Socks & Gloves

Christmas @ Caeser's

2010-02-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

Hats and Scarfs in action donated by the generous people from Cordova Neighborhood Church!

Christmas in the Park

2009-12-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

We will be meeting in Caesar Chavez Park Christmas morning to pass out Hot Chocolate and Cookies. We also have some amazing Hats and scarves that were made by some ladies of Cordova Neighborhood Church to hand out. If you would like to come join us we would love to have you. We will be meeting at 10:00 am. Please feel free to come hang out, Sing some songs and show The amazing Gift of Jesus to those living on the streets. This is what Christmas is all about. Take an hour or 2 to step away from the tree and the presents, Come experience the Presence of Our King with those in need....

Why we do Justice

2009-09-17T09:57:00.001-07:00

Why We Do Justice
(It's not because we feel guilty.)
Rick McKinley posted 9/08/2009

When we think about justice, often guilt starts settling over us like a dense fog. We see unfairness and injustice, and we know what we don't do. So we feel guilty.
It is easy to see the victims of injustice as "those" people who have a need. We have a resource. We believe that if we use our resource to meet their need, our guilt will be removed. This means we have a need too—the need to not feel guilty. Are our efforts toward justice really about loving others, or are they about alleviating our guilt? Or perhaps we are both using each other to have our own needs met.
In truth, justice isn't about guilt. Guilt is too easy. Justice is about God and what we believe about him. If we are going to move away from guilt-driven efforts, we must root our hearts and our imaginations in the deeply significant theology at the heart of the gospel. There is a question that we have to wrestle to the ground: How are we to see the "other"?
When Bruce started working with homeless people on Saturdays, he learned all kinds of theology lessons. Here was a population that most people pass by with little thought or notice, but Bruce was compelled to show up each Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and serve them meals, since most aid programs were shut down on Saturdays.
Bruce quickly learned that the people he was serving were really amazing. He recognized his story by listening to theirs. He heard stories of sin and redemption and lives in need of grace. Through these homeless people, Bruce came to see that before the cross all humanity stands on a level playing field.
The only way a person comes to God is by the atoning work of Jesus Christ—from the highly religious to the deeply screwed up. Before the cross there is no chasm between those with a need and those with a resource. There is no differentiation between "us" and "them." Before the cross there is only "we." And "we" all come to Jesus the same way: confessing we are sinners in need of a Savior.
The right way to see the "other" is as ourselves. "We" are "them," and "they" are "us." Serving the least of these means standing in solidarity with, rather than above, suffering people. In doing so we learn to love our neighbor as ourselves.
One day Bruce told me about his time with the homeless.
Before the cross there is no chasm between those with a need and those with a resource. There is no differentiation between "us" and "them." Before the cross there is only "we."
"I am the one being blessed by them," he said, his eyes moist. "They are the most amazing people I know. I am so humbled that God would let me be with them."
Bruce wasn't blessed because his service among the homeless was alleviating his guilt. And his service wasn't being driven from a desire to fix "them." He was blessed because through the homeless he came to see the reality of the gospel—"they" are "we." We all need God's grace, and before him we stand as one humanity—fallen and desperate.

July Outreach

2009-07-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

The next outreach will be on Saturday, July 25th at 5pm - we meet at the Vineyard parking lot at 2225 19th street in Midtown Sacramento. (That's just where we meet up - we head out from there.)

If you want to bring things to hand out, here are some suggestions:

Bottled water
Non-perishable food
Personal hygiene items
Clothes

Hope to see you there!

June Outreach

2009-06-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

The next event for our group will be on June 27th at 5pm.
We meet at the Vineyard parking lot at 2225 19th street. Down town Sacramento.
We gather and then head out from there.
Everyone is welcome to Come out and connect with Homeless on the streets.
If you would like to bring things to pass out just remember it is getting hotter by the day so bottle water, non perishable food items, and personal hygiene items are always needed.
Hope to see ya there.....

May Event

2009-05-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to Share some of our Pictures from the "Rally for Safe Ground" last month with you. There was a pretty good turn out and hopefully brought some awareness to the problems that the Homeless are having without any safe place to camp....

May's Event

will be taking place on Sat the 23rd at 5pm. We will be meeting at the Vineyard Parking Lot at 2225 19th street Downtown Sacramento. This Month we are going to be passing out Ice Water and Otter Pops. It will be a good time to share something cool on a hot day and be able to connect and spread some love to the folks on the streets Downtown. If you can make it we would love to have you. If you can contribute that would be great as well....

See you There.........

Upcoming Events for April

2009-04-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to get the word out for this Month. There is a rally taking place on the South steps of the Capital on April 21st at 2pm. This is a "Rally for Safe Ground" To bring awareness that the Homeless in Sacramento need a permanent Tent City Location and access to Toilets, a place to dump there Trash and Clean Water. If this is something you would be interested in participating in Please Join In. We also will be meeting as a group on the 25th of April at 5pm at the Vineyard parking lot at 2225 19th street. If you would like to join us in spreading some love and Hope to the Homeless in the Downtown area, Please join us for that as well.

Tent City Relocation Bedding Needed

2009-04-07T11:12:00.000-07:00

The Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency is working with the Tent City relocation project this week. They are looking for donations of new sheets, pillows, and blankets for the relocation shelters that are being set up for homeless that are being moved out of tent city.

Donations of NEW twin-sized bedding may be delivered to 600 I Street Suite 120, Sacramento, CA 95814 this week through 4-10-09.

Spread the word to your friends, co-workers, neighbors and church environments. The more bedding that is donated the more the allocated funding will be left to provide additional services to those affected by this move.

More Services for Job Support

2009-03-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Socks and Gloves and the Vineyard Downtown are reaching out with a new effort to prevent homelessness to support skilled workers as they strive to find employment or succeed in the jobs they have. If you or someone you know is looking for work, or for help in reaching the next step in their career this may be helpful to you. Read more about a 3-part pilot series of Job Support Workshops coming up this Spring at our JobSupportBlog here.

Let's March

2009-03-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone.

1st I just want to Thank everyone who joined in last month and supported our efforts in connecting with are Homeless friends. Thanks to Mary and her gang who joined us for the first time. It was good seeing all of you and we are looking forward to this Months event. We will be meeting March 28th at 5pm at the Vineyard parking lot.

There are a lot of exciting opportunities to take part in the next couple months. The 1st is this week we have a chance to support Project 680 which helps with homeless kids in the Folsom Cordova school Dist. There is a meeting taking place this Wends at 6:30pm. If you are interested in taking part click on the Project 680 link to the left of this blog for more info.

Well Sacramento is really making a name for itself when it comes to the Homeless, unfortunately it is not in a more positive light. Today there was a story on the Tent City area on the Today show. You can check it out at http://www.todayshow.com/. Mike and I took the opportunity to go out and visit this area this week, It is pretty jaw dropping to see the extent of what is going on. We were able to hang out for a while and walk along the levee and talk with a group of campers. It was pretty overwhelming to see the needs and to realize the overflow shelter closed last night due to budget issues. That's another 200 beds that are no longer available. Tents are a huge necessity out there as well as tarps and tent stakes.

There will be a March on the 21st of April at 2pm at Cesar Chavez park. It would be amazing for all of us to gather as many people as possible in our churches and circles of friends and coworkers to be out there and take part. The Homeless in Sacramento need a voice and I think it is really our duty to be that voice. If we believe what we say we do, then we should be there advocating for their right to a permanent tent city location, access to Bathrooms, showers and water, as well as places to dump their Trash! There is one dumpster out there, but the Trash is overwhelming. So with all that said, I say Let's March !!!

Please feel free to blog about any of these things. Agree or not its great to have input.

The fourth Saturday February twenty eight

2009-02-24T20:50:00.000-08:00

We will be meeting as a collective group this Saturday @ 5pm in the Vineyard Parking lot at 2225 19th street. We will head out from there to spread some love and hope to the people living out on the streets. If you have anything that you would like to contribute it would be great. We have a great contribution of 100 Chick Fillet sandwiches from The Peterson's. I will be bringing a big batch of chocolate chip cookies. If anyone can bring water or non perishable food items, We always can use warm clothing, Socks, Gloves, Beanies, Blankets, Rain Ponchos, Anything to provide warmth to those living on the streets. If you do not have anything to Bring just bring yourself. These are just ideas of things that they are in need of. Also There will be an interesting thing on Oprah today with Lisa Ling about Homelessness and Tent Cities and she will be Covering Sacramento. Tune in at 4pm today on Chanel 3 or Tonight at 9pm on Chanel 58.
Here is a link in case you miss it.
Tent Cities in America: A Lisa Ling Special Reporthttp://www.oprah.com/dated/oprahshow/oprahshow_20090218_recessionCorrespondent Lisa Ling brings us the new faces of the recession. The desperate search for work, a hot meal, a place to sleep. Meet families who are struggling every day to get by.The spiraling economy and the foreclosure crisis are causing an increasing number of middle-class Americans to suffer. On today's show,Lisa Ling investigates the emergence of tent cities-makeshift temporary shelters set up by people who simply have nowhere else to go. Ourcameras follow a family that went from living in a condo and driving a Lincoln Navigator a year ago to sleeping in homeless shelters and carrying all their possessions in garbage bags. Then, hear from a woman who was making $70,000 a year and is facing eviction. Get an inside lookat how more and more families are struggling every day just to get by.We believe, in the words of Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter,that sunshine is the best disinfectant. We hope that those who see this show and its sad and shocking depiction of the pain of homelessness will be motivated to both seek solutions and to help the families and individuals who are homeless now. We will have a special page set up on Loaves & Fishes website by Wednesday for those who wish to help:www.sacloaves.org

Project 680 Promo Video

2009-02-11T16:15:00.000-08:00

Here is the new Project 680 promo video to let others know about the upcoming Project 680 Community Forum on March 11th at 6:30pm (hosted at Cordova Neighborhood Church - free of charge - 10600 Coloma Rd, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670). Thanks to Gary, a resident, for adding the beginning and ending titles. Feel free to post this on your own website or blog.

Project 680 - THE NEXT STEP

2009-02-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

In December the Socks & Gloves family helped to support something called Project 680. The goal was to raise a total of 680 pairs of socks for homeless students in the FCUSD, but the grand total was 3,144 pairs. Isn't that great?

Anyway, Project 680 is evolving and it is something that the Socks & Gloves family can get behind. There will be a community forum on March 11 with the District Liaison for Homeless Services of the Folsom Cordova District. We will be educated, have a Q&A time, and have group discussion. The hopeful outcome of the meeting is to have a greater understanding of what is going on locally with students as well as find simple ways to respond as a community to the problem of student homelessness. Please see www.cordovatowne.com/project680.html for details.

Feel free also to join the Project 680 Facebook page. Spread the word about Project 680 to any locals too and especially to residents of Rancho Cordova & Folsom. Thank you.

PROJECT 680 COMMUNITY FORUM - DETAILS:
- 6:30pm on Wednesday, March 11, 2009
- Any locals in surrounding cities are invited to participate
- Sorry, no childcare provided.
- Light refreshments will be provided.
- RSVP if you can, but if not, just show up.
- Link to www.cordovatowne.com/project680.html
- Invite neighbors, friends, tell your church...
- The format of the meeting will be a brief presentation by FCUSD, Q&A, and discussion.
- We will meet at Cordova Neighborhood Church at 10600 Coloma Road, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670. Thank you to the church for allowing us to meet in their location free of charge.

Job Seeker Support Series

2009-01-22T07:03:00.000-08:00

Socks and Gloves and the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Downtown Sacramento invite you to partner with us as we develop a Job Seeker Support Series targeted at preventing homelessness by journeying with skilled workers looking for work at a time when Sacramento Unemployment Rates are hitting 12 & 14 year highs.

On 2/5/09 we will preview a pilot program, “Making Positive First Impressions in Your Job Hunt” which we hope will be the first of a series of events including additional events to address things like the ones noted below:

· Resume Writing & Revision
· Completing Successful Job Applications
· Effective Interviewing Skills
· Building Confidence
· Healing Prayer for Patterns of Behavior that Inhibit Professional Success
· Job Search Buddies

The 2/5/09 preview meeting is intended to help us develop a network of volunteers ready to find creative & practical ways to help job seekers in our community. The volunteer opportunities are endless, and range from providing childcare at events, to serving as mock interview panelists, or becoming a job search buddy who listens and prays for someone during the emotional ups and down of job hunting.

Invite your friends and mark your calendar to join us on 2/5/09 to get a sneak peak at some of the pilot workshops: “Dressing for Success on a Budget” & “Communicating with Confidence.” This meeting will also assist you to prayerfully consider how you and your circle of friends might donate from your talents, time and resources to help bring the hope of Jesus to those struggling to make ends meet during this sagging economy.

Socks & Gloves Meeting this week @ Vineyard

2009-01-20T16:16:00.000-08:00

For those who are wondering we will be meeting this week on Saturday the 24th. We will meet at 5pm in the Vineyard parking lot. We will embark from there on a journey around town to find folks to love on and bring some relief to those who have come on hard times. Please join us as we learn to love others.

Christmas in the Cold Review

2008-12-25T21:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas in the Cold was a time to build relationship with homeless friends, show love, resource people, pray, and quite possibly get a greater glimpse into the meaning of Christmas beyond opening gifts. Thank you to all who helped out with this event, came, or donated. We had a tremendous amount of people show up to mingle and we had a wonderful spread of food, clothing, blankets, and supplies. We appreciate the support from local churches, friends, Facebook friends, local businesses, and folks who came out for the first time to hang with us.

What did you think of the event? Feel free to share your thoughts in a comment below - the good stuff and anything constructive too. If you have any photos or video too, we'd love to post them on our site. We put up a few pictures HERE so far, but we'd love to add more.

Christmas in the Cold 11:30 on 12/25

2008-12-23T17:45:00.000-08:00

We hope you'll join us for our Christmas in the Cold event this Thursday at Cesar Chavez Park at 8th & I Streets!

Find more information about this event here:
http://socksandgloves.blogspot.com/2008/11/christmas-in-cold-2008.html

Sign up to bring something to the event here:
http://socksandgloves.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-in-cold-sign-ups.html

Project 680 - THE FINAL COUNT

2008-12-17T14:58:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share with you the great news that Project 680 collected 3,144 pairs of socks for homeless youth in the FCUSD. Great work everyone!!!! Thank you to so many in the Socks & Gloves family who gave so generously to this cause and helped support it. Way to go!!!

Project 680 site:
www.cordovatowne.com/project680.html

Project 680: Channel 13 News Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jMCZFiX4tA

Christmas in the Cold - Sign Ups!!!!

2008-12-11T09:46:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year again. We'll be meeting in Caesar Chavez Park at I & 8th in Downtown Sacramento between 11:30am-1:00pm on Christmas morning to hang out with some homeless friends, talk, and enjoy some hot drinks together. This is a time to build relationship with the homeless, show love, resource people, pray if that is your thing, and quite possibly get a greater glimpse into the meaning of Christmas beyond opening gifts. You are invited to come along with us for this event and also to get involved in ways as listed below.

Please comment on this post or contact us through our website at http://www.socksandgloves.org/ for more information. Items in red are still needed. Think in terms of bringing enough for 8-10 people:

- hot apple cider
- coffee
- ponchos/umbrellas
- cookies (cookies from Flood / SAAM kitchen.....over 50 cookies)
- cookies - Maynard and Gay Wright
- muffins (CNC member)
- Egg Casserole - Jeannie Zapara
- 2 Hot Breakfast Dishes - Cindy Lindman
- Scones - Tara
- Blueberry Muffins - Jeannine Wells
- other food
- hot water in thermos/cooler container for powered drinks:
- hot chocolate in the Rocket Man- Tyson
- Hot Chocolate
- flavored coffee creamers - Ann
- meatballs - Ann
- red sprinkles to make the hot chocolate & whipped cream look fun - Ann
- mini marshmallows
- entertainment: (?????)
- lead a few songs of worship / carols
- supplies: paper plates, cups, napkins, utensils if necessary, plastic trash bags for clean-up, spoons for stirring, foil, plastic bags, sugar for coffee (multiple people needed for this one probably) - Tyson
- beanie hats Tom & Merry Davis
- gloves & gift bags - Lane & Coulter Families
- Blankets
- other ideas welcome (?????)
- other resources or donations (?????)

All ages are welcome. This is a great way to celebrate Christmas. It is always so fun to see friends on Christmas day besides just family. Comment below with questions, ideas, or if you would like to sign up for an item in red.

Cookies For Christmas

2008-12-10T15:41:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone I just wanted to let you all know that some girls and I will be making Cookies this Sat. For Christmas in the Cold . Since Mike and I will not be here for Christmas we along with some girls from Flood wanted to contribute in this way. If any of you want to come down and help we have access to an industrial Stove and oven at SAAM. We are meeting at 59th st. and 2nd ave. at 11am .For more info on address go to www.floodsac.com. I will arrange to get all the cookies to one of you before we leave. I hope you all have a great Christmas.

Community Closet,Inc.

2008-12-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

I have been searching for a place where I get can give away nicer clothing that does not seem to interest most that we come into contact with and give clothing to. So just by chance I ran into a nice young lady who's husband work two doors down from me. She helps run a non-profit out of Heald College in Rancho called Community Closet, Inc. They help get the students into digs for job interviews upon graduation and also help the homeless amongst them have proper attire for school. I will be dropping off some items that I have to them so I thought I would throw it out there to see if anybody else had anything that they wanted to throw in the offering...........Thanks

m

Socks & Gloves on Facebook

2008-12-08T10:38:00.001-08:00

We now have a Socks & Gloves group on Facebook. You can see the group HERE if you have a Facebook account (it's free). This will be one more way for us to connect together. Don't worry though, all event information will still be found on the blog and website. By no means do you have to join Facebook - it's just one more option.

Water, Toilet Paper, Tents

2008-11-18T19:52:00.000-08:00

One of the hardest things in the software development world is figuring out what you're supposed to build. Not "how" or "when" or for "who", but "what". There is an entire discipline built around this called Requirements Engineering. One of the core principles is that you need to talk to the stakeholders and figure out what they need. Be willing to listen to your customers.

With that in mind, we received some interesting feedback for helping the homeless this past weekend. On Friday, when we were handing out flyers for the Turkey in the Park event the next day, we also handed out bottled water and granola bars. One guy told us that the two hardest things to come by on the street were bottled water and toilet paper, and somebody else chimed in and agreed about the TP.

Then my friend Sara sent me the following after the Turkey in the Park this past weekend:

I met a couple at Turkey in the Park who desperately needed a tent. So yesterday Myah and I delivered a tent to them that we had in storage for a long time. While I was very nervous about going to "Tent City" in the mission district, we ended up having a nice afternoon setting up the tent and talking to many of the individuals that live there.

While we were there we noticed quite a number of individuals that do not have tents and wondered if this is something that your organization is or can get involved with. The couple that I met, Boyd and Christina, said that they can help us identify the specific individuals that need the tents and that won't sell them off for drugs.

This couple also said that they are part of a grass roots organization to establish a permanent "Tent City". They are working with state legislators and the media to have some land set aside. This might be something that your organization can help advocate.

P.S. I had a good time at Turkey in the Park and your organization is helping me better understand the homeless problems in Sacramento.

Interesting things to throw into our planning: water, toilet paper, tents.

By the way, I'd like to find out more about the grass roots organization working on a tent city. Does anybody here know anything about that?

Project 680 - Socks for Homeless Youth

2008-11-16T22:12:00.000-08:00

I wanted to let everyone know of an exciting opportunity to help meet some very practical needs of kids in the FCUSD. Last year there were 680 kids within the District who were documented to be "homeless". Can you believe that? "Homeless" means "an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate residence. These students are living in unstable places like motels, the streets, tents, cars, RVs in parking lots, in homes without power or water, in households without a parent/legal guardian, etc... These are kids who reside within FCUSD territory within the cities of Rancho Cordova and Folsom.

This brings us to "Project 680" which is named descriptively after the number of homeless kids documented last year, but also named for the goal of raising 680 pairs of new socks for these kids. Since the District Liaison for Homeless Services said that new socks were a felt need for these students, this project was born because it just makes good sense to help provide kids with something they need. In fact, the District does a shoe drive every year for these students and so a sock drive by another group compliments their efforts very well. This event is not an official Socks & Gloves event, but I am a fellow Socks & Glover involved in leading the project. The project is being sponsored by the Cordova Towne Neighborhood Association in Rancho Cordova.

See www.cordovatowne.com/project680.html for details (especially the FAQ section so that you know about what type of socks are needed, what age group we are serving, etc...). If you want to promote this effort on your website or blog, you can send a link to us or use the image above.

Thanks for your partnership.

Christmas in the Cold 2008

2008-11-16T08:18:00.001-08:00

Gather your friends and donation items together to be a part of this event. Here are some interesting ways people have gathered donations in the past....

Turkey in the Park 2008 was a huge success yesterday! We had over 100 people at this year's event and gave away over 60 lbs of Turkey, Ham & meatballs with our holiday meal complete with every side dish imaginable. :)

TIP, which is sponsored by SocksAndGloves, is currently in it's 4th year. TIP just seems to get better each year! This year was filled with volunteers from our coworkers, other friends, and included 6 local churches (let's give a shout out to VCFDS, Flood, RCNC, SAAM, City Life, and our newest addition: Church of Christ Rancho Cordova). After food, games of horseshoes, Frisbee, and loads of conversation, guests left with happy faces, full bellies, and bright yellow shoulder bags filled to the brim with blankets, clothes, and scores of other give away items that were donated for the event. Volunteers who had come in cars filled to the brim with donations left with empty cars and happy hearts.

Read more @ TIP Comment Stream & Review - add your thoughts in the comments, too

See More @ TIP Photos 2008 (Special thanks to Dan Lindow - our resident photog)

Donations for Christmas in the Cold can come with you or be mailed in advance to our SocksAndGloves address (see the left menu bar).

For those of you that donated or were at TIP SocksAndGloves sends our deepest thanks.

Thanks for your on-going interest in all we do with SocksAndGloves: a ministry where we strive to see people for who there are rather than where they live.

Also, coming soon will be an announcement about something exciting called Project 680 - which is an outreach to homeless youth within the FCUSD. We are looking forward to supporting this effort brewing in Rancho Cordova.

Turkey In The Park!

2008-11-16T01:23:00.000-08:00

Great turnout for TIP 08 and thanks to everyone who participated. Here are a few pictures of the event, just click on the link. Enjoy!

Turkey In The Park Pics

TIP Review

2008-11-15T19:00:00.000-08:00

Woo-Hoo! That was pretty fun. We had a bunch of people show up to Turkey in the Park 2008 bringing all kinds of cool stuff - big thanks to each and every one of you. This was the biggest year yet - we had three turkeys, and I believe we used them all up (and most of everything else, too). We also gave away almost all of the clothes, blankets, etc. that were so generously donated.

Because this park is so much bigger and more open than where we did this last year, it didn't look like we had a lot of people at first. About an hour into it I scanned the crowd to get a rough headcount, and there were over 100 just at that point - and that's not counting the people who'd already come and gone, and others that came later. Pretty good turnout.

My favorite part was getting to walk around with the Rocket Man on my back chatting with people and handing out Kool-Aid. (I'm enough of a dork that I think the Rocket Man is cool.)

If you were there, please leave a comment letting us know your take on things - what was fun, what we did right, what we did wrong, etc. It's good for us to keep learning as we do this stuff.

Again, thanks to all of you who contributed food, clothes, blankets, and time. You all rock.

Turkey in the Park - Coming? Donating?

2008-11-10T22:09:00.001-08:00

Turkey in the Park is this weekend. Are you planning to join us? Can you bring something to the feast? Sign up by commenting via the link here: TIP 2008 Sign Up's.

RELATIONAL REMINDER: Our goal for Saturday is to sit down with homeless friends and enjoy a meal together. It can often be our default mode though in situations like this to act as the "servers" and be task-oriented and busy-bodies rather than engagers of conversation. Let's remember to sit down and dine with our guests, enjoy life together, strike up conversation, laugh, be authentic, maybe pray with people if we can (for those who are prayin' folks), and of course play horseshoes thanks to Keith. The goal here is relationship with people rather than simply giving stuff away. If you don't have much experience in being around homeless folks too, that's fine. We are all in this together. Our old blog has a helpful post from last year HERE that it is a good read and reminder for all of us on practical tips for interacting with homeless folks.

at Grant Park @ 21st & C Streets

Turkey in the Park Permit

2008-11-10T09:04:00.000-08:00

O.K. So we will not be getting a permit for our event, because what we are doing falls into to many grey areas. I was told if we were having a pic-nik in the park with "Friends" then that is not a problem. So We tried and that is all we can do. I really cant see them kicking us out for providing food to the homeless. I think that we should just be careful about advertising she said that would be a NO No. Let me know if you have any thoughts.

SITS review

2008-10-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

Soup in the Streets yesterday was a blast. We had a great turnout, lots of good people showing up to help, and served soup, chili, and cornbread to a bunch of folks. This was probably the most fun event (for me, at least) that we've done this year.

If you were there yesterday, please leave a comment here telling us what your favorite part of the event was (in addition to whatever else you want to say, of course).

My favorite was meeting a musician named Tommy who played guitar and sang a couple of his songs. Then a couple of the S & Ger's got a chance to play a tune, too. It was a fun time connecting with a fellow musician.

I'm really looking forward to Turkey in the Park now, since that's usually our coolest event of the year.

Better and better

2008-10-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

When I walk to work I take a shortcut through a parking lot - it saves me about a half a block. Today as I was passing through there I saw an older homeless man - grizzled hair peaking out from his baseball cap, salt-and-pepper beard, wearing jeans and denim jacket. He had a can of Steel Reserve in one hand and a cigarette in the other as he looked and me with a huge smile on his face.

"Woke up this morning, and there was three cans of beer next to my head. Don't remember those when I went to sleep." He laughed.

I smiled and said, "Cool."

He shook his head, "Yesterday I woke up and found a five dollar bill nearby. Can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. Things are getting better and better."

I laughed and we wished each other good days as we went our separate ways.

I hope he finds something even better tomorrow.

Turkey in the Park Sign Up's

2008-10-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

at Grant Park @ 21st & C Streets

See people for who they are, not where they live.
Sat. Nov. 15th @ 3PM

Think about what it means to love the poor

(Dont feel like you cant come if you dont have anything to offer or bring. Sometimes we need help more than things. Just think of this as a big wish list)

Cook/serve hot foods using 1/2 size Steam Table Pans for hot food 11 3/4 x 9 3/8 x 2 9/16 in.
(We'll have chafing dishes on site to keep food hot this year. We're passing out pans in advance for you to prepare/bring your food; just let us know how many pans you'd like to fill!)

Turkey - Ann
Turkey - Jan & Cindy Lindman

Turkey
Ham-Mike and Kellie

Stuffing- Mike and Kellie

Stuffing - John and Sandy Carson

Stuffing -Vanessa Reed
Green Bean Casserole- Jeannine
Green Bean Casserole

Cranberry Sauce -Sarah and Mark

Yams - Ted and Dominique Calvert

Corn - - Ted and Dominique Calvert

Corn - John and Sandy Carson

Mashed Potatos - Ann

Mashed Potatos - Leanne

Veggie Tray - Leanne

Veggie Tray - Chuch & Bonnie
Salad - Love & Jess A.
Green Salad - Johnny & Jeannie Zapara

Fresh Fruit Bowl - Leanne
Rolls-Mike and Kellie

2 Dozen Rolls - Michael & Laura
Gravy - Keith & Char
Gravy
Butter-Mike and Kellie
Apple Pie - Cindy

Pumpkin Pie - Johnny & Jeannie Zapara
Muffin Assortment - Cindy & Rob

Chocolate Cream Pie - Michael & Laura

Coffee

Hot Apple Cider - Johnny & Jeannie Zapara
Hot Chocolate - Sara & Myah (150 servings)
Coffee Condiments (sugar, creamer, stir sticks, whipped cream, etc.) - Garrett & Desiree
1 Case of Bottled Water - Cindy & Rob

1 Case of Bottled Water - Ted and Dominique Calvert

1 Case of Bottled Water - Leanne (For Friday's TIP invite night)

Bottled Water - Sara & Myah (48 bottles)

Juice boxes - Garrett and Desiree
Power Aid sport Drinks - Cindy Landingham & office

Paper plates - Tyson (100) - Sara & Myah (50)

Dessert plates - Tyson (200)

Paper napkins - Tyson (100) - Sara & Myah (100)

Plastic forks - Tyson (100) - Sara & Myah (50)

Plastic Knives - Tyson (100) - Sara & Myah (50)

Plastic spoons - Tyson (100) - Sara & Myah (50)

Trash bags - Tyson (3 boxes)

To go boxes for left overs - Ann
Hot cups - Sara & Myah (150)
Ice Chest for Hot Foods - Jeannine

Ice Chest for Cold foods (with ICE) - Sara & Myah (1 chest)

Disposable Table cloths (disposable paper/plastic kind) - Tyson

Famous Meatballs - Rob

Ice chest with ice to keep bottled water cool - Arnold S
Chest to Store Hot Foods - Ryan
Table - Ryan

To Give Away:
Gloves - Tim & Marti
Socks - Tim & Marti
Blankets
Blankets - Shane
Sleeping bags - CNC (Ryan)
ADULT Sized Clothes: , Ann, Ryan, Hank Youloff, ... & Tim & Marti
Baseball caps - Hank Youloff of Promotionally Minded Socks - Chuck & Bonnie
Shirts - Hank Youloff of Promotionally Minded
Jeans
Sweaters
Sweatshirts
Jackets/Coats: John and Sandy Carson & Tim & Marti
Umbrellas
Rain ponchos
Personal Hygiene Bags
Travel sized Kleenex
Cough Drops
Granola Bars - Michael & Laura
Granola Bars - Leanne
Protein Bars
Shoes - Tim & Marti

To Share at the Event:
Folding Tables (long rectangle is ideal) - George B., Ryan, Mike
Horseshoes - Keith
Frisbees
Bubbles
Baseball gear
Soccer balls
Footballs
Decks of Cards
Other fun games to play together

If you see something missing, have a great idea, or special recipe then bring it

QUICK TIPS:

1. Bring your food ready to serve (hot foods covered in foil in aluminum pans with label on top)

2. Please bring appropriate serving utensils for your dish.

3. Thank you for being on time or early.

4. If your dish can serve at least 8-12, you are on track.

Thank you again for your heart to serve and for the time you are putting into this.

FOR MORE INFO.:

Leave a comment, or contact a Socks and Gloves leader: Ann, Tyson, Mike, Kellie, or Ryan.

Soup in the Streets 10/25/08 @ 4PM

2008-10-14T00:09:00.001-07:00

Sign up by commenting below to be a part of our 2nd annual Soup in the Streets (SITS) event. We still need items listed in RED.

Chili - Mike & Kellie
Cornbread - Mike & Kellie
Table - Mike & Kellie
Table
Italian Sausage Soup - Leanne
Hearty Soup- Kellie Taco soup
Hearty Soup
Set up Tables - Mike
Set up Tables
Food Serving Set Up - Kellie
Food Serving Set Up
100 Paper Plates - Tyson
200 Plastic Spoons Tyson
100 Paper Bowls - Tyson
200 Paper Napkins Tyson
Handi-Wipe Sanitizers - Ann
Papertowels - Ann
Trash Bags - Ann
100 Hot Cups - Jeff and Jenny
Shredded Cheese - Keith & Char
Tortilla Chips - Ann
Salsa - Ann
Sliced Jalapenos- Mike and Kellie
Sour Cream
Bottled Water
Hot Chocolate
Whipped Cream
Gladware (for to-go soups)
Protein Bars - 48 Leanne
Grandma's Cookies - 66 Ann
Socks James and Monica
Wool Socks - Leanne & family
Socks - Ann
Gloves James and Monica
Scarves
Beanies
10 Throw Blankets - Ann
10 Throw Blankets - Leanne
Chapstick -
Rain Ponchos - James and Monica
Other Creative Ideas

People and Problems

2008-10-04T11:44:00.000-07:00

Wondermark has an interesting and funny commentary on how people think about homelessness: click here.

It's funny, but it's true - many people (me included) talk a lot about what needs to be done to "solve the problem of homelessness", but a lot of that talk (mine included) is just "smug ideas about stuff".

When S & G is operating at its best, it's about personal interaction with people, not about solving the problem. I think what we can offer to the people living on the streets is just that - we treat them as people, not as a problem.

Please don't misunderstand me, though - there are a lot of good people trying to solve this, and I would love for them to succeed. I think it would be wonderful to get to a point where nobody is homeless. I do not object to people or organizations working on getting us there.

I just don't think that this is the main focus of S & G - we are more about connecting with people where they are at, trying to provide a little help, since homelessness has not been solved yet.

This post seems a little bit unfocused, but I'm kind of thinking out loud here. What do you think? Does my description of S & G's raison d'être make sense? Does it match your idea?

Last Saturdays Outreach

2008-10-03T11:33:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday went well. It was good not to have a huge agenda and having fun making a difference in others evening. As the colder months approach my thoughts go to why I was moved to begin this journey. While I have a home to lay my head and my comforts and beautiful family and blessings from the Lord how can I help and love people who for whatever reason are not as fortunate and can truly be suffering from the circumstance on the street. Be advised that conversations are happening about how things have seemed to turn more transactional on the street as of late and we are keeping our thought process on how we can be more relational and intentional when we interact with others. Please pray for direction on how we can truly make a impact that can help make changes and give hope for those we come into contact with.

Homeless Voter Registration

2008-09-26T21:53:00.001-07:00

The following is a brief video from CNN. It's worth a watch and encouraging homeless friends we encounter to make sure that their votes count.

160 Granola Bars

2008-09-17T09:02:00.001-07:00

One of my neighbors named Jeanette donated 3 cases of granola bars to Socks & Gloves yesterday (160 bars). She came to my house and dropped off the Quaker bars. What a kind and thoughtful gesture. She is a big fan of granola bars and so this was a very natural way for her to be involved.

We need a new park for TIP. Got any ideas?

2008-09-09T20:27:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I went to the location of the park we have announced for this year's Turkey in the Park event to start connecting with the new park location that had been strategically chosen due to its proximity to where we do a lot of Socks and Gloves outreach. To my surprise, the park we had chosen (that I had only ever driven past until that time) has a rule (posted on signs) that if you're not accompanied by a child you're not allowed in the park.

While our TIP event is kid friendly, I'm pretty sure that signs like the ones posted at this park are specifically intended to keep both pedophiles (which we are not) and other unaccompanied adults (which we are) out of the park. This was evidenced by the 4 homeless people sitting on the ground leaning on the gate outside of the park (instead of at the tables in the empty park - seriously, not one person -- adult or child -- was in the park). Instead of rambling about my concern about this use (or lack thereof) of this public space, I'll get to the point: we need to find a new location for our Turkey in the park event. Got any ideas?

We like to have something near transit lines; but, it's even better if it's not too far off from some of our regular S&G outreaches that frequent North B/Ahearn off of 16th and St. Francis at 17th & L Streets for those who travel on foot (since they can't load their carts and tent lives on bus lines). Since we interact with a lot of people staying at or near the shelters in the industrial area of North Sac it'd be good to be in that area. ... Anyway, please carefully consider (if you're a praying person pray) and if some ideas come to mind please comment here (and soon) so that we can update and republish our Fall/Winter Events info.

Thanks in advance for all ideas offered. :)

Giving Tangible Respect

2008-09-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

It's the look in our eyes, the respectful tone in our voices, and the way we listen for an answer when we ask questions that makes our work with the homeless different.

We strive to see and honor people for who they are, not what they have (or don't have).

Join us to learn more about this dynamic and practice giving out tangible respect at our next outreach on Sept. 27th meeting up at 2255 19th Street at 5PM.

Is Denver Hiding the Homeless?

2008-08-27T21:34:00.001-07:00

I've seen several stories lately regarding the Democratic National Convention and homelessness. The gist seems to be that the homeless in Denver are being encouraged to get off the streets by some, while at the same time encouraged to participate in the DNC by homeless advocate groups. It is difficult to know who to believe since sources say so many different things and you'll get a different opinion depending on who you read. I will say that it was great to look over a Colorado Coalition for the Homeless statement and to see that this group views the convention as an opportunity to provide services to families that they provide year round. Other organizations such as the United Way are also doing the work that they normally do, but hoping to use the convention as a platform for advocacy. I came across an article of a salon owner giving haircuts for the homeless too. Here is another article from the Rocky Mountain News.

In sifting through all of the information, I would not be surprised if the typical political move of getting the homeless off the streets was embraced by political figures in Denver as it is in other cities, but I will say that it is great to see so many grassroots organizations doing what they do everyday and really working hard to assist families.

What do you think? Is this good, bad, or both?

Thoughts of Saturday the 23rd

2008-08-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

I always come away with mixed feelings every time I serve homeless friends. On one hand I want to help as many as possible but I also realize we cant help everybody. We all have different feelings about how we should be doing things but must realize there is no wrong way. We all bring something to the table and we must respect that. In some instances I feel it is not fair to give more to one (homeless friend) and none to the other but I get that it is good to be really good with some instead of stretching it all out too thin. I will always wrestle with this and the day I quit wrestling with it means I have lost passion for doing this.

Praise to God for bringing all of us together to LOVE and come along those that society tends to shun and pretend they don't see.

Thanks to all of you for your willingness to step out of your comfort zones and help bring some beauty to one corner of our community even if it was only for a few hours.

Check out some of the moments caught on film of His hands and feet bringing love to a world that can feel unfair at times.

Please comment on your thoughts & feelings... This is a good place to do that.

Hot dog BBQ @ North B & Ahern!

2008-08-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

We are meeting at Vineyard parking lot @ 5pm at 19th and W . We will gather there and then Head out to North B and Ahern to set up for our cook out. This is a great event and is a lot of fun please join us for a chance to love and to experience what the Upside-Down Kingdom can look like. If you don't make it to Vineyard on time you can still show up at North B. Please feel welcome and we will be easy to spot.

We will update this post as people make commitments on what they are bringing. Please use the comment section as well to update the community on what you plan to bring.

We need lots of Hot Dogs and Buns Mike & Kellie 50 dogs and buns

Aaron 48 Hot Dogs and Buns

98 Hot dogs and buns(Desiree, Garrett,Scottie and Danielle)

Small propane BBQ ( Trudy & Jeremy)

Camp Stove and Folding Tables( Mike & Kellie)

(maybe some tofu Hot Dogs too)

Last year we had 100 and ran out we would love to have close to 160-200 this year

Chili (large Cans from Costco) 4 - Darryl & Tiffanie
Chips(Aaron 50 single bags)( Desiree & Garrett)
Chips 60 single bags - Ann
Paper napkins(Jeannine)
Hot Dog Foils (Keith & Char)
Paper bowls for chili Ann
Plastic utensils Ann
Lots of COLD Water - Darryl & Tiffanie
Soda -Mike & Kellie, Jeannine, (soda Ice Chest with Ice)
Condiments and such Ann

The reason soda is such a hit is because lots of the people on the street deal with addiction issues and sugar can calm those urges.

20 lbs oranges Ann
Paper towels Ann
Wet Naps Ann
Paper plates Ann

Large Black Trash Bags(Aaron)

We adopt the boy scout motto here. We always want to leave a place cleaner than we found it. It has already come to our attention that local businesses are frustrated when we pass things out, because it creates Trash , We DO NOT want to be known for that. Lets do our part.

MUSIC
If you play guitar or sing we would love to have you, it creates a great atmosphere to hang out in and people really enjoy it.

TO GO ITEMS (Tyson to go goody bags)

Individually wrapped crackers - Darryl & Tiffanie
Non perishable food, clothing, toiletry items.

Well there it is. I know it seems like a lot but I know we can pull it off with great success, He has done it before and He can make it happen again. Lets being praying over the week over all the needs.

Aug. - Dec. 2008 Event Dates

2008-08-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

We hope you'll join us at one or more of our events!

A New Banner???

2008-08-12T22:42:00.001-07:00

Is there anyone in or near the Socks & Gloves family who would like to make a new blog banner for us? The one above is temporary and I'd like to see a banner that reflects who we are and maybe a sense of vision that was discussed in the previous post. As a non-designer, I made the font image above to sit there until someone will big skills came along. I know it sounds bad, but we would love to have free help. :) Thanks.

20/20 Vision

2008-08-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

Hello all.........

I have done a lot of thinking (and praying) about Socks and Gloves and this might not be the best place for this discussion but I love transparency so I am going to roll with this. I recently had someone ask me... What is your vision for Socks and Gloves? I must say it really made me stop and think. All of us have our own reasons for why we are involved in this but do we have a clear collective vision for where we see this group going into the future? We have touched on this subject a few times but I feel we have not made this clear to ourselves collectively and to people who have been involved. I can hear you thinking and I know that we all have hearts for sharing with people who have less and for those who are broken and we would all love to connect others with resources to help move them off the street.

I really Like what Ann wrote.. I have attached it below

[The central focus of Socks and Gloves homeless outreach work is to connect personally with the people we work with in a way that helps them to engage more fully in relationship with God and others via their gifts and talents. The socks, gloves, and other items we give away are really just catalysts to help us break the ice in relationship while meeting practical needs. Our goal is not to just give things away. Rather, we want to give away the love of Christ in a contagious and lasting ways.]

I would whole heartily agree this is our central focus but is this our vision as well?

I not trying to say that we need a vision statement. What I would say is that a clear vision of where we see Socks and Gloves going / headed might not be a bad thing.

I also like what Ann wrote here and I feel this really fits my vision for us.

[Socks and Gloves is a place where we hope everyone will be challenged to rethink what they believe about God and how their beliefs impact the way they interact with the people around them.]

I couldn't of said it better. Wish I wrote it!

How do you feel about it? [anybody]

Why don't we wrestle and engage this subject more often?

What a Turnout!

2008-07-28T11:04:00.001-07:00

We had such an amazing turn out on Saturday. I think there was 21 of us including Mike and myself and the kids. A huge Thank you to our Flood Community for embracing Socks and Gloves and what we are about. Mike and I were in awe and so amazed to watch all of you and the way you engaged everyone on the street. Praise God! It was truly awesome to see the way he has been working in all of our lives so we can truly be his hands and feet and see His Kingdom at work. We had some moments, with a little cat fight at North B, and some fire units came for someone who was dehydrated at the Mission. We had an amazing amount of Ice water to pass out. Some were even having water fights,and I even helped someone wash there hair with our melted ice. Good thing it was a hot day.Yikes ! It amazed me even though with the heat spirits were actually pretty high on the streets Saturday. I think we all walked away knowing peoples names and there stories and all of us were impacted by everyone out there in some way. I know that all of us have some names on our hearts that we will be Lifting up to God. I know that a little thing like cold water and some snacks does not seem like much, But giving in Love the way Jesus gave to us is what it is really all about! I had an opportunity to pray again for my friend Gail she is dealing with her sobriety and is so optimistic,I pray she continues the fight and that God would really open some doors for her to get off the street.She really has a joy about her despite her circumstances I am always so inspired by her. Again, Thank you all who came out to engaged and helped, It was a Great Day!

More pics @ http://www.floodsac.com/

Things to remember when we go out to LOVE on people!

2008-07-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

1) While we usually always find people to love on...... sometimes we don't (there are many reasons why) but don't let that discourage you because there is always next time or anytime you feel moved to do so. It is just the nature of what we do. Just relax and have a good time.

2) Use the buddy system. As it is good to stay together for safety as we never know where our friends are at on their journey.

3) If someone asks for more than one of a item "for a friend" just do it and don't feel taken advantage of because from our experience people on the street do share and look out for each other.

3) Pray! Some of us are more comfortable praying for and connecting with people quickly. We all have different gifts. Don't get frustrated with not praying or praying. Respect peoples gifts they bring to the table. Some would suggest it is good to pray with your eyes open and its okay to pray that way.

4) It's okay to show up with little amounts of gift or no gift. Sometime we need people more than things. We try and get everybody involved in distribution of love offerings.

5) We are all in this together. People need each other. Just a simple conversation and a bottle of water and some socks can really have impact on someones day. Everybody need love!

Saturday Debrief

2008-07-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is so late - I meant to post this on Sunday, and just spaced.

It's hard to write about this last event - not that anything bad happened. But it was just the classic Socks and Gloves-type outing - we handed out some backpacks with care packs inside, a bunch of sandwiches and goodies, and a whole lotta bottled water. We got to talk to some people, some of whom we'd seen before, and some of whom were new friends.

Nothing big or dramatic happened, but we got to connect with some people, and hopefully everybody was blessed in some way by it. And that's what it's all about.

Summer 2008 Dates

2008-06-18T19:19:00.001-07:00

We hope you'll join us for one or more of our events! Make sure to note out new meeting location at the Downtown Vineyard.

Thanks VCF for sharing your location and free parking with us!

To print out our Summer Events Flyer click on the link to the right in the Socks & Gloves stuff section. This will easily print flyers you can pass out to share with others.

The Mission

2008-05-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

Kel and I really had fun at the park. It is nice to just hang out sometimes but then we went to the Mission (with Ann) on a hunch that there might be people there and boy was there. I would say about 50 to 75 people were there and we passed out all our things except some clothing. I was amazed how many people hang out there that time of day. We met some real needs there..... It was good. The only problem I had was there was so many people it was hard to interact one on one..... but my heart did go out to one young man who seemed so broken and alone. I pray for him.

Sacramento Homeless Connect Event 5-31-08

2008-05-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

We are looking for volunteers to assist with our first Sacramento Homeless Connect Program on Saturday May 31st. The event will be held at Cal Expo.

The event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Volunteers are needed between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. You can volunteer for the whole day or for only a few hours.

You can sign up online at www.sacconnect.org

Join your energies to help people get eye exams, get the wheels on their bikes or wheel chairs repaired and so much more! This is the kind of event I dream of Socks and Gloves being able to put together in the future! Let's get involved. Unfortunately I'll be out of town; but, would love to hear from anyone who is able to volunteer!

Fun in the Sun this Saturday 2-4PM @ 9th & P

2008-05-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Fun in the Sun
When: 5/24/08 2-4PM
Where: Roosevelt Park @ 9th & P Streets

What We Already Have Coming:
100 Otter Pops – Mike & Kellie
40-60 Iced Bottled Water, & Sport/Juice Drinks – Ryan/Shane
2 Basket Balls – Mike & Ryan
Soccer Ball – Ryan
Basket Ball – Ryan
Ice Chest with Ice – Ryan

Carrom board – Michael & Laura
Paddle balls – Michael & Laura
Velcro ball & mitts – Michael & Laura
Orange marker cones – Michael & Laura
Coloring books and crayons – Michael & Laura
Modeling clay – Michael & Laura
Card games – Michael & Laura

What We Still Need:
Frisbee
Art paper
Paint Supplies
Side Walk Chalk
Bubbles

Park blankets to sit on, or folding chairs
Granola Bars
Packaged Nuts
Beef Jerkey

Travel Sized Kleenex (for allergy season)
Eye Glasses Cleaning Pads
Deodorant
Personal Cleansing Cloths

Add a note to the comments section to sign up. :)
Other Creative Ideas???

Cross training

2008-05-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

Adam Adrian Crown, Maître d'Armes with In Ferro Veritas, is a leading Classical Fencing master. One of the articles on his website concerns cross-training, and in it he discusses various outside activities that he believes a classical fencer should pursue that will improve their fencing. One item is particularly interesting:

Give of yourself
Work in a soup kitchen. Plant some trees. Adopt a stray. Teach someone how to read. Visit someone who's alone. Protect someone in danger. Comfort someone in pain.
Remember that strength means nothing unless you use it to help those who are not strong.
The soul of the sword is benevolence. Stand up for truth, justice and mercy.
Be sure those muscles get plenty of exercise.

I'm happy to see this, and I 100% agree with what he's saying here.

However, one of my recent frustrations has been that we all too often emphasize the benefits we get from doing good for others - we talk about our own spiritual growth or learning self discipline. I agree with all that, and those are some of the reasons I'm involved with Socks and Gloves.

At the same time, the most important reason to help people is because they need help - it's really not about me at all. Even if I get nothing from it, I still think it's something I should do. If somebody goes out with S & G and doesn't enjoy it, doesn't feel like they learned anything, that's okay - the people we are helping still received help, and that's the most important reason for doing it.

I should point out that I strongly suspect that the more you focus on their needs and the less you focus on the benefits to yourself, the greater those benefits will be.

Saturdays Outreach

2008-04-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

First and foremost I want to apologize that this has taken me so long to post. I am working on intentionality and it is a weakness.
I thought for the most part Sat. was good. I love having Monica and her Mom and Janine from Flood and I look forward to getting to know them better. I thought that with the weather being so amazing we would have had more people at the park, but I am always surprised, whenever we think we know the in's and outs we really don't. I was glad the we had some funds donated from Rulands ie. Ruofs, and from Vineyard. We had a lot of great stuff to hand out, like sunscreen and deodorant and chap stick for the warmer season. I guess I have been struggling with the fact that I didn't feel a lot of real interaction taking place. I really saw the reality of peoples brokenness, especially where addiction is concerned. It is heart braking and at the same time on such an amazing day I was having my own heart issues. I really wanted to be home having a BBQ and a beer and hanging out with my family. I wonder how long it will take me in my life to love the way Jesus loved. I long to love that way. To Not judge the pregnant addict, or the kid in Safeway stealing out of the hot food but buying a beer, or the Cops that are always harassing the homeless guys in the wheelchair at Walmart. Who is at fault there? The guy asking for money or the people that give it to him to enable the lifestyle in which he lives. These are hard questions for me. I am a judgmental person and I strive not to be! I strive to be like Jesus. I will keep striving until the day I die to Love the way he does for this amazing Kingdom that he has given us and the people in it. I am a broken person just as the homeless people I meet. There is only a home and the Love of Christ that really stands between us. I pray that this will be my attitude from this day forth.

Kellie

Startups and Charities

2008-04-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

Hacker and entrepreneur Paul Graham recently posted a fascinating essay on his website called Be Good. He makes the point that a startup in its early stages is similar to a charity - it's trying to do something that people want, and it's not too worried about money.

He goes from there to think about the idea of creating a startup instead of a charity to fix whatever issue you're passionate about. He says:

How wide is this territory? Would all good nonprofits be good companies? Possibly not. What makes Google so valuable is that their users have money. If you make people with money love you, you can probably get some of it. But could you also base a successful startup on behaving like a nonprofit to people who don't have money? Could you, for example, grow a successful startup out of curing an unfashionable but deadly disease like malaria?

I'm not sure, but I suspect that if you pushed this idea, you'd be surprised how far it would go.

As an aside, a couple of people in the comments thread pointed out that there is someone trying to create a social networking site that will focus on eradicating malaria.

This all got me thinking about helping the homeless - I can't think of a way to create a startup that would help the homeless, so I'd like to throw this idea out there to all of you - is there some radically different thing we could do here? I don't know, but it's worth thinking about.

Effect of Current Economy on the Homeless

2008-04-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

I wonder how the current economy and potential for a coming recession will effect the level of homelessness in our region as well as potential job opportunities for people on the streets. Just a thought. Nothing more for this post.

When asked for cash...

2008-04-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

I generally won't give cash to homeless people on the street when they ask for it. I suspect that there are times when the money is truly needed and will be well-spent, but I also suspect that most times giving them cash is just enabling them to pursue things that aren't healthy. I have no way of distinguishing which of those scenarios applies, so I prefer to help the homeless in other ways. I have two responses when asked for cash:

If I'm in a hurry, or broke, I say: "No, sorry".
If I have time and money, I say: "Sorry, can't give you any cash, but can I buy you something to eat?".

Here are three anecdotes from my experiences using these two comments:

1) As I was walking to a lunch meeting with some colleagues, I was telling them about Socks and Gloves. A homeless man approached us and asked for cash, and I replied "no, sorry". He responded by yelling "No time for the homeless, huh? You hate homeless people, don't you? Nice suit, but no cash to help somebody?" and on and on as we walked away. My colleagues thought this was kind of funny, but it just made me feel sad for the guy.

2) As I'm walking into Safeway, a guy asks me for cash, and I tell him that I don't have cash, but I'd be happy to buy him something to eat, and ask him what he wants. I suggested a deli sandwich, and he replied: "That's all I've had to eat for a week, and I'm honestly kind of sick of them." Then, he kind of hemmed and hawed a bit, and asked: "Would it be too much to ask for some bread and brie cheese, and water?" Then he immediately backed off from that - I distinctly remember him saying something like "sorry, sorry, that's probably not appropriate for me". I assured him that I had no problem with brie and bread. I asked him to come in with me, but he pointed out that Safeway will hassle him if he comes into the store and walks around with me. So, I went in, bought my stuff, and got him some brie, bread, and bottled water. He couldn't believe it when I came out - he was really pleased to have something good to eat other than the deli sandwiches. It was cool - we talked for a few minutes, and just connected as people.

3) Several years ago I would to a particular Starbucks three or four times a week at around 8:00 AM. There was a guy who waited outside this 'bucks every morning, asking everyone for cash. I would always offer to buy him breakfast, and he would always respond, very politely, "No thank you, my belly's full." There came a point where, due to business travel, I hadn't been there in a couple of months. My first time back, before he even asked for change, I said "Hi" to him, and he replied "No thank you, my belly's full". Then he looked surprised, and we both laughed, and ended up chatting for a few minutes.

Just handing over some cash seems like a bad idea for both sides: it encourages the hander to feel like they've done their part (even though they probably haven't really helped, and may have made things worse); and it encourages the handee to think of them as an ATM machine. It means that neither side of the transaction is really thinking about the other one as a person.

If you can give time or money, but not both, I will always encourage you to give time. You can volunteer with us (see this page for more info), or check out some of the groups listed under the "Local Resources" heading on this page. If you want to give money, well, you could help us out (see this page for more info), or again give it to one of those "Local Resources". In other words, when someone asks you for money on the street, you can either say "yes" or "no", but those aren't your only choices for helping the homeless.

I'm curious - how do you respond when asked for cash?

Do you know who R.U.O.F.S. is?

2008-04-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

Hay, Hay, Hay..........Socks and Gloves was donated 50 dollars by R.U.O.F.S. the cow (no joke). He usually sits on the corner of North B and 16th street but has been spotted in many places. If you frequent the area you have seen "R.U.O.F.S." the cow. He lives in the area and understands the need.

I tip my hat to you R.U.O.F.S. (pronounced rufus).

Springtime Socks and Gloves

2008-04-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Sutter Fort (at K & 26th Streets) is a gathering place in the twilight hours for many homeless? St. Francis Church and the nearby hospital attract many people in need of assistance.

Last Saturday after Kellie and I made the rounds at Cesar Chavez park giving out a meal to every interested party we met. After the tour at Cesar, Shane and I covered the area at Sutter Fort, and a few other key areas in midtown and downtown.

Next month we'll probably begin our focus on warmer weather items. As temperatures rise items like tee shirts, chilled bottles of water, chap stick, deodorant and other personal hygiene items become increasingly relevant. Start gathering now for our next outreach on April 26th meeting at Cesar Chavez park at 5PM.

On another note, if you want to donate funds to Socks and Gloves, tax deductible donations may now be made payable to the Vineyard (a local church in downtown Sacramento). Vineyard has graciously adopted Socks and Gloves as one of many missionary efforts they support. Make your check payable to Vineyard, and note "Socks and Gloves" in the memo section.

A Meth Video

2008-03-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

A few days ago all the major networks hosted a 30-minute documentary on meth called "Crystal Darkness". This is a problem in our region and it is definitely worthwhile to know a thing or two about this drug as we interact with others, whether on the streets or in our neighborhoods.

Click below to watch a video:

We when say "Sock" it's a noun, not a verb!

2008-03-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

This story is from the early days of doing what eventually became Socks and Gloves. Telling (or hearing someone else tell) this story always does two things to me: makes me start cracking up, and makes me blush. It's funny, but I also come off like an idiot. Oh, well.

A group of us decided that we needed to start doing something to help the homeless in Sacramento. We put together care packs and handed them out every few months. Eventually we added socks, gloves, blankets, hot chocolate, and what-have-you, and went to a monthly schedule, put up a website, started a blog.

But this story is from one of our first outings. We were handing out bags with care packs inside - soap, toothbrushes, granola bars, etc. None of had any idea where to go find groups of homeless people, and we hadn't thought about it much. I think we figured that you see enough homeless people around that we wouldn't have any trouble handing out thirty bags. Wrong! Just randomly driving around Midtown Sacramento, you aren't easily going to find that many homeless people - you have to know where they're at. Currently, we can usually give away things to thirty homeless people in an hour or less, but back then it would take us several hours because we really didn't know what we were doing.

Toward the end of the outing in question, we still had six or seven bags left that we were having trouble giving away - we just couldn't find anybody else. As we were driving under a freeway overpass we saw a homeless guy on our right. I shouted at Dan, who was driving, "There's one! Pull over!" As Dan squealed to a halt, I leaped out of the car with a bag in hand and started to say to the guy "here's a bag with..." but he immediately turned around and started running away in sheer terror.

Okay, ha ha, kind of funny, mostly lame that we scared the guy that bad. But that's not the really embarrassing part. The embarrassing part is that I started chasing the guy down the street, holding up the care pack and screaming "I have a bag! With stuff in it! For you!". Oddly enough, this behavior was not quite non-threatening enough to get him to stop sprinting away, so, after about a half a block, I abandoned pursuit.

As I'm typing this in the coffee shop, I'm kind of giggling and blushing. Never fails.

The good news is that we've learned a ton since then - we have a much better idea of where to find homeless people to give things too, and we've also figured out better ways to approach them so that we respect them instead of just scaring them to death. Hopefully, our enthusiasm is still just as high, though.

Welcome to the new Socks & Gloves Blog

2008-03-22T08:01:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone. Welcome to www.socksandgloves.blogspot.com. This is our new blog. We switched from our old blog because this new address will be much easier to remember. This blog will be used to talk about Socks & Gloves stuff, but also local and global issues as we see fit.

March - June 2008 Outreach Dates

2008-03-03T23:41:00.000-08:00

We've updated our bookmarks to reflect outreach dates through the Spring. Here's the latest version. Make note of the time changes to our March & April dates.

Click image to enlarge.

Test Post # 1

2008-03-03T21:29:00.000-08:00

This is a test post. Soon we will switch blogs to this fine place and it will be so much easier to have a simple blog URL instead of the old one.