I am asking for prayer for our local chapter of the Guardian Angels safety patrol. I am the founding member of the Ypsilanti chapter of this group.

In case you are wondering, this is the same organization as was founded by Mr. Curtis Sliwa in New York in the 1970s.

Here is a link to the organization's web page.

http://www.guardianangels.org/

Here's why I started a chapter of the Guardian Angels here in my town.

*************

I attend Eastern Michigan University (EMU) in Ypsilanti, Michigan. On the first day of classes during the semester college students receive large refund checks from their financial aid packages. The amount of these refunds varies for a few hundred dollars up to several thousand dollars.

The problem is, that criminals have also figured out that innocent students receive these monies. During the first week of class at EMU in September of 2008 there were numerous violent crimes on or nearby the campus. One student was shot in the shoulder and then robbed. Several students were robbed at gun point, then beat up for sport after giving the perpetrators their wallets. At least one young woman was sexually assaulted. There was at least one car-jacking at gun point. One or more of the local businesses were held up at gun point.

During September and October, there were logged over 30 violent crimes surrounding the campus of EMU.

There was only one arrest made.

I decided to get involved. I have zero fear of these criminal types. I am a big guy, and I have studied Shaolin Kung Fu off and on most of my life. I also am sick and tired of hearing stories about my fellow class mates getting mugged by dopers, freaks, junkies and gang members.

I decided to contact members of the Guardian Angels safety patrol organization to see what it would take to form a chapter of the GA's here in Ypsilanti. I actually got an e-mail back the very next day, after using the message system on the above web site.

Shortly after, I founded the Ypsilanti chapter of the Guardian Angels.

I am planning to be out there patrolling the streets surrounding this college with as many people as I can find to volunteer. Yes, it is risky. Yes, I could be shot myself. But I do not fear. I Dare To Care. That is one of the mottos of the Guardian Angels. "Dare to Care."

Yup, I'm one of those guys that wears a red beret.

We do not carry weapons. Not even mace or pepper spray.

We make a difference by, first, just BEING THERE. Its a LOT harder for a dope dealer to sell dope when a bunch of folks with red berets are standing next to him or her and talking to them. Quite often, the red berets are mistaken for police, and it makes the dope dealer out to look like a snitch for talking to us. That really sucks for his business... haha.

We carry cell phones with cameras, if we see something like a dope deal go down, we snap a pic, and send it immediately to the police. Then, call 911. And if we can, we detain the criminals until the police arrive to make the arrest. We also carry hand cuffs in case we need to detain criminals under a citizens arrest.

I don't do this for show. In fact I don't talk about it all that much to people. I do this because I love people, I have a desire to see these creeps put behind bars, and I believe in what I am doing. I care about the people here, and I do not feel we deserve to be robbed, shot, assaulted and treated in this manner.

So, for one, I am going to stand up.

There will be red berets on the streets of Ypsilanti when the Winter 2009 Semester starts on January 5th.

There are also going to be criminals out there thinking they can cash in on an easy prey by bothering the student population at EMU.

I intend to help to show them that they are drastically mistaken if they think this is going to continue in this town.

I dare to care.

If any of you happen to live in the Detroit or Ann Arbor, Michigan area, you are welcome to come out and volunteer your time to walk the streets with us.

We offer free martial arts training. Free legal training. The training is a three-month exercise, but you can walk with us from the start. After the 3 month training, the red berets and t-shirts with the Guardian Angels logo on them come free of charge from the headquarters office in New York. It does not cost one penny to become a Guardian Angel.

We also have a structure set up to give speeches in schools. We also have a "Cyber Angels" department that helps fight cyber crime.

All I'm asking is that one or more of you would put this thing on your prayer calendar.

I need very little.

We need recruits. We need folks in this city to stand up and be willing to go out there and make a difference. All it takes is heart.

Currently we do not have a regular work out facility, and it is getting very cold here in Michigan. I am hoping a local church or possibly a rec center will donate a small amount of space to the GA's so we have somewhere to train new recruits. Also, the reason we need a structure for training is that we always leave the berets and t-shirts behind when we go home. We do not take our colors home with us. We meet, we suit up, then we go out there. Then we come back, take off the colors, and we go home.

In the entire 30-year history of the Guardian Angels, only three Guardian Angels have ever been fatally wounded in action out on the streets.

There have been thousands of arrests made. Entire neighborhoods have been freed from being the slaves to criminal activity. This organization is 136 chapters strong, in 13 nations on the planet.

Thank you for your time to read this, and thank you for your prayers. There is power in prayer.


Jim

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"Our neighborhood is one day safer than it was yesterday."
-- J. Hendee, 2008
Leader, Alliance of Guardian Angels
Ypsilanti, Michigan Chapter
www.guardianangels.org

I remember the Sliwas. The Angels were big awhile back in St. Louis. They were great.

That's great that you are part of that organization.

i contacted them a number of yrs ago about something, and they never once contacted me..

i dont even remember what i had ask them for help on

Hmmmm.....

... well, they don't make house calls...

Can you do a housecall right now TM

they could had responded in email
but they didnt

This thread is a prayer request, not a place to dump garbage opinions about the Guardian Angels. Go e-mail them and complain on their web site and offer your prayers here, or don't post off-topic... ok?

Sorry, this isn't a flirt thread. Its a prayer request thread, and I don't feel it is appropriate to flirt in here.

Well, I will keep them in prayer.




May I ask however, why don't they pay those funds
directly into a bank account?

The students do get their refund checks direct deposited in bank accounts, but they still draw out large amounts of cash. They might be going to buy textbooks, which are expensive, or just enjoying have cash in their pockets. A hundred reasons why a person might carry cash.

Thank you for praying for us as we go out on the street and try to make a difference.

We are basically a volunteer force that attempts to work along side of the local police to try to keep criminal activity at a minimum.

I do this for the love of my community and as a civic gesture.

Thank you TM. I am glad that you and others are able to do that.

I am sure the books are a source of revenue for
the school, but they should also think about providing an online source for the students to obtain their course materials. Perhaps they do already. I have been doing my coursework online for sometime now, so I am not current with what they do on campus.