Post-lockdown NYC: You can still find some beauty & kindness
(plus: a reminder about my ongoing mission work)
If you saw my post yesterday, you know it was the 16th anniversary of my mother’s passing. One of the ways I marked the day was to visit St. Francis of Assisi Church near Madison Square Garden.
Back in the day, my Mom and her best friend (Dotty) often took the subway into Manhattan to pray at this remarkable church — so it felt ideal for me to go there in remembrance.
As I saw with my own three eyes, homeless people are welcome to come inside St. Francis to sit and pray. It’s a sanctuary that lives up to the statue they display out front (I photographed it above).
Here are some more photos I took:
Those ^ are three pieces from the WTC wreckage
While in the Herald Square area, I also walked to St. John the Baptist Church (I love John the Baptist) and got these shots:
Thanks for having a look!
Coda: It was odd being in this part of town again. When I started my project, I would be near Macy’s and MSG almost every day. Homeless women felt safe in that area due to the police presence along with all the workers and tourists. I once knew so many homeless women around there that I’d sometimes run out of supplies before I got to all of them.
Once the lockdowns were imposed, it all changed. I saw some homeless people yesterday but literally none of them were panhandling. They just stood around with that thousand-yard stare. I approached a few of them with gift cards, but only two accepted my offer.
While it was meaningful to retrace my Mom’s steps, it was also a good reminder that the way I keep restructuring my work is necessary and rational.
P.S. Here are how you can keep my 7-years-and-counting project going and growing:
Make a direct donation right here.
Order items from my wishlist here.
Commit to a monthly pledge at Patreon here.
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.
The coda would be depressing if you hadn't found ways to adapt and continue.
As contextually valuable as the gift cards truly are, I continue to think that what helps people the most is simply being seen as a human, with a soul.
Gorgeous photos. Thanks.