Wheels of Blessings May Newsletter

She was under a tree, on a small blanket, fanning herself in the heat. Traffic whizzing past. We couldn't stop in the traffic, so we moved on and turned around to come back to her. She was gone. The blanket, everything... as if she had never been there at all. 

Earlier, and nearby, while waiting at a traffic light, we managed to give a young woman a sandwich from the car's side window. She was young and very thin. But her face seemed so old and etched and defeated. We had to move on with the traffic, but when we could, we turned around and managed to get back to where she had been, but she, too, was gone. 

Both vanished like they had never existed. We circled parking lots in the area, looking and looking for them. We never found them. These are the invisible, the unknown. Unfortunately, we could not help in these two situations, which saddened us.

There Is Hope

Fortunately, however, we can help so many more because of your generosity. In addition to your giving spirit, Wheels of Blessings received word on May 15 that we have been awarded a sizeable grant from the Sisters of Mercy Ministry Fund. The grant, for one year with the possibility of extension, will fund a first aid technician and case worker to accompany our outreach. What prompted our applying for the grant is that very frequently we find people who need minor first aid care for small cuts, bug bites, abrasions, etc. We also find pregnant women who are not receiving or know how to access appropriate prenatal resources. Many, many people need help in navigating the systems of county or non-profit resources; a caseworker would help assist and advocate for them. Through the caseworker, Wheels of Blessings could also better coordinate with those county agencies and non-profits.

The mission of Wheels of Blessings is to "go out," to seek, find, and offer our unhoused neighbors the immediacy of a sandwich, clothes, and care bags. The grant further helps us to offer them the ability to access more resources with the hope that life can get better.

With Love and Many Blessings,

Ellen & The Wheels Team