Trash Bag Clothes

When Tim and I lived in Phoenix, Arizona in the early 1980’s, the homeless population lived in tents and make-do cardboard shelters on the courthouse grounds. Downtown Phoenix had very few shopping, dining or business establishments, so as long the homeless didn’t become a nuisance, the city allowed them to remain on the lawn.

One homeless woman camped out in front of my office building. In the morning as I drove into the parking lot, I saw her lying on the bus stop bench. She wore a black trash bag with holes for her arms and neck. Another black plastic bag was cinched around her waist with a piece of red ribbon. She rarely wore anything on her feet except when the weather was chilly in the winter. Then she would wear a pair of ragged, dirty socks. When the temperatures soared over 110 degrees, she would move a block up the street where the buildings provided some shade for her.

One of my co-workers attempted to strike up a conversation with the woman. She didn’t have many teeth and was difficult to understand.  My co-worker collected clothes, shoes, a jacket and a few other items from all of us. As she was leaving work one evening she gave them to the woman. There wasn’t a dry eye among us as we peeked from inside the office building.

The next morning I expected to see the homeless woman decked out in her new clothes. But she wasn’t there. We kept glancing outside during the day, but she didn’t return. As we were leaving work that evening, the janitor came in with a bag in his hand. All of the items she had been given were in the dumpster behind our office building.

The woman returned several weeks later in her same baggy attire. I will never know why she wouldn’t accept help from us. Maybe she was too proud or possibly she was living on the street by choice. Unlike her, there are some homeless women who will accept assistance to get back on their feet.

Today’s gift was to write a check to the soon-to-be constructed women’s homeless shelter. A donor has given a challenge grant that will match up to $50,000 for money donated before the end of February. I look forward to hearing the stories about the women who will benefit from the transition facility. It is reassuring to know that they won’t have to wear trash bags for clothing as they get “a new lease on life.”

In Giving,

Robin