50 Cards Prelude

As many of you know, I posted on facebook asking for people who wanted to participate in my trip.  They could do so by purchasing $5 gift cards from Dunkin Donuts, or Starbucks.  They provide the cards, and I would give them out to the homeless during my trip. The response was great!  I took 44 cards with me.  I only have one left. (People had originally given money enough for 50 cards, but $40 given turned into 4 $10 Starbucks cards.  Also someone gave $6 toward 2 gift cards.  This money was given in cash.)  Essentially, there were 50 cards.

I want to thank you all for participating.  I also want to thank people who donated money for my trip.  All the money either went to lodging or travel expenses.  Without your wanting to participate and be a part of the journey, it would be much more difficult.

When I put the post on facebook, I did not realize the responsibility I would feel over each and every card and penny that was given.  Some people might think, “How hard can it be giving out gift cards to people who need them?”  Well I’m here to tell you, it’s not easy. 

 I would introduce myself, with the exception of A.B whom I had a lapse in my approach.   I would always ask their name; how long they had been on the street; what brought them to it, and, of course, if they had faith.  I tried not to script it, and go with what was on my heart, so I didn’t get this information from all of them.  Some I could not understand due to speech impairment or their inability to communicate clearly. 

I would get to the part, in the conversation, where I would pull out the card and tell them that it was for them.  (At times I felt like the Prize Patrol for the homeless of NYC.  “And now here’s what you’ve won!) I would make sure they remembered what my name was, and point to the name of the giver on the card.  This part I scripted, because I felt that it was important for them to understand that it wasn’t just the person who was standing in front of them that cared about them, but the person who purchased the card for them also cared about them. Gauging their reaction, I think the impact was greater because that meant there were two individuals in this world who cared about them. I wish I could have taken a picture of their reactions.  It was priceless. When I first approached them, their faces would show discouragement.  When I got to the part that I said someone else thought of you too, their faces lit up.  They smiled.  They accepted

The next few blogs are their stories.  Some do not have pictures, because they requested no picture be taken.  Some the story is scant.  These were either speech impaired or just didn’t want to give out the information.

I have listed them in chronological order; the person’s name is first, Card given by with the initials of the person providing the card, the date of the encounter, and sometimes where I met them.

They will be divided accordingly, so you won’t have them all in one blog.

Again, thank you all for participating.  This couldn’t have happened without you

Enjoy!