BEHOLD! ART!

So when my husband and I decided to move to the city— specifically to a city with a high Black population, bc that sure isnt irrelevant — my parents became very concerned about Crime. My father got very worried when we asked for the bars that blocked fire escape routes to be removed and gave us several cans of mace that we have given a place of honor still wrapped at the bottom of a shelf somewhere. After the move I got asked a lot of questions about if I was hearing Strange Noises at night (no, on the record). My father was convinced because there were unoccupied houses on our street that we were going to Die.

So all of this primes me for today, when my husband tells me me our grocery delivery is on the porch. I open the door. It is not on the porch. We have a mutual "Well, shit" moment and some confusion because we have a VERY loud dog— my husband had locked the outer door (its a grate) by accident so the delivery guy hadn't been able to knock on the inner door, and so there had not been barking, so it'd taken us half an hour to get out there. I go Well, Shit, lesson learned. Here there be porch pirates. I guess this is what city living is like. I go to shower.

No sooner have I stripped and gone down to get a towel then there is a knock on the door. Dog loses it. I throw on a robe and get the door. It is our neighbor, who was told by another neighbor that we'd left our groceries out, and who'd picked them up to take them inside for us so they didn't get stolen. I pad out there barefoot, in my robe, and he gives me the groceries and as I struggle to get the two bags and keep the robe closed and get the door and keep the dog from running out to make friends and thank him profusely, he's calling "you got it? You need help?"

Support the Gainesville Free Store

Hi! The city of Gainesville, Florida is one of the worst places in America to be homeless, but the good news is that it's also in the middle of an apocalyptic housing crisis. One of the community initiatives helping ease the pressure on Gainesville's impoverished, racialized, and over-policed communities is the Gainesville Free Store, run out of the beloved Civic Media Center and Stetson Kennedy Library. On the 3rd Saturday, the Gainesville Free Store sets up to distribute donations of clothes, shoes, housewares, toys, and anything else one might need, all free of charge. A lot of people depend on the Free Store, especially with the weather getting colder and the holidays coming up, and with the way things are going it looks like Gainesville is gonna be needing its Free Store more and more as time goes on. They could use some help!

Donations of goods can be made at the Civic Media Center at 433 South Main Street, but these can only accepted while the store is operational (every 3rd Saturday: check Facebook and Instagram for specific dates / requested donations)

The overwhelming majority of the people reading this almost certainly don't live anywhere near Gainesville, Florida, but they accept monetary donations! Kick your spare change over to https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/cmc4ever or https://account.venmo.com/u/cmc4ever and put "For the Free Store" in the note (don't worry if u forget -- unspecified donations to the CMC will go to the upkeep of the space!)

Reblog this post! Getting more eyes on this project would be super helpful all on its own! Share it far and wide!

Married the love of my life at 50.

Got my Class A CDL at 59.

You've got time.