Honestly, if we were Richard Tripp, we would probably just say the hell with it. But he doesn't. That's why he's awesome.
If you're not familiar with Tripp, he went from living under a bridge to running his own organization called Care of Poor People. Twice a year, he and dozens of volunteers put on potluck dinners with tons of food, as well as donated clothing and toiletries, for the poor. This year's Spring Break for the Homeless was scheduled for Saturday, April 23. But the location was pulled, and Tripp was left scrambling to find a new venue willing to allow some of KC's homeless and poor to have a party for just one night. Today, Tripp says he has found a replacement site.
According to an e-mail from Tripp, the original location "backed out at the last moment because the property owners around the old Skaggs building at 43 and Main decided they didn't want the event to happen in their backyard, so to speak."
Tripp even issued a video plea:
This wasn't the first time that Tripp has had problems hosting the potluck. In 2009, there were issues with a venue that had originally been scheduled at a warehouse at 20th and Central. (This came a few months after a couple of Tripp's fares -- he's a cabbie -- beat him up, because sometimes the universe is just a dick like that.)
Tripp tells us that the Scottish Rite Temple at 1330 East Linwood will
now
be hosting the event. But he could still use donations of summer clothes (men's and women's, new and used), food for "Kansas City's biggest pot luck dinner" and a circus tent to put up in the parking lot in case it rains. Tripp says if someone or some company would like to donate the cost of renting a tent, they can use it as a tax write-off because his organization is a 501(c)3. Also, if any bands would like to play the event, Tripp would be happy to have them.
You can call him at 816-918-9239 if you'd like to help out. Or you can check out his website, www.coppinc.com.
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