[Magdalen] Professional panhandlers; was Loaned out.

[Jay Weigel]

I recently saw something, maybe on Facebook, about "blessing bags"--plastic
bags filled with incidentals a homeless person might need, including a
small amount of cash. I was considering making up a few and keeping them in
my car. Has anyone else seen or made these? It seems like they would be a
nice project for a Sunday School class or youth group to make.

On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 11:49 AM, M J [Mike] Logsdon <mjl at ix.netcom.com>
wrote:

> >>>I spread my "wealth" around. I've never given to the same indigent
> twice.  But if someone I haven't seen before looks like he/she needs cash,
> I'll give them some.
> I tried taking these folks to some sort of meal, but they were more
> interested in cash.
> In the end, after an examination of my conscience, I give what I ca and
> don't feel at all guilty about what I can't do.<<<
>
> It really must come down to case-by-case, sometimes.  I definitely give to
> this guy at the store regularly, but he's not there all the time, and if he
> shows up while I'm inside and I don't already have some cash in my glove
> compartment AND I don't remember to replenish while inside, he knows to
> just expect a wave from me as I drive out, and I still get a loud "God
> bless you, brother!"  As for food, I've told here before the story of the
> guy who walked up to my car while I was eating a tuna sandwich while Anna
> was in a store, asked for money, was told I have none, but... he walked
> away seemingly quite pleased at the homemade, in my opinion high quality,
> second tuna sandwich I had in my bag.
>
> I do give to anyone who truly seems in need.  There was a girl playing her
> guitar outside Nob Hill one day, and outside of the money I put in her
> case, I wished I had the guts to say, "Give me a few minutes, I'll be back
> with my washboard!"  She would have had to switch genre, but, hey, maybe
> more money!
>
> I really regret the time I was walking out of Subway with my and Everett's
> dinner cradled lovingly in my arms (his hot, mine cold), and encountered a
> fellow I'd actually bought food for a couple times (once, donuts and milk,
> the other time a full Burger King spread) asking for a warm blanket.  I now
> know I should have simply gone home and sacrificed one of my aged ones
> salvaged by Mom from old electric blankets, but for some reason I merely
> commented on how moderate the temp was at that time.  He quickly snapped
> that it was going to be different come midnight.  At that point I knew
> merely to disappear, because I'd flubbed horribly.
>
> These days, in our drought and uncharacteristic high temps, I haven't seen
> many apparently homeless around, except for my Nob Hill dude who, as I
> said, is sporadic.  (I think he has "a home", but with a friend or family
> member who charges him.  He also claims to be a war vet who only recently
> finally got an appt.  That may or not be true, but it rings true to the
> news of the last few years, that's for sure.)  On those rare occasions I
> see the wizened old lady who tends to hang out around the front door of the
> CVS, when she asks, I'll say "If you're here in a few minutes when I come
> out, I'll have something for you", because she has a tendency to disappear
> like the wind sometimes.  And lo and behold, seconds after I give her some
> money, she starts walking, I turn my head back to my business for a split
> second, then turn back, and she's nowhere to be seen.  I've often wondered
> if she's an Angel Unawares, and I'm part of a project!
>