The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Event aims to help the homeless, needy
NEW HAVEN — Jesse Hardy gestured amid a sea of long tables overflowing with clothing and other items Saturday afternoon in Scantlebury Park and said, “It’s like a free flea market for the homeless.”
Hardy, who was without a home for about six months in 1989, never forgot what it was like.
“I started giving people clothing off my back and food. I saw them wearing filthy clothes and being hungry. I saw how blessed I was.”
Saturday’s event was the sixth time Hardy co-organized the Operation Love-A-Fair. His Jesse’s Homeless Outreach Project partnered with Kids Making A Difference.
It wasn’t just the homeless who came to the park under sunny skies that gave a festive atmosphere to the event. The hundreds of people on hand included many neighborhood residents who have homes but needed clothing, toys or food.
Hardy said he had younger people in mind when he was making his annual plans. “I want kids to give back. I want to instill some goodness in their hearts, so when they get older they’ll want to give back.”
Hardy recalled organizing a cookout for the homeless six years ago, offering hamburgers and hot dogs. “But now we’ve got ribs, double-cheeseburgers, pizza and tenderloin. It’s coming in: all the pizza you can eat!”
In addition, a DJ was setting up speakers and a SWAT truck pulled up with two New Haven police officers. The vehicle quickly drew the attention of many kids, who climbed inside to check it out.
Gwen McCrea, who teaches at the Edward Zigler Head Start Center in New Haven, was one of the many volunteers supervising the donations and pickups. “This is an awesome event,” she said. “It teaches children the other side of what’s going on. They need to be exposed to this, to see what’s going on — not just in our city but in all cities.”
She added, “It’s all about giving back to our community. You will be a blessing to someone.”
Gunner Horton, 14, of East Haven, was there as a founder of Kids Making A Difference. He said he was inspired to join the cause when, at age 10, “I was selfish and stuff. My dad took me to a homeless shelter. I saw the real things. It shocked me into wanting to help people out.”
His father, Lance Horton, recalled that day he showed his son “the real things.”
“He wanted one of those expensive Playstation games,” Horton said. “After I gave him the money, I said, ‘No more.’ He said I was the worst father ever. So my wife and I took him down to a shelter on Grand Avenue. He got some reality that day. He got a full dose!”
Horton recalled, “He was quiet the whole ride home. And he’s never quiet. Then he said, ‘We’ve got to do something.’ So we started Kids Making A Difference.”
Grendett Hook, who lives at Hannah Gray House, a residential home providing lowincome housing and services to the elderly, said she was glad to see the “flea market” return. “We need it; I need it. I’m glad there are people that have the love to do it.”