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The 2011-2012 Stop The Bleeding Outreach
Winter has arrived once again - I think? It says
so on the calendar, but the temperatures of late seem to be stuck in some knd of weird zone between Fall and Winter. Soon
enough, though, it will be COLD like we're used to, and unfortunately, like the homeless
are used to dealing with as well, and so we will be hitting the streets once again to bring some protection from the cold
to those who need it. This year we will be hitting Cambridge, Allston,
the South End, Haymarket/North End, and Downtown Crossing/Boston Common areas. REALLY hoping we can do this with some
sort of transportation this year, but either way we'll get it done. Thanks again to everyone who donated something to our
Winter Clothing Drive - a lot of it will be coming with us and will be hand delivered to those
who need it - we'll keep you posted.
Peace and Warmth
Outreach Update #1
2-8-12
So here we are in February and we haven't gone out at all to do our thing. Several reasons for this -
1. We
were sick on and off from Christmas well into mid January.
2. We still have
no transpo and no fundage with which to get transpo. The on-foot thing is okay but ultimately not very efficient, as
we've mentioned here before. Also, we have larger items like coats that would be extremely difficult to have to
cart all over town by hand.
3. Until
recently, it hasn't really been majorly dangerously cold, due to this odd Winter we're having, which is actually a
good thing for the homeless.
All that said, it has gotten significantly
colder now, and here we sit still unable to effectively do our Outreach. This is really disappointing
and frustrating because it just seems as if this Outreach has not only come to a stop, but has completely gone in reverse
in leaps and bounds, which just drives me freaking nuts, it really does.
Whatever. We do
what we can, it's just irritating six years into it to be stuck.
That said, we'll probably end
up sucking it up and hitting the streets old school on foot again, the only other option being
not going out at all.
We'll keep you posted.
Peace
The 2011 Stop The Bleeding Outreach
Even though I've lived in New England
my entire life, there's always a point at which I'm caught off guard by the fact that it's gotten really nasty cold and
it's going to stay that way for quite some time. That time has arrived for this year, so we'll be starting up the Stop
The Bleeding Outreach to get the essential Winter clothing items out to those who live on the streets of Boston in terrible
conditions. We'll be rolling with a slightly different strategy this year - instead of waiting until the absolutely coldest
day has arrived, we're going to watch the forecasts more closely and go out a day or two before the coldest days so we can get
these things out to the people ahead of time, so when the weather actually hits, they'll allready have what they need, as
opposed to us trying to find them at the last second. The city does a good job with their sweeps on those dangerously
cold nights, but the homeless are pretty easy to find out there the rest of the time, which, unfortunately, includes times
when temperatures are still below freezing, so in the interest of being more effective with our outreach we're switching
it up a little.
And........................here
it comes - my annual appeal to anyone with a vehicle who might be interested in helping us cover a larger area
by chauffering us some night - that would definitely help us get more Winter clothing out to more people.
As always we'll keep you posted with
periodic updates on this page.
Peace and keep the fire burnin'.
Outreach Update #3
4-8-11
So here we are in April, with the dangerously cold
temperatures more or less done with for the season, and I'm sorry to say we've done almost nothing this past Winter as far
as passing out clothing to the homeless. This Outreach has pretty much come to a complete, grinding, scraping, uncomfortable halt, due to
several factors. I'll tell you what, next Winter we're completely overhauling this Outreach - no more waiting for someone
with a car to help us out with this, because we've been doing this for 5 years and it hasn't happened yet. We will be setting
some of the STB money that we will hopefully have in our limited expense budget aside specifically
for weekend car rentals, and we will be expanding this thing outward to where the people are. Period. Our Winter clothing
drive that I do where I work garnered almost nothing - usually it's good for 400-500 items of clothing donated in
one Winter - this Winter I think about 70 or so. I had vowed to take it online this year, and I didn't - I really wish
I had now, but live and learn - next year. That's about it here - as always we're striving to do this more effectively and
as always that's difficult but we'll figure it out ASAP.
Peace
Chris
Outreach Update #2
2-16-11
Well, we haven't gone out again yet, due to a combination of scheduling and
warmer temperatures, plus we want to plan it well so as to accomplish more.
So this past weekend we went out for recreational purposes,
which brought us into a couple different areas of downtown Boston -
the North End and Back Bay -
as well as Cambridge. Before heading out we decided to bring some of
the Outreach Winter clothing, because it seems like every time we go out for recreation we see people who could really use
these items, but we don't have anything with us because we weren't expecting to see anybody. Sure enough, we came across several
homeless people who were out there without anything to protect them from the cold. We actually came across more
people in about half an hour's time, without really looking, than we have in the last 3 Outreach
trips combined. Go figure. I'm glad we brought the stuff, and we will continue to do so, as this may be the best way to do
this. However we get it done is fine with me. We're still plotting our mega-weekend-with-a-car Outreach,
but it's getting warm this weekend,
so not this weekend but soon - when it inevitably drops back down to below freezing again.
Til then...
Outreach Update #1
1-21-11
So
we went out last night - only to run into the same "problem", if you
can call it that, that we've been running into - not finding many people out there. This is good, for obvious reasons, but
not good for a less obvious reason - they're still out there - we're just not finding them effectively.
We found one guy - and I'm glad we did, because he
had no gloves, and now he does, so that's always good. The problem is we keep going out and spending a lot of time finding
a small amount of homeless people.
So here we go - time to
use a little of that money that was donated to us to help cover our costs for 2011. The next time out, we will be renting
a vehicle for a weekend and doing not 1, but 5 or 6 Outreach runs - one Friday night, one in the
day and night on Saturday and the same on Sunday. I believe daytime may be the key, because I see the homeless out there
all the time when I'm at work. And if we still don't find a lot of people after all that, then at least we know we did what
we could to the full extent of our limited resources. We will also be hitting different neighborhoods in the Boston area instead
of the one we tend to frequent - this should inevitably help us to connect to more homeless people and get them what they
need.
We'll keep you posted.
The 2010 Stop The Bleeding Outreach
Winter is here, and it has officially
staked it's claim - it's gotten mighty COLD around here,
as it always does this time of year, sending us out to the streets of Boston to try to keep the homeless something that resembles warm.
In Winters past we've made a point of
going out on the absolutely coldest nights - the problem with that strategy is that the city also typically does a sweep of
the homeless on those same nights, making it difficult to find any homeless.
The problem with that is that they end
up back out on the streets again shortly thereafter, so we're basically missing them and therefore not getting the hats
and gloves out to them.
So, in the interest of getting the job
done, this year we will be going out a day or two in advance of the brutally cold days. This way, unfortunately, we will see
many more homeless people out on the streets, but we will be able to get them what they need. We will also be targeting different
areas of town, whether it be by car or the hard way on foot and via the T. And you know what? We never get used to seeing
these people out on the streets. It's still just as depressing as when we started this.
I guess that's good? Whatever.
We will not stop until we don't need
to do this anymore. And that IS possible. It is.
That said, we could really use some
help from someone with a vehicle - a one-time couple hour venture to help those in need - if anybody's interested
please contact us via this website. We will keep you posted as always with Outreach updates on this page throughout the
Winter.
Peace
and be warm - STB
Outreach Update #1.5 3-27-10
Hey everybody - just an update on why we haven't posted any updates.
Even though certain areas of Massachusetts have been absolutely pummeled by severe Winter weather, downtown Boston
and the areas that we focus on haven't really had the extreme conditions that bring us out to do the Outreach. Given
the limited supply of winter items we have and our limited transportation options, this winter we've just been waiting for
the right time to go out, which, with the exception of our first trek out, hasn't really come. Not complaining - the less
we go out that means the better it is for the homeless, so we'll hold on to what we've got and we'll be ready for next Winter,
hopefully armed with some transpo that will help us maximize our coverage area when we go out. If, however, Winter attempts
a Spring comeback like we know it can, we'll be back out. If not we'll do our thing again when it gets cold again. Til then...
Outreach Update #1
1-29-10
Greetings
from the Stop The Bleeding Outreach as we give you the first update of 2010.
So we went out to downtown Boston last
night. Typically in the past we've intentionally gone out on the absolutely coldest nights of the Winter in an attempt to
get the Winter clothing out to the homeless when they need it the most, but after a few outings last Winter where, due to
the city also targeting the coldest nights to do their sweeps, we found virtually no one out there, we decided to change
our strategy a little. Unfortunately for many homeless people, being brought in for the night means just that, and they are
still out there the rest of the day and nights when it's not as brutally cold, but still well below freezing. And so we decided
to go out the night before it gets really bad, so in theory they have protection from the cold
before it's upon them. Funny thing about that - what was supposed to be a 20 minute snow squall
during the day ended up being an intermittent on and off all day snow storm. Not a lot of snow , really, but this "squall"
reached it's peak just as we were going out. That just says to me we picked exactly the right time to go out.
We hit our usual area of Downtown
Crossing + Boston Common, and were immediately hit with a cold wind that cut right through us, layers and all. We only
found 4 people, 1 of whom wanted nothing to do with us. The other 3 had no coats. No coats. In January - in New England - outside - all
night. Unbelievable. Fortunately, the Stop The Bleeding Winter clothing drive had recently
received some Winter coats, which we had with us.
Damn right.
That's how this is supposed to
work.
Kind of depressing, as always, that we
can't do more to help these people, but we'll do what we can. Also, we know there are more than 4 people sleeping on
the streets out there. Our lack of a vehicle limits our ability to hit more than one area at a time, so next time out
we will be focusing on another part of town to be determined, and possibly a different time of day as well.
We'll keep you posted.
Peace from STB
The 2009 Stop The Bleeding Outreach
Global Warming,
eh?
Hmmm...
Admittedly, I
don't know much about the theory or how legit it is or isn't, but here's what I do know - right here, right now it is
NASTY COLD,
like it always is this time of year. I love Winter, but it is depressing
to see that not much has changed in terms of people sleeping out in the cold in our great city. People with no
hat, no gloves, nothing. In some cases no coat, and once in a great while no
shirt. Unfathomable, really, but it's going on, which is why we will specifically be going
out on the coldest nights again this Winter to pass out what we can. As always with everything we do, we will be keeping you
posted with updates on how it's going.
Warmest wishes,
STB
Outreach Update #2
2-6-09
Last night boasted
a temp of about 3 degrees and a wind chill of well below zero, so we went out. Good News - we found NO
ONE. I'm not sure what this means - maybe the city is doing a better job with it's "sweeps"(this
is what they call it when they go out and try to get the homeless inside for the night when it's really cold out). When we
first started going out to do this a couple years ago, we would find anywhere between 12-20 people out there, but recently
it's been more like 6-10. We're not complaining, believe me. The less people out there the better.
I know there
are undoubtedly some homeless people out there that we didn't get to, but we're doing what we can. I just hope that the city's
efforts extend beyond just a quick sweep here and there. I hope. And we do currently have a Governor who seems to be
determined to do something about homelessness. Time will tell I suppose, but the smaller numbers of people out in
the dangerous cold is very encouraging.
Kinda strange
I guess to say we're glad we went out for nothing last night, but we are. It makes me think about what it could be like someday
in this country, and in every country. Imagine walking down a city street and NOT seeing homeless people out there. It's REALLY hard to imagine it, but can you imagine? Yeah.
'Til next time.
Peace
Outreach Update #1
1-21-09
Hey everybody - We kicked
off our 2009 Outreach this past Thursday night. We would have liked to have gone out sooner, but due to a really tight budget
we haven't been able to buy the appropriate items. We were also having trouble finding some inexpensive winter hats.
Fortunately, we scored big at 2 Family Dollar stores in Everett, where we found 44 $1 Winter hats. BINGO. And so we rolled
on out...
MAN!!!!! REALLY cold.
That nasty cut-right-through-you cold, accompanied by a strong wind. We found about
a half dozen homeless people out there. Good because there have been times when we find way more
than that. Bad because, well, we found six people out there. Six too many. We are also very limited with
how much territory we can cover because we don't have transpo. We take the T into town, but it would take too much time
and money to take the T back and forth all over town. I know there are other areas of town where the homeless hunker down -
outside. We need to find a way to get to them as well. Every time we go out I think of the people we didn't get to. We
typically cover the Downtown Crossing/Boston Common/Financial District area, so I think we do okay with limited resources,
but hey - we'll get there. We'll find a way to expand this Outreach. I've been saying that for the past 2 winters. It's just
hard to not be acutely aware of the fact that people are freezing NOW. Hmmm.
So we're watching the weather forecasts and looking for the
next really bad cold night/nights and we'll go out again when it's time.
Until then...
Outreach
Update # .5 1-15-09
A
low temperature of 3 degrees tonight and a wind chill approaching 10 below tonight
and tommorrow night. Mm-hmm. We're going out tonight.
The 2008 Stop The Bleeding Outreach
Here we are again - another year, and, unfortunately, another hard Winter for the homeless to
try to survive through, but that's why Stop The Bleeding started the Outreach program - it is our modest goal to help the
homeless survive until we can get them more long term help. We will once again be hitting the streets of Boston to pass out
hats, gloves, socks, and other Winter clothing items directly to the homeless who find themselves literally sleeping out in
the street. This is something Stop The Bleeding will continue to do, regardless of our own level of success, for as long as
there is even one person out there in these potentially fatal weather conditions. No one should have to risk what the
homeless do every night that they lay down to sleep - on a bench, in a doorway, or an ATM booth, or an alleyway, or a
dumpster. If anyone is interested in joining us, there's not a lot required - just an hour or two of your time, and just
a basic sense of human compassion for people who need help. That's all. Let's help keep Boston's homeless alive
and kicking this Winter.
Thank You
Neil Christian Schramm
Founder
Stop The Bleeding
Outreach Update #3
3-5-08
Our third trip out this season we decided to switch it up a little from our usual method in an attempt to reach
more of the homeless. We had met up with a group from the Park Street Church who
had invited us to join them the previous week. As we approached their spot I wasn't sure if they'd remember us but it
was quite the opposite - we were instantly descended upon by a couple people from the group who graciously welcomed
us. I'm glad we made enough of an impression for them to remember us and it was nice to see that there are other people who
care about the homeless and who are out there doing something to help them - because sometimes I wonder - but seeing is believing.
We're not particularly religious, but that didn't matter - to them or to us - as we share a common goal. As we joined
their circle afterwards I couldn't help but feel the good energy these people had going - while the source of our motivation may
be different from theirs, it doesn't matter.
Imagine all the people...
As we were walking back to the T to go home, when we reached the State Street stop on Washington Street, we unfortunately
came across THE SAME ASIAN GUY WE CAME ACROSS THE PREVIOUS WEEK - the one lying against the side
of the 7-11 - still freezing, still not able to speak English, and still just basically there. And I've been seeing this guy
there in the morning just about every day since we went out the previous week because I drive by there almost every day at
work - him and all the other ones I see in the exact same spots at the exact same time all the time pretty much every day.
And I'll tell you what - somebody tell me again that there isn't any room for another help center for the homeless in this
town, and I'll tell that person to take a walk with us some night.
We're getting really frustrated by this, as you can probably tell by the tone of these updates. All I can say is between
no venues for shows, attitudes and resistance that really I've been getting since we started STB in 2005, and these poor
people just stuck out there I'm not feeling good about the city of Boston. And I love this city.
It doesn't have to be like this if we don't let it.
We are targeting 2009 to open the Stop The Bleeding help center for the
homeless. Anyone that wants to help please let us know.
Thank You
Peace
Chris
Outreach Update #2.5
P.S.
On a more positive note, we met a great group from the
Park Street Church who come out on Thursday nights to give out hot beverages
to the homeless - and who, when we asked if they'd mind if we set up shop with them so we could access more of the homeless,
graciously invited us to join them. This is the way it should be - people working together instead of competing - something we've unfortunately witnessed numerous times in the social
services field. So Thank You to them and we'll be happy to see you on Thursday.
Outreach Update #2 2-26-08
So
it's been a while since we went out - for two reasons - the first being that it hasn't been too too bad temperature wise -
not as bad as it can be anyways - and the second reason being that we have limited time and transpo options when we go
out, but we did go out last Thursday, as the almost Spring-like temperatures we got teased with the previous couple days gave
way to the normal Winter cold. You know we really have mixed feelings when we go out - for example, the second
we walked off the top step of the exit of the State Street T stop, we saw a homeless guy laying against the side wall of the
7-11 - and immediately after that across the street in an ATM booth we saw another guy, and
immediately after that we came across another gentleman in the street, and then another one - all in one block. I guess that's
good? I think it's horrible. It's good that we could help a little, but it's frustrating because we can't help more. Yet. YET.
It
wasn't too bad in terms of really low cold temps, but still. Every time we go out we see this. Every
time. Seriously, I wish we didn't see so damn many people out there. Because that would mean that something was being
done to take care of them. And so it goes...
Speaking of that, for those of you
who don't know, we are piecing together our plan to open our own help center for the homeless, in an attempt to do what
I just mentioned. By that I don't mean accepting millions of dollars and then when people are still homeless shrugging
my shoulders and saying "I don't know" or even worse "Woe is me". Just
saying. I know that's vague - I digress. This will take a while, but as long as there is one homeless person out there,
there IS a need for such a place. People don't have to help, and people don't have to agree, but
those who do we welcome your help. Why am I talking about this in the Outreach update? Because maybe someday we won't
need outreaches. Imagine that. And because I tend to say the same old thing in these updates so I thought I'd mix it up a
little. And because I'm irritated.
To the homeless: Hang
In There - Help Is Coming
NCS
Outreach
Update #1 1-6-08
I really need to pay more attention to
the weather reports, because if I had, I would have realized sooner that it wasn't going to just be cold with lows around
5-10 degrees, but that the wind chill was going to bring a dangerous 15 below effect with
it, and we would have gone out sooner. We did go out this past Thursday however, and how do I say it? BRUTAL. Absolutely
brutally cold temperatures and wind - so much so that we were NUMB and had to stop after just one
hour. This drives me NUTS, because I want to stay out longer so we can reach more people, but I
think if we had we would have put ourselves right out of commission - no lie.
And so it begs
the question - How the hell do the homeless survive in those conditions? We were experiencing literal numbness after 1 hour
and we were layered. We did manage to find about 10 homeless folks out there in the Boston Common/Downtown Crossing/Financial
District area, so I'm glad we went out - I'm glad we were able to help in a small way, but it's frustrating at the same
time, knowing that these people are out there even as I write this several days after the fact.
Fortunately, also
as I write this it is now above freezing, but we all know that won't last. And so here I come with my push - Anyone who would like to do this with us please let us know - we will be going out again the next time
the brutal cold comes back - rest assured, we won't let you get frostbite - we stop when we have to and we pack it in if necessary,
but it's also necessary to keep doing this, as we have never gone out yet on one of these trips where we didn't find someone
out there - they're always out there, and they usually don't have any hats or gloves or anything. I would love to get
a few more people involved in this with us - it would be awesome to have a couple teams fanning out and covering twice the
territory we normally do in one outing. If you are interested, contact us at karmajunction@yahoo.com or by phone at 781-480-4152.
Thanks
Peace
Chris
2007 marks the beginning of the Stop The Bleeding Outreach - this
is something I've wanted to do for a long time - actually going out into the streets of Boston to connect with the homeless
- to start we're passing out hats, gloves, scarves, headbands, socks, coats - things like that - directly to
the homeless who are out there right now in the streets. Eventually I'd like to expand the Outreach to include talking
to these people and getting their story - find out why they're out there, what problems they may have(mental, physical,
addiction)that got them there or are keeping them there and try to literally get them off the street by taking them to the
appropriate shelter or program that they need. Maybe even track their progress to make sure they don't fall back into homelessness.
I think a key element to the success
of this particular Outreach will be the way we treat them - like human beings - not like animals, losers, scumbags, scurge,
society's white elephant - HUMAN BEINGS - I think they will be more willing to accept help from
someone who isn't treating them like dirt. Call me crazy, but I think I'm onto something - we'll see.
Anyone that would like to help with
any aspect of this is more than welcome to join us. This won't require a huge time commitment - basically right now we're
just walking the streets every so often looking for people who are out there. I would like this to be a year round effort
as well - when it's beastly hot we could provide relief in the form of bringing them cold beverages and summer clothing. I
can't take credit for that idea actually - that would have to go to the other half of the Stop The Bleeding Outreach,
Angel. It makes sense, because unfortunately, homelessness is a year round problem.
So anyone and everyone that cares
and wants to be involved, let us know. The only thing I ask of anyone who joins us is that we treat the homeless with the
respect and compassion that I firmly believe everyone is entitled to, not the condescension that they're usually met
with, often times even by the people who are supposed to be helping them. I would really like to make sure that this is what
sets us apart.
Check back to this page for periodic
updates on what we've been up to and what we're planning, and if you'd like to get involved, I can be contacted by e-mail
at karmajunction@yahoo.com or by any of the numbers listed on the Contact page.
Peace
Neil Christian Schramm
Founder
Stop The Bleeding
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