This morning Lisa and I made a trip into South Station with the intention of delivering boots to a young lady there. She wasnt there and couldnt get there but sent me a text to leave them with her friend. We did that and she will get them this evening. Lisa was able to talk to her friend. Hes in his 50s with a multitude of health problems. He has poor circulation and his legs are wrapped. He has a very difficult time finding shoes that fit, hes a size 11 EEE. He needs leather as they have more give for when his feet swell. He gave Lisa a list of other needs he has. If anyone is interested in helping John, please PM me, Ill give you sizes. We also spoke to a few people that work in and around South Station. The T inspector was one man we spoke to. Super nice guy and so empathetic to the homeless population. He opens a few T stations in the early morning and said as he walks from one to another before dawn he is deeply saddened by what he sees. He said he takes pictures to show friends and family to encourage them to try to help. I also spoke to an MBTA officer who is there everyday. He took my phone number and will call me when he sees Andre. Andre is well liked by all and when he has a bad day and lashes out verbally when told he has to move, he goes back and apologizes for his behavior. We also spoke to a female security guard who knows all the people who are homeless by name. She knew a lot about Andre and it is a sad story indeed. Far too complicated for me to get into here. ALL these employees thanked us as a community for reaching out to these folks. As we were leaving we saw another man we recognized from other trips. He was always late when we got there and missed out on coats on a recent trip. We had one for him today. His female companion received a pair of boots. We also gave them hats, gloves, hand warmers and she got some thermals and boots. We didnt take much with us today as it wasnt our intended mission. The gratitude is genuine. The man can barely talk, I believe he cant. It is still going to be a long cold winter. I think another trip is in order and soon. We should have enough stuff at the community center. Im thinking maybe Thursday evening. We do know of a few other groups that go out doing the same. I have to tell you, with what I see, 100 groups could go out every week and it wouldnt be enough. Many people have been beat or robbed in some of the shelters and would rather take their chances on the streets. Its so sad, the shelters or the streets, its survival of the fittest. I also want to add that, as I have said many times, people are homeless for so many reasons. We do see a lot of drug addicts. Lisa carries narcan which can stop an overdose. I am also trained to administer narcan as well and will carry some with me when we go out. I will also carry a list of shelters and detox facilities for people who just might want to take that first step. A little encouragement wouldnt hurt. Ill have a list of what we need for another run on Monday. Thanks for listening and Thanks for all the help!
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 21:46:40 +0000
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