Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
Wait! What? That’s Tonight? Friday Round-Up
My very favorite thing are commitments that are months away. I love being able to say I’m going to do something, attend a conference, join the League of Women Voters, you know, things you can sign up for and feel good about but you don’t actually have to change anything significant about your day. Take tonight, for instance, it sounded so grand when I said a couple of months ago that I would go sleep outside for 48 Hours with a bunch of people with Street Angels. Now it sounds, well, I don’t know how it sounds. I’m in a fog.
I am wearing new Carhartt long underwear. It’s called “Base Camp.” I thought this sounded pretty rugged until I thought about base camp just being the first step in a big climb – like Mt. Everest. People go to base camp, hang out, drink coffee, get acclimated, probably walk around in their long underwear. The really serious cold is higher up, where people fall over frozen solid. I need more powerful long underwear, I’m sensing that right from the jump and I’m sitting in my office. I anticipate.
We will be sleeping in sleeping bags. I think the team made this change because I was coming along but that’s okay. There won’t be any tents which is also okay with me because it seems creepy to be in a tent and not know what’s going on outside. It also seems creepy being in a sleeping bag and seeing what’s going on outside. So I’m kind of wondering how to navigate all this creepiness.
This is a strange way to raise money. But it is oddly effective. We have twenty-four people doing individual fundraising campaigns linked to our primary campaign and several deep pocket sponsors who’ve put us at about 60% of our $150,000 goal before the 48 Hours even begins. The money we raise will fund our ongoing street outreach to homeless friends in Milwaukee, providing hot meals, survival supplies, and hope to 180 people right now. Plus on November 1st, we’re opening a warming room – a low-barrier, no temperature threshold overnight warming room for twenty-five of the most vulnerable people we serve.
All will go well. I just need to relax into it, go where I’m pointed, not complain, not lose important stuff, and always know where a bathroom is. Wish us luck.
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Snow Door | wisconsinacademy.org
Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “At the Breakfast Bar” on WUWM Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “The Parish Hall,” on WUWM Lake Effect
“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
Jan, I hope you are not relying on your readers for donations. I’m sorry but I am not in a position to donate. I hope you get many local supporters though as Street Angels provides such a valuable service. The demand for food and shelter has skyrocketed due to the pandemic. Even though we have an income, we are still struggling with the cost of fruit and vegetables so I have decided to make a donation to OzHarvest. Thank you for inspiration to get off my bum and do more.