Good Deeds

Good Deeds and Good Works

By Thomas Hansen, Ph.D.

 

       There are plenty of homeless people & pets to help!

We often hear about the bad things going on and all the difficulties and bad news out there, from high virus testing results to an increase in crime.  But there are many good things happening out there, also.  In Chicago, there are millions of people – about – and most of the time we get along with each other. 

I thought about unity and civility and cooperation just the other day when I saw something right across the street from me.  A young man in a wheelchair was pushing himself very quickly across the street, and when he reached the sidewalk, the wheelchair immediately fell back, throwing the guy backwards right into the path of traffic.  A gentleman in a delivery truck slammed on his breaks, and jumped out, running toward the man who was lying in the street.

At the same time, an older woman using a walker headed for the man in the street.  She held onto the wheelchair while the delivery man helped the young guy get up into a sitting position in the chair.  These three people appeared to be of three different races, but they worked together to get everybody moving again.  This was a great thing I got to see!

There are many, many services and good deeds out there in Chicago.  People in need can find food and clothing and services they need.  There are websites, blogs, newspapers, and of course the often-overlooked resource called “word of mouth.”

An important resource for people in need is the Great Chicago Food Depository (https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/).  This agency collects food to distribute, accepts donations, and makes sure food pantries and soup kitchens have supplies and meals.   The agency makes food available to the pantries who in turn distribute their goods to neighbors locally who need a little help with food.  Through hard-working employees and volunteers, a variety of meals and foodstuffs get into people’s homes.  

Homeless people in Cook County may visit any food pantry in the county.  Some require more documentation than others regarding homeless status, apparently.  Most pantries have a special bag of food called such things as “no cooking needed” or “ready-to-eat” foods.  This means they can get sandwiches, fruit, crackers, chips, and other items that do not have to be cooked or prepared.  Because they do not have kitchens—or kitchen tables—homeless people must have easier access to foods in forms like wraps, salads in a bowl, and sandwiches.  This is a concept hard for some people to grasp.  Homeless people may wish to ask about other services and goods available—these vary greatly from location to location.

People who are not homeless must prove residency within the service area of the pantry serving them.  An ID is usually required.  The website of the agency will often state what is needed to access food and other services.   Depending what is available, a person could leave the pantry with tomatoes, crackers, a frozen chicken, yogurt, bagels, cookies, eggs, milk, bread, and many other goodies.  Volunteers and employees work very hard to make good food and beverages available to people who need them.

Thursday nights, there is a group of people on the Northside delivering – on bicycle -- home-made sandwiches and burritos to the homeless who are hungry and who await them.  They are too busy for an interview and always off to class, to work, or to volunteer on a variety of projects!

Up and down Broadway, this growing team of volunteers has been known to bring also fresh fruit, plus bottles of water, cookies, vitamins, aspirin, clean socks, and granola bars.  Knowing that the homeless have no way to prepare meals, this group brings only foods that are ready to eat.  They estimate that they now serve about 24 people in their travels. 

Coming from different lines of work and various neighborhoods, the members of the “burrito buddies” number about a dozen now.  Several are university students, many are sociology or social work majors, and others got involved because of programs at their churches.  Some of the burrito gang are on the project all the time; others help out as needed.         

Speaking of good deeds, Gloria Lissner is an expert at performing them!  She works ten-hour days coordinating services, answering calls, approving adoptions, and managing the feeding and cleaning for the 100 plus dogs and cats at Famous Fido! (https://famousfidorescue.org/).  They not only have a great website, they have an awesome presence on Facebook and a big bunch of friends!

As the Executive Director of the center (the full name is Famous Fido Rescue No Kill Advocacy Wellness & Learning Center) she works tirelessly to rescue cats and dogs, care for them while at the center, find them forever homes, and even help some of the guardians with their needs and problems.  Project GUARD is meant specifically for pets and their people who are going through hard times (https://famousfidorescue.org/our_program/project-guard/). 

This is an unpaid position, and it requires a huge amount of energy as Gloria also works to advocate for a new way of thinking: discouraging people from euthanizing animals and giving the cats and dogs the respect they deserve.  Rather than just getting rid of pets, people need to help in the process of finding new “forever homes” because cats and dogs are not toys or knick-knacks just to keep around when it is convenient.  Instead, they are sentient beings deserving of love, care, and safety.

Gloria is backed up by her devoted husband, Ted, who runs the dog-grooming arm of Famous Fido and deals with keeping towels clean, dogs clean, and the machine running seven days a week.  Gloria and Ted both contribute their time to this huge endeavor, this oasis called Famous Fido, where dogs and cats are kept safe and sound.  They in turn are backed up by employees, volunteers, donors, visitors, and a devoted bunch of friends online who keep helping through both financial support and moral support.

An important resource for people with pets, by the way, are the petfood pantries some agencies run.  One example is Care 4 Real.  Located at N. Sheridan Road and Balmoral, Care 4 Real provides petfood and pet treats on an as-needed basis to neighbors who apply for it.  Available the first Thursday each month, this special resource is of great help to persons who cannot currently afford food (https://careforreal.org/about-us/contact-us/)

Whether it is an immediate need, a short-term need, or a longer-term need, there are resources and answers in Chicago.  There are both ad hoc and well-organized sources of goods, help, and hope for residents of the Windy City.  If we just see those good deeds and good works, each day, maybe we can all participate in a better Chicago.