Magnanimous Beauty: Click Here For Ways To Help

Click Here For Ways To Help

I know it's sometimes difficult to think of ways to help, even if you'd like to do something. I can't solve all of the hiccups in the process alone but I'd like to do what I can to help make it easier for you. If you live in or near Chicago and have items you'd like to donate, I'm more than happy to try to come to you. I do rely on public transportation, though, so keep that in mind; however, I'm more than happy to travel anywhere the CTA or Metra will take me!

Enough of the chatter - what can you do? I have a list of items that are always welcome. I'll add items occasionally but my hope is that this will be a good guideline for you to start with. Have questions? Please don't hesitate to ask! Meanwhile, here it is:

The List

Socks (don't need to be new but they do need to be clean and without holes)
Deodorant
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Body/Hair Wash
Gloves (especially larger sizes)
Hand warmer packets
Prepackaged, non-perishable foods (granola, energy bars, etc.)
Individual packets of coffee or hot cocoa
Gift certificates to McDonald's, Subway, Dunkin Donuts in small denominations
1-day Bus Pass
Financial Donations (see the Paypal link on the Magnanimous Beauty main page)
TIME - this is the very best gift you can give of all. If you would like to do so, come downtown with me, meet some of the street people, sit with them a while and let them talk. This is the thing I am thanked for the most.

I'm no professional and I'm not officially affiliated with any organization. I'm just one person doing what she can to help make the world a little bit warmer and a little bit safer for people who have less than most of us can possibly imagine.

Sometimes people like to walk with me to meet the homeless in the city. It's a heartbreaking yet heartwarming, perspective-changing experience. Children are welcome (with accountable adult) as long as they're at least 10 years of age. I try to go weekly - sometimes (due to scheduling conflicts) I only go every other week. Occasionally, I'm out twice a week. No matter what, though, I go out all year round and you're welcome to join me!

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Magnanimous Beauty Defined:

What exactly is magnanimous beauty and why did I choose that particular name for this blog? This intro is a bit on the long side. Bear with me - it's worth the read!

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Magnanimous beauty is beauty that comes from within - noble, illuminating, inner beauty. Our society is so incredibly hyper-focused on that which is easily seen... the perfect body, the latest fashions, having the coolest gadgetry. Even if we have none of these things, there are certain societal norms that we are expected to conform to and those who don't are considered undesirable, lesser people.

Did you see a panhandler on the street while you were out doing your holiday shopping? He's probably a con-artist looking to get his share of the pie, going home to a nice apartment at the end of an underhanded day. Did you see a homeless person with missing teeth, bad body odor, smelling of urine? Gross, right? Why don't these people get "real" jobs and quit bothering the rest of us? Let's be honest. Most of us have had one or more of these thoughts run through our minds. These street people aren't "normal." They're a nuisance and probably crazy - if we're not careful, they might mug us! They make us feel uncomfortable. We recoil in disgust, make jokes, or, at the very least, step out of the potential offender's path, hoping they won't single us out and make us feel even more uncomfortable.

The truth is, the majority of people living on the streets are not going home to some fancy high rise in the Gold Coast at the end of the day. If they do have a home at all, it's much more likely to be located in a filthy, seedy part of town.

Body odor? Have you offered to give a homeless person a small care package that includes deodorant or toothpaste? Did you know that there virtually is no place for these people to go to the bathroom during the day? They're run out of restaurants, convenience stores, hotel lobbies, the train station... where exactly are they supposed to go? They try to hold it as long as they can until they can find a bathroom. They don't always make it. The end result is dehumanizing. They're devastated but to cry in front of you, in front of me... in front of anyone is the ultimate humiliation. Instead they shuffle along through the night, hoping they won't be harassed by drunk partiers out for the weekend, hoping to stay warm in sub-zero temperatures, trying desperately to stay sane in their present situation that, let's face it, is truly crazy-making.

I want to introduce you to some friends of mine. They're some of the street people of Chicago, Illinois. You need to know them. They're people. They matter to someone. They most certainly matter to me. And I hope, once you've met them, they'll matter to you, too.