Usually, this group or that organization wants you to lace up your walking shoes or go to some gala event to help support its cause.
But not The Guest House of Milwaukee. Nope. The folks at this home for homeless men is asking you to sit yourself on the couch or at the table or in the backyard or wherever and stay home on Saturday, April 17.
Their "event" -- called "Stay Home" -- is really more the absence of an event (sorry to get all philosophical on you here).
Event "attendees" are asked to stay home that day and donate the money they would have spent going out to dinner, to a movie, to a concert ... whatever.
The idea is that you stay home so a man can have a home for a night.
The Guest House, 1216 N. 13th St., aims to teach the men that use its facility independence via permanent housing and self-sustaining income. For full details of the work The Guest House does, visit the Web site.
Here are some examples from the site of how your support of "Stay Home" can help:
"The $25 you might spend on Chinese take-out and a movie rental could provide a week's supply of personal hygiene items for seven men, including socks, underwear, undershirts, and a towel.
"The $50 you might spend on a movie, popcorn and sodas with your family could provide two new sets of sheets and blankets for the men using our shelter.
"The $75 you might spend on a night out with friends could provide a month's transportation to and from work for an individual.
"The $100 you might spend on dinner and a bottle of wine with your sweetheart could provide a man with shelter, case management and counseling services for two days."
While you're home, why not read a book? If you have kids, read one with or to them.
Or better yet, take some time to reflect. Look around you and thank your lucky stars that you have a roof over your head, running water, heat and all the rest.
Or you can craft me an e-mail telling me to mind my own business when it comes to how you pass your free time. Whatever floats your boat. The important part is to support this good cause.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
