Friday, January 31, 2014

IS A BEDROOM TENT THE ANSWER FOR NOISY SHELTERS and NEWLY HOUSED HOMELESS?

FRISKY - 10 WAYS A BEDROOM TENT WILL IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

"In South Korea, where temperatures are currently arctic and energy costs exorbitant, the most effective, efficient way to stay warm is by inhabiting an indoor tent. One South Korean tent manufacturer claims to have sold more than 4 million in just a couple of weeks....

READ THE LIST !  IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE - PRIVACY, NOISE REDUCTION, LOWER HEATING BILLS!

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

NEW YORKER COVERS UNDERGROUND HOMELESS IN NEW YORK CITY

NEW YORKER - IAN FRAZIER - NEW YORKS HIDDEN CITY

"For baseball games, Yankee Stadium seats 50,287. If all the homeless people who now live in New York City used the stadium for a gathering, several thousand of them would have to stand...The Coalition for the Homeless, a leading advocate for homeless people in the city and the state, says that these numbers have not been seen in New York since the Great Depression...In fact, during the twelve years of the Bloomberg administration, the number of homeless people has gone through the roof they do not have. There are now two hundred and thirty-six homeless shelters in the city...The number of homeless single adults is up, too, but more of them are in programs than used to be, and some have taken to living underground, in subway tunnels and other places out of sight. Homeless individuals who do frequent the streets may have a philosophical streak they share with passersby, and of course they sometimes panhandle. Homeless families, by contrast, have fewer problems of mental illness and substance abuse, and they mostly stay off the street. If you are living on the street and you have children, they are more likely to be taken away and put in foster care. When homeless families are on the street or on public transportation, they are usually trying to get somewhere. If you see a young woman with big, wheeled suitcases and several children wearing backpacks on a train bound for some far subway stop, they could be homeless. Homeless families usually don’t engage with other passengers, and they seldom panhandle...

Sunday, January 26, 2014

HOME FOR GOOD - UNITED WAY LA - FOUR POINT PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS BY 2016 - OUR COMMENTARY

HOME FOR GOOD - UNITED WAY LA - PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS BY 2016  link

THEIR PLAN IN WHITE, OUR COMMENTS IN RED

KNOW WHO’S HOMELESS AND WHAT THEY NEED

   We will know every homeless person’s name, location, and the challenges they face, so we can plan for the permanent housing and services they need to stabilize.

(Our comment:  Scary!  United Way is coming off as a CONTROL FREAK ORG.  Every person who is homeless needs to be in a UNITED WAY (or police controlled) database, but every other citizen of the United States does not, or already is?  We are concerned about this.  It may be like the Nazi's keeping track of the location of Jews, and then the round ups.  WHAT'S NEXT?   Hey is everyone aware that UNITED WAY pays for 211 and is  keeping a computerized database on callers?

WHY NOT JUST KEEP NOTES ON THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE? There are thousands of people who want off the street who are willing and able to deal with applications.)

2

CREATE THE HOUSING AND SERVICES TO HELP PEOPLE THRIVE

 
We will create access to 12,500 units of permanent supportive housing to house every chronically homeless person, and 6,000 units of affordable or supportive housing to house every non-chronically homeless veteran. They will access supportive services to help them recover and thrive in our communities.

WE KNOW PEOPLE WHO WERE NEVER HOMELESS, then went into a shelter where they were promised housing that never came through and were there YEARS.  Then these people, who spent no more than a day or several weeks at cold weather shelters or sofa hopping are called CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.  The definition needs a huge revamp.  To us chronically homeless means someone is on the street for years.      

3

SHIFT TO A HOUSING FIRST SYSTEM

 
We will ensure every homeless person can be moved quickly into permanent housing with services, and that there are few requirements or barriers to receiving this support.

We agree because we hear so much about shelter BS.  BUT IS THIS JUST MAKING HOUSING SOMEONE ELSE IS PAYING FOR OR SUBSIDIZING INTO THE SHELTER?  WILL PEOPLE BE REPORTING IN TO CASE MANAGERS just the same?
   

4

GET INVOLVED, INVOLVE OTHERS...


We want to know, does this mean homeless shelters will actually exist only as emergency housing until the United Way gets someone housing?  When they say they will now every homeless persons name and location, what about Privacy?  What role will the Police Play?

Friday, January 24, 2014

COACHELLA VALLEY RESCUE MISSION - NO WOMEN AND CHILDREN TURNED AWAY

COACHELLA VALLEY RESCUE MISSION



THIS IS A CHRISTIAN BIBLICAL PROGRAM

The Coachella Valley Rescue Mission currently shelters 150+ men, women and children. CVRM also offers a Emergency Shelter to an additional 75 men, women and children each night in our multi-purpose overnight shelter. All people in this program are served breakfast and dinner along with the options of showers, clothes, hygiene and case management services.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

HOMELESS WITH KIDS? FREE THINGS TO DO TO STAY WARM and KEEP YOUR SANITY and YOUR COVER

HOMELESS WITH KIDS?  Need a place to hang out while they're in school?

THE LIBRARY - You can usually attend special kids-only programs without proving residency or showing an ID.  You may also be able to use some of the computers without a library card.

THE GYM - Try joining the YMCA before you no longer have a mailing address.  They have discounted programs for family of veterans.

THE INDOOR MALL - So difficult not to actually buy anything but there's heat, light, and bathrooms.  You'll probably have to keep it to half a day once a week so security doesn't have you on their radar.

FREE MUSEUM DAYS and MORE!

check out these FREE THINGS TO DO IN LOS ANGELES http://www.discoverlosangeles.com/blog/100-free-things-do-los-angeles-free-museums

Monday, January 20, 2014

GLENDALE - PASADENA HOMELESS RESOURCES - FOR NOW AND AFTER MARCH 2014

PASADENA HOMELESS RESOURCES  includes these and more.

Friends in Deed - 626.797.6072
444 E. Washington Boulevard, Pasadena CA
Hotel vouchers with reference.

Glendale Cold Weather Shelter - 818.240.4130
**Please Call for Operation and Availability**
220 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena CA
December 1st through March 15th.


Pasadena Cold Weather Shelter - 888.915.8111
539 N. Lake Avenue, Pasadena CA
November through March, 7 pm to 6 am

Passageways - 626.403.4888
1020 S. Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena CA
Monday through Friday, 8pm to 12 midnight.  Fills up early!

Salvation Army - 626.773.4404
960 E. Walnut Street, Pasadena CA
Hotel vouchers

Union Rescue Mission - 213.347.6300, www.urm.org
545 S. San Pedro Ave, Los Angeles, CA  (Is this Pasadena?)

Live In Programs

What would MARTIN LUTHER KING have to say about the murder of KELLY THOMAS? QUESTION FOR OUR READERS!

Today we celebrate the CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER  MARTIN LUTHER KING.

And we ask YOU... If he were alive today, what would MARTIN LUTHER KING have to say about the murder of KELLY THOMAS?



Civil Disobedience and obeying Just vs. Unjust laws

Saturday, January 18, 2014

HOMELESS COUNT COMING UP - DO YOU WANT TO BE COUNTED?

If you're in a shelter they will FORCE YOU TO BE COUNTED or threaten to throw you out, even if you do NOT want to be on public record as homeless.  After all, you may be homeless for a week or a month or two for the first time in your life and the label and stereotypes do not apply.  And have they even kept their promise to help you or are you just being STORED THERE while they collect?

HOMELESS COUNT is a special census and they say it's all about getting funding from the government in recognition of the problem  TOO BAD THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T CLOSELY WATCH AND REGULATE what some shelters really do with the funds.  TOO BAD SHELTERS DON'T HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED OR LICENSED!

SEE OUR QUESTIONS TO ASK A SHELTER page to get a better idea of what we are talking about.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

BEAN'S CAFE ANCHORAGE ALASKA'S HOMELESS REFUGE plus CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES - BROTHER FRANCIS SHELTER

NOTE NOVEMBER 2014 - THIS POST HAS RECIEVED A HIGH NUMBNER OF HITS

ADN - MARK LESTER ON HOMELESSNESS IN ANCHORAGE

"Within weeks of landing in Anchorage, George McBee was learning how to be homeless on the streets of Anchorage. Camping on “Party Hill,” a slope of urban woods just a block from Bean’s Cafe, experienced street people showed him how to keep condensation out of his tent and taught him not to “party” alone.

It was a life not much better than the one he left behind.

McBee moved to Anchorage in 2007 from Porterville, Calif., where he lived a secluded life in a fifth-wheel trailer parked in the woods. A cousin urged him to try life in Alaska. A third-generation alcoholic and a methamphetamine user since he was 14, McBee brought his addictions with him.

He spent years in and out of homelessness here, sometimes couch surfing and often struggling to hold jobs. Now, as a monitor at Bean’s Cafe, which provides meals and daytime shelter for people in need, McBee acts as a sort of bouncer for the facility -- defusing arguments, controlling access and looking out for the welfare of clients who might be in trouble.

It’s steady work that allows him to keep a roof over his head. He says he loves it. But arriving at this place in his life has been a hard-won success that has taken him to the pits of depression, the loneliness of jail and the cold streets of the city.

There was a time, just a couple years ago, when he thought he had turned things around. He had an apartment and a job. None of it was compatible with his alcoholism, though.


"BEANS CAFE - ANCHORAGE HELPS THE HOMELESS

(Our first post on homelessness in Alaska!)

"The underlying premise of Bean's Caf̩ is a deep belief in the inherent dignity of every person, a belief that people respond with kindness when treated kindly, with trust when trusted, and respectfully when respected. Our aim is not to set up a value system Рdetermining what is right or wrong Рor a way of life for persons, but to allow them to form their own. In this situation a person is not pressured into acting in a special way, and their eventual response is free, lasting, and more fully themselves"



ADN : ANCHORAGE HOMELESS - SHELTER OR OUTSIDE  by MICHELLE THERIAULT BOOTS


"In October, Brother Francis, which is run by Catholic Social Services, brought back a policy requiring people to work on a plan to get permanent housing or leave the shelter after 30 days.

The "30-in-30-out" policy had been the standard at the city's main shelter until two years ago.
The limits were relaxed after an epidemic of homeless people's deaths in 2009 and 2010, when nearly two dozen died outdoors in Anchorage.

As part of a response to the deaths, the city in 2011 raised the temperature of its "cold alert" status from 32 to 45 degrees.
At the same time, Brother Francis canceled its 11 p.m. curfew and relaxed its longtime "30-in-30-out" rule, meant to keep an emergency shelter from functioning as a long-term residence for the homeless, whenever the "cold alert" was in effect.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2013/12/30/3252196/for-city-homeless-night-means.html#storylink=cpy

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

ERIC "PICO" RIVERA BECOMING A HIGH DESERT HERO WITH HANDS ON HELP FOR THE TENT DWELLERS

DAILY PRESS TENT CITY - VICTORVILLE and ERIC RIVERA  - PLACERVILLE HANGTOWN

"Rivera, who is sharing his vision through fliers and on Facebook, said his idea “is not going to be a one-man show,” but a collaborative effort between churches, nonprofit groups and local governments.
Friends, family, churches and a local bakery have provided many of the homeless near the river with soup, bread, water and clothing, Rivera said.

“The biggest problem down here is hygiene problems and keeping hydrated,” Rivera said as he and his family used a 275-gallon water tank on the back of his truck to refill water containers for the river-dwellers. “I pay for everything mostly out of pocket.”

DAILY PRESS : HOMELESS IN RIVERBED

"Rivera is the founder of “Friends of Tent City” and hopes to eventually provide a permanent legal campground somewhere in the Victor Valley — possibly near the Mojave River bottom next to Stoddard Wells Road, he said. He wants to form a coalition of nonprofits and churches to better coordinate food assistance, water, heat, hygiene, work assistance and recovery programs. But the project is still in the early stages, he said."

Friday, January 10, 2014

PANERA BREAD ASKS WHAT COUNTRY HAS ONE CHILD IN FOUR STRUGGLING WITH HUNGER

PANERA BREAD CARES

“Panera Cares® community cafes exist to feed each and every person who walks through our doors with dignity regardless of their means.”
Panera Cares community cafes are about working together, shoulder to shoulder with our customers, to confront a serious problem plaguing communities across this country. Hunger. Simply put, in these non-profit locations, we will feed anyone. We will offer a dignified dining experience in an uplifting environment – without judgment – whether or not a person can pay. Panera Cares community cafes – operated by the Panera Bread Foundation, a separate Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity – are meant to raise the level of awareness about food insecurity in this country, while also being a catalyst for change in our communities.

Panera Cares community cafes are designed to help address the ever-worsening epidemic of food insecurity (hunger) in the U.S.  Consider this: according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), over 17 million U.S. households are considered food insecure. Simply put, for a significant number of Americans, putting food on the table is a struggle. 16 million kids – 1 in 5 – do not have enough to eat each day and lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis.



ONE IN SIX AMERICANS LIVE IN A FOOD INSECURE HOUSEHOLD.  This video has impact!  Listen to it!

PANERA RECENTLY DONATED THOUSANDS TO A SHELTER IN LOS ANGELES, HOPE OF THE VALLEY.  From the North Hollywood Patch:  NORTH HOLLYWOOD - PANERA BREAD DONATES 4K to HOPE OF THE VALLEY

Hey Panera Bread, you're all over the internet GIVING!  We THANK YOU!

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

ST DOROTHY CHURCH IN GLENDORA HAS A WINTER SHELTER - POLICE SERVE HOMELESS CHRISTMAS DINNER!

ST DOROTHY WEB SITE  - CATHOLIC CHARITIES and SAINT VINCENT DEPAUL SOCIETY

241 South Valley Center Avenue, Glendora, CA 91741

Phone: 626-914-3941


SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE - GLENDORA POLICE OFFICERS SERVE HOMELESS DINNER   That's what we want to hear!

For the 13th year, St. Dorothy Catholic Church is one of the two-week host sites offering showers, food, shelter and various services through the East San Gabriel Valley Coalition for the Homeless and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

HAVE YOU BEEN RAPED BY A POLICE OFFICER WHO PREYS ON HOMELESS WOMEN?

We've heard about a rogue officer... we hope it's not true...

Monday, January 6, 2014

HYPOTHERMIA HOTLINES : RECORD FREEZE SURE TO KILL OFF MORE HOMELESS

 Dan Diamond - FORBES - How to Help the Homeless - COLD

 Part of the Article :

"Other cities have similar services, too. Here’s a partial list of numbers that I collected, and readers have submitted."
  • Baltimore: 410-433-5175 for Baltimore Area Homeless Shelters 24-Hour Hotline
  • Boston: 617-534-2526 for Friends of Boston’s Homeless or dial 311
  • Chicago: 311
  • Detroit: 1-800-274-3583 and 1-800-343-4427 (starting on Monday at 6 a.m.)
  • Kansas City, Mo.: 816-474-4599
  • New York City: 311
  • Milwaukee: 211
  • Minneapolis: 211
  • Philadelphia: 215-232-1984 for the Project HOME Homeless Outreach Hotline
  • Portland: 211
  • Richmond: 211
  • San Francisco: 311
  • Seattle: 211
  • St. Louis: 314-802-5444 for the Housing Resource Center hotline (between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Mon-Friday)
  • Thunder Bay, Ontario: 807-620-7678 for the SOS team (operates between 2 p.m. and 2 a.m.)
  • Toronto: 311
  • Washington, D.C.: 1-800-535-7252 for the Hypothermia Hotline

Sunday, January 5, 2014

PHOENIX CLAIMS IT'S FIRST CITY IN USA TO END VETERANS HOMELESSNESS!

THINK PROGRESS : PHOENIX HOMELESS VETS : FIRST CITY TO END HOMELESSNESS AMONG VETS

"Three years ago, city officials identified 222 homeless veterans living in Phoenix. Using both state and federal funds, the city had successfully housed the last veterans who were living without homes. They did so through an innovative idea known as “Housing First” — providing somewhere to live for homeless individuals without first requiring that they be sober or drug-free. The thinking goes that homeless individuals with drug or alcohol problems will be far more capable to address these issues if they first have a stable place to live. Housing First works best when it’s coupled, as it was in Phoenix, with supportive services like job training and health care."