So, I was walking down Franklin Street the other day, just minding my own business, heading to grab some coffee.
Saw that homeless man again. You know the one, usually sits near the corner bookstore. Doesn’t say much, just holds a sign sometimes. Seeing him always gets me thinking. It’s easy to just walk past, maybe feel a bit bad, then forget about it by the time you reach the next block.
Honestly, for a long time, that’s exactly what I did. What can one person really do, right? Feels overwhelming. But seeing him day after day, it just started grinding on me. Felt kind of useless just thinking about it.
My Little Experiment
So, I decided to try something. Not some grand gesture, just a small thing I could actually manage. I figured, okay, instead of just feeling awkward or giving spare change now and then, maybe I could prepare something useful.
Went to the dollar store one afternoon. Just started grabbing stuff:
- Socks: Heard these are always needed. Got a few pairs.
- Water bottles: Small ones, easy to carry.
- Granola bars: Something filling, non-perishable.
- Wet wipes: For cleaning up a bit.
- Maybe some hand warmers in the winter.
Got home, took a bunch of gallon-size ziploc bags. Started stuffing them. Made like five or six packs. Just put them together on my kitchen table. Felt kinda strange doing it, but also… purposeful? Then I just stuck them in the trunk of my car.
Putting it into Practice
Didn’t really have a plan. Just thought, next time I see someone who looks like they could use it, I’ll offer one. Took a few days. Was driving near the overpass downtown, saw a woman sitting there with a backpack.
Pulled over nearby, grabbed one of the bags. Walked up. Felt super awkward, not gonna lie. Just said something like, “Hi, I put together a few things, thought maybe you could use this?”
She just looked at the bag, then at me. Took it, said a quiet “Thanks.” That was it. I just nodded and walked back to my car. Drove off.
It wasn’t a big movie moment. Didn’t solve her problems. Didn’t solve the Franklin Street guy’s problems. But it felt… concrete. Like I’d actually done a small thing instead of just passively observing and feeling bad.
Been doing it off and on since then. Keep a few bags in the car. Sometimes people say no thanks, sometimes they take it. It’s not much, I know. The big problems are still there. But going through the motions – buying the stuff, packing the bags, having them ready – it shifted something for me. Made me feel less like a spectator.
