Lily is 12 today! I’m off to Canada! I cut my hair short! We looked at our great grandfather’s…
August 15, 2008
Hooray for Lily! I printed out a journal I started before she was born and kept for years and years and made a couple of books
for her to enjoy about her life so far! Sing happy birthday to her wherever you are! And happy birthday to iolana (June 22)
and to Lance (Sept 14) and to you today if it is your birthday, too!
Peace out, y'all!
posted by Sara Hickman at 12:54 am
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MORE INFO on helping the homeless…
August 13, 2008
Go check out http://www.mlfnow.org/how to see our revolutionary new housing program Habitat on Wheels to address the issue of the chronically homeless. Share this with your fans! Love your blog.
Alan
FROM SARA:
Thanks, Alan...you rock!
posted by Sara Hickman at 09:16 am
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More thoughts on food for the homeless…
Real quick. Here's a response I got from a friend up in Wichita who works with homeless (she's an English teacher, actually, was mine 22 years ago, but she volunteers for the homeless). Insightful stuff that I'll work to incorporate into the idea of "Box it Up!" I'll figure something out. Years in stage management taught me that when it doesn't work one way, it'll work another. All I can remember is the look on that guy's face when I gave him that box of food...
We want to be responsible at the same time, of course.
Here's what she said:
Good idea. Just remember that if food is "left-over", the risk of food
bourne illness is very real (food's been out of the fridge or off the stove
for too long) and can kill a person with a supressed immune system. That's
why restaurants won't give out left-over food (and lock their dumpsters)--
it is dangerous to the homeless to eat leftover restaurant food after a
certain time frame (usually 30 minutes after it is first served).
Many grocery stores WILL donate left over produce and crushed
crackers/bread. But don't get dented cans (botulism risk).
Hey, a few suggestions for "Box it up" if you decide to make and distribute
food.
**** Baked potatoes(skin on wrapped in foil -- provides heat in winter) and
peanut butter/sugarless jelly sandwiches are good. Also, for those with
peanut allergies, just sugarless jelly sandwiches are good. Sugarless for
the diabetics. If using peanut butter make sure it is creamy (dental
problems can be aggrevated by peanut chunks).
****Fruit is great. Fresh vegies too.
**** Sugar packets -- provide quick energy. The sugar packets at the Lord's
Diner are always depleted by the end of the night -- and pockets are stuffed
full.
**** If distributing when it is cold: hot tea.
**** Bottled water in summer.
**** Put food in plastic bags if possible (like grocery bags) --these make
good hats in the rain.
**** Give Hefty bags in Winter -- used as coats and tarps.
Anyway, just some stuff learned from distributing food on the street. Be
careful, it IS illegal to distribute food in a public place without a food
license. Technically, you are acting as a vendor when giving food to
strangers. Most police look the other way and ignore it, but in some cities
the penalties are pretty severe. The reason being: if a homeless person does
get food poisoning, the city hospital has to treat them and, of course,
cannot recoup the cost from the "restaurant" where the food was served.
Love ya!!!
Beth
"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him
absolutely no good." - Samuel Johnson
Hey Jennifer:
I completely agree with your friend, and she is right on about rules that protect the homeless (hence why sometimes I'm not allowed to get that platter of food at some larger conferences/hotels, etc.) That is why groups like Mobile Loaves and Fishes, which have a license, can go out on the streets and deliver food/drink to those on the streets. Most cities have some sort of group/church/volunteer organization like this.
Oh, just to let you know, another thing to do is this:
I carry bottles of water in the car in the summer to hand out at the corners. Most homeless are very dehydrated (and sunburned to a crisp!) and they need water desperately.
Bananas are easy to buy in bunches, and a banana and a bottle of water are great for potassium, rehydration and energy.
For rainy seasons: You can buy 99cent ponchos at Target, Wal-Mart, wherever, and I keep those in the car to hand out, as well. I look for sales on socks, mittens, gloves and pull on knit hats and whenever I find some, I buy an entire box. In the winter, I keep them in the car to hand out as well, or take down to the local shelter. Many of those on the streets end up with frost bite or gangrene simply because they couldn't keep their fingers and toes warm enough.
You can also ask around your neighborhood, or have a drive at your local elementary school/church/temple for gently worn coats, hoodies, sweaters and scarves to take to the local shelter.
I took a homeless man into an REI in downtown Austin one winter day, a man I found sleeping outside on plastic garbage bags, and his hands were already seared red from the freezing cold. The manager saw me looking for gloves and a wool sweater (they protect the skin best from the elements), and he kindly gave me 30% off so I could warm this man up.
Not everyone is comfortable dealing with the homeless in person. I don't suggest everyone feel that they have to go out on the streets and work individually; it can be dangerous or upsetting, for those trying to make a difference and for the homeless, as well. People who want to help might start by volunteering in a soup kitchen or at a shelter to get into the rhythm and psychology of those who are displaced. No one likes to be disrespected and working with the homeless in this capacity can help ease volunteers into a greater understanding, patience and compassion.
I've learned over the years to approach people with great love and respect, and sometimes people do NOT want to be approached, and that must be respected.
Overall, however, people do NOT want to feel invisible, and the greatest gift we can share with one another as human beings is the capacity to care, to reach out, to make change in this world that benefits those who need care, support and love.
Love,
Sara
PS. I carry printed out small cards that have the address/phone number of local shelters/food resources to hand out, as well. Many of the homeless are sometimes drifting through with the better weather, and although they learn very quickly the resources of a city, sometimes they DON'T know where these resources are, and it is good to share that info with them.
I know some people don't like to give out change, but many people will use it to ride the bus or call a shelter or save up to get a room for the night (some shelters charge a small fee for showers, overnight stays, etc.) What is a dollar to one person might mean a night in safety to someone else....
posted by Sara Hickman at 09:02 am
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Amazon Radio! Play List: August 8, 2008 WPKN, Bridgeport, CT and WPKM, Montauk, NY
Montauk, NY
JUDY SMALL ~ Let The Rainbow Shine ~ LET THE RAINBOW SHINE ~ Crafty Maid
GENEVIEVE ~ Still Waters ~ BACK TO LA ~ Independent
GREGORY DOUGLASS ~ Sail the Sea ~ STARK ~ Emote
MALCOLM ROLLICK ~ Meant for This (Crows and Light-ening) ~ LO-FI(CTION)
~ 307 Knox
RACHEL SIERRA PROJECT ~ The Lion ~ HELD UNDER THE KNIFE ~ Arthropoda
ANNA LAUBE ~ Goodbye Blue Monday ~ OUTTA MY HEAD ~ Ginko
S. CASEY ~ Where The Last Tide Runs: A Song of Tell ~ WHERE THE LAST
TIDE RUNS EP ~ Independent
BLANCHE FURY ~ End of the Road ~ BLURFLY ~ Independent
CARA LUFT ~ When You Gonna Be Home ~ TEMPTING THE STORM ~ Independent
THE GARDEN VERGE ~ Shining Through ~ SHADOW OF A HABIT ~ Independent
JANE EAMON ~ Good Earth ~ DEEP WATER ~ Independent
DAISY DEBOLT ~ Long Hot Summer ~ I CAN ~ Independent
SARA HICKMAN ~ Twenty Years to Life ~ MOTHERLODE ~ Independent
CHRISTINE HAVRILLA ~ None of You ~ IN MY CHAIR ~ Independent
VANESSA TORRES and TOUCHING GROUND ~ My Little Man ~ WITNESS ~ Independent
KYM TUVIM ~ Mystery ~ NOTHING SWEET NOTHING ~ Independent
KIT MCCLURE BAND ~ Diggin Dirt ~ JUST THE THING ~ Red Hot
KIT MCCLURE BAND ~ Calendar music bed: One O'clock Jump; Just The Thing
~ JUST THE THING ~ Red Hot
PATTI DEROSA ~ Bright Lights On A Dark Road ~ SECRETS & STORIES ~
Independent
JESSICA WILL ~ Edges of My Solitude ~ LIVLIVE Vol. 1 (VA) ~ Independent
EMILY SHORE ~ Benefit of My Doubt ~ FOR THE CLIMB ~ Independent
JO SERRAPERE & THE HOT TAIL SECTION ~ You're Changin' Like The Season ~
YOU GOTTA SEE THESE GUYS: Folk Alliance 2000 (VA) ~ Independent
KRISTI MARTEL ~ Blessed Community ~ OUTmusic podcast
THE DUHKS ~ Mountains O' Things ~ MIGRATIONS ~ Sugar Hill
ANNABELLE CHVOSTEK ~ Slaves ~ BURNED MY ASS ~ Independent
CRIS WILLIAMSON & HOLLY NEAR ~ Memory Lane Medley ~ CRIS & HOLLY ~
Independent
COURTNEY FAIRCHILD ~ Not Ready ~ LONG WAY ~ Stanley Recordings
ELENA HIGGINS ~ Nga Iwe E ~ RIVERS OF THE SOUL ~ Independent
SARA WHEELER ~ Soul Mate ~ MOONLIGHT DANCERS ~ Mach Speed
JEAN SYNODINOS ~ Yes (P.M.) ~ BREATHE ~ Fortunate
HEIDI HENSLEY ~ Freedom Comes ~ RIGHT ABOUT YOU ~ Independent
BLISS MCCAIN ~ Dakota ~ OASIS ROCK & ROOTS Volume V Number 1 (VA) ~ Oasis
MITZI COWELL and THE VALIANTS ~ Cause of It All ~ Demo
NORINE BRAUN ~ Crystallize ~ EVOLUTION OF THE BLOOD STAR ~ Independent
JUDY FJELL ~ Oh You Know We Are One ~ SAME OLD SLIPPERS ~ Independent
MELISSA ETHERIDGE ~ The Kingdom of Heaven ~ THE AWAKENING ~ Island
CATIE CURTIS ~ Sweet Life ~ SWEET LIFE ~ Compass
Pamela S. Smith
host of Amazon Radio!
P.O. Box 217
New Haven, CT 06513
http://www.amazonradio.com/
http://wpkn.org/
posted by Sara Hickman at 03:39 am
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I love the idea…“Box it Up!”
August 12, 2008
I was just in Austin over the weekend, my first time as an
actual visitor rather than just "passing through"
and found myself stunned at the amount of homeless folks I
saw. Can you tell me more about that? Has it gotten
worse lately with our dwindling economy, or is it because
Austin is so much more compact and draws so many to it...?
I was mainly around the I-35/Downtown area, so on almost
every entrance onto the highway, there was a homeless man,
always a man, looking for help. I did what I could, but... What's going on?
Yours in humanity,
Jen Sturch
Dear Jennifer,
Thank you for asking. Yes, the homeless problem is very evident in Austin
because there are many, many people without shelter or homes. There is a lot of
support, although never enough or never quite adequate, to
help those who are displaced. The weather here is fair, we have Mobile Loaves and Fishes and the
ARCH (which is, frankly, pretty scary, but still..it is something) and these are some of the elements that attract folks to our city. Our
church, and many others, feed the homeless breakfast so that each day of the week folks are
covered for a meal in the morning time. But that doesn't mean EVERYONE is fed, nor does it cover lunch or dinner.
I wouldn't hesitate to state that the homeless problem is growing in leaps
and bounds because of the state of the economy. More and
more middle class folks are also being pushed into the ranks of poverty, and homelessness, and there
doesn't seem to be any end in site. A lot of development in Austin alone has
pushed people out of their lower income neighborhoods. It is deplorable and frustrating.
I think this is just the tip of the iceberg, and things will continue to worsen
unless someone with foresight and power can pull elements of society together,
including the general public, to understand the downfall of so many downtrodden folks.
I wish you peace, and thank you for asking. I hope you can get involved at some
level to help in any way you can.
In Grace and Gratitude,
Sara
Dear Sara,
Thank you for that. It's something else, quite overwhelming. Here's an idea. This seems almost
silly, but if I've learned anything by this point in my
life it's that you have to say what you think and maybe
it'll work, maybe not, but ya' gotta try (years in theatre taught me that one!).
My girlfriend and I had just finished up a huge meal at Bess Bistro. Boy, it was good! But we had lots of
leftovers. The waitress was about to clean up when I said, "Box it up, I'm sure someone wants this."
And, of course, we found someone on the street who was desperate for it. Is there any way, you think, that a
message could get out there to "box it up" for the homeless?
It's a thought. An idea. A brainstorm.
I'm up here in Dallas. What can I do? I can write. I can speak. I was a professional stage manager
for ten years... I mean, I'm in transition myself and am looking for my niche in Texas (think it may be in
Houston) having just moved here, but I am willing to do something.
Box it up for the homeless might not be such a bad idea.
Best to you in everything and I adore your music!
Jen Sturch
Dear Jennifer!
I love that idea..."Box it Up!"
That is an excellent way to get people to be aware of their own abundance and how they can make an immediate difference!
I've done it for years, ESPECIALLY if I am at a big conference, and I see food on trays that will just be pitched out afterwards. I've gotten lots and lots of food that way.
(Some companies won't allow it for fear of lawsuits...good golly! But I always ask...and many times, I can get the flower arrangements, too, and take those to the elderly
at retirement centers...)
And...what we really need to do, though, is figure out ways to get people to understand and CARE that the hemorraging must stop at the source...
we must get people to care that the homeless aren't just "those people", they are our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, neighbors...
keep being a part of the solution, jennifer! get a "box it up" system started in your community
i'll post our letters on my blog and see if i can get people excited about it, too
love,
sara
posted by Sara Hickman at 06:00 pm
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