OCTOBER 31, 2025 IN MEMORIAM In memory of James Heed JUNE 21, 1953 - OCTOBER 17, 2025 James “Jimmy” Heed was born in 1953 at St. Vincent Deaconess hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. He came to Mercy House (Ann Arbor house of hospitality) for the first time for a community breakfast sometime in the winter of 2016. He told Peggy, who runs the house, that he was staying at the Delonis Center and when they wouldn’t accept his cat to live at the shelter with him, he arranged to take the cat to the animal hospital where he had to pay a monthly fee. Peggy and Sheri Wander invited Jimmy to the Ann Arbor ecumenical event on homelessness and poverty at Vineyard Church, and he went. After the event, Peggy invited him to stay at Mercy House. Jimmy immediately found a contract job at the University of Michigan hospital; he worked as a valet during the night shift from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., even throughout the coldest months of the year. Jimmy confided in Peggy his medical information after he moved in. He did not share that information with other residents at Mercy House. However, during the pandemic, we noticed he visited the hospital several times, and would spend more than a week or two at the ICU. When he came out of the hospital he revealed he had cancer. Jimmy was the kind of person that kept to himself and didn’t talk very much. He was a very intelligent man and some of the Mercy House residents teased him about how much he remembered from his high school days in Cleveland. He was living in Cleveland during the 1969 chemical fire which sparked the environmental movement. People thought highly of Jimmy because of his generosity and kindness. During Christmas 2024, he bought about a dozen $20 gift cards, which he gave away to his friends and some homeless guests at the Mercy House Christmas party. Jimmy’s death is a significant loss to the homeless community. We will continue to pray for his soul to rest in peace. — Will Shakespeare, Groundcover vendor No. 258 Words from his family, shared at the October 25 memorial at Mercy House He loved beanies and flannels so we all wore them to the memorial. — Cyndey Heed, niece He once shared a one bedroom apartment with 49 cats. He was the pogo stick champ of our family. — Nancy Heed, sister He liked the Bee Gees, Vanity Fair, Lobo and Mary Hopkins. — John Heed Jim fed cats and took care of his mother. He was kind and funny. And gentle. He drove for a career as a cab driver and airport shuttle! Still, he would drive for fun. — Tom Heed He was kind, dependable and honest. He was never afraid to speak his mind or ask questions. He loved cats, both his own and others. — Alex Heed GROUNDCOVER NEWS What’s Happening at the Ann Arbor District Library Open 10am–8pm Daily Visit any of our five locations across town to browse books, magazines, newspapers, and more. Check out movies, CDs, art prints, musical instruments, or even home tools—you name it! Enjoy fast and free WiFi, study and meeting rooms, and plenty of comfortable spaces to relax or hang out. The Big Three As the seasons shift from spring and summer into fall and winter, so do the conditions shift for us who are a part of the homeless community in Washtenaw County. Just last week while enjoying a free breakfast at St. Andrew’s Church on Division Street in Ann Arbor, my friend and I realized the warm summer weather was quickly turning into cool breezes and even colder nights. Surviving a life of homelessness means just that — you don’t have a home. This literally means that there is no roof over your head, nor a warm bed to crawl into at bed time. The elements become very real during the cooler months of November, December and January. I affectionately refer to them as "The Big Three." These three months are also known as our beloved holiday season. During this time, those who can adorn their homes with lights and all types of festive attractions to vendor who you see faithfully outside selling our Groundcover Newspaper. For the small price of the paper plus a little gift of a tip, you can literally change and sustain the life of one of Washtenaw County's finest citizens. Today as I write this article I am DAVID MITCHELL Groundcover vendor No. 661 celebrate love for family and friends. Many of us go one step further and look for those who are not so loved among us whom we can shower with love. The expressions of love appear in the form of a warm sweater given to a cold woman on the street, to a sleeping bag offered to the man we often see sleeping under the bridge near the Delonis Center. An even greater way to share your love during the holiday is to adopt your favorite moved to tears. You see, there is a roof over my head tonight, and hot food cooking on the stove in the kitchen of a friend who has graciously offered me room and board. Hat’s off to the holiday season, the very season of giving that is making it possible for me to live again. By living I mean eating and sleeping inside the comfort of a home. Now may your family be richly blessed this year, and may you rejoice in the abundance of peace and prosperity that is found throughout Washtenaw County and beyond. Saturday, November 8 • 11 AM–5 PM • Downtown Library Print Fest celebrates all forms of printmaking, including a vendor fair featuring letterpress and hand-printed goods. Join us for talks by local printmakers and drop in for printing demos! Learn more at aadl.org/printfest. Book Clubs To Go Book Clubs To Go is a service available at each AADL location that provides the convenience of complete kits for book discussions. Inside you’ll find 10 copies of the featured book, one movie on DVD and a resource folder. Request a kit online or call (734)-327-4200. Byte Club An exclusive club for AADL SUPER FANS and library people like you! Byte Club will help you connect deeper with the Library you know and love, and share special sneak peeks of new things coming soon. The first rule of Byte Club is that you tell everyone about Byte Club! Ready to join? Visit aadl.org/ byteclub to get started. FEATURED EVENT 5
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