John Tumino

Every Friday IMFK’s Hire Ground Crew is assigned to Working with Onondaga County in projects around the County. Last week we were able to assist the County with the snow removal at Onondaga Lake Park. Our team shoveled the snow out from under the trees so that County workers could get in to take down the Christmas Lights at the Park. We also went around town shoveling sidewalks and stair cases at the Parks. When we Started Hire Ground folks would always comment and say that those panhandling would not want to work, we have seen the opposite. Since inception in 2019 we have had over 400 participants come on the work van. Mondays and Fridays are dedicated to those living outdoors or panhandling through out our community and Wednesdays are dedicated to folks living in our major homeless shelters in our county. What a blessing it has been to give folks a little dignity through work. The awesome thing that happens through out the day is the Building of wonderful Relationships. Once that happens the door for a turn around has now been opened. Just last week one of our Participants was able to get connected to full time employment, more on that story to come. Thank you everyone for your support, we are cleaning up our community while giving someone a little hope when they have felt like all was lost. Together we are Building Hope and Changing Lives.

Partnership is a Big Key to IMFK when it comes to assisting those who feel Invisible. Partnership in the Market Place is huge for IMFK, the Market Place is an opportunity not just for finances to come into our Mission its also an opportunity to bring awareness to the homeless crisis. We are excited to announce that Natur-Tyme is not just carrying our Pasta Sauce, they are now carrying our Pure Maple Syrup. Please consider shopping at the store and thanking the TEAM for carrying our products. Natur-Tyme thank you so much for believing in our Mission and Thank You for locking arms with us!

John and Leigh Ann

Partnership is a great Key for the success of the work we do at IMFK. We were able to present Mike Ferony (District Operations Manager) and Brian Speller (Northeast District-Director Labor Relations) the Homeless Hero Award. This award is presented to individuals and organizations that go above and beyond the call of duty by bringing Value and Dignity to those who feel Invisible.

James Emmett Casey was born on March 29, 1888, in Candelaria, NV. The Casey family later moved to Seattle, and soon after the move, Jim’s father became ill.

The eldest of four children (Jim, George, Henry, and Marguerite), Jim, left school at the age of 11 to begin working as a messenger due to the financial circumstances of his family. He and some friends later started their own small messenger service in Seattle. In 1905, they sold the business and moved to Nevada in search of gold.

When he returned to Seattle in 1907, Jim founded the American Messenger Company with partner Claude Ryan. The company served its customers by delivering telephone messages and running errands.

In 1913 the company merged with the Motorcycle Delivery Company, owned by Evert McCabe, to form Merchants Parcel Delivery. Jim’s first role was as manager of the delivery department.

After Charlie Soderstrom joined the company, Jim’s primary responsibility was for the financial side of the business. The name United Parcel Service was first used when the company opened operations in Oakland, CA, in 1919. The Seattle office did not adopt the name United Parcel Service until 1925.

Jim became the President of United Parcel Service when the Oakland company was incorporated. He held that position until his retirement in March 1962, when George Smith became CEO. Jim remained active with UPS and served on UPS’s Board of Directors until May 1983.

He died on June 6, 1983, at the age of 95

The UPS Foundation have been wonderful supporters of our Mission. On behalf of all of our friends outdoors and those that were housed we say thank you! You and your Team are truly Homeless Hero’s!

Todays Lunch is made with Love in Memory of Maria. Maria passed away 1/31/18 and her Birthday was on 2/17. In her honor lunch will be sponsored by a wonderful Sous Chef (Lina) who is a great friend of Marias family as well as a Friend of IMFK. Todays Menu, Sirloin Steak and Bake Potatoes! I called Veda who is Marias sister to let her know that we would be honoring her sisters memory with todays lunch. When I shared with Veda the Menu she said “Steak was Marias Favorite”. Maria had a huge heart for the Homeless of CNY as well as anyone that she would come in contact with that felt Invisible. Maria you will never be forgotten and your legacy of assisting others continues. Maria you are Truly an inspiration to all of us that its really not that hard to help someone. Thank you for your big heart for the underdog.

John and Leigh Ann

We met Jared in April of 2013 when he was passing through town on his way to NYC. I encountered Jared when he was panhandling on the ramp of Route 81 heading South. Jared was in town for two months and while he was here we would see him twice a week feeding and clothing him. Jared stood out in a crowd because he had a nice size tattoo and his face that would cause folks to judge him but we used it as an opportunity for conversation. I remember Jared telling me stories of his adventures traveling the country by hopping trains. Jared had such a free spirited loving personality and before he left town he had me write in a journal he was carrying with him to document the folks he met while traveling. I wish I remembered what I wrote in the book, all I remember was that it was encouraging and had a spiritual twist in it. I received a message from Jared’s Grandfather David letting me know that Jared had passed away in January of 2014. David asked me questions regarding our encounters with Jared and said that he would be writing a book about Jared’s travels. Well I’m excited to share that the book has been released and IMFK is mentioned in it as well. Here is a video clip of Dave sharing about Jared and the Book.

Leave Out the Tragic Parts by Dave Kindred is an extraordinary investigation of the death of his grandson, and a powerful memoir of addiction, grief, and the stories we choose to tell our families and ourselves. Jared Kindred left his home and family at the age of eighteen, choosing to wander across America on freight train cars and live on the street. Addicted to alcohol most of his short life, and withholding the truth from many who loved him, he never found a way to survive. Through this ordeal, Dave Kindred’s love for his grandson has never wavered. Leave Out the Tragic Parts is not merely a reflection on love and addiction and loss. It is a hard-won work of reportage, meticulously reconstructing the life Jared chose for himself–a life that rejected the comforts of civilization in favor of a chance to roam free. Kindred asks painful but important questions about the lies we tell to get along, and what binds families together or allows them to fracture. Jared’s story ended in tragedy, but the act of telling it is an act of healing and redemption. This is an important book on how to love your family, from a great writer who has lived its lessons.

We met Jared in April of 2013 when he was passing through town on his way to NYC. I encountered Jared when he was panhandling on the ramp of Route 81 heading South. Jared was in town for two months and while he was here we would see him twice a week feeding and clothing him. Jared stood out in a crowd because he had a nice size tattoo and his face that would cause folks to judge him but we used it as an opportunity for conversation. I remember Jared telling me stories of his adventures traveling the country by hopping trains. Jared had such a free spirited loving personality and before he left town he had me write in a journal he was carrying with him to document the folks he met while traveling. I wish I remembered what I wrote in the book, all I remember was that it was encouraging and had a spiritual twist in it. I received a message from Jared’s Grandfather David letting me know that Jared had passed away in January of 2014. David asked me questions regarding our encounters with Jared and said that he would be writing a book about Jared’s travels. Well I’m excited to share that the book has been released and IMFK is mentioned in it as well. Here is a video clip of Dave sharing about Jared and the Book.

Leave Out the Tragic Parts by Dave Kindred is an extraordinary investigation of the death of his grandson, and a powerful memoir of addiction, grief, and the stories we choose to tell our families and ourselves. Jared Kindred left his home and family at the age of eighteen, choosing to wander across America on freight train cars and live on the street. Addicted to alcohol most of his short life, and withholding the truth from many who loved him, he never found a way to survive. Through this ordeal, Dave Kindred’s love for his grandson has never wavered. Leave Out the Tragic Parts is not merely a reflection on love and addiction and loss. It is a hard-won work of reportage, meticulously reconstructing the life Jared chose for himself–a life that rejected the comforts of civilization in favor of a chance to roam free. Kindred asks painful but important questions about the lies we tell to get along, and what binds families together or allows them to fracture. Jared’s story ended in tragedy, but the act of telling it is an act of healing and redemption. This is an important book on how to love your family, from a great writer who has lived its lessons.

We met Jared in April of 2013 when he was passing through town on his way to NYC. I encountered Jared when he was panhandling on the ramp of Route 81 heading South. Jared was in town for two months and while he was here we would see him twice a week feeding and clothing him. Jared stood out in a crowd because he had a nice size tattoo and his face that would cause folks to judge him but we used it as an opportunity for conversation. I remember Jared telling me stories of his adventures traveling the country by hopping trains. Jared had such a free spirited loving personality and before he left town he had me write in a journal he was carrying with him to document the folks he met while traveling. I wish I remembered what I wrote in the book, all I remember was that it was encouraging and had a spiritual twist in it. I received a message from Jared’s Grandfather David letting me know that Jared had passed away in January of 2014. David asked me questions regarding our encounters with Jared and said that he would be writing a book about Jared’s travels. Well I’m excited to share that the book has been released and IMFK is mentioned in it as well. Here is a video clip of Dave sharing about Jared and the Book.

Leave Out the Tragic Parts by Dave Kindred is an extraordinary investigation of the death of his grandson, and a powerful memoir of addiction, grief, and the stories we choose to tell our families and ourselves. Jared Kindred left his home and family at the age of eighteen, choosing to wander across America on freight train cars and live on the street. Addicted to alcohol most of his short life, and withholding the truth from many who loved him, he never found a way to survive. Through this ordeal, Dave Kindred’s love for his grandson has never wavered. Leave Out the Tragic Parts is not merely a reflection on love and addiction and loss. It is a hard-won work of reportage, meticulously reconstructing the life Jared chose for himself–a life that rejected the comforts of civilization in favor of a chance to roam free. Kindred asks painful but important questions about the lies we tell to get along, and what binds families together or allows them to fracture. Jared’s story ended in tragedy, but the act of telling it is an act of healing and redemption. This is an important book on how to love your family, from a great writer who has lived its lessons.

We met Jared in April of 2013 when he was passing through town on his way to NYC. I encountered Jared when he was panhandling on the ramp of Route 81 heading South. Jared was in town for two months and while he was here we would see him twice a week feeding and clothing him. Jared stood out in a crowd because he had a nice size tattoo and his face that would cause folks to judge him but we used it as an opportunity for conversation. I remember Jared telling me stories of his adventures traveling the country by hopping trains. Jared had such a free spirited loving personality and before he left town he had me write in a journal he was carrying with him to document the folks he met while traveling. I wish I remembered what I wrote in the book, all I remember was that it was encouraging and had a spiritual twist in it. I received a message from Jared’s Grandfather David letting me know that Jared had passed away in January of 2014. David asked me questions regarding our encounters with Jared and said that he would be writing a book about Jared’s travels. Well I’m excited to share that the book has been released and IMFK is mentioned in it as well. Here is a video clip of Dave sharing about Jared and the Book.

Leave Out the Tragic Parts by Dave Kindred is an extraordinary investigation of the death of his grandson, and a powerful memoir of addiction, grief, and the stories we choose to tell our families and ourselves. Jared Kindred left his home and family at the age of eighteen, choosing to wander across America on freight train cars and live on the street. Addicted to alcohol most of his short life, and withholding the truth from many who loved him, he never found a way to survive. Through this ordeal, Dave Kindred’s love for his grandson has never wavered. Leave Out the Tragic Parts is not merely a reflection on love and addiction and loss. It is a hard-won work of reportage, meticulously reconstructing the life Jared chose for himself–a life that rejected the comforts of civilization in favor of a chance to roam free. Kindred asks painful but important questions about the lies we tell to get along, and what binds families together or allows them to fracture. Jared’s story ended in tragedy, but the act of telling it is an act of healing and redemption. This is an important book on how to love your family, from a great writer who has lived its lessons.

We met Jared in April of 2013 when he was passing through town on his way to NYC. I encountered Jared when he was panhandling on the ramp of Route 81 heading South. Jared was in town for two months and while he was here we would see him twice a week feeding and clothing him. Jared stood out in a crowd because he had a nice size tattoo and his face that would cause folks to judge him but we used it as an opportunity for conversation. I remember Jared telling me stories of his adventures traveling the country by hopping trains. Jared had such a free spirited loving personality and before he left town he had me write in a journal he was carrying with him to document the folks he met while traveling. I wish I remembered what I wrote in the book, all I remember was that it was encouraging and had a spiritual twist in it. I received a message from Jared’s Grandfather David letting me know that Jared had passed away in January of 2014. David asked me questions regarding our encounters with Jared and said that he would be writing a book about Jared’s travels. Well I’m excited to share that the book has been released and IMFK is mentioned in it as well. Here is a video clip of Dave sharing about Jared and the Book.

Leave Out the Tragic Parts by Dave Kindred is an extraordinary investigation of the death of his grandson, and a powerful memoir of addiction, grief, and the stories we choose to tell our families and ourselves. Jared Kindred left his home and family at the age of eighteen, choosing to wander across America on freight train cars and live on the street. Addicted to alcohol most of his short life, and withholding the truth from many who loved him, he never found a way to survive. Through this ordeal, Dave Kindred’s love for his grandson has never wavered. Leave Out the Tragic Parts is not merely a reflection on love and addiction and loss. It is a hard-won work of reportage, meticulously reconstructing the life Jared chose for himself–a life that rejected the comforts of civilization in favor of a chance to roam free. Kindred asks painful but important questions about the lies we tell to get along, and what binds families together or allows them to fracture. Jared’s story ended in tragedy, but the act of telling it is an act of healing and redemption. This is an important book on how to love your family, from a great writer who has lived its lessons.

We met Jared in April of 2013 when he was passing through town on his way to NYC. I encountered Jared when he was panhandling on the ramp of Route 81 heading South. Jared was in town for two months and while he was here we would see him twice a week feeding and clothing him. Jared stood out in a crowd because he had a nice size tattoo and his face that would cause folks to judge him but we used it as an opportunity for conversation. I remember Jared telling me stories of his adventures traveling the country by hopping trains. Jared had such a free spirited loving personality and before he left town he had me write in a journal he was carrying with him to document the folks he met while traveling. I wish I remembered what I wrote in the book, all I remember was that it was encouraging and had a spiritual twist in it. I received a message from Jared’s Grandfather David letting me know that Jared had passed away in January of 2014. David asked me questions regarding our encounters with Jared and said that he would be writing a book about Jared’s travels. Well I’m excited to share that the book has been released and IMFK is mentioned in it as well. Here is a video clip of Dave sharing about Jared and the Book.