Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Pay It Forward



This week we met Eric, a well-spoken, deep thinking 49 year old guy, who had a lot on his mind, and a lot to say. After speaking to Eric for some time a family of 6 people from Atlanta came up to us looking for some food. There was a mother, father, two kids under the age of 4 and a teenage daughter and son. They had no money, and no food, and unfortunately we had run out of food packages to give them.

That's when Eric stepped up. He handed out the food in the package we just gave him to the parents and the water bottles to the kids. "That's called Paying It Forward," Eric told us.

Last night was the first cold night in Detroit in many months. We were happy to be able to give out a few sleeping bags we had collected and some heavy sweaters and hooded sweat shirts. Being homeless during the hot summer months is a real challenge, as we learned when we were just getting started this summer. Cold weather, and winter is going to be a whole different thing, and we are going to have to start a collection of winter wear to give out with our weekly package deliveries. 

Friday, October 12, 2012

H2HD Needs Your Help

                          

Our lunch we distribute to each person
                                                                          

                                                       A $50 donation feeds 12

I've always been drawn to people in need. But nothing I had done, or felt, before starting Heart 2 Hart Detroit prepared me for what I would see and hear from the homeless and needy men and women who live on the streets and at shelters in the Detroit Metro area.

We've seen people sleeping on cement floors in Hart Plaza, under trees on Jefferson Avenue and even under overpasses off the I-75 expressway.  I've been asked by a young boy at a shelter "do you live in a house, do you like it?".

We started out providing food packages once a week to twelve people at Hart Plaza and surrounding area. Our work has spread us out over some miles, and gone beyond a food delivery program. We now include clothing and toiletries with our weekly food delivery. H2HD also goes to shelters and clothes closet outreach programs, to hand out donated clothes. We are doing a lot, but we want to do more.

Heart 2 Hart Detroit wants to start distributing food packages another few days a week. There is definately a need, and we have the volunteers to help distribute

But we need your help to buy the food.

Each meal costs about $4.25. That translates into $50 for each delivery of 12 meals.

We are happy to do the work that's involved, and take the time to not only give out packages, but sit down and have conversations with the recipients and treat them with the dignity they deserve.

Please consider sponsoring a group of 12 meals, in your name, or in honor of someone else, For more information please email Larry Oleinick at...... larryH2HD@gmail.com or call 248-884-4434.

Thanks,

Larry Oleinick
founder
Heart 2 Hart Detroit

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Bicycle Built for 2



"Take my bike for a ride."

That's what the guy named Al said to me and Ken when we caught up with him in Hart Plaza this week. We had given Al packages before, and it was Ken that recognized him this time and struck up a conversation.

Al told us he was so appreciative of everything people had given him, and he was very proud of his bike that he received through a donation from a church. His offer to let us take his bike for a spin was really symbolic we thought.

"For people who are homeless and who are walking on shoes with no soles, a bike is a really big deal," Ken says. "They have very little personal property, and anything they do have they cling to. So for Al to let us ride his bike made Larry and I feel really good. We knew that he trusted us."

With each package we deliver, and with each connection we make, we hope that we are building trust and offering hope to the people we meet.

It's been a great ride so far.


The Hart is Back



Angelo was the very first guy I met on that very first hot summer day I went downtown to hand out food packages. He's probably about 55, lived a hard life, but from what I can tell he's a man that has learned alot along the way.

When I first met Angelo he was really appreciative of what I was doing. If I didn't have such a positive experience when I met Angelo that first time, I'm not sure I would have continued doing the weekly deliveries and gone on to start Heart 2 Hart Detroit. So thank you to Angelo, and the many people we have met on the streets along the way.

It's actually been many weeks since we've seen Angelo so it was nice to run in to him again in Hart Plaza. Ken and I talked with Angelo for about 30 minutes about his life. He said that he looks for us every week and that it felt good to reconnect with us.

We were excited to see Angelo again because we had a sweater and some shorts for him that he had asked for a while ago. Angelo commented once that he liked my cargo shorts, because they have so many pockets.

"Pockets to keep your things are very important when you are homeless," Ken reminded me.

When I received the donation of the size 36 cargo shorts and the black and white sweater,I knew right away they were going to Angelo. I've been driving around with the shorts and sweater for a while, so it was really great to finally see Angelo again and hand them over this week.

Friday, August 31, 2012

They Need More than a Sandwich


This week we had a different experience than we have encountered before. We are usually handing out our packages of food and clothing to people on the street that look like they need help. Some are elderly, some are disabled or physically limited, and some look like they have been homeless for a long, long time.

This time we ran into a few guy who were probably in their late 20's to early 30's, physically fit, and just hanging out and grateful for our food and clothing packages. When we started to have a conversation with them, they were very eager to let us know that there was something they wanted more than food. They wanted jobs!

It was very important to them that we understood that they weren't just looking for handouts. They really wanted to step up and be part of a contributing society. They were frustrated by the lack of jobs and opportunities. They wanted resources, places to go that might help them get work, and get back into the main stream of Detroit.

Last week we met with the people at South Oakland Shelter who provide services to both transitional and homeless people in the Tri-County area. We talked about what more can be done, and how Heart 2 Hart Detroit can involved to be a partner in the process. They provide H2HD with a Tri-County Community Resource Guide to help us give needed information to the people we see on the streets.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Being Careful Out There



      



This week when Ken and I went downtown to make our weekly deliveries, there weren't many homeless or needy people hanging out at Hart Plaza. Instead, we drove around downtown Detroit looking for some needy people to give our packages of food, clothing and words of encouragement to.

There's always guys standing near the off ramp exits of I-75. We often hand out a bag of food along with a few shirts to these gentleman and hear a bit of their story. Wish we could spend more time with them, but hopefully the food, clothing, toiletries and a smile from us, makes a difference in their life for that day.

One guy was so happy with the soft, chewy granola bar we gave him. His face lite up into a huge smile. "I can't eat anything hard because of my teeth," he said. And then he asked us for another bar. We were happy to give him another granola bar.

Because of what we are doing we understand that there are some risks involved. Approaching people on the street needs to be done cautiously and respectfully. "I always walk up slowly and tell them I want to give them some food," says Ken. "You never know what you are going to encounter when you walk up to someone."

In addition, one added step that Ken and I do before our drive downtown is to say the Traveler's Prayer that my Rabbi suggested to me. Not only is it to keep up safe, but it also gives us a a chance to honor the moment and think about what we are really trying to do for the homeless and needy people.
We not only feel safe doing what we are doing, but honestly we feel proud and happy.


Larry, Lori and Ken




Thursday, August 23, 2012

Good Work In Pontiac





Ken, Larry and Mark ready to hand out shirts
 

On Saturday at the Baldwin Center picnic in Pontiac, H2HD passed out Detroit Piston's t-shirts to the clients of the Center. Baldwin Center's mission is to feed, clothe, educate and empower men, women and children of the Pontiac community. Ken, Mark and I loved the opportunity to help this great organization.


Jose Diaz,the Food Program Director and staff, were very accommodating to us with a tour of both their facility and their three organic gardens. Heart 2 Hart Detroit is looking forward to helping out again at the next Baldwin Center function. Keep up the great work.


Larry


Friday, August 17, 2012

HELPING HANDS





We've talked alot in this blog about how we hoped the Heart 2 Hart Detroit project would help some of the homeless people on the streets of Detroit. In the past couple of months since I started this project, Heart 2 Hart Detroit has not only helped some of the homeless people in Detroit, but it has also helped Ken and I.


I am so thrilled by the outpouring of support we have received these past few months just by putting the word out that we are doing our weekly package deliveries to the homeless and the needy. I can't believe all the people I am hearing from, from the present and out of my past, who are offering their support.

Even the Detroit Piston's -- a huge organization with plenty of other stuff to do -- has offered their help. Heart 2 Hart Detroit seems to have inspired a bunch of people to open their hearts and wallets to support the effort. I couldn't be happier and more grateful for how this whole thing is evolving.

Thanks to everyone who has read our blog, liked us on facebook, offered clothing, bought food, or just offered words of encouragement. I started this project because I wanted to do something to connect and uplift homeless people. But in a really short time I have been uplifted and excited by all the connections that are being made each day as Heart 2 Hart Detroit takes off.

Thanks you.

Larry Oleinick

Thursday, August 16, 2012

FEELING THE HEART IN CHICAGO


Larry and Lori, c. 1978 with their Bubbie and Papa


The following blog was written by my sister a MSW,  Life Coach, and the co-writer of the weekly blogs for Heart 2 Hart Detroit. She writes........

I know I'm not the only one feeling inspired to do something for the homeless people we walk past on the street everyday since hearing about Heart 2 Hart Detroit. The Detroit Piston's unbelievable donation of a SUV full of t-shirts is one example of what an organization with a giant heart can do. But what about just one person, what can I do.

I moved to Chicago in 1989. Since Heart 2 Hart Detroit started, Larry and I have suddenly been talking daily, sharing exciting ideas and connections that have already come out of what he's doing with Ken. I have to say, going from talking to my brother once a week, to daily brainstorming calls about something that we can share and both feel passionate about is wonderful. It makes me feel like I'm one of the biggest winners of Heart 2 Hart Detroit so far.

I talked to Larry and Ken today on their way home from another eventful package delivery, and shared a story of my own about giving to a homeless man who seems to be waiting for me outside my coffee shop, at Einstein's Bagels in the heart of the Northwestern college campus. I've been going to this coffee shop on most morning for more than 15 years. I guess when a girl leaves family and friends back in Oak Park she needs to find a place, like her Cheers bar, where everybody knows her name.

This guy, named Daniel, started waiting for me each morning asking for money or breakfast. To be honest, seeing him as I pull up each morning to Einstein's Bagels evokes a whole range of feelings in me: I want to help him, I want to save him, I want him to be grateful to me for giving him breakfast, I want him to turn his life around, I want him to go away and not wait for me every morning. I don't want to feel guilty if I don't show up one day, or even if I do, but don't feel like helping him that day.

I'm not proud of all the reactions I have to Daniel and the homeless, but there they are.

It was good to talk to Larry and Ken about the whole jumble of feelings I have and hear their advice on options I have for giving to Daniel. For starters I'm going to put some breakfast bars in my car and hand those out when I see Daniel. That's something I can do easily and cheaply. It is also something that keeps me connected to the mission of Heart 2 Hart Detroit, and makes me feel like I am a small part of a much larger effort.

It takes a village to tackle big social issues like homelessness. Not one, or two, or a thousand people, or even a big organization like the Pistons, can do it alone. I'm gonna work on my little corner of the village 'cuz I guess you can take the little girl out of Oak Park, but you can't take the Oak Park out of the little, grown up girl.

How about you. What has Heart 2 Hart Detroit, and the generous contribution by the Detroit Piston's, inspired you to do? Reach out to Heart 2 Hart Detroit via their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heart-2-Hart-Detroit/330932173667031  Talk with  Larry and Ken  about your ideas to help, I promise it will be an uplifting conversation for you both.


Lori Yetta Oleinick Dube

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

SMILE IF YOU ARE A PISTONS FAN




Ken and I were very excited to go downtown today. In addition to our usual food packages and clothing, we had some great t-shirts that were donated by the Detroit Piston's organization.

Through a connection with ex-Piston's player John Long, I reached out to the Community Relations Director Dennis Sampier and his staff. The Piston's organization was nice enough to give us over sixty t-shirts they had from a previous charity event. The shirts were a perfect way to connect with some of the guys we would meet on the streets downtown in Detroit.

As soon as we got off the expressway at I-75 and Grand River, we pulled over and met a guy who looked like he could use some help. We gave him a package of food and a  Piston's t-shirt and he smiled really wide. I wonder, when was the last time he smiled like that . I asked him who was his favorite Piston player of all time and he said without missing a beat "Microwave and Rodman," Another guy said that he liked Bill Laimbeer. Then there was Clayton, a double amputee, sitting in his wheel chair on a corner of a downtown street. When we gave him his Piston's t-shirt, he got a big smile on his face. I asked if I could take a picture of him and he said sure. His favorite memories of the Piston's were the back to back years and Isiah Thomas, his favorite player. James,a regular at Hart Plaza, always remembered when Isiah kissed Magic on the cheek before the jump ball to start the game.

I want to personally thank the Detroit Piston's and especially Mr.Gores for helping us with our new effort to make a difference in Detroit through our Heart 2 Hart program. The gifts of these t-shirts brought smiles, good memories and some pride, even for a moment, to people who are struggling daily just to have their basic needs of food and clothing met. I'm so glad we had an opportunity to work together and give some of these people a fresh start to the day.

Larry Oleinick

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Thanks for the Help!

                                                          




This weeks downtown delivery was a quick one. Usually, we drive around downtown for a 45 minutes or so after handing out packages at Hart Plaza to hand out the rest of the packages. Today their was a group of 10 men standing together at our first stop, and we ended up handing out all of our packages right there and then.

Something interesting is starting to happen. The outpouring of encouragement and support we are getting from almost everyone I tell about Heart 2 Hart Detroit. I have even posted on facebook a request for used clothing and have received responses from people I haven't talk in over 30 years.
I can't believe some of our old friends that have gotten in touch with me and offered clothes, good wishes and even said they wanted to make a delivery downtown with us one day.

It's just Ken and I making our weekly deliveries downtown, but I'm getting the feeling that Heart 2 Hart Detroit is something many more people are interested in supporting and getting involved with. Hey....homelessness, hunger, poverty are big problems in Detroit and everywhere else around the world.


I'm really excited to see where this project goes. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading and riding along for the ride.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The Hot Streets of the Motor City


Today when we went downtown the temperature was 98 degrees. We had one cooler packed with shirts, shoes and underwear to give away along with our usual cooler filled with food and water.

Hart Plaza was pretty empty, maybe because of the heat, but we talked to one guy Andrew who was sitting on a bench next to a garbage can feeding the pigeons. He was wearing dark sunglasses and we soon learned it wasn't because of the bright sun. He had been shot in the eye and subsequently lost his eye. After some more bad luck he ended up homeless living on the streets "So I sit here and feed the pigeons everyday because at least they don't judge me," he said.

We hung out with him for a while. I know our clothes and food didn't solve his problems but I hope at least he feels like there were not only birds, but people out there like us, who wouldn't judge him either.

We then drove to a spot by the off ramp of I-75 and Grand River and saw a sight that was hard to believe.

Out there in the burning heat was a heavy set guy around 60 years old standing on the side of the road. He was carrying an oxygen tank that was attached to a mask which was covering his nose and mouth. He looked like he had just been yanked out of the hospital and dropped off on the street.

We handed him a food and clothing package and then drove around the block and doubled back to give him another one.

It was really hard to comprehend how he is living day to day, and how he got himself to that corner on this sweltering hot afternoon in Detroit. And if it's hard for me to comprehend, what it's like to be him, for even a day....just imagine what's it like to be him every day?

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Larry & Ken: Partners in Hunger



Off to Motown
With their coolers filled with packages of food and clothing Larry and Ken head to downtown Detroit to find people on the street in need of their food, clothing and encouragement. The team has been making these runs once a week for a couple of months and each one is an eye opening adventure. They know they can't solve the hunger and homeless problem in Detroit, but they want to do something....one person and one package at a time.

Packing Up!


Before heading down to distribute a dozen packages, the kitchen counter becomes an assembly line for sandwhiches, water bottles, chips and breakfast bars and cookies.




When we went down today to Hart Plaza there was only a few people hanging around the Plaza. Maybe it was because the temperature was over the 100 degree mark or the guys got lucky and found somewhere cool inside to stay. Maybe it was because over the past couple of days there have been bomb threats at the Windsor Tunnel and Ambassador Bridge. Don't know, but Ken and I drove around and found people to give our packages to--on the corner of exit ramps, a guy sitting on the ground in a park across from the Masonic Temple and one guy without legs wheeling himself along in a wheelchair downtown.

Does what were doing really make a difference. Maybe not to the world, but probably to the 9 people that we connected with today. Will it change their lives. Probably not, but it may make today -- just one day -- a little easier.

Ken and I met in the 5th grade. We have been in touch off and on through the years, but our lives went in different directions so we rarely crossed paths. One of the best parts of this package project is the chance to reconnect with Ken.

"We're just helping people one package at a time," says Ken.

I guess we are helping others, and in the process of doing good, it's helping us. It's a win-win for all of us.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Just Getting Started





If my brother Larry was a fancy guy, or a guy who liked titles, or a guy with a big ego, he could call himself a grass roots, food justice activist, independently addressing the needs of Detroit's homeless population.

I'm his little sister so I just call him a mush ball with a big heart.

What would Larry call himself ? Probably just a guy who had an idea one day to go to Sam's Club and buy some snacks and water and hand them out along with a smile and some conversation to anyone who needed it at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit....just for the hell of it. And once he got the thrill of making the connection with just a few people on that day, he was hooked. He went home and wrote down the names of the men he met and a few of the specific items they asked him for.

"One guy asked me for pants with a size 36" waist and another guy was kind of embarrassed but he asked me for a pair of underwear. Another guy had socks and no shoes and someone else had shoes and no socks." Larry said.

"Maybe I'm crazy but it just seems like everyone deserves a meal, a pair of underwear, shoes and socks. That's why I'm doing this."