09/08/2026
This was one of those days that reminded me why we keep showing up.
We rolled into MLK Park with over 200 giant slices of pizza, whole dill pickles, and more than 250 Häagen-Dazs ice cream bars packed into our chest freezer. We had plenty of food, plenty of laughs, and a whole lot of people to share it with.
But the part of this day that stuck with me the most had nothing to do with what we brought.
A man named Derek walked up to me while we were serving.
Derek grew up just a couple blocks from where we now set up every week. Kalamazoo was home long before life took him thousands of miles away to the island where he and his family now live.
And somehow, from that far away, he found Bearded and Blessed.
He has been watching our videos, watching us serve people in the same community he grew up in, and sharing this mission with his family.
When Derek came back to town, he made time to come find us.
He walked up while he was on a video call with his wife, and then he handed me a donation that his family had put together. His mom, his sisters and the people he loves had all chipped in because they wanted to help us continue taking care of people back in the community that helped shape him.
That hit me pretty hard.
Sometimes when I'm sitting behind a computer editing these videos, it's easy to forget how far they travel once I hit that upload button.
Then someone like Derek walks up.
Suddenly there's a family thousands of miles away who knows our faces, knows our mission, cares about the people we serve and decided that they wanted to be part of it.
Derek, thank you.
Please tell your wife, your mom, your sisters and everyone who contributed how much that moment meant to me. You could have come home, handled whatever brought you here and gone about your business. Instead, you made finding us part of your trip.
I won't forget that.
And I owe you and your family an apology for how long it has taken me to get this video posted. I'm still a couple weeks behind on editing. We haven't stopped going out and serving, but the camera keeps moving faster than the guy sitting behind the computer trying to edit everything. 😂
I'm working on it, brother. Thank you for being patient with me. ❤️
I also want to talk about some people who probably won't ever ask me to talk about them.
Our new volunteers.
We've had some new faces standing beside us lately, and they have been absolutely incredible.
They don't show up wanting attention. They don't care if the camera catches them. They aren't asking for credit.
They just see something that needs done and do it.
They've even started bringing homemade desserts for the people we serve. Not because anyone asked them to. They just wanted to bring something extra that might make somebody's day a little better.
That's the kind of heart they've brought to this crew.
I'm genuinely grateful our paths crossed, and I really hope we're going to be seeing a lot more of them. When you see these folks in the video, please show them some love. I want them to know that this village appreciates them just as much as I do.
And while I have this village together, I need to ask you for something else.
🙏 Please continue praying for Miss Annie, Joe and Rod.
Those names aren't just names we throw into a post.
They're people we love.
Please keep them close in your thoughts and prayers. Send them some strength. Send them some encouragement. And if you're someone who believes in the power of prayer, please take a minute and say their names tonight.
We've watched this community surround people with love when they needed it most, and right now I'm asking you to do it again. ❤️
Days like this remind me that Bearded and Blessed has become something I never could have built by myself.
It's Derek and his family watching from thousands of miles away.
It's a new volunteer quietly showing up with a homemade dessert.
It's somebody donating a few dollars.
It's somebody sending a tent or sleeping bag.
It's somebody sharing a video.
It's somebody leaving an encouraging comment.
It's somebody praying for Miss Annie, Joe and Rod.
And it's every person who continues to believe that people going through hard times still deserve dignity, kindness, a good meal and something to smile about.
We know pizza, pickles and ice cream don't solve homelessness.
But that's not why we bring them.
We bring them because for a little while, somebody gets to eat something good.
They get to laugh.
They get to talk.
They get to be part of something.
And hopefully, when they walk away, they know there are still people in this world who care whether they're okay.
Nobody should feel forgotten.
Thank you for helping us remind people that they aren't. ❤️
Same people. Same mission. A brighter tomorrow.
