Stories

The weather was beautiful on Sunday, so K&A was busy, as usual, with some new people as well as the regulars. I talked for a little while with A, who told me that he is a veteran and a former union worker. He was recently released from prison to the streets. He...

We were talking with M at the bridge today, and he told us he recently got his hair cut by a group who comes out on the streets and gives haircuts to people for free. He talked about how they took before and after photos of him, and said he didn’t really like that. He...

Sunday in Kensington was a gorgeous spring day. While we were hanging out near the Huntingdon el stop, a young man approached us and said, "I just got off the el and saw you guys and wanted to say 'this is a sign that god is still...

Sometimes a Sunday in Kensington looks like this: Sitting with 84-year-old JD, looking at the old photos he pulled out of the worn duct-taped envelope. Hearing stories of his life - his wife who left him, his son who passed years ago of AIDS, his truck-driving career....

Sunday in Kensington was cold and busy. A chilly day after a warm one usually means we will have lots of requests for cold weather items - gloves, hats, scarves, blankets and hoodies. We always run out, even though our friends and members of AIM keep us well-stocked...

It was extremely cold in Kensington today. We reminded a few of our angels that a ton of snow is expected tomorrow night into Tuesday. How does that work if you sleep outside on a mattress and all your belongings are out in the open? While I was on my way to...

Today was a good, busy day. We laughed so much, even in the bitter cold with numb toes and fingers. I saw quite a few regulars, like S, who tells us week after week that he’s just about ready for treatment. He’s one of my favorites, one of the guys I look for each...

We were all happy to see N again today. He looked good - new clothes, haircut, smile on his face. He shared the story behind the new clothes and haircut - he was panhandling on the corner the other day and heard someone call his name. He looked over at the car and saw...

Sometimes when I come home from Kensington I feel so hopeless and angry. Like, how can this possibly get better? Seems like it’s just getting worse. So many people are down there suffering. We hear such heartbreaking stories, see so many of the same people out there....

When we go to Kensington, we hope that we don’t see some of our favorite angels down there again. On the other hand, if we don’t see them, we worry about where they are. Have they OD’d? Did they go to treatment? (That’s what we hope for.) Sometimes we hear about them...

We met L, a sweet young guy, at K&A today. He serenaded us with a song called Scars to Your Beautiful, singing off-key with a big smile. As we talked, I noticed he had a bandage on his hand. I asked if he was ok, and if he wanted Josie, who is a nurse, to take a...

I met an artist in Kensington today who also happens to be homeless. His art supplies were: a small piece of cardboard, two pieces of paper and a pen. He was very excited to show us his work and when I asked if I could take a picture he happily said yes. As an artist,...