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Week 45 (8.20.01 - 8.26.01)

Homeless Dining
Take a person who you do not know and is homeless out and buy them dinner.

What is a homeless person? Obviously they are a person without a "home". Someone living on the street. Someone who for some reason, financial, medical or personal has wound up without a house, apartment or room to return to on a regular basis. This assignment was to find one of these people and invite them out to dinner. Sounds simple enough. Homelessness is a big urban problem. All I need to do is find a homeless person, befriend them and invite them out to dinner. They'd love it right? A free meal, a kind person reaching out to them. My heart said it should be simple and right, my head told me otherwise.

Monday evening I head out after work to the spots where I know some of the "homeless" hang out asking for food, money and sometimes work. Both locations are at the bottom of freeway ramps where automobilists are temporarily "trapped" waiting for a traffic light. The first man I approach is holding a cardboard sign reading "Homeless, Please help". I say "Hi, I'm going to grab a chicken dinner up at the Market Barbecue (which is about 3 blocks away). Want to join me, I'll buy you dinner". He looks at me cautiously, taking a step back, and says "Na that's OK Man, preciate it though". I say "Are your sure?" He says "Ya, I can't take off, my ol lady is over there on the hill and I can't leave her." He was quickly getting defensive. I then said "I can bring you guys something", starting to feel guilty. "No", he said, "...really it's okay man. Thanks though", and he turned and walked away. So what did he think? A complete stranger approaches and offers to go someplace with you and give you something. The more I thought about it, the more I understood why he be cautious. I would be. I probably won't accept an offer to dinner from a complete stranger. I' d suspect they were up to something, trying to convert me, trying to rob me, trying to scam me, trying to abuse me. Why should these people be any different, they are in a much more vulnerable position. No one is looking out for them. They are never truly safe.

These thoughts were running through my head as I headed toward home and the other location where I knew I would find at least "homeless" one person asking for help. On the way there, I went past the Salvation Army "Lighthouse" where many of the homeless come for food and a place to sleep. It was 6:30pm, dinner was long past served and a line was forming for beds for the night. Throughout the city, the homeless migration was beginning toward the Lighthouse. I passed dozens people headed to the shelter. None of these people would be interested in dinner, risking losing their bed for a potential good meal with a complete stranger. Shelters like the Salvation Army are just that, a shelter. They are a known quantity to people on the street, they are "safe." Scott Sayre is unknown, his motivation unknown, and his perceived value is limited. I was beginning to feel more and more naive. More and more like a predator.

Under the Interstate 94 overpass, I come upon another young man hold a sign that says "Homeless Veteran, Any help would be appreciated." While having second thoughts, I couldn't help but give it one more try. "Hey, how ya doin? I'm gonna grab a sandwich down at Rudolphs. Can I buy ya one?" He puts down his sign and says "No, thanks, though. I really need to get down to Kansas City to see my family." I hand him five dollars and wish him good luck. "Thanks" he says, "The world needs more people like you." He lifts his sign and I head home to make myself something to eat. Home...

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