Soup kitchen seeks Hells Angels' help

[Cosmo]

Yi ... I found this kinda weird ... I know they do the toy run and stuff, but seems like an odd place to go for help. I have met some of these guys when I lived there and rode a Harley and ya, they are nice enough if you don't cross em, but I don't think I'd be approaching them for social programs. Just seems wrong somehow.

Soup kitchen seeks Hells Angels' help
Facing eviction and spurned by city, volunteers ask bikers for aid​

Martha Tropea, CanWest News Service

NANAIMO -- After being rebuffed by city officials and their community, volunteers with the 7-10 Club -- soup kitchen that for years has handed out free breakfasts to the city's poorest residents here -- has reached out to the Hells Angels for help.

Given the unsavoury reputation of the biker gang, the bold move by Madeline Bruce and Stephanie McDowell reveals the desperate state of the Vancouver Island soup kitchen, which has less than a week to find a new location to feed the 150 regulars.

The club was evicted from St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church in March and has been working for months to find a new location. They hoped to operate out of a local firehall, but council members voted to quash the rezoning application.

"The Catholic church has ejected the poorest of the poor in our city, now the neighbourhood has ejected the poorest of the poor, so I'm thinking where do you go from there?'" asked Bruce, a four-year volunteer and former club board member.

On Wednesday night, Bruce and McDowell marched up to the Nanaimo Hells Angels clubhouse, buzzed the front door and pleaded their case.

The ladies were greeted by a man in his 30s who declined to give them his name, who was neither "hard nor tough-looking."

"He was really very pleasant and kind of a sweet person," said Bruce. "He said the message will be passed on and someone will get back to me."

Bruce said she wasn't swayed by the Hells Angels' notorious links to criminal activity. "All these people who are professing to be the good, the decent upstanding citizens of Nanaimo, we can't get anywhere with them," she said. "Sometimes you can look in unusual places and find a different response."

Club president Gordon Fuller said Bruce's request wasn't sanctioned by the board and he would not consider partnering with the Hells Angels.


Nanaimo Daily News

 

[#juan]

I saw this story earlier and I couldn't believe that anyone with half an education would think of calling that group of scum for help. Any help they get from that group would likely have been stolen from someone else. The Hell's Angels are heavily into drugs and prostitution and we would solve a lot of problems if we just ran them out of town.

 

[lone wolf]

You know what? Even big bad bikers can have hearts of gold. Ever hear of Ride for Sight - or Papa Joe's Toy Ride?... I'll bet there are Angels in the Angels....

Wolf

 

[#juan]

You know what? Even big bad bikers can have hearts of gold. Ever hear of Ride for Sight - or Papa Joe's Toy Ride?... I'll bet there are Angels in the Angels....

Wolf

I know about the Toy Ride and the other professed "good doings" of the Hell's Angels, but these guys are part and parcel of organized crime. The so-called "toy ride" is as phony as a three dollar bill.........All these bikers carrying a half dozen or so two dollar stuffed animals is a far cry from the mileage they seek and get from it. In my mind, any gifts from this group would be tainted by the ruined lives of drug addicts and women who've been pushed into "the life" by these bastards. There are no "angels" in this group of ****heads.

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

anytime someone does something good for someone else ...a fairy gets all happy somewhere and peter pan gets laid....

and he doesn't care if it was by some drug induced biker with butter dripping from his armpits and hair growing out his fingernails...

 

[lone wolf]

So what really is the difference between HA, Tongs, Mafia or government too many times? Of the lot, at least you know the HA's intent.

Wolf

 

[Beachcomber]

Soup Kitchen Appeals to Hell's Angels

The reason Stephanie MccDowell and I approached the Hell's Angel's with regards to renting a property to the Soup Kitchen was because, apart from anything else they may do, they are in business, they own properties and they conduct businesses out in the world just like everybody else. Case in point - A supermarket on Davie Street in Vancouver was owned by a Hell's Angel up until his death last year. According to the Vancouver Sun he had requested a formal Hell's Angel's funeral for himself. As volunteers with the Soup Kitchen, which is called the 7 - 10 Club, we were faced with the situation of being evicted from a church after 23 years residence. Also, our prospective new residence, an Old Fire Hall, was being ki-boshed by nearby residents who don't want poor people in their neighborhood. Worse, City Council voted to cancel the series of meetings set up with those residents to try to work out a cooperative solution. Where to turn? Well, the Hell's Agels are nothing if not gutsy, and wouldn't be the ones to cringe and kvetch at the sight of poor and downtrodden people. As it happened, they did not have a rental prperty available at that time. In the end, the City Of Nanaimo offered a temporary home to the 7 - 10 club in a public building. There are no cooking facilities so the clients only get a sandwich. A better location is still being searched for. The 7 - 10 Cub feeds several hundred needy people, including children, breakfast 5 days a week. Many loyal volunteers and donars have made this possible. - Madeline Bruce, Nanaimo, B. C.

 

[karrie]

Well, the Hell's Agels are nothing if not gutsy, and wouldn't be the ones to cringe and kvetch at the sight of poor and downtrodden people.

No, of course not. The majority of their money comes from the poor and down trodden. If you run your business on drugs and prostitution, it helps to keep as many 'social' programs in place as possible which give you seemingly 'on the up and up' access to your customer base and employment pool.

 

[Beachcomber]

Hell's Angels Appealed to by Soup Kitchen

A thoughful reply, K. I feel at a loss where to turn to these days for a totally uncorrupted group of people. Government?......well, that's very debatable, I fear. I feel heartened that CBC television is addressing the problem of homelessness in B.C., Canada. Their recent documentary, Devil Plays Hardball, narrated by Blues muscian and actor Jim Byrnes was outstanding. That was a genuine attempt to get to know just a few homeless people, and learn about the tremendous barriers they face. In order for a culture to eject or marginalize, or even kill (as in war) people, they first must de-humanize them, in the minds of the populace. - Madeline Bruce, Nanaimo, B. C.

 

[karrie]

It is a struggle to know where to turn. I can't even imagine the hurdles you face. When it comes to the poor and the homeless, a lot of people have a lot of stupid misconceptions. It can make it next to impossible to make any progress I'm sure.

Uhm, on a side note, we have seen enough 'troll' type people on internet forums that I would suggest not putting your name and place of residence in your posts. Internet stalkers abound.

 

[#juan]

It is a struggle to know where to turn. I can't even imagine the hurdles you face. When it comes to the poor and the homeless, a lot of people have a lot of stupid misconceptions. It can make it next to impossible to make any progress I'm sure.

There will always be the poor and homeless, and there are a myriad of ways to become one of them. Most of us are lucky enough to avoid the pitfalls that could put us in that awful predicament.

What I don't understand is why anyone would go to the Hell's Angels for help. I'm sure some of the homeless are in that situation at least indirectly because of some of the actions of the HA. Part of our tax money is used to fight crime. Without the HA we just might have more money to help the homeless.

 

[karrie]

What I don't understand is why anyone would go to the Hell's Angels for help.

I think her comments both in the news article and here make her reasons pretty clear. Desperation, and inability to get anywhere with those who should be helping. It got the issue into the news didn't it? That in and of itself is a good move.

 

[#juan]

I think her comments both in the news article and here make her reasons pretty clear. Desperation, and inability to get anywhere with those who should be helping. It got the issue into the news didn't it? That in and of itself is a good move.

Just a little information about who the Hell's Angels are and why decent people shouldn't deal with them. Admittedly the move got the situation a bit of ink in the press six months ago, but to me, it shows a bit of ignorance or naivety on the part of Bruce and McDowell. In any case the parent club did not sanction any kind of partnership with the HA.

http://tinyurl.com/366wgo

 

[lone wolf]

Do you ever hear of the stuff government does to people in answer to some "bottom line"? No, Hells Angels might be, as you say, the scum of the Earth. At least, they're upfront about their agendas. It's too bad HA hadn't had a rental property available. Wouldn't that have been a clear statement to the "not in my backyard" crowd?

Here in Ontario, in 1995, a sincere-sounding fellow got elected based on the virtues of a Common Sense revolution and a war on poverty. I was one of those conned. I was one of those who paid the price too. How could anyone have known Mike Harris' war would involve attacks on the poor, the disabled and the destitute, refugees and deaths. Like 'em or not - there's honour among thieves.

Woof!

 

[#juan]

Hells Angels might be, as you say, the scum of the Earth.

Of that there is no doubt and there is no honour among them. I'm also aware that there are other biker groups out there who are completely honourable and I don't lump the HA in with them.

Whatever you want to say about Mike Harris, he was not a murderer or a drug dealer, nor did he run prostitutes. He was a politician who got himself elected. At the time the right wing in this country thought Harris was a hero.

 

[karrie]

Just a little information about who the Hell's Angels are and why decent people shouldn't deal with them. Admittedly the move got the situation a bit of ink in the press six months ago, but to me, it shows a bit of ignorance or naivety on the part of Bruce and McDowell. In any case the parent club did not sanction any kind of partnership with the HA.

http://tinyurl.com/366wgo

lol... you don't need to tell me who they are. You should see the stuff I've seen the HA do, the stuff I deleted out of my reply to Ms.Bruce. I'm more than familiar with them.

 

[karrie]

Like 'em or not - there's honour among thieves.

oh yeah, honor. Sponsoring programs for the down and out of our world, while they beat to death prostitutes who dare to try to change their lot in life. Yep, tons of honor there.

 

[lone wolf]

Of that there is no doubt and there is no honour among them. I'm also aware that there are other biker groups out there who are completely honourable and I don't lump the HA in with them.

Whatever you want to say about Mike Harris, he was not a murderer or a drug dealer, nor did he run prostitutes. He was a politician who got himself elected. At the time the right wing in this country thought Harris was a hero.

Mike Harris was a gangster. The only difference was he was sneakier, sanctioned and had a lot more strykers. Study up on Adams Mine and you'll see classic syndicate action that - minus the deaths - would do the Sopranos proud. He was a bigot who targeted the poor, First Nations, unions, teachers (don't ever believe the crap about him being one. At best he was a supply teacher) health care - all for the sake of enriching his friends. True, no murders were actually committed by his hand. The deaths of Kimberly Rogers, Ken Luft and Dudley George can be attributed directly to his policies. How many people were forced to drug dealing and prostitution just to eat and pay rent due to a failing economy and the Harris axe at the Social Services door will never be known. How much honour is there in a politician with an agenda?

Woof!

 

[#juan]

lol... you don't need to tell me who they are. You should see the stuff I've seen the HA do, the stuff I deleted out of my reply to Ms.Bruce. I'm more than familiar with them.

About twenty five years ago I was driving down to San Francisco to a three day convention in that city. I had decided to bring my wife and two small children along. Heading south, just out of the redwoods we decided to stop for lunch. We stopped at a clean looking little cafe right on the highway that had about twenty tables. As we walked in we were shown to the last empty table in the place. We had no sooner ordered when a group of six Hell's Angels roared up. These guys were big and they began to intimidate people, People started to leave. Within ten minutes or so, all but three tables were empty. Two couples and ourselves, who were still waiting for our orders were all that was left of a full restaurant. We ignored them and ate our food and left.
We were back on the highway for half an hour when these same six guys roared up behind us and started playing games. They seemed to want me to pull over, but I thought that was the last thing I thought I should do. After about twenty minutes they gave up and drove off. We went on to Frisco and my wife and the kids went site-seeing for three days while I was at my convention.
These as-h---s kind of took the shine off that trip because my wife worried all the way back about these twits showing up again.
Do I like the Hell's Angels??...........Most certainly....:smile:......Do they have any honour?.....Not that I could see.

 

[Beachcomber]

Soup Kitchen Seeks Help from Hell's Angels

I'm glad that act has sparked some debate and some thought. It is 8 months later, and still no location has been found to relocate the soup kitchen that ran for 23 years out of space rented in a church basement. It is housed temporarily in space provided by the City of Nanaimo, specifically Mayor Gary Korpan. There are no cooking facilities, so sandwiches are handed out. It seems that neighborhoods do not want to see poor people in their midst, and apparently would rather they just quietly starved somewhere out of view. It should be noted that the 7 - 10 Club has served a wide variety of people, including families, students, and children, often hundreds of people a day, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. . People have come forward years later, once they have gotten on their feet, and made donations, and thanked the club - even left them money in their will! - Madeline Bruce, Nanaimo, B. C.