The Observer, February 24, 2006
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 18
Interact Cleveland hosts Homeless Stand Down
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John was cleaning up. A domino master, he took no mercy on me (a novice to the game) or anyone else.
"Go on, play that six-one," he goaded, knowing which "bones" – the somewhat morbid slang for dominoes – I held, better even than I did. I laid it down and watched as he quickly ran the table to accrue the necessary 250 points for victory. He then moved on to subdue an uppity youngster at chess.
All this brilliance took place at an event for the homeless, providing a day of hot food and a bag of functional gifts (socks, toiletries, hygienic items) – not to mention haircuts and massages – to people in need.
Interact Cleveland's annual Homeless Stand Down, which occurred over the past two weekends, aims to serve the homeless community "as a winter restock and service fair" while also attempting "to educate the public about homeless issues," according to Interact.
Professor Alice Bach led a group of 16 Case students in her social justice class to the Sunday edition of the Stand Down, which served 500 homeless men and women with hot meals, haircuts, foot care, blood pressure checks, legal services, and even body rubs.
"A number of men were suspicious of the massage offers," remarked Professor Bach, saying that they were less than eager to be touched by the male masseuses.
Her students were impressed by the class of the homeless people. Senior Hanna Hoffman remarked, "They were all so sweet!" Maybe a little too sweet; several female students received marriage proposals. No word yet on if any accepted the offers.
Professor Bach called it "a great, big, day-long party," boosted by the high level of caring among the homeless community and also the compassion of the volunteers, most of which was appreciated, despite some complaints about the vegan food served by the Hare Krishna House.
In addition to gaming aptitude and communal kindness, the homeless people exhibited a great sense of propriety. John was bothered by the Krishna presence in a Christian church. He declared it disrespectful for them to practice their rituals in Trinity Cathedral, where Sunday's Stand Down took place.
Another man, Aaron, expressed his words more eloquently. He said he had been writing poetry for years, and showed me several of his past compositions. We discussed rhyme, meter, and his latest work – a new Paradise Lost. Aaron is exploring an infernal Jesus, the son of Satan, and how he copes with his hellish surroundings; his stanzas flow with remarkable rhythm and impressive vocabulary, even if the spelling leaves a little to be desired. He even gave me a few pointers for my own work, though he winced when I said that I avoided rhyme and often employed free verse.
After my literary conversation with Aaron, I asked a spectator of the game table who won the last game. "He did," the man said, nodding at John. "He's the master."
