FTX DOWNTOWN INVITE – JANUARY 25th, 2009
FTX 12
FrenchToastAndHugs.Com
hey everyone i hope 2009 is treating you as it should be which is well and good and happy and loved.
i know there is a lot going on out in the big world what with a troubled economy, wars, a new president elected, heck even a new springsteen album!!
what’s been on my mind for over a year has been doing a “french toast & hugs”
event in downtown los angeles. i have to admit i have had a nervous feeling in my skin about doing one there. from experience i have found that feeling is telling me to act on it. it means i’m right where i’m supposed to be – at the edge of a precipice
that has always turned into strong solid ground the moment i stepped forward onto it.
this ftx is different than the ones that have come before. for me it has a singular purpose – to feed as many homeless people as we can. i write “we” because just
like the moral in the story of the creation of our gang – in this world you just
can’t go it alone. and you wouldn’t want to. things are better shared. that’s
just a fact. one of the few that i know and understand.
i scouted downtown los angeles the past few months and found the best way to find a large group of homeless was on any given Sunday in a three block radius of 6th & Towne Avenue. that is where the missions set up on sidewalks to feed the hundreds of mainly black men that will congregate to this area for a good meal. i drove up and down this street and was amazed to see how many homeless people were there, filling the sidewalks and spilling out into the street between them.
since this is downtown los angeles and not a park there won’t be really any place for you to sit down and relax. you could always bring a chair if you needed to but from what i saw most everyone was standing – either in lines to receive food or helping to hand out food.
my plan is to set up at around 8am on Sunday January 25th with my stove, coolers and a fold-out table. if anyone would like to bring another table that would be appreciated. i will have all the bred and fruit cut beforehand so there won’t be any need to bring any cutting utensils. i will need some people to help putting together made-to-order plates of french toast with the toppings of the customer’s choice. that way the
helpers (who will be wearing food service gloves) can handle all the food and then hand it safely and cleanly to each and every person. i will need other people to make the customers aware of our garbage bags so that there isn’t any trash left around the area. those people can also tie up the bags and put out new ones when they are full. i will have all the supplies (trash bags, gloves, antiseptic hand rinse, etc) on hand.
as i wrote earlier the various missions will be out there that morning as well, feeding people and preaching their message. i don’t know if my new “ftx downtown” music
mix of classic rock will be able to be heard over them but i have to confess it is pretty righteous!!
i plan to set up somewhere on Towne Avenue between 7th & 5th Avenues, most likely on 6th Avenue & Towne at 8am. we’ll go for as long as we can (as always there is the chance of us being shut down). if you can’t find us that morning or want to see if we are still out doing it, please don’t hesitate to give my cell phone a call. my number is 323.804.4476.
all of our past events have evolved into something bigger than the sum of their parts and so i believe the singular purpose of feeding homeless people will also grow into something more than that. hopefully something unique for each and everyone of us there.
thanks for reading. i will be sending out a digital reminder flyer around January 18th. if for any reason you’d rather me not have you on this ftx invite email list please just let me know. i hope to see you all there.
Love
shyam
here is a map of the location:
