ABOUT ME...

Today I am known as MR. TRIPP to most of the Poor and Homeless Brothers and Sisters that I run into on the streets of Kansas City.   The rest of the world knows me by other names such as my birth-right name - Richard G. Tripp; or by the nickname I've picked up over the last few years - Mr. Compassion. StillOthers have called me everything from a saint to a devil. Depending on who's doing the talking. And to tell you the truth, what they call me never really did matter anyway. What does matter though, is that I'm  able to show the world that one person, can make a difference.

What's important to me is I'm able to motivate others into doing what it takes to help those that are down and out. The truth is it’s God doing the work; you might say I’m just along for the ride. But it's really something to see everyone helping each other at these events I’ve  been able  to arrange with his help.

Some say these events I do are just a band-aid.  Maybe they are right.  But I know of a lot of lives that have been saved by these band-aid approaches. It’s my prayer that when I’m dead and gone the one thing that people can say about me, is that I was for real , and I fought the good fight of helping others till the end.

Moving On...

Sitting under the Broadway Bridge here in Kansas City 14 years ago, the only thing that was on my mind was to survive.  I didn't really care about anybody else.  Here I was with no money, no job, and kind of felt like no future.  Little did I know at the time that things were about to change.  That things were about to happen that would change the way people think about me - and vice versa.  At the time I can remember back then I wasn't happy with my situation by any means.  I couldn't see why God above would let me end up here under this bridge. I  mean I wasn't a bad guy.  I worked all my life (that is when I wasn't in the hospital for one operation or another - my health wasn't the best), but surely I thought there was no reason for God to let me end up here. I drove a cab for years, not like those people you see on the streets - those homeless bums.  If they wanted a job all they had to do was look for one right?

I'd seen them on the streets for years, I just passed them by and didn't want anything to do with them. Of course I'd never talked to any of them - as a matter of fact I had no compassion whatsoever for any of them.  I had my own problems and didn't need theirs.  After being there for a while, I started meeting others that were living on the streets under the bridges and old abandoned buildings in the same area as me.

Story Continued on C.O.P.P. Inc Story page - click here