Operation Major Warm (Winter 2019/20) proved a very rewarding experience.
In the field, our approach was to introduce ourselves by name, ask the person’s name and shake hands when our outreached hands were welcomed.
We went out on many different occasions over December and January and found the experience overwhelmingly positive.
Anne Frank wrote “No one has ever become poor from giving.” We agree and would go further and say we were greatly enriched by this giving effort!
We met too many people to list all but there were some memorable encounters.
We met Daniel and Johnny. “Would you like a flower Mia?” asked Daniel. “I have tulips because it takes two lips to tell to secret.” Johnny likes Rock ‘n’ Roll especially ‘It’s only Rock ‘n’ Roll’ by The Rolling Stones. Daniel’s favorites songs are ‘Time is on My Side’ and ‘As Tears Go By’ also by the Stones.
We met Jimbo, an older gentleman with a white handlebar moustache, who offered a poinsettia.
We met Fernando, a man of advanced years. We met Candice and we met Robert – nice people.
We met Bobby and Louis at a bus stop – they absolutely lit up and handshakes gave way to hugs!
We met Chris who kindly gave us two wrapped KitKat bars – “one for Kit and one for Kat” he said. He beamed ear to ear as he gave the only little extras he had to give.
We met Michael, Cowboy and Mikey behind a transformer – three veterans who served respectively with the Navy, Army & Navy, and the U.S. Marine Corps. Mikey, the Marine, had a foot disease and was in desperate need of clean socks. We were the right people there at the right time.
We met Chicago Bob in a 7-11 parking lot – his first thought was that we meet his friend Frog who was having a tougher time than Chicago Bob. There was a great deal of that – people in need looking out for other people in greater need.
On Christmas Eve, we met Tommy, who said he was Jewish and asked if we were with a church. When we told him we weren’t, he spoke articulately about giving, the meaning of Christmas and Jesus and how what we were doing exemplified the real spirit and meaning of Christmas. It was nice to be thanked.
We met Joanna and her cat Sequoia.
We met Michael, Christopher Robin, and Brenda who is blind.
We met Washington. We met Rick. We met Cleo who apologized for shaking hands with gloves on.
We met Louisa who didn’t need anything as she had a sleeping bag and other items and didn’t want to take anything as it would mean someone else going without. Thinking of others less fortunate than themselves was a frequent and inspiring mindfulness among the people we met.
We met Dino who helped us with his name by telling us “Di no to drugs.”
We met Elizabeth who quietly told us “I’ve had troubles.”
We met Gilberto – who didn’t want any direct contact. “I’m my own universe” he said – but nevertheless was very engaging and played Jingle Bells on his tin whistle for us, and played it well.
At the Martin Luther King Civic Center Park in Berkeley we met Gunner. His is a Scandinavian name so Günnar but everyone calls him Gunner, including Günnar.
We met Robert and Bill.
We met Mathew – he plays the harp, piano, and guitar but was keen to point out “my harp is my baby.” He offered to play the harp but requested we didn’t look at him while he played. We looked away; he played beautifully.
We met Kenny, who was on crutches and looking out for his cousin Junior who was in a wheelchair. Kenny also made sure we met Rosie and her teenage daughter, Kayla. Another case of people looking out for people. Rosie and Kayla looked fresh and energetic and had clean clothes. We left worrying what would more months on the street do to them?
We met KJ & Robert – a cheerful couple full of fun who only wanted care packages if everyone else at and around the park had already been served. Thankfully after meeting everyone around the MLK Civic Center Park we still had exactly 2 care packages and 2 sleeping bags so we went back over to the bench where they were sitting.
Back in San Diego we met Rashad Simpson, who was laying in the alley beside someone’s apartment. The resident of the apartment peeked over his fence and generously said “you’re good people” showing his own kindness in so doing – not everyone is kind to the homeless, particularly when someone is sleeping immediately outside your home.
We met Bobby and Greg from Boston. We met Stephen who told us “giving is good” – if he ever won the lottery, he said, that’s what he’d do: go around giving things to people on the street. He asked “Ronan? Are you named after a god?”
We met Sean Hatfield – not of the West Virginia Hatfields of Hatfields & McCoys fame but the Connecticut Hatfields. Sean’s Great Great Grandfather was an artillery officer in the Union Army and “saved Grant’s ass more than once” according to his family tradition. Sean had been a barber most of his life and felt he had it pretty good as he loved to talk to people, “better than most out here” he said.
Sean’s friend was asleep as was his friend’s dog – a dog as sound asleep as anyone’s ever seen a dog asleep. The friend and his dog had been separated for days on end, lost to each other, with his friend frantically searching for his dog night and day. The dog was probably doing the same. Reunited, they both were resting soundly.
We met Frankie who, very specifically, would love to go to Westport, County Mayo in Ireland.
We met Robert, a jovial man who had been using a kid’s sleeping bag but it only came up to his lower chest so an adult sleeping bag was most welcomed.
We met Anthony Patrick on a bus bench. We met Michael. In Ocean Beach we met Angie who was hungry.
We met Michael Armstrong Ford – what a great name.
We met Brian – “are you an angel?” he asked of Mia. He told us he worked with Esteban Villa painting the murals at Chicano Park in Barrio Logan. Fantastic experience but he said he just wasn’t fit to last the demands of it. He also told us a story of one cold, rainy night when he gave his jacket to an older man and very quickly thereafter had an even better jacket given to him by a stranger passing in a car that bothered to stop and help.
He also told us about Water Man Dave – a man in poverty himself who receiving only social security payments dedicated his last 18 years to giving out water and little comforts to the homeless in San Diego.
We met and were able to give sleeping bags and care packages to many people. In turn we received so much more.
There’s a sense of oneness when we share. The alienation we may feel for people living in the street falls away as we understand we and they are one and the same.
We made a small difference. A very small difference.
We can do more. We should do more. We will do more.
majorwarm.org 