It’s hard to overstate the importance of clothing distribution to the homeless. There are a large number of people out there with shoes literally falling off their feet, or just stuck in a tshirt or flip flops. Despite the California weather, people do freeze to death out here when the weather turns, particularly when they’ve been drinking, as it can affect their core temperature.

The clothing closet is one of the most vital parts of our ministry, and one that has helped make a positive tangible and potentially life saving impact on people’s lives time and time again. Thank you for all of your partnership with us to help make these services possible.

How’s it going, folks? September is here, and the last gasps of summer are upon us.

Man, it’s been hot – craaaazy hot. One thing I know for sure is fat guys like me don’t function well in record heat. Looks like we’re about to turn the corner, though – weather news says we should start getting ready for a year’s worth of rain this week… Some say global warming doesn’t exist. I say we’re smack dab in the middle of it all. Well, regardless of who’s right, y’all know the drill by now – top off that coffee and get comfortable, because we’re going for another ride…

So August kinda sucked for me. I started the month off with Covid. So did Vicky. Not a good start to any month, if you ask me. I’d say the weirdest part of it all was not being able to smell or taste anything. Even that might’ve been okay, except the first meal we had was Chinese food, and folks, Chinese food is not very good when you can’t taste it. I think it’s a consistency problem. Whatever it was, it just made me feel worse. By day 3 or 4 though, I was conducting experiments on myself with shots of hot sauce. I figured if I couldn’t taste it, what could it do? Turned out that I could drain every shot with perhaps the tiniest of heat or pain. That was pretty weird too. Now that’s not to say that the hot sauce didn’t fight back later on. Boy, did it fight back, but I don’t really want to devolve into bathroom humor in my Street Life column. I just laugh now and tell people I did it in the name of “Science”…

Anyways, both Vicky and myself bounced back pretty fast from all that. Can’t keep a good man (or woman) down, and it couldn’t keep me down either. I think I was clear in 5 days. Maybe 6, but it was gone just as quickly as it arrived, and I won’t miss it one bit…

So Street Life RWC is running like a well oiled machine. I think it’s safer to be there now than ever before. Not really anything bad to report at all, which makes me really happy and proud. We’re getting ready to start another new system designed to bring more people to the sermons. As anyone who’s been to 1300 Middlefield knows, our folks have it timed so they just show up for the food part of our night, missing the sermon and whatnot. I heard David saying how he’d like us to get back to the way it was before Covid and I had to agree with him. I, for one, am tired of people showing up after the sermon and asking for three or more to go plates to “give to people who couldn’t make it”, or “Someone had to watch the camp”, or whatever other “reason” they might have. Let me be very clear about this – we offer the people who have come to Street Life food for their bodies after we’ve given them a little food for their souls. We are not the homeless version of doordash, and if you can’t be bothered to show up on time (or at least kinda close), I’m not real motivated to feed all your friends on your word that you’re gonna deliver it. If they can’t, or won’t, bother to come, well, I don’t really feel like we owe those people much of anything…

That being said, starting September 12th, we are starting a new system where I’ll be giving out cards during the sermon. I won’t say when, due to our folks thinking they can still time it out, but those that receive the cards not only go to the front of the line, they also get to take a second meal to go. We have a few folks that have spoken to us and worked it out with us to receive 2 meals no matter what, but all those folks (save one) are ALWAYS there for the sermons. The Togo plates have gotten ridiculously expensive, and this will be our way to reduce those costs – as well as motivate folks to come to the beginning part of Street Life. It also helps to get us back to the times where people were staying, hanging out, and eating together like it used to be. It’s totally a win – win – win from where I’m standing…

Vicky Lanzone has partnered with a New York Times bestselling author, Jamie Blaine, and they have written a book. The book is about what pushed her to Street Life Ministries and the stories of some of the folks she’s met along the way. It’s a fantastic read, and it will be coming soon. I believe the title is “Strangers and Angels Unaware”. I will be talking about her and this book in my next few columns. Might even sit her down for an interview. Guess we’ll find out next month, huh? I am very proud of Vicky for coming out of her shell by doing this book…

Father God, please keep Your Watchful Gaze upon us, even though not one of us deserves it. Please hold us close in Your Grace and Wisdom. For even though we may try our level best, all of us fall short of You every single day. Were it not for Your Son, Jesus, I’m pretty sure we’d all be in a lot of trouble. Thank you for taking Jesus’ Perfection in place of all our shortcomings and iniquity. You are the Alpha and the Omega, Lord. You are our goal. I’d also like to ask that You hold Vicky close as she prepares to release this book she’s written. She’s really opening herself up, Lord, and I know You are proud of what she’s done. Most of all, she’s my best friend, God, and I want her to feel Your Great Embrace in these kinda scary times for her. I ask all of this in the Name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.

See you on the streets.