"What stymies most people who might be willing to gift the homeless are the practical issues."

We so desperately need some "Santas" for our Homeless this year and I'd like to personally thank "Doc Gurley" for her kindness and generosity, even if it is in San Francisco. I wish we had a whole crop of physicians like this here in Nashville because it's been damned cold, wet and miserable on the streets lately and cold weather supplies have been in...well, short supply. It's been a real challenge this year to round up decent coats, hats, gloves, socks, handwarmers, chapstick, blankets, sleeping bags, toiletries, prepaid phone cards and bus passes to give away to the most needy among us. These "presents" go to the folks who won't see much in the way of gifts beyond dinner at the Mission, yet they are essentially forced to watch as the community gears up and engages in the festivities throughout the holiday season. It's hard indeed to sit on a bus bench and watch the shoppers and the party-goers enjoying themselves when you don't have enough cash in your pocket to purchase a warm cup of coffee or cocoa on a cold, rainy day, let alone buy a gift for someone else. If you're interested in donating or gifting, there are plenty of ways to do it and plenty of places to do it at, too. There is a list of places on the sidebar here that will gladly take your donations and if you're more inclined to do the personal thing, there are a couple of different day shelters where the Homeless congregate; The Mission, of course and The Community Care Fellowship, over on Shelby and 8th st. Both of these places will have plenty of folks who could use a secret Santa this year. The one thing I would suggest you avoid doing is taking gifts downtown and setting up shop at library park. I know there are some folks who feel that it's their right to go there and feed and care for the Homeless. Good for you, it probably is. But the problem is, these well meaning but ignorant folks attract the Homeless to that location, then they leave after the festivity ends but the Homeless can't or don't. Shortly after that (if not while the event is underway), the police roll in, start checking the folks hanging around for warrants, fling citations about like Christmas confetti and usually drag two or three poor sods off to jail for one thing or another. Great way to share the Christmas spirit, eh? Anyway, if you can help, thank you from every person who's been able to stay warm for a night as a result of the community's generosity. If you can't, no worries, we'll get by - we always do....

Open Forum

A gift guide for the undeserving homeless

Jan Gurley

Sunday, December 9, 2007

I blame Santa, that Puritanical old hypocrite. We've been so thoroughly indoctrinated into the naughty versus nice approach that we don't question it. While I love reading Season-of-Sharing personal bios, I get a little ethical motion-sickness at the way some life stories must be verbally spun and airbrushed, all to prove to a potential donor that the person now deserves a gift. Someone's past meth addiction becomes "his life is back on track." A run-in with Child Protective Services translates into "this recently reunited family."

I work in a homeless clinic, and from the day after Thanksgiving to mid-January, we enter the grim unwashed armpit of the year - reeking of blame and moral judgments. No one gives a personal gift to the undeserving, chronically homeless.

So what's wrong with being a Scrooge? Well, something seems deeply flawed about a season of charity where the most desperate, the most isolated, the most broken of us deliberately get no personal gifts. We, as a society, ought to have moved beyond Victorian judgments.

What stymies most people who might be willing to gift the homeless are the practical issues. Almost everyone feels uneasy about giving a big wad of cash to someone who's probably disturbed and maybe addicted. The reality is, if you're pretty sure you're just a sideways look away from being latched onto by a desperate human lamprey who camps on the sidewalk in front of your work, what can you safely give, and how do you safely give it? Here, for you, is:

The First Annual Doc Gurley Gift Guide for the Homeless

Criteria: I first polled nurses, clerks, social workers and docs at our homeless clinic, asked a few patients, and then went shopping for gifts in the $5-$30 price range. Keep in mind that too valuable a gift can make a homeless person a target for assault.

How to give: First, when you're making the valiant attempt to give a personal gift to the homeless, discreet is definitely the way to go - for you and them. Do not wrap things in brightly colored holiday paper. The gifts should be small and light, and put in an equally small, dull bag. Walk purposefully down the sidewalk, bend and drop a bag in front of a homeless person. Make brief eye contact and nod so they know you meant to do this, and keep going.

Second, don't be cruel. Giving someone soap and deodorant and nothing else is no kinder than it would have been in high school. Likewise, giving something as decadent as a pedicure to a person who's going to be escorted out by security is also cruel.

Third, keep in mind the burden of carrying everything you own. Also, life on the street is hard - anything you give should be sturdy.

Fourth, no matter what you choose, put a little treat in it. One treat is not going to kill someone who is forced to eat whatever they can find.

What to give:

Gift cards. Buy $10 from a place with a wide variety of useful items - RiteAid, Walgreens, Safeway, Target - and, if possible, stick to retailers near where the homeless hang out. Downside: These can be re-sold on the street, at a loss, for cash. You may want to consider whether the store sells alcohol and cigarettes, if that bothers you. If you buy a gift card for someplace relatively frivolous, like Starbucks, it is more likely to be re-sold.

Pre-buy a January transit pass. Many homeless people miss appointments for housing, medical and legal issues because of the difficulty and cost of getting around. This one's a nice gift for a homeless person who seems unencumbered and mobile.

Downside: Pricey - depending on the city, can run $30-$50. Also can be re-sold at a loss for cash.

Hats, gloves, mittens. Stick to dull, neutral colors unless you know someone's tastes. Also, make sure the tag is still on items when you give them. The homeless are frequently burned by "free" clothes that turn out to be lice-infested.

Bags and backpacks. Size is an issue. A tidy nylon bag, the Mini Max by Reisenthel ($9.99 each) is a great buy. Very sturdy and the straps are long enough to carry the bag on a shoulder (a must).

Downside: One nylon bag will not eliminate the use of millions of white plastic bags. Similarly, no one is going to give up their shopping cart for this.

Toiletries. While the gift of soap and deodorant is cruel, not so much the gift of lip balm, lotion, and a nice bottle of hand sanitizer. You can also sneak in some personal hygiene items, like travel-sized shampoo.

Downside: Not much.

Old tent/sleeping bag. The problem is bulk. These large items are likely to be involuntarily re-gifted to the local police, who commandeer them during sweeps. For these reasons, the sleeping-bag shaped Heatsheets Bivouac gets high marks. Waterproof, lightweight and fist-size when stuffed in its bag, it's a primo present.

Downside: Only fits one (yes, homeless people do sleep together!) and it is pricey.

Foot care. Walking all day wearing the same shoes and socks for weeks will painfully destroy feet. The amazing Gilden Tree inflatable footbath can be used to soak and heal a wide variety of homeless-related injuries, and even can be used for sponge baths. Throw in some new socks and your good karma points will double.

Downside: Pricey at $15.99, but worth it.

There will always be some people (yes, big guy in a red suit, I'm talking about you) who spend their holiday energy parsing the degrees of naughty versus nice. Personally, I'd rather worry about whether buying one person's $15.99 footbath is better than three people's $5.99 Heatsheets. There's no clear answer, but I guess I prefer my moral math to be simple arithmetic, rather than convoluted plotting.

Happy Generosity!

Jan Gurley is a Bay Area physician who wouldn't mind being known as the anti-Santa.