The Doe Fund...

Warmth, warmth and more warmth. Saturday April 26 and it is bikini weather so I'll go for a walk to the East River and see if I am fortunate enough to see someone in one. As I strode down Second Avenue I stopped to buy my weekly lottery ticket and trade acerbic remarks about the economy with the store keep. I walked out feeling good in my khaki shorts, white cotton shirt and sandals happy to be out of my winter garb. I headed toward 86th Street and walked past a grouping of Doe Fund workers talking and laughing waiting for the pickup of their tools of trade. I paused at the joviality and camaraderie of the group. And from that moment my mind did a reset from scantily clad woman to this amazing, inspired idea to help the homeless. The Doe Fund was created in 1990 by two very successful visionaries who acted with their heart, George McDonald and Harriet Karr, both who had different experiences that led them down this path; both compassionate and humane seized the moment. Mr. McDonald during the eighties spent 700 nights handing out sandwiches to the homeless around and in Grand Central Station, one of the homeless woman, April, who McDonald had befriended, died on the streets. Ms. Karr was doing research for a movie about the homeless and she had met April, too. Karr and McDonald met each other at her funeral. Together they set the wheels rolling for the creation of the Doe Fund. Doe for all the Jane and John Doe's who die on the street homeless and nameless. The Fund has created jobs, found living arrangements and created real happiness like I had just witnessed for people who are trapped in the vicious circle of poverty. In these times when it seems to be the worst of times this inspiring story is truly more amazing than bikinis in the park, in fact, my even entertaining the thought of this voyeurism made me feel guilty. So I walked back to the apartment and decided to give props to the Doe Fund and encourage everyone to donate and if you don't donate go up to one of these industrious workers who have fought through hardships we can't even imagine and thank them for keeping the city clean...