Friday, June 08, 2012

Occupy Street Medic


It has been almost a half year since my last post on this blog, and almost 9 months since I arrived in New York City. I have been living on the streets at Union Square for the last 4 of those months. Look at the beard -- where's the black gone?

I am a street medic with Occupy. I started at Zuccotti Park on October 1st, 2011, and am still going strong. I lived and worked in Zuccotti during that Occupation, and have continued working as a street medic in our exile wherever there are are Occupiers in New York City. Many, many medics have come and gone. I miss some of them very much. I work alone most of the time now -- yes, that means I am a rogue street medic. Get over it. One medic is better than no medics. Here in Union Square I am basically an Occupy Medic, or village shaman. I have a community that knows me, and I know them. We share the travails and tribulations -- and there are many each and every day here on the Occupied streets and in the Occupied parks. I am on duty 24/7 -- everyone here knows where to find me, and often I am awoken in the middle of the morning's night to rush down the lonely New York City streets to tend to a fallen comrade. Life on the streets is harsh.

I have used up all my life savings, and have no income of any kind. I live off the kindness of strangers, and the loving thanks of all in my Occupy Union Square & Occupy Wall Street community. However, my community is full of people who have come to the end of their resources as well. I, and they, rarely get a balanced meal (maybe, just maybe, once a month). Donated medical supplies are sometimes abundant, but not always what I need. I cannot help my community with the necessary medical supplies, foods and herbal supplements. For that I need money. Please consider donating so I can upgrade the care I can give (see donation buttons in the sidebar). Without donations I will eventually run out of medical supplies and herbals. My herbals are incredibly important in this work, and they do not come cheap here in 1% Land. There is no OWS-Medical anymore to help me out with supplies or buddy-medics. I am on my own here in Union Square (thankfully, Kareem stops by for the day every now and again, but otherwise . . . on my own). I need your help. Help me maintain the health of all the Occupiers in New York City. Help me give them the emergency first aid and continuing care the frontline soldiers of this peaceful revolution deserve. Be proud of them, for they are the ones we have been waiting for. Help me help them.

Occupy everywhere! Occupy everything! Occupy together!

You can keep track of what I am currently doing over at Occupy Trinity Wall Street

2 comments:

phoenix262 said...

Why isn't OWS supporting you any more? Give me a call.
John

OnlyEd said...

The OWS Medical Working Group has been compromised and no longer exists. I am working as a lone street medic, and those medics that come by to help me are also working on their own. We keep going by donations from passers-by and from the dumpster-diving efforts of other Occupiers.