Call to action: Always do the right thing

Let me tell you about Barbara.

I first mentioned her in this post and described her as such:

There’s a very tiny, skinny woman — in her 50s? — I’ve seen around here for a while. To the best of my knowledge, she has some form of housing but she is clearly struggling on many levels and is getting worse. She sits outside, in clear distress, and people just walk past her. 

I recently introduced myself during the heat wave to make sure she was staying hydrated and not sitting in the direct sun. She won’t make eye contact with me but she accepts and appreciates the support I’ve been offering. She’s now also on my list.

Well, in the three weeks since then, she’s gotten far more comfortable with me and even told me her name. I give her socks and Clif Bars but mostly, I just ask her what she wants or needs at that moment. Barbara doesn’t say much so our exchanges can go like this:

Me: Hey Barbara, how’s it going? Are you hungry?

Her: Yeah.

Me: Do you like pizza?

Her: Yeah.

Me: Would you like me to get you a slice?

Her: Yeah.

Me: It’ll take a few minutes so wait for me here, okay?

Her: Yeah.

I get her a fresh slice, she thanks me, and I move on.

Sometimes, I give her cash to get what she wants but I can tell that it’s less stressful for her if I go into the store and do the buying.

Barbara is gruff and can frequently look like a person our society calls “crazy.” She prefers to not make much (if any) eye contact — but who can blame her?

That’s what makes it such a joy to see someone in her position start to trust me enough to feel more comfortable asking for what she needs.

Meanwhile, I see hundreds of people walk past Barbara (and people like her) — either not seeing her or pretending to not see her. Imagine if even 10 percent of those folks simply said hello or perhaps offered a cup of coffee. (More about that musing very soon.)

If you want to help me help people like Barbara, all the info you need is at the bottom of the post.

But first, I have a request:

I have a dream.

In that dream, everyone who reads this post decides to immediately find at least one human (or non-human) to “adopt,” so to speak. You choose this person to consistently and relentlessly help in whatever way they need, e.g. conversation, food, clothes, chasing off anyone who bothers them, etc.

You make this commitment — fully aware that it will feel like a pain in the neck at times and you might not even get thanked.

In my dream, I also see you spreading the word and inspiring others to do this kind of “adopting” wherever they are. Those folks then do their part to spread the word even further.

Counterbalance the gloom and doom by doing the right thing. I promise it’s worth it — and it will enrich your life as much as the people you help.

I know that many (or most) of you don’t live in a walkable location like me. This commitment will require you to go out of your way. To that, I offer the words of Saint Fred Rogers:

“I hope you're proud of yourself for the times you've said 'yes,' when all it meant was extra work for you and was seemingly helpful only to someone else.”

Thank you. I very much look forward to hearing stories about your soon-to-be-launched mission/ministry.

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Helping Homeless Women (& Others) - NYC:

Please keep the support coming! If you keep doing what you do, I can keep doing what I do (and more). 

You can make a direct donation right here.

You can order items from my wishlist here.

Also, it would be epic if some of you would commit to a monthly pledge at Patreon. You pick the amount and it will be automatically donated each month. No extra work for you and I get to have a better idea of each month’s budget. To start that process, visit here now.

Or, to keep things simple, click here and donate whatever feels right for you!

No matter what, please spread the word by sharing the above links far and wide! Thank you, as always, for your kind and generous support. And if you cross paths with a homeless woman or any vulnerable soul, remember to be friendly and compassionate.