It was busy at the Sunday Friendship Breakfast yesterday. All of the clothes we brought, all of the toiletries, all gone in minutes. The need is there, for sure.
The room is always filled on last Sunday of the month. People are hungry. Pastor Jack was at his best, sporting his Spring tie and offering hope. The volunteers worked frantically to feed everyone. And there were new faces. Click to enlarge.
Operation Stand Down RI’s mission is to help homeless and at-risk veterans secure stable housing as well as other assistance according to individual needs including case management, basic human needs, referrals, and education and employment services.
Standout came through for Robert and Jessica and kids. You can hear about their long struggle to find decent housing for their family here.
Another angle landed on a little girl’s shoulder last night, thanks to Terrie Mancoll. I dropped off clothing and toiletries that Terrie had generously gathered for both mother and daughter. These many gifts out of the blue brought bright shining eyes and many thanks. The smiles on this child’s face reminded me of my own daughter’s smiles on Christmas’ mornings long past.
Vernon and I have been in contact off and on over the last 6 months. I met him at the Sunday Friendship Breakfasts and we seemed to immediately hit it off. He is a good man, trying hard to make a come back from a checkered past. I admire him for his determination to get back on his feet. Vern has started a handyman business called “Humble Beginnings”. At the moment he is living at Crossroads. The winter has been both bad for his new business but at the same time the heavy snow falls have provided opportunities for work, shoveling off roofs and removing icicles. We are collaborating on a web page that will hopefully will generate some business. I’m rooting for him to make it. You can hear Vernon tell it like it is here:
I attended the RI Coalition for the Homeless “speakers bureau” on Friday. Barbara and other homeless and previously homeless folks told their stories. Barbara told of the infestations in her house and showed everyone the bite marks up and down her arms. A group of Fulbright Scholars joined our little group and asked many questions of the members including one I often ask myself, “How, in a country of such plenty, can there be so many people living in shelters?”
Last night, on an Outreach with John and Barbara, we rescued a family. It was a quiet, undramatic rescue, but still, a very real one. It began the night before when John was doing his evening Outreach rounds at Kennedy Plaza. He noticed 26 year old Patricia and her 5 year old daughter Katie (not their real names) sitting in on the bench in the bus station. He discovered they were homeless, with no place to go. Patricia had not sure where they were going to find shelter for the night, or in the future. Somehow John found something for them just for one night.
Barbara and John knew this little family would need a better arrangement so yesterday morning John posted an appeal on Face Book. “Was their anyone out there who could provide temporary room and board for a young mother and her daughter until they could get into permanent housing.“
Right away several offers came in. (That, in itself, is reassuring.) There was a woman in Warwick who sounded like she had a decent place, a finished basement “mother -in-law” apartment where they could stay. After a phone consultation, Barbara and John decided this Angel in Warwick would provide a safe place for these two.
We met up with the Patricia and Katie and waited in the bus terminal while they had their dinner of Pepperoni pizza and soda. Then we were off to this apartment that had materialized, almost as if from heaven. It was quiet in the car on the way down. We all were hoping this would work out. Neither Barbara nor John knew the family who had offered a place in their home. When we pulled up to the nice house in a nice neighborhood we were all greatly relieved. Little Katie ran to the front door. She wanted to ring the bell. John and I took the two small bags of clothing and Katie’s little backpack, apparently all they had. Barbara carried the box with half a pizza. Our Angel came to the door, opened her home to five complete strangers.There were introductions all around and we chatted around the kitchen table. Luckily, this was a safe place for Patricia and, her little girl, at least for now. The last I saw little Katie, she was playing on the floor with a fluffy little dog named Maxie.
Thinking about this whole thing, there are lots of questions rattling around in my head. There were so many other ways this could have gone for these two kids. Luckily there are still some real nice people out there.
Roth came to Providence from Hawaii. He is homeless. At first he found it hard to navigate the system. Listen to him tell it in his way:
This is Stephen. I could tell he was pleased with his picture. At first I was surprised at the smiles and "Thank yous"when the folks I photographed received their pictures. To me it seemed these little color prints I handed out were no big deal. But as Pastor Jack pointed out to me, "No, the pictures are not a small thing to the recipients." He continued, "Taking these is actually an affirmation that your subjects are real people, and worthy of your attention." I never thought about it in quite that way but perhaps he is right. Scroll down to hear Stephen's comments.
You can hear Stephen's take on what it is like to live on the street in the video link below. Please share if you care.
Smiles are seen here. Like this man’s, glad to be getting a good meal. I see smiles on many faces at the Sunday Friendship Breakfast. Plenty of the 250 people who come here each week are really hungry. Yes, as hard as it is to believe hunger is a reality in Rhode Island. Lots of people are hungry, down in their gut. They go from place to place hoping for a decent meal. When they come to the the Mathewson Street Methodist Church they receive one and it usually brings a smile.
This is Baboucar. When the visiting Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar asked him how he was doing, Baboucar responded, "I am homeless, but not hopeless." From a man on has been on the street for a very long time, this thought just blew both the bishop and me away...
More pictures of "The Visit" Click to enlarge.
The birds spent the whole day feeding, I spent the whole day taking pictures of them feeding. Both happy. Exposure info: Shutter speeds, most at 1/2000 of second at f/16, ISO 3200, some at 1/400 or so. Prefocused, auto focus off, manual mode, 100-400 Canon lens. Judiciously cropped. These best from about 700 shots, but then, "the film is free". Click to enlarge.
Minus 3 degrees in Providence this morning, tying a record set in 1954. Snow forecast for this afternoon. All the shelters and warming centers are open but everything gets harder when it is like this. Getting around is more difficult. Getting to a place where meals are provided is harder. Many of the bus stops aren’t plowed and service is not ideal even in the best of times. But at least Jason and Samantha are warm. They have a decent place to live… for now. This housing, which they share with another couple, has been provided by Crossroads. http://www.crossroadsri.org But this arrangement is temporary, only theirs for three months. After that they could be back out in the cold.
Temperatures were in the teens last week, dipping down to close to zero several nights. Wind chill minus 10 or more some days. When it is like this everything is harder for folks who are just getting by. And for those who are out on the street it can be brutal. The Sunday Friendship Breakfast can’t come too soon this week. People can come in from the cold and have a hot meal, a cup of coffee, and some friendship. They might also find some warm clothes as Kathy and I will once again bring a trunkful up to the Breakfast on Sunday morning.
Thank you Denise Rubin, Kevin Donahue and the kids at URI for collecting these. If anyone out there in Facebook Land has warm clothing they would like to donate please email me at janthephotoman@gmail.com to arrange a pickup.
I was just out with Maggie. Coldest day I can remember down here. Although she has her winter coat, that is, her thick layer of hair, AND she has her spiffy new (lined) man-made coat, she was still cold... almost as cold as I was. I could not help but think what it must be like for the many people that are out on the street. I only hope some of the clothing that was distributed at the Sunday Friendship Breakfast helps to ward off the below zero wind chill today. I can only hope...
Thirty-three cities already ban or are considering banning giving food to homeless people — and some are threatening to throw people in jail if they're caught feeding the hungry.
These laws claim they're about preventing government-run anti-homelessness programs from being diluted. They're really about keeping non-profits and individuals from shining a light on just how bad things have gotten for our country's poor, even as the homeless are treated like criminals for being without food and shelter.
Charity work like sharing food with the homeless is essential in a country where protecting the poor and needy is never at the top of the list, and is found to help those without shelter get back on their feet.
"Cities think by cutting off the food source, it will make the homeless go away," NCH community organizing director Michael Stoops said. "It doesn't."
Help stop this pointless, baseless cruelty. Call on these 33 cities to ditch plans to ban giving food to the homeless now! Sign the petition and please share this post.
Report per Projo on January 27 by Donita Naylor, Journal Staff Writer
A total of 85 people spent Monday night at Crossroads on Broad Street in Providence, said case manager Teondra Gomes. Twenty-one slept on the floor in the community room, she said.
Crossroads was fully staffed Monday, said Karen Santilli, the organization’s marketing officer. She said that for emergencies such as Monday night’s blizzard, Crossroads brings on extra security and maintenance staff. Extra food and bottled water were also ordered, she said, to provide breakfast and lunch, which aren’t usually available.
At Harrington Hall, 30 Howard Ave., Cranston, 120 men stayed Monday night, with 100 in beds, said staff member William Winfield. The shelter, which usually provides dinner, also provided breakfast and lunch on Tuesday. He described the atmosphere as “very peaceful, warm and everybody got along just fine.”
Eileen Hayes, president of Amos House and a committee member for the winter emergency shelter program, said Emmanuel House, 239 Public St. in Providence, housed 61 people Monday night; St. Paul’s, 50 Park Place, Pawtucket, housed 16 men; and Harvest Community Church, 60 Main St., Woonsocket, housed 30 men.
“All of the shelters are open and staying open until at least Wednesday evening, if not Thursday,” she said.
It was a madhouse at Sunday Friendship Breakfast soup kitchen yesterday. Kevin Donahue and his friends at Habitat For Humanity had donated two large bags for the folks who come to the breakfast. Men and women were lined up waiting to get at them. The coats, backpacks, and other clothing were gone in 10 minutes, as you can see from the photos. Much appreciated. Thanks again, Kevin, for your donations!!!
As I looked out on the sea of homeless and hungry folks in the room I found myself getting a little depressed. I couldn't help but reflect on the magnitude of the need right here. Then I multiplied it times all the cities in Rhode Island, and again times all the cities in the US. Poverty seems to be an impossible problem. True, gathering clothes and serving breakfasts are most worthy efforts but really they are just bandaids. How do you end poverty?
Click to enlarge pictures of folks receiving clothing donations:
The Providence Journal front page story today reports a poverty rate of 21.5 percent in our state. Rhode Islanders can be “proud” that although we are the highest in New England, we are still slightly lower than the national average of 22.2 percent. Right… So if you are a teacher, and you look out over your class of 20 children this morning, four or five of those little munchkins staring up at you likely live at or below the poverty level. Four of their parents make less than $19,000 per year. If you are a single mother with two kids, you have to get by on less than $20K. That is pretty scary. And pretty disgraceful for our state, and our leaders. Can’t we do better than that?
If you care, SHARE this post, and email you legislators.
You can find your state reps here:
http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/Email/RepEmailListDistrict.asp
and your senators here:
http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/Email/SenEmailListDistrict.asp
By the way, here are the annuals for our top legislators, paid with your taxes.
Governor: $129,210
Attorney General: $115,610
Lt. Governor: $108,808
Secretary of State: $108,808
General Treasurer: $108,808
The vision of the Rhode Island Coalition For The Homeless
The Coalition envisions a Rhode Island that refuses to let any man, woman, or child be homeless.
RICFTH is pursuing comprehensive and cooperative solutions to the problems of housing and homelessness with advocacy, education, collaboration, technical assistance, and selected direct services to homeless individuals and families, coalition members, elected officials, and the community-at-large.
Here is Jobe with everything he owns in this bag.
One of the reasons Pastor Jack Jones and Scott Budnick created the Sunday Friendship Breakfast was to promote friendship within the community that partake of their meal. I have witnessed this every time I visit. It is a beautiful thing. I call this sequence on left , "The Joker and the Straight Man".
Click on the thumbnails to see more.
