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?
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