Last Sunday, a fresh blanket of snow covered Denver and the temperature dipped below the zero mark. We rose to grey skies and a city silent under eight inches of powdery white fluff. It was Super Bowl Sunday, but we had more on our minds that watching two teams collide for a treasured trophy and bragging rights.
Over the last two months, Angela has been collecting coats for the homeless. Her newly formed charity is called Jackets That Jingle and last Sunday was the day to hand out all of the wonderful coats that she collected. Inside the right hand pocket of each coat was a bag of quarters that would serve as a welcome surprise to the recipient. Each jacket jingled with nearly two dollars in quarters and the 100 coats that she collected warmed many a welcoming soul that chilly day.
We brewed a fresh pot of coffee and hopped into the AWD Subaru. We were scheduled to meet at Civic Center park at 8am. The Friends of Capitol Hill meet every other Sunday and graciously allowed Jackets that Jingle to team up with them. We drove through the empty streets excited about how many people we were going to directly help out. Turning onto Bannock street, the line of men was already 30 or so long. From each corner of the park others came looking for a bit of respite from fresh food and hot coffee. Angie and I were very humbled that we (with jackets from the community) could provide such a basic necessity on this wintery Sunday.
Of course we had a great time handing out the coats. The men were all gracious, cheerful and full of thanks for the great gifts and jingle surprises in the pocket. But, what struck me was the graphic nature of the park. The flat light, brilliant white show and dark shadows of the capitol created a striking winter scene. Construction cranes lined the south end of the park and scaffolding framed the dome of the Capitol adding to the transitional and classic feeling of the image. All facets felt like a classic scene from the Farm Security Administration photos that I have poured over. I snapped a few shots of the City and County building and a few more of the majestic domed Capitol before we handed out coats.
When we arrived home, Angie wanted me to process a few images for FaceBook so that she could show everybody how much their donation helped. The first few photos were the ones I just described. I love happy surprises and fun pictures of unexpected subjects.