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