Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
Category: Homelessness
Who is Helping Who Here?
I debated about buying wheat bread but only for five seconds. It’s not for me to decide that somebody getting a bag lunch ought to eat healthier, so I bought five loaves of white bread, sturdy white bread, bread that could hold up to… Continue Reading “Who is Helping Who Here?”
Rolls with Butter and Plums
I like dishing out the green beans. At the meal program tonight, I was the second server in the dinner line. The first server was a guy from a local church who wrangled huge helpings of the church’s trademark ham and cheese casserole like… Continue Reading “Rolls with Butter and Plums”
Prayers for Pork Chops and Plenty Good Sides
My friend and I went to a volunteer orientation because we decided we wanted to try to cook dinner for twenty-five people staying in a warming room. I’ve been planning menus in my head and have become fixated on pork chops, mostly because they… Continue Reading “Prayers for Pork Chops and Plenty Good Sides”
Behind the Bench*
It was a very long night. I’d decided that I had to sleep, that I wouldn’t be able to deal with the next day if I stayed awake all night. So I rolled out my sleeping bag on a slight hill covered with wood… Continue Reading “Behind the Bench*”
Singing on the Bridge: You Are My Sunshine
We hold candles and sing You Are My Sunshine and I remember how I sang it for my son’s kindergarten class because it was the only song I remembered the words to, and I think about how the woman who was killed by a… Continue Reading “Singing on the Bridge: You Are My Sunshine”
The Zen of PB&J
Peanut butter. Not always, not every time, but this week, it was peanut butter that saved me. Well, using the peanut butter to make PB&J sandwiches for Street Angels bag lunches. It’s my go-to this winter: PBJ sandwiches, chips, string cheese, and Oreos. Five… Continue Reading “The Zen of PB&J”
The Crowd of the Door
I had another thought about volunteering at the warming room last night. We were early, my son and I, so we sat in the car for a bit and chatted. Then, figuring we could go in a few minutes early and get set up… Continue Reading “The Crowd of the Door”
What to Say When There’s Nothing to Say
I made fifty lunches today for Street Angels, the homeless outreach program I work with. This was basically fifty sandwiches – salami and provolone – along with stuff I could just toss in: string cheese, fruit snacks, and chips. I have made cupcakes a… Continue Reading “What to Say When There’s Nothing to Say”
The Homeless Man in the Courtyard
I’ve been around a lot of homeless people. Oh, I’m no Mother Theresa. I don’t have that gift of connecting with everyone no matter their situation, patiently listening to their story and figuring out how to console and connect. I do great with handing… Continue Reading “The Homeless Man in the Courtyard”
I’m Not Brave But I Know People Who Are
Today, I stopped at Walgreen’s to get new pens. I found the ‘pen section’ but it was on top of inflatable swim toys. I looked around for someone to help, somebody who could bring a ladder over, and then I heard the yelling. At… Continue Reading “I’m Not Brave But I Know People Who Are”
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
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