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Hope Among
The Homeless

Volunteer is inspired by those he helps.

streets for the past two years after she left an abu-
sive relationship, had lost two sons to AIDS and now
hen a heavy snowfall suddenly appeared has a third son in prison, but who, nevertheless,
at the University of Michigan football
assured us that she’ll be OK since “the Lord gives
game on a recent Saturday, the crowd
me strength.”
began to cheer as cheerleaders formed snow angels
A 49-year-old man known on the streets as
on the sidelines and fans tossed snowballs in
“Knowledge” has a reputation as a poet and a phi-
the stands. Winter fun, if only momentarily, had
losopher. Knowledge told anyone who would listen
arrived.
that “Jesus was homeless, too” and that as he looks
About 40 miles southeast of Ann Arbor, in
to Thanksgiving, he is “very hopeful” since “things
Detroit, that same snowfall signaled something
always work out for me.”
ominous to the roughly 20,000 homeless people in
Many folks expressed thanks for simply being
the city: The dreaded, long and cruel winter months alive, especially since they all felt an increase in the
were returning, and with it the undeniable reality
harassment or violence to homeless people in the
that their harsh existence was
past year. Brian, 54, tells of
about to get tougher.
the time a group of young
Homelessness continues to
adults “threw an M-80 [a
plague Detroit where about 25
powerful firecracker] at me
percent of the homeless are
while I was sleeping” and
children and 20 percent suffer
then took off laughing.
from mental illness. Shelters
He’s known other home-
and warming centers face
less people who have been
budget tightening, and reports
spit on or hit by cars, and
of harassment and violence
recently he lost a friend
against the homeless are
who had been sleeping in
increasing at an alarming rate.
an abandoned building
Last month, a nonprofit
that had been lit on fire.
serving the homeless, Heart
But Brian was not bitter or
2 Hart Detroit, held a pre-
angry. When I asked what
Thanksgiving event at Hart
he wishes for, his answer
Larry Oleinick of Farmington Hills addresses
Plaza. The group distributed
was quick and simple: “I just
the group of recipients and volunteers.
new winter coats, socks, hats,
want some shoes.”
hand-warmers, along with
Lee, 66, is one of the lucky
lunch and hot soup, courtesy
ones. Lee is a college graduate
of Mex restaurant in Bloomfield Hills.
and, just recently, with Heart 2 Hart’s help, landed a
Each year during the holidays the group hosts a
job as a teacher, which enabled him to get an apart-
similar event to help people prepare for winter with ment. He says he is “most grateful” for the ability to
this year’s event funded, in large part, by the efforts
“bathe daily.” Lee is quick to express his patriotism
of two incredible 15-year-old girls, Bree Gross and
and says “all Americans should be thankful for the
Emma Sable, who solicited support from their class- bounty we have.”
mates at Cranbrook Kingswood School.
That patriotism was especially on the mind of
With Thanksgiving only days away, many of the
Manny, 70, an ex-Marine who says he is “proud to
homeless folks were reflective on the holiday and
have served my country.” Manny served in Vietnam,
what it personally meant for them during this dif-
just as his father served in WWII and his grandfa-
ficult time in their lives. But if the volunteers at Hart ther in WWI. He says he marched with Dr. Martin
Plaza were expecting to hear sadness and despair,
Luther King in Montgomery, which taught him
they were clearly mistaken. Despite facing daily
not to hate, a trait that he says serves him well in
struggles unimaginable to the suburbanite volun-
dealing with homelessness. Manny’s positive inner
teers, the homeless folks were surprisingly upbeat, a spirit is contrasted by his scarred face and ragged
sentiment as shocking as it was inspirational.
white beard, which reveal the harshness of his years.
There was Coleman, 71, a Vietnam veteran with
Manny grew up in Alabama and, now when he
a warm smile, telling us that he was confident that
thinks about the future, his greatest wish is to go
next Thanksgiving is going to be different and he
back home one day and go fishing.
“can’t wait.”
As the event was ending, the volunteers were
Or Martha, also 71, who had been living in the
packing up, going back to their warm and safe

Mark Jacobs | Special to the Jewish News

W

26 December 29 • 2016

houses in the suburbs, while the homeless
folks were scattering throughout Downtown,
with new winter coats, a large bag of new sup-
plies and a cup of soup in their hands. Two of
them, both deaf, were walking together and
smiling at each other.
The scene was, to me, poignant and pro-
foundly sad. But as I stood there, numbed by
the thought of what lay ahead for all of these
folks, Coleman, the 71-year-old optimist,
turned to me, smiled and said, “Remember,
we ain’t nobody’s victim.”
Sometimes inspiration comes from the
most unexpected places and the most unlike-
liest of people.

*

Mark Jacobs is chair of Heart 2 Hart Detroit.

TOP: Jodie Gross of
Franklin assists in
distributing a new
winter coat, one of 100
coats distributed.

BOTTOM: Bree Gross
of Franklin and Emma
Sable of Bloomfield
Hills distribute
socks, gloves and
hand warmers to the
homeless at Hart Plaza.