ChosenFast.com » Center City Park | ChosenFast.com http://chosenfast.com news and info about homelessness and related issues in Greensboro, NC Thu, 24 May 2012 22:15:22 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Greensboro Burrito Bikers: One year of feeding the homeless http://chosenfast.com/2010/10/24/greensboro-burrito-bikers-one-year-of-feeding-the-homeless/ http://chosenfast.com/2010/10/24/greensboro-burrito-bikers-one-year-of-feeding-the-homeless/#comments Sun, 24 Oct 2010 06:44:37 +0000 Michele (CM) http://chosenfast.com/?p=4530   ... > read more]]> On a Sunday morning in late October 2009, Hayes Holderness headed out on his bicycle with a backpack full of hot egg, sausage, cheese, and hash brown burritos, to provide breakfast to residents of a homeless tent city, and thus, Greensboro Burrito Bikers was born. Soon, other riders joined him, and throughout the winter, they served about 20 homeless people every Sunday morning at various camp sites.

In an effort to serve more homeless and hungry people, the group eventually moved to a stationary location in downtown Greensboro, and now, as Greensboro Burrito Bikers nears its one-year anniversary, Holderness and a team of volunteers are feeding 40-50 people on Saturday mornings at 8:00 a.m. on the sidewalk outside of Center City Park at the intersection of Friendly Avenue and Davie Street.  (Update from Hayes: Burrito Bikers fed 65+ people on Saturday, October 23rd!)

Holderness was inspired to begin this feeding ministry after riding along with his brother Tommy’s Burrito Bikers group in Charlotte. After his niece rode with the Greensboro group this past winter, she started a Burrito Bikers group in Chapel Hill, and they’re already making news (here and here).

As Greensboro Burrito Bikers continues to grow and serve more homeless people, they welcome and need volunteers and donors.

Volunteer opportunities include:

  • Making breakfast burritos (can be made during the week and frozen)
  • Coming out on Saturday mornings to serve and spend time with homeless and hungry breakfast guests

Donate breakfast items:

  • Breakfast burritos (or other filling main item, such as breakfast sandwiches/biscuits with eggs and/or meat)
  • Bottled water
  • Coffee, cups, sugar, creamer
  • Bananas
  • Snack crackers
  • Financial donations (costs about $50 to serve 40 people)

To learn more about Greensboro Burrito Bikers, and how to volunteer and donate, visit their web site and join them on Facebook.

Update — Photos I took when I hung out with Burrito Bikers on 08/28/2010:

]]> http://chosenfast.com/2010/10/24/greensboro-burrito-bikers-one-year-of-feeding-the-homeless/feed/ 0 Center City brown bagging and homeless violence http://chosenfast.com/2009/09/15/center-city-brown-bagging-and-homeless-violence/ http://chosenfast.com/2009/09/15/center-city-brown-bagging-and-homeless-violence/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:56:50 +0000 Michele (CM) http://chosenfast.com/?p=2677   ... > read more]]> From a formerly homeless friend’s Facebook:

Was walking thru the center city park…seems like it has turned into an alcoholic playground. Everywhere i turned there were cups being filled with brown bag specials….i would love to sit and toast in the park…but then again its scorching heat…..pray with me for our homeless friends….i saw a lady at the library with a gash in her head..sitting in the sun…prayer breaks the devils spirit and saves lives.

This is sad. Physical and/or sexual violence is a leading cause of homelessness among women and children, and homeless women are more likely than housed women to be victims of violence. I will be praying for the lady at the library.

And I’m discouraged to hear about the drinking at Center City Park. The park has provided a peaceful place for many homeless people to spend time, and my initial fears that they’d be unwelcome there turned out to be unfounded. I hope that no homeless people are among the brown baggers. Alcoholism is an illness and I don’t judge, but it’s not just against the rules to drink at the park, it’s disrespectful, too. The brown baggers need to find another spot to get their drink on. :(

]]> http://chosenfast.com/2009/09/15/center-city-brown-bagging-and-homeless-violence/feed/ 1 Center City Park: Homeless in the morning http://chosenfast.com/2008/09/08/center-city-park-homeless-in-the-morning/ http://chosenfast.com/2008/09/08/center-city-park-homeless-in-the-morning/#comments Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:08:23 +0000 Michele (CM) http://chosenfast.com/?p=1371   ... > read more]]> I drove kid #1 to the courthouse for jury duty, and I have a couple of hours until my first client appointment, so I’m working outside at Center City Park. I have coffee and they have free wifi. It’s a beautiful morning. Several of my homeless friends were already here when I arrived. As I look around now, there are more, sitting on benches all around the park, patiently waiting out the day.

The park is one of the few places with public restrooms downtown. The only other place I can think of is the library, a block away. I often come by this park just to see homeless friends. I can only think of one time that I didn’t find any of them here. It was just last Tuesday, around 6:00 in the evening, and the tables and benches where my friends usually sit seemed strangely deserted. Then I remembered that it was dinner time, and that everyone had probably gone over to First Presbyterian to eat. The park seemed lonely and empty with none of my friends there to greet me.

This morning, those who are here are quiet. They look tired and pensive, their eyes staring off into the distance, seeing something that I can’t see. I wonder where they slept last night — and how much. I wonder what it’s like to wake up each day and have nowhere to go and nothing to do.

Another homeless friend has just arrived, with a backpack slung over his shoulder. So begins another day…

Update: Had to leave the park to run errands before my appointment. Drove by the block (Lee & Eugene) on my way to the thrift store. Homeless people filled the sidewalk on both sides of the street. Then drove by Arlington House. Breakfast is long since over, but there are still homeless folks sitting on the wall outside. I’m at the library for a few moments now, and I was greeted by homeless friends outside and inside. Everywhere downtown, homeless people, just sitting around, doing nothing. Nowhere to go, nothing to do. It’s time to get that day center opened.

]]> http://chosenfast.com/2008/09/08/center-city-park-homeless-in-the-morning/feed/ 5 PoPos Pop Park Panhandler http://chosenfast.com/2007/08/10/popos-pop-park-panhandler/ http://chosenfast.com/2007/08/10/popos-pop-park-panhandler/#comments Fri, 10 Aug 2007 15:46:17 +0000 Michele (CM) http://chosenfast.com/2007/08/10/popos-pop-park-panhandler/   ... > read more]]> Via email (from a currently homeless reader):

“…a homeless person… was ticketed last night at Center City Park for illegal panhandling. He has no panhandling permit and he was well outside of the approved hours for panhandling according to the bike patrol officer that noted he observed [the homeless person] hit on everyone in the park for money.”

I’ve been confused about whose job it is to patrol this private park, but props to the cops for ticketing this panhandler. I am not a fan of panhandling, for many reasons. (Read this previous post for my thoughts on panhandling.)

Homeless Greensboro residents should have as much right as “homed” folks to enjoy the lovely downtown park, but this is the kind of behavior that reinforces negative stereotypes of homeless people. (Not to mention this kind of behavior — wow!)

Maybe we’ll swing by tonight on NightWatch and see if we can’t help a brother out — legally. ;)

]]> http://chosenfast.com/2007/08/10/popos-pop-park-panhandler/feed/ 0 Homeless In The Park http://chosenfast.com/2007/04/30/homeless-in-the-park/ http://chosenfast.com/2007/04/30/homeless-in-the-park/#comments Tue, 01 May 2007 03:01:20 +0000 Michele (CM) http://chosenfast.com/2007/04/30/homeless-in-the-park/   ... > read more]]> Because of this, I wasn’t going to mention that I’d seen some of my homeless friends at Center City Park. But then Clarey wrote about it in YES! Weekly, so I guess the secret’s out. Hopefully, homeless folks will be able to continue to enjoy the park, despite the Orwellian signage. If not… Well, there will be more posts. And they won’t end with one of these: :)

]]> http://chosenfast.com/2007/04/30/homeless-in-the-park/feed/ 0 Free Meals http://chosenfast.com/free-meals/ http://chosenfast.com/free-meals/#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:54:01 +0000 Michele (CM) http://chosenfast.com/free-meals-in-greensboro/   ... > read more]]> Free meals in Greensboro, for homeless and hungry people:

SUNDAYS

MONDAYS

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

THURSDAYS

FRIDAYS

SATURDAYS

 

]]> http://chosenfast.com/free-meals/feed/ 5 Bathrooms for the Homeless for $250,000? Or Less… http://chosenfast.com/2006/12/09/bathrooms-for-the-homeless-for-250000-or-less/ http://chosenfast.com/2006/12/09/bathrooms-for-the-homeless-for-250000-or-less/#comments Sat, 09 Dec 2006 19:29:38 +0000 Michele (CM) http://chosenfast.com/2006/12/09/bathrooms-for-the-homeless-for-250000-or-less/   ... > read more]]> High-tech bathroomsOne of the most common problems I hear about from unsheltered homeless people in Greensboro is the lack of access to a bathroom. No home = no bathroom. Often, homeless people are barred from using bathrooms in businesses. So they have to go outside. And that frequently leads to a citation from police, or even jail time.

L.A. has hit upon a unique approach to providing public bathrooms for the homeless, albeit at $250K apiece. (Paid for with private funds.) The high-tech, self-cleaning toilets have features that address concerns that caused previous public toilet ventures (i.e., porta-potties) to fail. But some homeless advocates argue that $250K is a steep price tag for a bathroom, and there are better options.

Center City ParkMeanwhile, back here in Greensboro, we may soon have our own public toilet debate. I’m still waiting to hear if homeless people will be able to use the bathroom in the new Center City Park. The “naming opportunities” at the Park include $15K apiece for each of the bathroom doors. Friends and I recently discussed (only half-jokingly) whether we could raise enough to name one. I’d put “Homeless People Welcome” on the door. It’s not as high-tech as the L.A. option. But it’s $235,000 cheaper! ;)

Center City ParkUpdate: Well, it looks like the Center City Park people were thinking ahead.

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