I, of course, felt guilty because I didn’t bring my Doritos.

The first thing I noticed when we entered the deli was the sign on the door that said “No Begging.”  I should have taken a picture, but I didn’t think of it at the time.

We ordered and sat in a booth by the window.  Outside the deli, I could see a small group of homeless men. I’m sure they were asking incoming deli customers for money for food because most people either breezed by them without stopping or stopped momentarily before continuing on their way. Every so often, I would see someone bring in one or two of the homeless men in  and order them food. I also saw people order food and take it outside to them.

It was nice to see generosity in action.

My friend and I had a lot to talk about.  We were heavily engrossed in our conversation when a man approached us and asked us for money for food. My friend was very polite the first few times it happened. By the fourth time, he just shooed them away.

I sat there numbly eating my fried cheese. I was frustrated because I wanted to be left alone to enjoy my lunch with my friend.  I was frustrated because, despite the sign on the door, none of the deli employees seemed bothered by the homeless people begging inside the store.  I’m sure it was an everyday occurrence for them.

By the time lunch was over, all I could think about was how  confused I felt. I felt bad because the homeless people ruined my lunch. I felt bad because of the number of homeless people wandering in and out of that restaurant. I felt bad because I couldn’t help them all. I felt bad because I realized that the few things that I do for the homeless are a drop in the bucket when compared to the need.

I should have given myself a break.  The nature of community isn’t that some of us do all the work. It is that ALL of us do some of the work.  For some that means participating in the community garden, hosting a block party or having a friendly conversation with your new neighbors. For others it means picking up the trash off the sidewalk, buying lunch for a homeless person or volunteering at your neighborhood community center.

Big or small, we each have a part to play and a need to fill. Our communities need all of us to be involved. The good thing about community is that there is room for all of us.

Eventually I saw her again, and I asked her where she’d been. She shrugged. I asked her where she lived when the weather got cold. She pointed to one of the tent cities under a nearby overpass.  I asked her if she would go to a shelter if I could find her one.  She shrugged, it seemed that she hadn’t considered going to a homeless shelter on her own and was resigned to life as she knew it.

I did some research, expecting to find at least a few shelters downtown. With all downtown’s homeless, I was sure that someone, some non-profit or church group saw the overwhelming need and had a safe place for homeless people to live in the winter months.

I also thought that homeless shelters would be built in central locations near public transit and other government social services.

I was wrong. There was a men’s shelter downtown, but they had a hard time staying in compliance of city ordinances. This economic crisis hit them hard.  They had no water for a while, and were, at least briefly, shut down.  There was one shelter for women and children, but it was at least 10 miles from downtown. I can’t imagine why a homeless shelter would be built in the suburbs away from public transit. I’ve never even seen a homeless person in Atlanta’s mostly wealthy suburbs.

I must admit that I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of chauffeuring my new friend to a shelter. And who knew if she’d even get in or be willing to stay? She was used to downtown, and with her mental problems I wasn’t sure how she’d adapt to the ‘burbs.

I called the shelter anyway, and learned that she would have to call first and go through their intake process before she could be driven there. (Call how? On the magic payphones that exist downtown that don’t take any money? Or was she supposed to whip out the cell phone that she could afford on her homeless salary?) The person that I talked to at the shelter didn’t think that my homeless friend had a good chance of being admitted as the shelter mostly catered to women with small children.

Still, I gave my homeless friend the number to the shelter along with a bag of chips that I’d saved for her.  While we were huddled in a walkway, she asked me to cover her while she adjusted herself.  Out of one of the folds of her clothes, she pulled out a little change purse.  I saw a couple of one dollar bills and a few quarters and dimes.  She was so protective of her money, and she knew just how to hide it. I can’t imagine the harshness of the life she lives. She not only has to deal with the whims of the weather, she also contends with the brutality of her fellow humans. Yet, I could tell she was comfortable with her current surroundings and those with whom she lived under I-75. Somehow, I didn’t think she would be calling the homeless shelter in the suburbs.

The experience:

My friend invited me to Redwood City’s Music in the Square Concert Series.  Based on some of the neighborhoods I drove through or glimpsed from the BART train, I expected to see a slightly run down town, trying to revitalize itself.  As I neared downtown Redwood City, I realized how wrong I was.

My friend and I parked on a street near the square; we didn’t even have to pay the meter because it was after 6pm. We walked around the corner into the town square, and whoa.  Hundreds of people (singles, marrieds, families); all gathered in the square on lawn chairs, at picnic tables, on blankets. I even saw a few people sitting in a fountain.  Luckily, my friend had some folks save us good seats.  According to them, an hour before the evening’s event was to start, all the seats were taken. As it was, we were about 20 minutes early and it was standing room (or sit on the ground) only.

I was surprised and delighted.  Before my eyes: A downtown strategy that is actually successful at bringing people downtown.

For FREE, Redwood City offers Friday night music.  And according to Redwood City’s downtown representative, Friday nights aren’t the only night that downtown pops . From my vantage point on the square I could see two theatres and several restaurants and other attractions that I’m sure pull folks into the downtown area afterhours.

Redwood City’s downtown is very nice.  Their downtown event series is one of the best I’ve seen for any city, but specifically for a city of their size. I do have a few suggestions.

1 Count Attendees. I love that Redwood City’s events are free, but I still think they should have manned entrances.  This way they would be able to count the people who attend. Give everyone wrist bands or have a turnstile.

2 Limit outside food and beverages. We were able to freely bring alcohol and outside food into the square.  That’s right. We didn’t even have to buy food at one of Redwood City’s downtown restaurants. We stopped at a corner store and bought chips, candy and wine coolers.  Our friends also brought cheese, wine, and berries to enjoy during the music.   And we weren’t the only ones on the square that night with coolers of food, as I surveyed the square almost everyone brought food from home.

3 Make sure that downtown businesses get exposure. One reason for downtown events is to promote downtown businesses.  At some point in the evening draw attention to downtown attractions.  Just because folks come downtown for music, doesn’t mean that they’ll stick around t o eat, drink and buy stuff. Make sure they know what is available downtown.

Redwood City’s Music on the Square was one of the highlights of my last Bay Area trip. I hope the residents know what a treasure they have there. Based on the crowd on Friday…. they know.