into the driver’s seat! I pulled out some of the dog food and treats that I always bring with me in case I see her. She climbed right in the back of the van and ate the entire baggie of treats from my hand. Then I opened the zip-loc bag of dog food and just let her shove her pretty face in and go to town. Their Person needed medical attention, so Baby, the puppy came and hung out inside the van, too. They were so happy. I’m going to be riding the vibes of that love bomb from those 2 dogs for a while. Even better than that?

Darla & Baby’s Person got an apartment!!!! He’s been working hard at it, and I’m so proud of him. What a long hard road my friend has survived. We talked about the impact that having a home after overcoming sever homelessness has on your head. We had the same conversations with God. “If we could ever be safe inside with access to food again, I promise, I promise God, I will never complain about anything ever, ever, again.”

Now that we have survived all that, nothing on a day-to-day basis compares to that level of fear and vulnerability. Having safe shelter makes everything else in the world feel like a blessing. I love being there to hear and share these stories of success. He’s still panhandling every so often to make ends meet up, but with an address, anything is possible.

When Darla’s Person came to collect her, a large man approached him with a Little Ceasar’s Pizza box, then spoke briskly, but gently. “Here’s for your dogs, man.”

“Thank you, so much!” Darla’s Person replied.

A few minutes later, he opened the box and passed slices back and forth between the pups.

Darla’s Person has a few pots and pans. I have some dishes. His goal is to find a television, radio, furniture, anything to break up the monotony of silence and to get out of his own head for a while. He’s a non-fiction reader. I’ll see what I can do.

My Little Red-Haired Girl asked me if I would please request underwear for the ladies. I have some affordable packages on the Magdalene’s Mission Wish List on Amazon. I have a link to the Wish List on the webpage on How To Donate.

Winter Is Coming…. I’m almost out of coats, and hats. I’m out of gloves and handwarmers. Blankets and socks are on-going needs. If you’re purging your closets, my porch is still the preferred donation drop-off location.

I’m also making a new page on the Magdalenesmission.com website for people to sign up for a meal, or even donating food so that I can make a meal.

Also, if you, or your company, would like to volunteer time at a non-profit, I have a place in Detroit to put you and your co-worker to good use.

For people, by people, through other people, to get to people. People matter.

Remember the friend from the beginning of the report who was pregnant that reads my book? She is the same lady who I sat in the grass with on top of the bridge and I talked to her for a long time while everyone was busy serving everyone else. That day she told me that she bought a beautiful star stone for her daughter. That she was so peace-filled, because that’s what she bought for her daughter ‘s birthday instead of buying drugs. She told me yesterday, that she’s in contact with her daughter who still holds tightly that gemstone as a precious talisman of inspiration.

We are not forgotten.

God has not forgotten us.

We are so loved.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Magdalene's Mission Uncategorized

Peace, Love & Hygiene vol. 117     

4/17/2024

Let’s talk adventures in Detroit!

We had the ultimate mother-load of food to take out this week. It was beautiful!

Our first stop of the night, we pulled over and sat for about an hour. Little swarms of mostly women and a few men approached the van eager for food. I love it when the weather breaks into the warm season. We can stand outside and talk to people more.

One couple who was treated had the necrosis terrible in them. The young man had a hole in his arm that looked like it had been scaped out with a burning ice cream scooper. It was kind of heart shaped. I spoke with his girlfriend for a bit while he was receiving medical attention.

You could not have met a gentler soul than this girl. She couldn’t have weighed more than 80 pounds. My dog weighs heavier than her. She has the softest, sweetest little voice. She talked to us about her addiction and how hard she was trying to be free. She was working with the medical team to put herself in a position to succeed. The housing resource specialist found her an apartment. She can’t wait to be somewhere safe. She want to be in a home where the bad things aren’t always coming after her.

I saw the open flesh wound on her hand. The skin rotted off all the way up her arms, but she couldn’t move her sleeves. The necrosis has spread into her hands, and her fingers are permanently bent. The knuckles are swollen, and her fingers don’t move anymore. Traci remembered struggling to put gloves on her hands last winter. They had to find her some mittens. She said she’s been like that since last April. It’s very painful all the time.

Xylazine. It’s what drug dealers mix with fentanyl to make to make the high more intense. It’s also an animal tranquilizer that over time causes necrosis, aka, the flesh rot.

We had a small crowd of people by the two vehicles. Some of the women were known sex-workers. A couple of cars parked around the corner from us. They were staring at our girls like they were waiting for something.

Tuesday nights are special for our people. It’s the one time of the entire week that they can get their survival needs met safely. It is a coveted, sacred time.

Nick was out with us again. I love this dude. He noticed the other guys staring at our girls. Nick got out of the van and just walked around and stood between the girls and the other men. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. Traci and I took care of our ladies, and the other guys drove away. We laughed!

Two ladies parked their vehicles in front of ours. Then they got out of their cars and started walking around the perimeter of the empty lot we were all parked in front of. They were praying. They walked around and around the edge of the lot praying for a while.

Next thing I know, Traci is best friends with these two ladies, and she invites me over to meet them. They are from a local church. They set up tables and offer meals to people in that little lot every week. I think it would be fantastic to work with their little group sometime. Don’t you?

We drove to a few more places on the southwest side. A couple of them were places where we knew people lived. A few people we just met randomly walking.

We saw Show-Time, but he looked really confused. He was standing in an empty parking lot with some of his belongings scattered around him in a circle. By the time I gave him food, hygiene and a hug, the medic team said that we were being video recorded. Time to go. Now.

A saw a kitty walking alone outside, but the caravan wouldn’t turn around so that I could feed him. Sigh.

The old man who camped behind the ice cream shop remembered me. Everyone was elated with the amazing, generous food donations. Marley (Felix) and Lilli worker hard preparing chicken salad and putting it on croissants and yummy bread. We had plenty of cookies and muffins to keep people munching on something until next week.

Fed a kitty!

“Can I get some of those hot dogs?”

Apparently, there is a group that drives around serving people hot dogs. Sometimes we get mixed up with them. They haven’t been around in a while though.

I saw Darla! Our favorite homeless 3-legged pit bull! I had food for her, and she had a bunch of licky- lovey kisses for me. She still uses the leash I gave her last year. Her person loves that she gets loved on by us.

He is a nice man.

Last stop of the night, I saw my Widow Who Sits! She came dancing across the mud parking lot to give me a hug. The van was towed away. Now she lives in an abandoned pick-up truck with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend who, by the way, is still free and clean after a week of living out there! He still has his job and finds a way to get to work every day. He looks healthy. He really appreciated the clean socks. After a long day of breaking up concrete, clean feet are a good feeling.  

Because, you know, he can’t take shower.

But he can eat real food for breakfast this morning. And he can see what he’s doing because we gave them a flashlight, and a glow stick. He has a clean jacket and socks for work today. He has baby wipes, and toothpaste to clean up. He has the essentials to continue being a grown man. That he can do. We do what we can, and that’s all we can do.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Magdalene's Mission Uncategorized

Peace, love & hygiene: vol. 116

March 20, 2024

“Life is like a roller coaster. If it weren’t for all the ups and downs you wouldn’t even get on the ride.”   -Ambrose Ian Sullivan

What a night! This report is a challenge, my friends. I will be honest. There was a lot of good done, too. Let me share it. Bear with me, please. I’m going to power through this one.

I had Nick (my best bro and Jet’s Pizza- Nick) and Traci with me in the van last night. Nick held down the drivers seat. I covered food (mostly) while Traci covered clothes and hygiene (mostly).

We started off on the Southwest side. The medical team had a client to check in on. We drove around until we saw a couple of people who we could tell needed our help. There were very sweet older men. Very kind, and always humble. One of the men mentioned that they just found a clean space in an abandoned building to sleep in.

Nick asked “Hey! Do you want a lantern?”

His entire body lit up like a lighthouse. He was so happy he danced a little shuffle, so I did a little prayer dance, too. Those lanterns are so cool! I had more but I ran out of AA batteries. I’m going to find the lanterns on Amazon and put them on the Wishlist.

As we sat across from the Coney serving random homeless people who walked by, Nick noticed a couple of guys at the back of the lot. They were digging around near the dumpsters. He’s got such a talent for outreach. I checked with the medic team, then walked towards them.

“It’s Magdalene’s Mission and street outreach. Do want homemade food and a blanket, dears? Come up to my van. Traci and I can help you out.”

“Do you have those hygiene kits, too?” One of the two elderly men asked.

“I do! I do! That ambulance has doctors and nurses who want to make sure you are healthy. Why don’t you go check in with them. Traci and I will get you some food and clothes ready.” The smiles were already contagious.

“Do you have a coat? May I have a coat if you have one?” His own was worn down to tatters.

“We do! Go to the ambulance first, and I’ll have everything ready for you.”

That’s how outreach is done.

While my team was waiting for the medical team to do their medical thing- I saw a doggie! Homeless animals are my Achilles Heel. Our Secretary, Wen, had the coolest idea. She uses the empty peanut butter jars from the sandwiches and refills them with dog food that she has gotten pet stores to donate to her from their damaged bags.

I saw the dog walking around a good 50 feet away. I grabbed some food. He wasn’t going to come up to me, or anywhere near me. He was beautiful though. He was being guarded. I opened the jar. His ears perked up, but he wasn’t going to risk being caught. I shook the jar. His eyes were locked on mine.

I told him, “It’s okay buddy. You’re a good boy. We can do this on your terms, sweetheart.” I emptied the food on the ground. Then I backed away. The further away I moved from the food, the closer he would come to it. Pretty baby was hungry, too. I ran back to the van to grab another jar of dog food.

“Kayla. Don’t touch that dog!” Nick and Traci warned me, amused, from the van.

“He won’t come near me. He don’t trust anything. He’s just hungry.”

The dog and I did the dance 2 more times. I think 25 feet is the closest he could come. But man, did he LOVE that food! He even ran off with the peanut butter jars and buried them for later.

Another successful outreach recipient!

Then the evening started getting weird. Sunset was a giant orange dipped slowly behind the concrete forks. When the sun dropped all the way down to the ground it exploded and pink and orange sun juice sprayed all over the clouds. But just before the sun crashed onto the ground, I saw a long slender body in the distance. He waved his arms. He moved with a purpose. I thought I recognized him. He came up and gave me a big hug, then said, “Yeah, it’s me. I was in jail for a couple of months.”

 I told him that he looked terrible. I was glad he saw us. I’ve been looking around for that buddy for about a year now. Wow. A year changed a lot. I went back to the van shook. I barely recognized him. That is not how I remembered my Wrestler. Crazy! Dang, he looked so bad I barely recognized him. He didn’t look the same.

Still waiting to hear back from the patient…

The medical team led us to a new spot. This fort was cool. It was hidden in plain sight, but out of eye line. I jumped out of my van, and a nurse jumped out of the ambulance. We approached the fort in the same way we do, announcing our presence so we don’t scare anyone. I couldn’t believe who popped out.

The Real Wrestler!!! I don’t know who the heck I thought the other guy was. I meet too many people. The other guy said he had the same name, and it threw me for a loop. But Wrestler is special to me. We have a connection. He has intelligence behind those eyes. He is still with the same buddy he was a year ago. Good. We traded numbers. One of them has a cell phone they can share now. (Thank you, Obama). I’m going to help them get connected to the people who are getting people off the street and into housing. It was a good, long, real as life, hug time. We were thrilled to be reconnected again.

I was getting ready to pack up some meals for them when…

KITTY!

I saw a black kitty! Oh, she was precious! I grabbed some cans of cat food from the from seat and opened them up for the sweet thing. Cats kill the rats, snakes, and spiders. Just like when people lived outside a thousand years ago, cats and dogs were living nearby, keeping us safe. That’s why I drop everything to feed a homeless animal. They are my unsung heroes on the street.

We served Wrestler and his tentmate as well as a couple of other random homeless people who walked by.

Next, we hit the abandoned minivan. People pour out of it like a clown car. Then they make lines beside the ambulance and the van. They wait for their provisions as well as their hugs. This poor girl was trying to look through clean clothes but her boyfriend (?) kept rushing her to get into a car with another guy. She was feisty, though. I made sure she had pepper spray before she walked away.

“Thank you. Thank God.” She muttered as she walked away.

You’re welcome, baby. And I do.

Last stop.

Saw my buddy, Big Hands the skater dude. I hadn’t seen him in 2 or three months. We’ve been at his forts that he builds. The dude is so dang clever. He just hasn’t been there. The little dude he was squatting with was also a good buddy of mine. He told me that he used to work for Nick at Jet’s Pizza before things got out of control with him. I was excited to reintroduce him last night. Maybe it would remind him of the person he was capable of being. Inspire some self-preservation. So, I asked Big Hands, “Where is Kyle at?”

Big Hands looked down. He said, “Oh honey. You don’t know? Kyle is dead. He was stabbed. The autopsy said that he died outside from exposure.”

What? No!

Big Hands held me tight, and we cried. He filled me in on some details and theories. And then the medical team had to go. So, I had to go. He and I were still grieving for Kyle as Nick pulled us away from the muddy lot.

Kyle was my buddy. He was the one who had the best stories. We were brutally honest with one another about reality. We respected one another for that. He was brilliant, too. He talked about how his addiction got out of control. How he got to a point way earlier than his friends where he always needed more. He said his tolerance level would go up no matter how much, or what he used. Until he was beyond what his friends were comfortable with anymore. Until he ended up in Detroit. He’s from Livingston County. A lot of the younger crowd are all white kids from nice homes and nice families in nice neighborhoods. Traci and I are surprised by how many are from Brighton, Howell and Hartland.

I loved you, Kyle. You were a messed-up kid, but you are real to me.

The van ride home was quiet. We came across a homeless woman holding a sign at a traffic light on the way out of town. Trai grabbed a hygiene kit, handed it to me, Nick yelled for her to hurry up and come get it. She did, just as the light turned green. Her smile was so genuinely full of grace.

As I said last week, you never know when the last time you see someone will be.

I guess my lesson for tonight is to just be grateful for every opportunity I can be there and help.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

To contribute to Magdalene’s Mission: Venmo- MagdalenesMission7

Magdalene's Mission Uncategorized

Peace, love & hygiene: vol. 112

January 29, 2024

What a night!

First, I had my dearest best friend and brother-by-another-mother, Nick with me. He was the Magdalene’s Mission chariot last night. You may have heard me talk about him before. He owns Jets Pizza in Hartland. All my events are catered by Jets.  Since the pizza store caught on fire in December, the guys have had a lot of free time while waiting for it to be rebuilt. Nick used some of his down time to make a difference. Make differences, we did. We packed up his van with winter gear, hygiene kits, and spaghetti and meatball with green beans dinners. The he drove me to Detroit to check out what goes out there.

Our first stop was on an overpass bridge. The medical team saw someone we knew with a sign. We pulled over and helped him out. He is with a friend of mine who finally got her own place. Unfortunately, her ID is gone, and she can’t move in until she replaces it. They think they have a path to getting it back though. Until then, they’re still staying in a burned down house.

As I was talking to him, he brought up two very interesting things. The first was that he finished reading my book! He thought it was really good. He said that he enjoyed reading it, but he admitted that there were a couple of parts where he had to put the book down for a minute.

The other thing was that he had a dream about me. It was a really weird dream, too. There were even dancing goth midget women involved. What a great dream to be a part of!

I took notes, but I left them in Nick’s car. We didn’t see a whole ton of people. It was pretty dead out. I did see a man picking through a trash can. We offered him real food and he was ecstatic. I put some gloves on his hands, too.

We drove down an alley and there were four old men surrounding a little bonfire. I used what I remember from eighth-grade Spanish to communicate. I’m going to study Spanish. No one on the street speaks French.

But my personal highlight of the year was that I finally found her. I found… Marilyn Monroe! Do you remember me talking about her a couple of years ago? She was with the Writer Dude. He died from kidney failure. Then she was pregnant. Baby got adopted. Then she was always sick. I kept trying to get to her. Once, I even went down into the creepiest, rat-infested, dope den, just so I could find her and hold her and remind her of how loved she was. But she was gone. And then months went by.

So, I prayed. And prayed. And prayed, And I never gave up on her, even in my heart.

Remember the house we went to last week where we gave away all the flashlights and it looked like lightsabers? She’s there. So, she’s in the area. She’s with people who are safe-(ish) to be with.

When I first saw her, she just walked up to me and starting smiling. At first, I didn’t want to get my hopes up that it was her, and then be embarrassed and disappointed if I was mixed-up. She went to the medical van and came back. She smiled again. I said, “Is it really you?” And we just grabbed one another and hugged for so long. I kept telling her over and over that I loved her, and I never stopped praying for her. And she squeezed me tight and said, “Thank you. I love you so much, too.”

I don’t know about you, but that to me is as powerful as it gets. She knew that she was loved. That no matter what, no matter what she has been through, my arms are always open to her. I can’t count the number of times I wanted to give up and be done with this relentless existence. But someone loved me. So, I was accountable. I didn’t throw myself away because I was worth something to someone (I love you Aunt Bobbie). Marilyn Monroe is priceless to me.

Nick and I have been best friends for 36 years. That’s longer than any of the other volunteers, or most of our homeless clients have even been alive. That means, everything I went through, Nick went through it, too.


Everything Nick has been through, we’ve been through that, too. That includes everything. From me hiding out in his house when I was a fifteen-year-old runaway, to being at each other’s first weddings, to being there for our first divorces. Then rejoicing when we found our forever spouses. Nick and I celebrated each other’s children when they were born. Nick took me in when I had to leave my abusive relationship with an alcoholic who fell into an even worse crack addiction. He and his wife are why I landed in Pinckney. And we mourned together, as each of us had a first-born child die young.

What we learned is that you need your friends. When Ms. GG came up to me last week, she was pretending to be tough. She was going to be independent, deal with her problems on her own. I recognize that. But a real friend can see below the surface. Traci and I could smell the hurt coming off from her. I gave her a chance to be held, to be safe, to be protected. This dear little great-grandmother was raped by one of the men who was staying in the same house. If we wouldn’t have seen her, she probably would never have got treated for sexually transmitted infection. She would be in so much more pain. We got her connected to the appropriate resources. Avalon is spectacular at helping people to recover after a violent sexual attack. She needed a friend. When everyone around you is in survival mode, real friendship is rare.

The reason I was there for her? You gave me stuff. Thank you, Jimmy, for all those great food containers. Thank you, everyone, for the coats, blankets, snacks, and money for hand warmers. I drove it to the most vulnerable people I could find on the streets of Detroit. And we helped them become whole people again.

I’ll say it again- The Kingdom of God is a verb, not just a noun. That Kingdom would be filled with friends and friendship.

We don’t ever give up on our friends. And when your friend asks for help, you help them.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.

Amen.

Post-script: This is our biggest fundraising time of the year. If you want to keep reading these reports and be a part of the healing in the world, you can donate to the Facebook Fundraiser. Or if you click on the How To Donate button at the MagdalenesMission.com website, you can access our Amazon Wish List that will send supplies straight to my house, or Venmo, or Square, or however you want to help. We can always use more socks, and drawstring bags.

Magdalene's Mission Uncategorized

Vol.48

February 8, 2022

The theme for this week was Lots of Little Successes. We stayed back last week because I needed to get us caught up on sorting and organizing your beautiful bounty of clothing, blankets, and hygiene products. I also needed to get us ready for our yearly fundraiser. But I did it. I outsourced the meals this week. (Something I will be doing from now on. Text me or keep your eyes open for a sign up sheet) I got plenty of Mags Bags packed to the nines, and an assortment of the warmest coats, clothes and blankets I could find. Oh, and hot cocoa! We bundled up as warm as we could, and set out to help out some homeless people. We got more than we bargained for and in the best way.

We started off on the east side of Detroit this week. We went to a lot of neighborhoods around Eight and Seven Mile. The first couple of stops were to new places. Then we went to where one of our favorite senior men lives. He is quiet, and humble. Another kind homeless man whom we have gotten to know did us the honor of introducing us to his wife. They are the sweetest couple. He is always so overly polite, and compliments my food a lot. Maybe that’s why he’s one of my favorite people? He is always looking out for his wife. I respect that.

The greatest gift happened tonight. Do you remember me talking about a guy who Traci was making him eat and he did it? We had not seen him in a couple of months, at least. I was concerned. I don’t ask many questions, but no one had mentioned him either. Well, tonight we saw him. He was doing so much better! He got out of that terrible house and was living in a much nicer place. He looked healthy. He was building himself up. He was so happy to see us. We were able to help him keep up his good look with a hygiene kit and a newer, warmer, shirt and pants. It feels good to see people care about themselves. No matter how small the step, it took everything he had left in him just to lift his foot. But he did it anyway. Freedom is a powerful motivator.

We had another adorable thing happen tonight. It occurred at one of our hottest hot spots on the Eastside. When the caravan of vehicles arrived, we lined up around the corner then waited. One of the volunteers went up to their house to let them know we were all there. Just a couple of minutes later, one tiny little figure came running through the snow as fast as she could with her arms wide open. She hugged me and Traci as tight as she could for a long time. She was looking better than I had ever seen her. I could tell she had put on weight. She was eating! Her hair was styled. She was smiling. I had never seen her so happy. She was getting healthy. She ran right past all the other various resources to come and get her Love. She is one of the tiniest people you ever saw in your life. When I first met her last winter, she had no shoes, no coat, no pants, and no jacket. She was standing outside in below zero temperatures wearing a blanket wrapped around her and sandals. Traci and I have been spoiling her a little bit, and letting her be one of our favorites. I can see unlimited potential in her. She is blossoming like a tiny, shy, miniature rosebud.

Next, we went back to the Southwest side. The first person we saw was standing outside doing her job. She panhandles for money. She is a widow who lost everything after her husband died a few years ago. She’s been through even more just since I’ve known her.

She looked good. She was putting on some weight. She had been injured and then sick for a while. Yet another person who was looking better than I had ever seen them. She is just gorgeous. She has such a compassionate heart. I asked her if she needed a tent. She said she didn’t at the moment, but her friend did, so could she have it for him. After we gave it to her, she went back and got the guy and brought him to the van. I offered him food. He said he hadn’t eaten in two days. She told him we were the ones who gave him the tent. He was so gracious and grateful. We gave him a sleeping bag and a Mag Bag to go with it. I asked her if she needed more pepper spray. She kindly turned it down, explaining that she still had some left. It did help save her from being kidnapped yesterday. She was panhandling and someone tried to grab her. But they didn’t. She is still here. She is still mothering on the other homeless people. She is a flashlight in a dark alley.

We thought we would be out for a few more stops, but it was the next one that cleaned us out all the way. We were only going there to see a couple of people, but a few more appeared and the next thing we knew, we were empty. Our favorite senior lady was out and about tonight. She has the best smile. She’s been on the streets of Detroit for a long, long, time. Sometimes I wish we had more time to talk to people and hear all of their stories. Perhaps in the Spring, when the weather gets warmer and it’s not raining.

It was all these little successes that came together to make this last year one big, fat, successful mission.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#magdalenesmission

Magdalene's Mission Uncategorized

vol. 46

January 18, 2022

The theme for this week was Quality over Quantity. The weather is the most life threatening thing on top of every other life threatening thing that our homeless friends in Detroit face right now. The teams have been focusing on the shelter challenged people we find on the streets. A lot of strategic planning went into how Maggie the Van got packed tonight.

Our Mags Bags are top notch. This isn’t the time of year to stand around and chat it up whilst we go through the different things people may need. Right now people need warmth. So, in addition to the loaded hygiene packs I put together from your donations, we also add: hat, gloves, socks, toe warmers, handwarmers, baby wipes, tissues, candy and a granola bar. Most have a Mylar blanket as well. THAT is how one packs a survival bag. Every donated blanket is folded into a donated carrying bag, tote, duffel bag, or backpack for traveling common sense. We loaded up 2 totes of coats, a tote of warm men’s clothes, a tote of warm women’s sweaters and sweatshirts. I had a bin of men’s bags, and a bin of women’s. The majority of space was reserved for food and blankets.

This week’s dinner was spaghetti and meatballs with a side of whatever extra snacks I could find and a bunch of Danish pastries that Katie brought. She rocks. She also contributed the pasta and sauce.

It’s a lot of work. Its a little bit every day, more on Monday, and all day Tuesday. We helped about 35 people from the southwest to the east side of Detroit tonight. Each person was given a better chance of living through the night after we saw them. Every second of work was worth it to them.

I saw My Girl Who Sits again for the first time in a long time. She was ecstatic to see us. For several weeks she was unable to move from wherever it is she sleeps so that she could come see us. I wasn’t sure what was wrong and I hate to be nosey. We were sending things back for her with her boyfriend over the past several weeks. It was wonderful to see her walking around again. I gave her a hug, albeit a gentle one. She seemed somewhat sore still. Next week I hope to find out what happened to her and I’ll probably tell you.

We went to only 4 stops tonight. At each one, it started off to see only one person but turned into 5 to 10 people coming around to see what was going on. We filled them up and sent them away grateful for the blessings. They were content to be on their way back to someplace out of the wind. We are seeing more and more senior citizens. That is bothering me.

The tiny ladies come up to us just shivering. They leave relieved. Old men stroll slowly back into the shadowy alley with smiles wiped onto their smudged faces.

I was surprised when we went to our favorite house on the east side. I think some people were calling the teams and asking if we would come. We’ve skipped them the last couple of weeks. My Classy Lady was there. We hadn’t seen her in a while. My buddy who got shot came out. He’s hanging in there. My Preacher Man prayed over me. His mom is still hoping I will bring her some more of those chocolate brownies. Everyone was sweet.

I couldn’t save all the homeless in Detroit. Not even half of them. I didn’t attempt to save one-quarter of the homeless people in Detroit. I did not even aim to reach 50 clients before I went home tonight.

But, for about 35 people, I gave them them a realistic shot at surviving through the night. I am proud of the Mags Bags you helped me offer. I am proud that we have the stuff people really need. I would rather pass out 35 survival kits than 100 “here take this stuff” kits. Quality over quantity. Whatever we got, we make into something nice.

This crazy experiment in non-profits has blown me away. Do you realize that I have been going out to Detroit nearly every week for over a year? Everything I fill the van with is 100% private donations. I have no corporate sponsors, or government grants (not that a fat one would hurt our cause). This is 1000% grassroots effort, all the way down from the grubworms up to the tip of the blade. Community care and support. No middle-man. No The Man. Just Hu-man to human. Women and men helping women and men be stronger versions of themselves. They are my elders. They are my species. They are Americans! We are enough. Every one of you is a part of this incredible business. We do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason. I appreciate the Quantity of your donations as much as I appreciate the Quality of your donations. That leaves us plenty to be back next week to do it all over again.

Because that’s how we do it in Detroit. Amen.

#magdalenesmission #peaceloveandhygiene