Archive for the 'News' Category
Street Sights is looking for more people to join the Staff. We are all volunteers, and the work we do is from the heart. We need reporters, writers, photographers and researchers. If you are interested, come to one of our meetings at the George Hunt Center, 121 Mathewson Street in Downtown Providence every Saturday at 3pm or Email us at: streetsights@gmail.com
An Ode To Life
By Timothy Seal
Such is the life of an old sea snail
Silently sauntering within the boundaries of the sea
Unable to comprehend the beauty engulfing it
Simply because it is an old sea snail
Try to imagine what it is like to sleep on a hard grimy floor in an environment that stinks of urine. Aside from the stench, you are vulnerable to any person that happens upon you as you sleep. There are predators, and for this reason your “pillow” contains your most valuable possessions and the rest of your bags are nestled tight against you.Still imagining? Think about what it must be like to wake up having none of the common comforts that most people have. There is no toilet, no shower, no Mr. Coffee, no privacy, just your belongings. Even though you need to use a bathroom, the reality is that there are very few and the distance between them makes walking difficult. Businesses selectively make their restrooms available and they are not hospitable to the downtrodden. Think hard about this one until you squirm a bit; you are not at all vital to society or you would at least have a regular restroom to use; the most basic human function.
Now, exhaust odor mixes with the urine stench as the street below becomes alive with noisy traffic. Being in the Arcade and all, you are smack in the middle of what is known as the “Financial District” of downtown Providence. As you step out onto the sidewalk, you are facing the front of the luxurious Hampton Inn. The sidewalk is filled with busy people scurrying about, with briefcases or back packs — purposeful.
You are sore from sleeping on a hard floor; you are hungry and the weight of your belongings is already starting to drain you. You have no pep. You avert your eyes as you plod along because if you look you will see the smugness, the judgmental stares, or worse, they look right through you.
You might head to a spot that serves breakfast to the homeless or perhaps you know of a place where you can at least freshen up a bit. You usually really have nowhere to go. No matter how you spend your day, however, your goal is always survival: getting fed, avoiding extreme temperatures, protecting belongings and having a place to rest your head.
Now, envision a life without a single person that genuinely cares about you. You have peers, acquaintances, some you even call “friends.” Sadly, they are mostly survivors like you; living day to day, seeking their own creature comforts, almost dog eat dog. You do not have two nickels to rub together or a rock to stand on.
So, where will you sleep tonight? The urine soaked floor? A sidewalk, or in a patch of woods, standing up…”
Will you find shelter if it rains?
The Midnight Moment Outreach to the Downtrodden
1643 Warwick Avenue PMB 171
Warwick, RI 02889
(401) 837-0861
midnightmoment2@verizon.net
“One measure of likeness to Christ is sensitivity to the suffering of others.”
Ernest B. Marot, a lifetime resident of Pawtucket, died Tuesday, April 26th. He had run the Pawtucket Soup Kitchen. We wrote his experiences and gave him our Rainbow Award Nov. 2009 (page 4). Also, this February (page 11) we wrote of his continuing volunteer efforts.
Ernie was the Faculty Chef for Providence College for 18 years, retiring in 1993. He then went on to a lifelong dream of feeding the hungry by founding the Pawtuckey Soup Kitchen, running it for another 18 years. He was awarded the Jefferson Award (NBC Channel 10) and is in the Pawtucket Hall of Fame. He is known for helping others. He has run a program to help get Christmas gifts for homeless children and raised about 1/4 million dollars for the Meeting Street School, a school for disadvantaged children.
He leaves his wife and three of his five children. He has 8 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.
Burial was at Notre Dame Cemetery. It was suggested that gifts in his memory be made to the Pawtucket Soup Kitchen or ALS Association in Warwick.
Melissa Howard and Louisa Smith
By Stan Kapelewski
On Wednesday, April 13th Serve Rhode Island had their VolunCheers 2011 event at Twin Rivers in Lincoln, Rhode Island to recognize all of the outstanding volunteers in the State.
Melissa Howard and Louisa Smith received the award for their incredible volunteer work at Street Sights. Cassandra Tribe received the award from the Beacon Hospice for her friendly visits and vigil work with terminally ill patients.
Congratulations! Thanks for all that you do!
By Erik GouldNot so long ago Nicholas Lowinger had a revelation. He says, “not too many people think about donating shoes, and when they do mostly what they donate are very used shoes.” Nicholas is in the seventh grade and for as long as he can remember, he has been giving clothes and other items to anyone who needs them, especially to other children. According to his mother Lori, Nicholas has always been that kind of kid. Together they visited shelters and homes throughout the state making donations and visiting with people. It was on one of those visits where Nicholas met a little boy who needed new shoes, but all Nicholas had that day was a pair of boots that were too big for the boy. Nicholas wished he had some that would fit the boy better. That’s when he knew he wanted to provide new shoes for needy children.
“A lot of people think that just because someone is homeless that anything you give them they will be happy. But just because someone has a different financial status from you doesn’t mean that they don’t also like to get new things once in a while, just like you do.” Beyond just having something new, he goes on to explain that for everybody, shoes are a very personal piece of clothing, “Everyone wears their shoes differently,” and wearing shoes that do not have a proper fit can cause back problems and all sorts of other health problems. Continue reading ‘You Gotta Have Sole’