Tag Archives: homeless

This Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nom was Spotted Feeding Homeless in LA

The jury might be out on whether she’s officially a certified rock legend. (Psst… issa yes, no matter what’s decided) There’s no doubt she is our queen of hearts or wcw for giving back.

Chaka Khan. Yes, hunty The.Chaka. Khan. rolled up her sleeves and got her hands dirty (mostly with mayo and mustard) over the weekend to make sandwiches for Brown Bag Lady; charity that feeds the homeless in LA’s Skid Row neighborhood.

Chaka Khan helped make over 200 brown bag lunches to hand out to homeless on Sunday.

When Chaka Khan wasn’t packing croissant sandwiches, the “Sweet Thing” singer took pics and signed a microphone for her littlest fan.

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Brown Bag Lady Founder Jaqueline Norvell couldn’t contain her excitement that a living legend was in her house.

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FIRST SUNDAY WAS AMAZING! โค๏ธ๐Ÿงก๐Ÿ’œ We made over 200 brown bag lunches. We laughed and danced and the energy in my home was off the charts ๐Ÿ’ฅEXCITING!๐Ÿ’ฅ We caravanned down to Skid Row and we handed out sleeping bags and backpacks full of toiletries, shoes and clothes. @kgsuperstar and @stylistinge stood on that pavement cutting head after head…for free. And every step of the way the one and only Miss @chakaikhan was right by our side. ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿฝ๐Ÿงก๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿฝ Laughing and joking with the homeless and when they realized …WAIT! You REALLY are Chaka Khan!!… she laughed and was so gracious taking picture after picture. Twas a damn good day. A day I will never forget as long as I live! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿฝ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿฝ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿฝ Thank you @gary_gotchadigi for making this happen. #FirstSunday #GivingBack #BackPacks #Toiletries #BottledWater #Clothes #Shoes #aSmile #aHug #Homeless #WeSeeYou #WeAreInThisTogether #BrownBagLady

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Jaqueline is all of us.

Jadakiss Hands Out Coats to Homeless in N

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If there was ever a day someone less fortunate needed a coat, it would be today.

And let’s be honest…a sturdy umbrella.

Luckily Jadakiss hit the streets of New York City yesterday to hand out winter coats to the homeless.

On the eve of the Nor’easter, The Lox member rolled up in front of Penn Station with a truck full of coats and clothes.

The ‘Why’ rapper said he wanted to give back to others.

 

And even cited his niece for being the brains behind the charitable act.

Whoever is to blame it’s greatly needed.

MCM | ‘Saints & Sinners’ Star Gives to Homeless

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Now we know who the saint is–Christian Keyes.

The Let’s Stay Together star turned his lazy Sunday into day of service. By cleaning out his closets, filling up 10 garbage bags worth of Fall gear for donation to homeless org–My Friend’s House Foundation.

 

Also known as We Feed the Homeless. The LA-based org provides clothes, food and other basics for the homeless.

My Friend’s House founder Tiffany A. Rose is expanding the charity’s operation. She started a Go Fund Me page seeking $25K, so far she’s earned $17,204.

To earn your halo (Christian has one!) donate your coins here.

The ab-tastic model/actor may also have angel wings because he loves to give back. Especially to his hometown of Flint, Michigan.

 

Last weekend, he hit the hardwood of MSU with Rev Run’s son Diggy Simmons and Cory Hardrict for the 3rd Annual Hoop for Hope celebrity basketball game.

All the proceeds went to helping 1000 families in need and donating two semi trucks of water to the people of Flint, who have had to live with poisoned water since 2014.

Salute to Christian for doing his part to be more of a saint to his community.

MCM | Big Sean Donates $25K to Stop Student Homelessness

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Remember the Lifetime flick “Homeless to Harvard”?

No…well it’s about this girl that winds up homeless, but is super bright and gets into Haaahhhvaaad. With a decent scholarship, of course. The reason I bring up Liz Murray’s story–the movie is based on a true story, BTW–is because there are thousands of Liz Murray’s annnndddd James Ward‘s that have the academic potential but limited resources to fulfill their dreams.

In a effort to change that fate Wayne State’s first lady Jacqueline Wilson created HIGH (Helping Individuals Go Higher). The Wayne State University’s program is designed to provide basic necessities to homeless Wayne State students or those with shaky housing situations, so they can focus on their studies.

D-native son and rapper Big Sean blessed the program with a $25,000 endowment through his Sean Anderson Foundation. The 25G’s will be used to give short-term relief to those struggling to make ends meet and balance a full course load.

The HIGH program launched in 2013 when Jacqueline came across a homeless student at Wayne State University. HIGH’s long-term goal is to help students become more stable and boost graduation rates.

Both appeal to Big Sean’s mom who is the president of the Sean Anderson Foundation.

“We see the HIGH Program as an important component of ensuring success at Wayne State, and we are proud to help strengthen its mission.” said Myra Anderson on their partnership.

To donate to the program or learn more click here.

 

Man Candy Monday | Sole Food for Flint

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Andre McDonnell is our Man Candy Monday for simply caring about the homeless.

Well, not just caring, going above and beyond the call of duty (fyi, he’s not a cop, firefighter or EMT, but a salesman) to lift the homeless off the ground. The same people we can barely make eye contact with (no judgment. I’m just as guilty) Andre, from New York, is holding shoe drives and fundraisers for all across the country through his It’s From The Sole non-profit.

As I write this, Andre is hosting a shoe drive, in partnership with fitness orgs Harlem Run and Spring Moves, in Harlem to collect 3,000 sneakers for Flint, Michigan’s homeless.

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On May 17, It’s From the Sole will distribute the shoes collected–from shoe drives throughout the month–to needy families in Flint during a planned event.

Andre McDonald started It’s From the Sole in 2013 after taking off his own shoes to give to a homeless man walking barefoot. Ever since, McDonald has vowed to turn his little non-profit that could into an global body of sole and good works. With 10,000 sneakers donated since It’s From the Sole’s debut he’s nearly there.

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Especially with friends like Meredith Veira, Power 105.1’s Charlamagne Tha God, Jadakiss and Knicks player Carmelo Anthony helping him along the way. Check out Andre’s goals for It’s From the Sole in an interview with Meredith Veira below.

Don’t you love a man with a plan? *swoon*ย What’s even better is a get-it-done dude. So far this year Andre has donated thousands of sneakers to shelters in Alabama, Pennsylvania and even Haiti.

Thanks for the kicks and kindness, Dre. Wish there was more like ya.

 

Feel Good Friday Roundup

It’s finally Friday and these feel-good-stories are the cherries on top of the end of the week.

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Let’s start with our favorite centenarian–106-year-old Virginia McLaurin–who captured our hearts with her jig of joy upon meeting Barack and Michelle Obama in the White House last month.

Now her newfound fans are making the spry senior smile again by starting a YouCaring fundraising page to change her living situation.

Virginia’s asking for $50K (so far $21,580 has been raised) to move into a ground floor apartment–she currently lives in a walkup–closer to her church, reports Huffington Post.

“She’s determined that she wants to live independently and close to her church,” Virginia’s friend Deborah Menkart told Huffington Post.”So we need to make sure that there are the funds to secure that.”

Pretty safe in assuming Virginia can and will.

A Kansas City Community Kitchen turned their soup kitchen into a restaurant-style serving the homeless.

From 11am to 2pm on weekdays the homeless are greeted by a host and given their food orders by a wait staff.

The menu was even created by an executive chef of a local restaurant that once lived in poverty.

The “dine with dignity” style soup kitchen is meant to change the script on how the homeless is treated.

“We are trying to flip the photo of what a soup kitchen looks like,” Mandy Caruso-Yahne, who runs the kitchen at Episcopal Community Service.

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Finally, rapper Fetty Wap inspired a young fan, Jayden Burgos to embrace his short-sightedness (get it?)

By ditching his prosethetic eye in the style of the Trap Queen rapper.

As a reward Jayden met his idol.

 

 

 

 

 

Feel Good Friday | This Cop Proves Humanity Still Exists

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Here’s something to warm your heart because, Lord knows, we need the sunshine.

At least on the East Coast (Damn you, Cali and your stupid February heat wave.) we got our ray of hope.

Massachusetts police officer Keith Perry received a call from a Walmart store manager–a homeless woman collapsed in the bathroom from hunger.

After paramedics revived the unidentified woman, Perry learned she hadn’t eaten all day, Seekonk Lt. David Dyson told INSIDE EDITION.

Perry helped alleviate that by buying her bread, milk and snacks. The two-year police veteran also doled out dough for a motel room where the woman could ride out one of many New England snow storms.

“Officer Keith Perry is a good guy. That’s just the way he’s made,” Dyson told INSIDE EDITION. “It’s just something he would do.”

If only more cops were like Perry.

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY | Street Cuts

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Mark Bustos likes to work on his day off. Although he wouldn’t call it working, but rather connecting with oft-overlooked people. The ones we struggle to make eye contact with or afraid to approach. Mark, a NYC-based hairstylist, walks right up to the homeless and offers a free haircut.

The hair magician got the idea when he took a trip to his motherland–theย Philippines–for the first time. He saw how impoverished the people were and wanted to help in some way. Giving young kids a shape-up was one good deed he knew would work.

Back in the States he made it a routine. Sundays (his day off) he roams around the city and delicately provides his services. Karma Tube captured his skillful generosity towards homeless people in South Beach, Florida, check it out below.

Guess this totally trumps me giving my seat to a pregnant lady on the subway…yeah, I think so.

Happy Friday, loves.

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY | Homeless Man’s Unexpected Discovery

Second Chance at a New Beginning. John Helsinki unexpectedly lands on his feet. Image Credit: WFTS

Second Chance at a New Beginning. John Helsinki unexpectedly lands on his feet.
Image Credit: WFTS

Imagine living three years in a cardboard box when you unknowingly could afford shelter and food. A homeless man in Florida didn’t have too.

John Helsinki, 62, of Tampa, Florida, discovered he’s been receiving Social Security Benefits in his forgotten bank account for years. Thanks to the assistance of a local cop and homeless shelter worker.

Helsinki wouldn’t disclose the amount of money in his bank to ABC News, but it’s enough to cover the costs of his own apartment and afford food.

The miracle story unfolded when Helsinki’s advocates/guardian angels (the cop, Daniel McDonald and homeless shelter case worker, Charles Inman) helped him replace his lost ID to get him into a shelter.

Welp, they did more than that. McDonald gave him a ride to get a temporary state ID, followed by a birth certificate. Equipped with those identifiers, they marched into the Social Security Office and explained Helsinki used to have benefits.

Helsinki told ABC News that he thought his benefits were cancelled because his debit card was lost, ergo so was access to his bank account.

Not anymore, Officer McDonald escorted him to his old bank to check the status of his account.Voila! Enough money to get back on his feet.

ABC News reports Helsinki is still at the DACCO Community Housing Solutions Center, but will be moved to permanent housing soon.

The miracle story wouldn’t have been possible with McDonald and Inman’s helpful dedication.

“This situation looked really difficult, and I wasnโ€™t sure how it was going to end up,” Inman told ABC News today. “If it failed, it meant weโ€™d put a 62-year-old man on the street, and Officer McDonald and I were not OK with that.”

Kudos to them for helping one of many that are often overlooked everyday.