I then sat down on the cold concrete next to him and thought about what it must have been like to sit there all day long. I can see his spot outside the grocery store from my office window, and each time I looked outside on this unusually cold and foggy April day, I saw him curled up on the ground. I introduced myself and asked him his name. He said his name was Willy, and immediately launched into an almost apologetic explanation of why he wasn't at the homeless shelter. "I try to sleep there one or two nights a week when I have the $20 cash, but the place is just so full of bed bugs and I hate having the bites all over me for days." I certainly don't blame him! He said the other nights of the week when it's too cold to sleep outside, he heads to one of the nearby hospitals, where the security guards generally don't kick him out until around 5 a.m. I wondered how he had become homeless to begin with, and he said he shared an apartment with his brother up until about five years ago. His brother had contracted AIDS from a random hook-up and unfortunately passed away, leaving Willy broke and out on the streets. He had eight brothers and four sisters, but four other brothers were killed in gang violence several years ago. He no longer has any contact with any of his remaining family members, not even during the holidays, although they all reside on the south side of Chicago.
I asked Willy about a job. He said years and years ago (he is now 52, but I have to say has aged remarkably well despite his circumstances) he used to work for a furniture company near McCormick Place, but he became an alcoholic and lost the job. Although he hasn't had a drink since, he said he has a hard time finding work now because every place requires you to have a phone, or at the very least a permanent address.
While Willy and I were chatting on this somewhat busy street corner, several people passed us. One woman walked by with a small white dog, and she waved hello to Willy. He said he sees her every day. Not many people take the time to talk to him, but he said he always watches out for the ones who do. "Nobody will ever be messing with my people. If they try, they'll learn real quick they came to the wrong place!" Willy certainly seems to have had a hard go at life, but it's nice to know that through it all, his heart is still in the right place.
I enjoyed chatting with Willy, and as he's usually camped out along one of my routes home from work, I'm sure I'll chat with him again sometime. All in all I would also consider this a successful first week, and I hope to continue The Give and Bake Project by meeting other homeless people in my area. I would like to incorporate more photos, but for some reason I would have felt like a creeper just asking Willy for his photo for my blog- maybe I'll delusionaly convince myself that I'm not a weirdo by next week and take some next time.
Until then, I'm hoping the rain holds out for my new friend, and that he falls asleep tonight with a happy and full tummy. :)
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 1 (18.5 oz) box of spice cake mix
- 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin
Simply mix these two ingredients together. At first it will seem like the mix is too dry and that it won't blend, but trust me, it will. Feel free to add raisins, nuts, or any other mix you love (my favorite is chocolate chips!). Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet (heads up- these cookies don't spread. However they are dropped is how they will come out!). Bake on 350 for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Try not to overbake, but if by chance you do, seal in a ziploc bag overnight and they'll come out soft and moist in the morning! These are really more like muffin tops than cookies, but regardless, they are a delicious treat that couldn't possibly be any easier! Yums!
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