Homeless Doggies and Street Kids

Yesterday Bill and I went to Golden Gate Park to distribute some old clothes to the homeless young people that live on the east end near the Haight. It was a sunny day so most people were out in the open - soaking up the sun. A large crowd of about a hundred was gathered at Hippy Hill. No drum circle yet, it was too early. Each time I go to the Park I'm struck that this crowd is so transient. We talked with five or six groups spread around the area - totaling to 50 people. I did not recognize even one face. Although, in the larger group at the hill, I was sure I'd see a few familiar faces.
The street kids come to San Francisco looking for something. Most of them are between 17-25 years old. They usually have nick-names like "Shadow", "Tiny" or "Gypsy". One thing they find is a tribe. They find an acceptance into a community - an ever changing and homeless community - but still it's a community. They come from places like White Plains, New York; Dallas, Texas; and Santa Barbara, CA.
Another thing they find is Christians. Every time we go to the park and hang out with the street kids, invariably someone will ask, "Are you guys Chrisitians?" They usually say "Cool" and "God bless you" after that. You see, one of the things Christians are known for in the park is for bringing clothes, socks (the most valuable of commodities), and food to the young tribes. Caring, I think that's a good thing to be known for. It kind of reminds me of a Jewish itinerant preacher named Jesus in the days of old.
A funny thing is that there are also homeless doggies and kitty cats. Most are on leashes and are surprisingly well fed. It's an interesting dynamic - homeless people who have pets. It's as if caring for their pets helps them take care of themselves.
Afterward, we went out for Thai - found this great second floor gem that I'd never been.
On the way back to the car the drum circle at Hippy Hill was kickin'. Everyone's welcome at the drum circle...