March 04, 2015
A Proposal For Cold City Nights: "One Night, One Person".
From a humanitarian standpoint, this idea doesn't even make the team. It's not lofty enough to get a movie made about any of us. Think of it simply as refusing to randomly run over someone you don't know with your car.
The cold has already claimed lives of street sleepers all over the world this winter. Tonight, Thursday March 5 and tomorrow night, Friday, March 5, most Northeastern American cities and several Midwestern ones will see nighttime temperatures drop to between 0 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
The "One Night, One Person" idea is that if you work during the day in downtown areas of one of certain American cities--i.e., you're a young or old yuppie, exec or professional between the ages of 22 and 72, and politics are right wing, left wing, nihilist, Ted Nugent, Rand Paul's dad--with significant homeless populations, your are asked go forth and do this:
1. Ask one homeless man or woman what articles of warm clothing they need that you already have (thermal gloves, wool scarfs, headwear and beanies, big sweaters, winter coats, thermal underwear, socks, etc.) you already have (and you likely do); and
2. Bring it to them either that day or the next day.
Don't worry, nine out of ten times, they will be there when you show up. And that's it. You can do One Night, One Person* this year or next year on any cold night. And you can start right away.
I've made this exercise part of my routine ten times in the last three weeks--at night and during daytime in downtown Washington, D.C., where I live and work--to see if it works, and it does. Not time-consuming. Not scary. From a humanitarian standpoint, this idea doesn't even make the team. It's not lofty enough to get a movie made about any of us. Think of it simply as refusing to randomly run over someone you don't know with your car. None of us should get kudos or gold stars for basic human-beingness. If bitter cold one might can make someone suffer or die, and it's easy for us ensure that neither happens, we do that.
Here are just some of the cold cities this week where you can do this, all with big homeless (and pretty big yuppie) populations: Baltimore (homeless population 4,500), Washington, D.C.(7,700), New York City (60,000 in shelter system, 5,500 on streets), Chicago (62,000 metro area) and Indianapolis (5,000 to 8,000, all Marion County) to name some. Sure, some will find shelters or get put up in hotels this week. But not everyone, and you can get a good idea of who they are on your way to work in the early morning and on your way home.
One again, find them, ask them what they really need (or they can trade; someone will get it) and then bring your stuff back at an appointed timer that day or the next day. Me? My stuff? I had 31 scarfs, about 10 pairs of gloves, over 25 sweaters. Stuff I've had in some cases since the Beatles split up and never wore, including cashmere (very warm, by the way) because no one apparently noticed that since I was 10 or so that I only wore black or dark outfits even back then. I'm too vain to wear lighter colors. (I'm glad I don't have to tell you about the ties). I did keep my letter sweaters and my Dad's--the guy had five through high school and college--but anything else was fair game. A new and amazing thing I tried, and you should, too: give away some stuff you really like.
Yes, the Catch: you have to talk to them. The homeless. The street sleepers. Or in the UK "those who are sleeping rough". But it's the best part. If you're not talky, pretend you're that man or woman you know or know of--your gabby senior class president in high school, your Uncle Seamus, my own Mom, Bill Clinton, or me--who can talk to anyone. You'll be surprised, as I was, with some of the conversations you'll have. If you are nervous or doing this at night, take someone with you. If you're in DC--and I'm not helping corporate America pay less in environmental fines or firing another guy named either Josh or Brendan--I will go with you.
There are so many different reasons people end up sleeping on the streets. But on a cold night, it shouldn't matter why. Few if any of the folks you will talk to are overtly nuts, stoned or drunk. However, if you are threatened or just feel threatened, walk away. Safety first, and all that. Please consider doing this NOW, for tonight and tomorrow night. If it's a go, you'll have to jump on this.
The cold has already cut short several American lives this winter. No need for more.
*Thanks, Peter Friedman, for the input on this and the "One Night, One Person" name.
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That's the idea, David Beckham and skinny metrosexual guy. And give it up. London homelessness, by the way, is up 79% in last five years.
Posted by JD Hull at 04:22 PM | Comments (0)