Feel-good story: Party for poor people on Saturday

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Like the rebel that he’s always been, our friend — and friend to the homeless — Richard Tripp holds his big annual Thanksgiving food-and-clothing giveaway on Saturday, a couple of days after the holiday platitudes have faded. As Tripp, a formerly homeless cab driver, knows all too well, too many people still need to be fed.

That’s why, a couple of times a year, Tripp, his organization Care of Poor People, and his army of volunteers put on big events — parties really — where they give away as much food, clothing and personal items as they can cram into a parking garage, while a rock band plays and sometimes, people even dance. (Check out these beautiful pictures.)

This year’s event is tomorrow (November 28) from noon to 4 p.m. in the garage underneath the Park Reserve condominiums at 31st and Baltimore.

When I talked to him earlier this week, Tripp sounded especially excited. “We got a farmer bringing in a 300-pound pig — we’re going to barbecue him up front. Got the smoker, got everything,” he said. “It’s going to be wild. And the weather’s supposed to be beautiful — it’s supposed to be in

the 60s.”

That doesn’t mean he couldn’t use more donations. “I know we’re going to get hit big with people.

Our biggest need right now is for bread goods — cookies, cakes, stuff like that.”

He hadn’t confirmed all of the musical entertainment yet, but expected a few songs by Kansas City singer Bukeka Shoals. And as usual, Tripp was gratefully giving shout-outs to everyone who’s stepped up to help.

“Tippins gave 1,400 pies!” he says. “I couldn’t get a big bus, so Community Christian Church donated their

15-passenger van. We’re going to run around and pick people up at stops

starting at 11 a.m. — the City Union Mission, ReStart, the Grand Avenue Temple

and Hope Faith Ministries at 1524 Charlotte. We were worried about the

cold, but [Jackson County Legislator] Scott Burnett got us two space

heaters donated, so we can warm the place up when we get volunteers in

here on Friday.”

A couple of Tripp’s good friends died this year, so he’s dedicating the event to them. One was Crossroads developer Tom Levitt, who for many years donated his warehouse at 20th and Central for Tripp’s events; the other was Danny Whitlock, who lived on society’s margins. “I sort of had the prince and the pauper there,” Tripp says. Levitt had a lot and Whitlock had very little, Tripp says, but both of them helped.

“This stuff don’t happen for free,” Tripp notes. “We spend probably seven grand every time we do one of these. Renting the tables alone costs $1,500. Some things you can’t get donated, like the Johnny on the Spots — you can get a write-off, but we have to pay for that. But we still do what others can’t do with all the money they get.” That’s because, Tripp says, so many people who make donations actually show up for the actual event. “That way they see where the money goes.”

“It’s going to be beautiful,” he adds, “because, like always, we have all the different religions.
And what we don’t use here we’ll give to little food kitchens and churches where we know it goes out to the people.”