Quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson
"It is one of the most beautiful compensations in life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself"
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
SEOUL TIMES ARTICLE WRITER EXPOSES LOS ANGELES FAMILY HOUSING
We hear things haven't changed much: Thomas Emmon Pisano an ex resident exposes life at a shelter that just got a $10 million dollar grant from HUD.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
LOS ANGELES FAMILY HOUSING and OTHERS GET MILLIONS IN HUD GRANTS
Link to this Daily News Article by Dana Bartholomew, Staff Writer NOW... Will the shelters that receive the millions use them wisely and fairly?
(thanks K for the tip on this news!)
(thanks K for the tip on this news!)
Friday, September 25, 2009
BARBARA EHRENREICH's BLOG ON POVERTY
LINK TO THIS COURAGEOUS AUTHORS ON LINE WORK TO EXPOSE POVERTY FOR WHAT IT IS!
Barbara Ehrenreich comments on working in America - and remaining poor even when you work three part time jobs...
Barbara Ehrenreich comments on working in America - and remaining poor even when you work three part time jobs...
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
HOMELESS CHILDREN GO BACK TO SCHOOLS
Every once in a while you hear about an exceptional homeless or temporarily sheltered child who manages to get into a prestigious college or has the benefit of a scholarship. We are lead to believe that it just takes willingness, rather than the right environment.
UNFORTUNATELY, these exceptions are NEWS, when the NEWS ought to be just how difficult it is for a homeless child to participate and compete in the classroom where his or her peers are children who go home every evening to a real bed, a heated or air conditioned room, regular nutritious meals, and so on. Their teachers may or may not know they are homeless, may or may not be able to compensate, may or may not care. Teaching too can be "just a job."
Homeless children also tend to go to many schools and to drop out early.
Today in some cities it is teacher's themselves who are on wait lists for LOW INCOME HOUSING!
Homeless children may have parents who love them, but they may not have money for books and school supplies, or money for clothing and shoes that doesn't come out of a rag bag, and they suffer for not having comfortable chairs and tables, light, and the quietude necessary to study. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS HOUSING.
UNFORTUNATELY, these exceptions are NEWS, when the NEWS ought to be just how difficult it is for a homeless child to participate and compete in the classroom where his or her peers are children who go home every evening to a real bed, a heated or air conditioned room, regular nutritious meals, and so on. Their teachers may or may not know they are homeless, may or may not be able to compensate, may or may not care. Teaching too can be "just a job."
Homeless children also tend to go to many schools and to drop out early.
Today in some cities it is teacher's themselves who are on wait lists for LOW INCOME HOUSING!
Homeless children may have parents who love them, but they may not have money for books and school supplies, or money for clothing and shoes that doesn't come out of a rag bag, and they suffer for not having comfortable chairs and tables, light, and the quietude necessary to study. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS HOUSING.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
MARTHA BECK MAKES HOMELESS SCREAM !
The famous OPRAH magazine article author and book author, MARTHA BECK, is making some of us scream with her references to homeless people she works with to find their "right life - no matter what".
In her book STEERING BY STARLIGHT, she mentions in particular HOMELESS HEROIN ADDICTS, who she claims illustrate her point because although they cannot afford rent or food, they come up with close to about $200,000 a year for their heroin habit, evidence that (even if you have to prostitute yourself) if there is something you really want, you will focus on it and get it.
BECK SEEMS TO HAVE CONFUSED WITH THE DESPERATION OF ADDICTION with the New Age Hocus Pocus of STAYING FOCUSED, which is damn hard to do when you can't even get regular SLEEP ! Addiction causes heroin addicts to RISK ARREST and TIME IN PRISON. WITH A CRIMINAL RECORD it becomes ever more difficult to find any kind of work that supports you and the temptation is to return to selling the substance you use.
Is she saying that you should be willing to do that much to get what else you want?
BECK may not understand that there are many different ways to become homeless. Some of us are homeless and broke BECAUSE WE REFUSE TO BREAK THE LAW. For instance some of us refuse to sell our food stamps or to fake a psychiatric condition, even though there i s a lot of pressure to do these things when we stay in shelters or go to programs that expect us to get a steady income coming in one way or another so that they can house us somewhere that requires rent.
HOMELESS PROGRAMS are generally horribly inadequate to address the needs of the homeless, all sorts of homeless, from the street alcohlic to the family living in a RV.
In her book STEERING BY STARLIGHT, she mentions in particular HOMELESS HEROIN ADDICTS, who she claims illustrate her point because although they cannot afford rent or food, they come up with close to about $200,000 a year for their heroin habit, evidence that (even if you have to prostitute yourself) if there is something you really want, you will focus on it and get it.
BECK SEEMS TO HAVE CONFUSED WITH THE DESPERATION OF ADDICTION with the New Age Hocus Pocus of STAYING FOCUSED, which is damn hard to do when you can't even get regular SLEEP ! Addiction causes heroin addicts to RISK ARREST and TIME IN PRISON. WITH A CRIMINAL RECORD it becomes ever more difficult to find any kind of work that supports you and the temptation is to return to selling the substance you use.
Is she saying that you should be willing to do that much to get what else you want?
BECK may not understand that there are many different ways to become homeless. Some of us are homeless and broke BECAUSE WE REFUSE TO BREAK THE LAW. For instance some of us refuse to sell our food stamps or to fake a psychiatric condition, even though there i s a lot of pressure to do these things when we stay in shelters or go to programs that expect us to get a steady income coming in one way or another so that they can house us somewhere that requires rent.
HOMELESS PROGRAMS are generally horribly inadequate to address the needs of the homeless, all sorts of homeless, from the street alcohlic to the family living in a RV.
ILLINOIS DEFINES WHAT IS HOMELESS
We think this list is partial because it describes street homeless and homeless in shelters...
It does not describe those who are on friends floors but have to stay out of an apartment all day and can only be there when the friend is there...
It does not describe people who had homes or apartments but fled violence, taking their children and suitcases with them, who live here there and everywhere...
It does not RV's and long term resident campgrounds where fees are paid.
It does not describe those who are on friends floors but have to stay out of an apartment all day and can only be there when the friend is there...
It does not describe people who had homes or apartments but fled violence, taking their children and suitcases with them, who live here there and everywhere...
It does not RV's and long term resident campgrounds where fees are paid.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
SAN BERNARDINO CALIFORNIA HOMELESS LINK
Here's what the COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP OF SAN BERNARDINO has to say.
Friday, September 4, 2009
CITY OF ATLANTA BEING SUED FOR INTERFERING IN SHELTER OPERATION
"The Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless announces its lawsuit filed on July 29, 2009, against the City of Atlanta for interfering with the organization’s ability to raise funds and operate its emergency services for homeless men, women and children in the city."
“The harrassment and interference began seriously in 1994 and has gotten progressively worse, taking its toll on our funding,” reports Executive Director Anita Beaty. “
”The Task Force works daily to serve over 600 homeless people with deep support services that included housing 1,500 people in permanent housing last year alone. On average the agency shelters 574 people each night, many of whom need only a job or cheaper housing to get on with their lives. Those people with deeper needs are offered services from assistance with identification to addiction treament and medical help.
The case will be heard on September 21 in Fulton County Superior Court.
Contact:Anita Beaty, Executive Director: 404-729-5366
Bob Cramer, Board Chairman: 404-259-7527
Steve Hall, Attorney: 404-808-1050
“The harrassment and interference began seriously in 1994 and has gotten progressively worse, taking its toll on our funding,” reports Executive Director Anita Beaty. “
”The Task Force works daily to serve over 600 homeless people with deep support services that included housing 1,500 people in permanent housing last year alone. On average the agency shelters 574 people each night, many of whom need only a job or cheaper housing to get on with their lives. Those people with deeper needs are offered services from assistance with identification to addiction treament and medical help.
The case will be heard on September 21 in Fulton County Superior Court.
Contact:Anita Beaty, Executive Director: 404-729-5366
Bob Cramer, Board Chairman: 404-259-7527
Steve Hall, Attorney: 404-808-1050
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
CRASH COURSE IN HOMELESSNESS - DARE TO TAKE IT !
Here is the crash course, should you dare to take it!
FOR ONE MONTH:
You are cut off from just about everyone you used to know, including your friends, co-workers, and family. They won't speak to you. They are ashamed of you. They will not help you. You've been abandoned. In most cases, if you had a loving family you would not be on the street.
You have no cell phone, no land line. You can make out calls at a phone booth but can get no incoming calls. Forget job hunting.
You go to a Foodbank twice a week and they give you bags of uncooked rice and dried beans and even meat from Trader Joes - which you cannot cook. So you eat a lot of canned goods - peaches, pears, green beans, tuna. Also day old bread and reject cakes and pies from Ralphs... You rapidly gain a gut - too much sugar,salt, fat.
Afraid to sleep at night? You can sleep sitting up in a chair at the downtown branch of the Los Angeles Public library.
Keep moving - you are a transient after all - that or you're loitering - and you can be arrested for that!You decide a shelter is the way to go. At the shelter someone who does not own a can opener or a sleeping bag steals yours!
Tough! Your lover wants to be with you tonight! But she must sleep in the woman's section of the shelter. No sex! Guess what? Your children and wife to be ex are there too - across the room. You can hear them whimpering but you can't go to their side.
Don't think sleeping in your car, van, RV, or any vehicle is the solution. IT'S ILLEGAL to live out of or sleep in a vehicle. Never mind that the waiting list for Section 8 housing is years long or that no one would rent to you jobless!
You're caught smoking 19 feet from a public building. We can't inhale that second hand smoke, you know. So LAPD officers use this to demand your driver's liscence and wouldn't you know, you have an UNPAID PARKING TICKET!
You're arrested, thrown in jail, released on your promise that you'll show up in court, but you skip out of that too, since you have no money to pay the ticket and are afraid of what might happen to you in jail. You wear clothes from a church donation bag, but that's not why passerbys think you're a BUM.
It's cause you are unshaven and you stink.
You might be able to sink bath sneaking it in a public rest room, but we mean SNEAK! If you are tired, hungry,frightened or depressed, too damn bad!
Maybe you can try to get on SSDI without a lawyer or get yourself to a public hospital where you'll find a doctor who thinks you ought to be medicated for anxiety or depression!
FOR ONE MONTH:
You are cut off from just about everyone you used to know, including your friends, co-workers, and family. They won't speak to you. They are ashamed of you. They will not help you. You've been abandoned. In most cases, if you had a loving family you would not be on the street.
You have no cell phone, no land line. You can make out calls at a phone booth but can get no incoming calls. Forget job hunting.
You go to a Foodbank twice a week and they give you bags of uncooked rice and dried beans and even meat from Trader Joes - which you cannot cook. So you eat a lot of canned goods - peaches, pears, green beans, tuna. Also day old bread and reject cakes and pies from Ralphs... You rapidly gain a gut - too much sugar,salt, fat.
Afraid to sleep at night? You can sleep sitting up in a chair at the downtown branch of the Los Angeles Public library.
Keep moving - you are a transient after all - that or you're loitering - and you can be arrested for that!You decide a shelter is the way to go. At the shelter someone who does not own a can opener or a sleeping bag steals yours!
Tough! Your lover wants to be with you tonight! But she must sleep in the woman's section of the shelter. No sex! Guess what? Your children and wife to be ex are there too - across the room. You can hear them whimpering but you can't go to their side.
Don't think sleeping in your car, van, RV, or any vehicle is the solution. IT'S ILLEGAL to live out of or sleep in a vehicle. Never mind that the waiting list for Section 8 housing is years long or that no one would rent to you jobless!
You're caught smoking 19 feet from a public building. We can't inhale that second hand smoke, you know. So LAPD officers use this to demand your driver's liscence and wouldn't you know, you have an UNPAID PARKING TICKET!
You're arrested, thrown in jail, released on your promise that you'll show up in court, but you skip out of that too, since you have no money to pay the ticket and are afraid of what might happen to you in jail. You wear clothes from a church donation bag, but that's not why passerbys think you're a BUM.
It's cause you are unshaven and you stink.
You might be able to sink bath sneaking it in a public rest room, but we mean SNEAK! If you are tired, hungry,frightened or depressed, too damn bad!
Maybe you can try to get on SSDI without a lawyer or get yourself to a public hospital where you'll find a doctor who thinks you ought to be medicated for anxiety or depression!
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