[Magdalen] Professional panhandlers; was Loaned out.

[Grace Cangialosi]

Our young people did this one year during Advent. I took a couple and handed them out the car window to folks begging at intersections. The kids had included a little note of blessing. The only downside was that they put them in paper lunch bags, which got rather bedraggled by the time I gave them out.  I plan to make up a bunch for this winter and put them in ZipLoc bags to keep in my car. The ones the kids made contained food--granola bars, dried fruit, maybe a juice box,etc.  I think I'll include a couple of towelettes, maybe a couple of those chemical handwarmers...might suggest this at the church where I'll be for the next couple of months. Or the one after that...

> On Sep 10, 2015, at 11:55 AM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 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!
>>