BOB MARLEY - DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY

WHAT POSTS HAVE BEEN THE MOST POPULAR? 2013 YEAR END WRAP UP AT EXPOSE HOMELESSNESS

GOOGLE INSTALLS A BASIC STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ON BLOGGER and with that we get overall statistics and some information on what posts are getting hits.  The beauty of using GOOGLE BLOGGER as a web site, is the flexibility.  We can easily take things down and put things up.


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IN THE LAST YEAR THE FOLLOWING POSTS HAVE RECIEVED A GREAT NUMBER OF HITS:

ANYTHING ON PATH - People Assisting the Homeless - and also ACENSCIA - the group that separated from PATH in Glendale California.

1/10/13  PATH LINK TO PEOPLE ASSISTING THE HOMELESS

1/12/13  GLENS TRANSITIONAL HOMES - LANCASTER CALIFORNIA. 

We would like to get some reports from people who are working with Glen's.  The Lancaster and Palmdale area has a lot of Section 8 housing.  Sadly, because people are letting their homeless friends live with them, they are loosing their Section 8 housing.

1/23/13  HIV POSITIVE OR FULL BLOWN AIDS - SPECIAL PROGRAMS HOPLA

2/21/13 PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT - SAN DIEGO - STORAGE LOCKERS

3/10/13 SAN FERNANDO FRAUD RING - IDENTITY THEFT OF PEOPLE IN SHELTER

3/16/13  OXYCOTIN ARRESTS - DEA

Over 500 hits.

3/29/13  REDDING CALIFORNIA HOMELESS BLOG 

Of all the blogs we link to, this is the most popular.

5/10/13  MMM - 3 NEW FRIENDS - HOMELESS CENTER - ENCINO - PASTOR APRIL BELT

6/15/13  DISABLED AND HOMELESS? AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT - HOW ARE YOU TREATED AT THE LIBRARY?

MOST HOMELESS CHILDREN IN NEW YORK CITY SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION

More than enough Homeless Children than would fill every seat in Madison Square Garden.

ONE IN FIVE CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES.

Since 2008 homelessness has gone up 50%.

NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE   by Andrea Elliot and Photos by Ruth Fremson  "Invisible Child - Girl in the Shadows

"Dasani’s own neighborhood, Fort Greene, is now one of gentrification’s gems. Her family lives in the Auburn Family Residence, a decrepit city-run shelter for the homeless. It is a place where mold creeps up walls and roaches swarm, where feces and vomit plug communal toilets, where sexual predators have roamed and small children stand guard for their single mothers outside filthy showers.
It is no place for children.

Yet Dasani is among 280 children at the shelter. Beyond its walls, she belongs to a vast and invisible tribe of more than 22,000 homeless children in New York, the highest number since the Great Depression, in the most unequal metropolis in America."

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE - LUTHER VANDROSS

BUTTERFLY FAIRY COLORING PAGE FOR OUR HOMELESS CHILDREN

LITTLE DRUMMER BOY - PENTATONIX

CITY OF SANTA MONICA HOMELESS PAGE - SECTION 8 and HOMELESS COUNT 2014

 City of Santa Monica would like you to cooperate with Zero Waste and report any coyotes you see.

The Master Wait List for Affordable Housing Programs is now CLOSED.    The City of Santa Monica Housing Division received over 33,000 applications in 35 hours for the Master Wait List for all Affordable Housing Programs offered by the City including the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. According to self-reported data from applicants, 3,919 of those who applied are Santa Monica residents, 173 of whom are veterans. While the City of Santa Monica’s website experienced some technical challenges, the Housing Division believes that 33,943 applicants is a more than adequate pool to make use of program funding. According to the Division’s policies and Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) regulations, closing the waiting list is permitted if there is an adequate pool of families to utilize the programs.     Santa Monica Gov - Homeless Services  follow the links tot their "partners."

FIRST DAY HOMELESS SHELTER - WHITTIER

WHITTIER DAILY NEWS : SHELTER in WHITTIER

FIRST DAY ORG site

Whittier Area First Day Coalition
12426 Whittier Blvd.
Whittier, California 90602

Services: (562) 693-4097

IPLUS ORG KEEPING HOMELESS OUT OF SHELTERS IN A POSTIVE WAY

IPLUS ORG - WANTS TO SEE MONEY GO TO THE HOMELESS INSTEAD OF SHELTERS

When they say "Help Us Keep Homeless Out Of Shelters"

Their focus is MONEY MANAGEMENT

I-PLUS (Independent Positive Living Under Supervision) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit social service agency that works to stem the issue of homelessness by ensuring that money intended for the homeless is disbursed properly.  It arranges a bank account and works with landlords and other providers are paid for rent and utilities directly, with no intervention from the benefactor.  I-PLUS aims to keep the homeless housed instead of in shelters due to poor money management.

HOMELESS CHILDREN - BUTTERFLY COLORING PAGE (61)

GIVING TO CHARITY? NOW'S THE TIME TO REALLY CHECK THAT NON-PROFIT OUT

This is the time of year when those who have extra money will be thinking about donating some of it to charity - a church or non profit - maybe just because it's tax deductible.  That's why on our sidebar we have links like CHARITY NAVIGATOR to help people make intelligent decisions about where their money should go.

If this is you, and you're thinking about donating to a HOMELESS SHELTER, you might want to check out our ASK THE SHELTER page, because you should know a whole lot about a shelter before you do.  Many shelters quote statistics, percentages.  We wonder where they get them.  One shelter we know of seems to kick about half the people they take in out yet is reporting very high percentages of success, so the question is, at what point are they really counting you?  When you're about to go into housing?

WE SEE A REAL NEED FOR SHELTERS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SINGLE, particularly SINGLE AND NO CHILDREN, and for PEOPLE WHO ARE SIMPLY HOMELESS DUE TO FINANCIAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS LONG TERM UNEMPLOYMENT.  (There are plenty of programs for women with children and people who need rehab.  Even then there are more people living in vehicles and in camping grounds than there are shelter beds.)

OF FOOD, SHELTER, and CLOTHING, it is SHELTER that there is most need for.

Really want to know what's going on?  Do what some reporters for newspapers don't bother to do.  (Can you tell we're not happy with the reportage that seems to be PR?)

TALK TO SOME HOMELESS PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING AT THAT SHELTER or GOING TO THAT NON-PROFIT and ask THEM rather than the PR/ MANAGEMENT PEOPLE what it's like to live there! 

60,000 HOMELESS IN LA COUNTY and 1,500 COLD WEATHER SHELTER BEDS

HUFFINGTON POST : ABRAMS : COLD WEATHER SHELTERS and HOMELESS COUNT

"Winter shelters for the homeless will open soon across the Los Angeles County region, where nearly 60,000 people -- the most in the nation -- live in what are considered to be inhabitable places.   Beginning now and available through March, about 1,500 beds will become available to men, women and children in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys, as well as in Long Beach and other parts of Los Angeles County. Most begin allowing residents Dec. 1."

THE STRESS OF POVERTY MAKES YOU LESS CAPABLE OF DEALING WITH IT

PLANET SAVE : HOW POVERTY IMPAIRS MENTAL FUNCTIONING reported by Michael Ricciardo

Some excerpts from this interesting article...

But new research by a team of psychologists and economists from Harvard, Princeton, and the University of British Columbia, has found that it is not simply the lack of money that forces  poor people to make “poor” decisions, rather, that poverty itself depletes cognitive resources, and specifically, one resource in particular: cognitive control...

...Poor people, due to their lack of financial resources, tend to face more of such trade-offs, more frequently, with each such trade-off or sacrifice further depleting his or her capacity for self-control. Put simply: the more people have to exercise self-control, the worse they become at exercising self-control. Interestingly, this behavior is similar to those experiencing chronic pain...

...
In the words of the authors: “The findings are not about poor people…but about any people who find themselves

KELLY CLARKSON - PEOPLE LIKE US

Thanks Bruce for suggesting this one!

ONE IN THREE IN BRITAIN TOUCHED BY HOMELESSNESS - ROGUE OPERATORS GIVING SHELTER

THE GUARDIAN - HOMELESSNESS COALITION GOVERNMENT  Hannah Fearn reporting.

"Rogue operators are setting up services for homeless people without experience or understanding of their needs, cashing in on our spiraling housing crisis.

This summer I reported on alarming levels of neglect and abuse: hostels run by dealers picking up drug-dependent clients, alcoholics placed in hostels with a licensed bar, women sexually assaulted, vulnerable young people placed next to residents with a history of offending, buildings in poor physical condition."

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We've heard a lot about similar things going on at shelters here in Southern California.  THATS WHY WE SAY  "IF YOU AREN'T SAFE IT SHOULDN'T BE CALLED A SHELTER!"

COLD WEATHER SHELTERS OPEN - FEEDS AND GIVEAWAYS - NONPROFITS LOOK FOR DONATIONS

As anyone whose been homeless during this season knows THIS IS THE TIME OF THE YEAR when you'll be invited to a whole lot of FEEDS, this is the time of the year when there will be used clothing giveaways,  this is the time of the year when people will be donating scarves and hats and socks, this is the time of the year when those who have will be thinking of where they want to put their tax deductible charitable contribution money to the have nots.  Or at least the management.

So when the givers come through the shelter looking at you like you're a zoo animal, do you smile? 

COLD WEATHER SHELTERS have opened so at least there is the cot and being indoors for a while. (But some year round shelters use this time of year to KICK OUT residents they don't like, reasoning that sending them to a cold weather shelter is not actually demoting them! It is when you were under the impression you had a place in line for housing!)

NEW FRIENDS HOMELESS CENTER SERVES 200 HOMELESS THANKSGIVING MEAL - TWICE A WEEK MEALS

DAILY NEWS ON SAN FERNANDO VALLEY THANKSGIVING and PASTOR APRIL BELT

Nearly 200 homeless San Fernando Valley residents milled about a hall at St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Encino on Thursday, greeting each other with smiles and hugs at the Thanksgiving dinner hosted by New Friends Homeless Center...The holiday event is in its third year and the all-volunteer group targets its outreach to the estimated 5,000 homeless residents of the San Fernando Valley. While funding and attention often goes to Skid Row programs and downtown shelters, Pastor April Belt of Woodland Hills’ Miracle Minded Ministries said there is a need in the Valley, even if it isn’t as prominent as in other areas....

Robert Gale, a retired Los Angeles Police Department captain, volunteers as chef for the weekly dinners, and Thursday was no different as he oversaw the turkeys, stuffing and other sides heading out the kitchen door.

“You know, when I first started helping out with this, I didn’t want to do it at all. I used to work foot patrol on Skid Row as a cop, and I couldn’t stand being around homeless people. I did it because Pastor April asked me to, but I wasn’t happy about it.”

But in the communal atmosphere of the group, Gale said he let go of those notions.

“There was one guy I met who told me his story and he told me he used to be an airplane pilot. I thought, ‘Yeah, uh huh. Sure.’ He told me he was the first guy to land a 747 at LAX and that there was a plaque with his name on it in a hanger at the airport. Well, one day, I was down there and some friends of mine let me go take a look. Sure enough, there’s his name on a plaque.”
Gale said the man had battled cancer, lost most of his belongings and his home.

NEW FRIENDS HOMELESS CENTER link

Tuesday 6:30pm - 8pm
St. Nicholas Episcopal Church
17114 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA 91316

   

Friday 6:30pm - 8pm
United Methodist Church
5650 Shoup Ave.
Woodland Hills, CA 91367

HOW TO USE THIS BLOG TO FIND SERVICES

HOW TO USE THIS BLOG TO FIND SERVICES

The SEARCH feature ( the white input block on the left side of the blog) is enabled so that you can run a search within EXPOSE HOMELESSNESS for information by using the exact name, part of the name, a TAG (which will bring up all posts in a category) such as "YOUTH",  "SHELTER", "ORANGE COUNTY",  or "QUESTIONS", as examples.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF YOU LET US KNOW OF ANY OUT OF DATE LINK / INFORMATION YOU ENCOUNTER! 

You can do so using the comment feature, without having an e-mail address or blogger yourself.  We have the anonymous function turned on.  WE DO READ ALL COMMENTS before posting. 

You can also use this anonymous function to ask us to contact you without exposing your contact info.  Simply advise us DO NOT POST!

JOAN BAEZ - THERE BUT FOR FORTUNE

POPE FRANCIS ASKS "HOW CAN IT BE THAT IT IS NOT NEWS WHEN AN ELDERLY HOMELESS PERSON DIES OF EXPOSURE?"

THE GUARDIAN - POPE FRANCIS ON CAPITALIST TYRANNY  Full article link!

"Pope Francis has attacked unfettered capitalism as "a new tyranny", urging global leaders to fight poverty and growing inequality in the first major work he has authored alone as pontiff.
The 84-page document, known as an apostolic exhortation, amounted to an official platform for his papacy, building on views he has aired in sermons and remarks since he became the first non-European pontiff in 1,300 years in March.

In it, Francis went further than previous comments criticizing the global economic system, attacking the "idolatry of money" and beseeching politicians to guarantee all citizens "dignified work, education and health care".

He also called on rich people to share their wealth. "Just as the commandment 'Thou shalt not kill' sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also have to say 'thou shalt not' to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills," Francis wrote in the document issued on Tuesday.

"How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?"

PROJECT POP DROP DELIVERING FOOD TO SKID ROW MISSIONS SHELTERS AND KITCHENS

PROJECT POP DROP SITE
PROJECT POP DROP is a philanthropy organization created by and sponsored by Platinum International Products And Services.  (They sell toner for copiers.)

"Our team does a monthly Pop Drop the last week of every month. We deliver food, clothing, medical supplies, beauty products, toys, electronics etc., to local missions, community programs and philanthropy driven organizations. Our focus is to help the epicenter of homelessness in America... Skid Row (Los Angeles). Our plan is to expand to many other cities as well.

Since  Project Pop Drop launched in 2011, we are thrilled and humbled that we have helped facilitate feeding over 90,000 meals per month. We believe that every movement starts with local leadership and that we can all help make a difference and impact our communities."

They have helped Goodwill Industries,  The Downtown Women's Center, and Hope Gardens.

1-818-491-3954 phone number

7065 Hayvenhurst Ave Suite 10
Van Nuys CA, 91406

SHOE CREW PROVIDING SHOES THAT FIT FOR CHILDREN

THE SHOE CREW ORG  TEENAGERS DOING GOOD

Mission Statement

The Shoe Crew collects new shoes that are donated to underserved youth and their families, those who are in need of disaster relief, or those who need assistance due to financial hardships.  The Shoe Crew believes that everyone deserves comfortable new shoes, and that nobody should have to suffer through day to day life without proper footwear.  The Shoe Crew also distributes clothing and other supplies on a seasonal basis to the same demographics through The Prom Crew (formal wear) and The Supplies Crew (school supplies). These divisions of The Shoe Crew provide clothing and other necessities to those in need.  The Shoe Crew distributes all items donated by working directly with other non- profit organizations who serve the same demographics.  In addition, The Shoe Crew also contributes directly to communities, individuals, churches and schools as specific needs are identified.

KELLY THOMAS : CHECK OUT THE PICKS OF KELLY BEFORE AND AFTER THE BEATING

UNIVERSALFREEPRESS - KELLY THOMAS BEATING  picture of Kelly who died a few days after being ganged up on in a police free for all, from the web site which is a WORDPRESS BLOG.

 

The site has other pictures and videos.  Please check it out!

 

WE AWAIT THE VERDICT


OK - SO WE ARE HORRIFIED!  WE ARE SHOCKED!  The jurors have communicated that this level of violence is OK over - not an armed robbery - not a gang holding guns - but a homeless mentally ill person being shook down by the police!


WE ASK YOU THIS : WHAT WOULD MARTIN LUTHER KING HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT!

BUTTERFLY BOUQUET COLORING PAGE FOR OUR HOMELESS CHILDREN

JANIS IAN - SOCIETY'S CHILD

This is for Linda who told us this song is the story of her life.

COLD WEATHER SHELTERS LOS ANGELES 2014-2015 UPDATED ***** IT'S COLD OUT THERE!

LINK TO 2014-2015 http://lahsa.org/winter_shelter_program.asp

Winter shelters provide shelter, warmth, food and comfort to homeless individuals during the cold and wet weather season.
The 2014-2015 Winter Shelter Program (WSP) operates between December 1, 2014 and March 15, 2015. A total of 1,521 beds are available across the City and County of Los Angeles at 21 different shelter locations.
For the past 20 years LAHSA has coordinated the Winter Shelter Program in partnership with local non-profit homeless service agencies to administer the day-to-day operations of each program site.
Winter shelter beds are designated in the following Los Angeles City and County areas:

• Bell
• Downtown (Central City East)
• Glendora
• Hacienda Heights
• Lancaster
• Long Beach
• Pacoima
• Pomona
• Rowland Heights
• Santa Clarita
• South Los Angeles
• Sylmar
• Valinda
• West Covina
• West Los Angeles

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Previous year's shelter list removed....  we do not see Glendale or Burbank on this list, however, call Ascencia and ask them just in case!

SKY PILOT - ERIC BURDEN AND THE ANIMALS - NATIONAL COALITION FOR HOMELESS VETERANS

NATIONAL COALITION FOR HOMELESS VETERANS

For our HOMELESS VETERANS

FOOD FORWARD - THE GLEAN TEAM

FOOD FORWARD ORG  Known for their fruit pickers, we've blogged about this organization before.  They are working with three LA farmers markets - Santa Monica and Hollywood and Studio City to glean produce that goes unsold.  They get the veggies.

100% of what is Donated goes to SOVA and MEND and other food pantries.

THEY CAN USE VOLUNTEERS.  IT'S A GREAT WAY TO QUIT THE GYM and MEET SOME PEOPLE.

CAREHARBOR FREE MEDICAL CARE EVENT - OUR REVIEW UPDATED ***** MEDICAL PRIVACY AT QUESTION - THE LADIES LOVED THE PAUL MITCHELL HAIR CUTS

REVIEWS BELOW : We asked a few people who went to this years CAREHARBOR which took place last week at the LA SPORTS ARENA , a free medical care event, what they experienced.

You don't have to be homeless to attend this event.  You can be working or have health insurance, but maybe you can't afford the deductibles, or maybe you don't have coverage for dental or vision.

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OK, we're back... Sorry about that delay of a few days.

Here are some reviews from talking to people who attended this years event.  All names have been changed to protect privacy.

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DENTAL

N:  "I'm on Medical and went because I want to preserve my teeth.  After getting up real early to have a disabled van pick me up and waiting in line the day for wrist bands and then the day for dental care, I was told they couldn't help me and there was no referrals to another dental clinic.  I was so exhausted and disappointed."

We respond : We hear that by next summer Medical will be upgraded for dental so that people who don't want a tooth pulled may have better options.

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VISION

W:  "I went because I have no vision coverage.  I'm working two jobs and I can't afford my rent and new eyeglasses.  I thought the vision part of CareHarbor was excellent.  The only thing is that the eyeglass frames they had to choose from were not great. You can't give them frames you bought or brought with you.  You do get a copy of the prescription though, so if the glasses they made me are too ugly, as soon as I can afford it, I'll buy better a better pair."

We respond:  Good point! Too bad you can't hand over you old frames!

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MEDICAL PRIVACY

S:  "I'm really pissed off.  There is NO REASON TO HAVE THE LONG LINES WAITING LIKE THAT EXCEPT THAT IT'S A BIG PHOTO OP FOR CAREHARBOR.  I read on their web site that no one can take pictures inside due to MEDICAL PRIVACY.  LIE!  There were cameras in my face several times outside and the pictures on the internet and in the papers showed some people's faces.   This happened maybe five times and a lot of people were pulling their hats down or wrapping scarves around their faces or turning their backs.  Nobody was asking permission first of us to use our images.  In one case it was still dark out and while I was talking to some people I suddenly was blinded by a light - a damn camera guy from some station.  That was outside.  It wasn't much better inside."

THAT IS NOT MEDICAL PRIVACY.  On the day for care when you finally got indoors there was a BIG SIGN UP about FILMING.   HOLLWEIRD!  DAMN IT if I find my face on ANY web site, on any NEWS CHANNEL.  It's nobody's business if I stood in line for medical care.  So they are just doing it for the big news story.  That makes me sick.

We respond:  If they could give out numbers and then let you come back in a couple hours or something. Standing for hours is hard on people.

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MEDICAL PRIVACY

Z:  "I have an issue with their standards also.  THE INFORMATION PACKET THEY GAVE OUT ON MONDAY WHEN WE PICKED UP OUR WRIST BANDS SAID YOU COULD HAVE MEDICAL SERVICE WITHOUT AN ID.  BUT THE FIRST THING THEY DO IS USHER YOU INTO INTAKE WHERE THEY ASK FOR YOUR ID and start putting you in a DATABASE and they want to assign you to a clinic in the end.  So I agree with S, that there are some Lies in their flyers and website."

We respond:  It's important for the homeless to be able to get health care without an ID.

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LOVED THE ACCUPUNCTURE AND CHIROPRACTIC

H: " Hi.  I'm not homeless either.  Tell you what, I was so thrilled that I could have an acupuncture and chiropractic treatment!  I know that isn't covered by Healthy Way LA or Medical, but I would go holistic if I could, especially for pain control."

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X:  "I loved that the PAUL MITCHELL HAIRDRESSERS WHERE THERE TO CUT HAIR!
They said it was their first year for the event.  I hope they keep doing it.  It made me relax while I waited for a pap smear."

THANKS TO BECKY FOR TALKING TO THE PEOPLE.

CHANGE LINKS - JOHN JOHNSON'S TWENTY YEAR OLD FREE NEWSPAPER NEEDS FUNDING AND VOLUNTEERS

Los Angeles natives may have seen a copy of this newsprint mini paper that has listings for events and gatherings for social justice around libraries for years.   

NOW THEY HAVE A WEB SITE AT CHANGE-LINKS-ORG .

Recently John Johnson had to put his paper on hold.  He ran out of money.  He has run the paper as a COMMUNITY SERVICE.  He lives in poverty himself.  He's getting food stamps.  The newspaper has been his avocation, his life's work. 

Organizations such as Coalition for World Peace, LA CAN MEETINGS for the Homeless Bill of Rights, and Minimum Wage activists list their meetings in the paper. 

DO YOU WANT TO HELP?

If so you can call 818 782-1412


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UPDATE SUMMER 2014 : John Johnson passed away and we don't know if the paper will still be published by others or not.

COLOR ME BUTTERFLY (8)

POLARIS PROJECT : NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESOURCE CENTER

National Human Trafficking Resource Center

 

                            

Call 1-888-373-7888 or text BeFree (233733). The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) is a national, toll-free hotline, available to answer calls and texts from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.

The NHTRC is a program of Polaris Project, a non-profit, non-governmental organization working exclusively on the issue of human trafficking. We are not a government entity, law enforcement or an immigration authority.

 

Call us at 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733).

 

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About Polaris Project

Polaris Project is a leading organization in the global fight against human trafficking and modern-day slavery.  Named after the North Star "Polaris" that guided slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad, Polaris Project is transforming the way that individuals and communities respond to human trafficking, in the U.S. and globally.

YOU CAN SUBMIT A TIP ON LINE

THIS IS NOT A LAW ENFORCEMENT OR GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY

POLARIS PROJECT HOME PAGE - TO RESOURCES

SONIC YOUTH COVER NEW YORK DOLLS - PERSONALITY CRISIS

COLD WEATHER SHELTERS OPEN NOW? SHELTER ORG NATIONAL DATABASE

Our blog focuses on SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, otherwise known as SUNNY CALIFORNIA.  People from all over the country come here from places where the rain, snow, and ice make homelessness almost unlivable.  LOS ANGELES COUNTY HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST HOMELESS POPULATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES. 

Since late summer we've been looking for news of any COLD WEATHER SHELTERS that will or won't be open in Southern California and when.  Usually by October 15th to the 2nd of the month NATIONAL ARMORIES in SOME COMMUNITIES open.    COLD WEATHER SHELTERS ARE JUST THAT, shelters that open and close for the WINTER SEASON.  Depending on the part of the country you're in there may be variations.

We know that there are a lot of databases with lists of shelters on the Internet and you can run a Search through this GOOGLE BLOGGER also.  (The search block is on the left side bar.)

Here is a NATIONAL LIST SHELTER LISTINGS ORG

WE KNOW THAT IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN HOMELESS BEFORE YOU MAY ACTUALLY THINK THAT WHAT YOU DO IS LOCATE THE CLOSEST HOMELESS SHELTER and GO THERE AND YOU'RE IN.  Since there are thousands more homeless people than there are shelter beds this is simply not true.  There are months long waiting lists.   If you are healthy,  if you are single and childless, you may be left to fend for yourself.  This is really dangerous, especially for women who are not even in vehicles. 

If you are newly homeless or have never approached a shelter to get in, you may or may not have gotten information on the street from others.  COLD WEATHER SHELTERS usually mean sleeping on a cot that you put up and take down, getting up early, leaving for who knows where, and coming back at sundown.  You either haul your possessions all day or maybe rent a storage unit.  SOME COLD WEATHER SHELTERS HAVE SOCIAL WORKERS WHO MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU.  Their help may be limited to referrals to other organizations. 

We have two PAGES that provide you some information, things the newly homeless probably have never thought of.  ONE OF THEM IS CALLED QUESTIONS TO ASK THE SHELTER.  Another is called WHAT MAKES A GOOD CASE MANAGER.

TRANSGENDER FRIENDLY HOMELESS SHELTERS ?

PINK ESSENCE TRANSGENDER FRIENDLY HOMELESS SHELTERS link   (Please leave a comment if you know of more shelters.  This list includes only one in Southern California and it's for gay youth.)

We've met more than one person living in a van or in the park for years who are resistant to try getting into a shelter because they are transgender.  We also know of some people, in all these cases these were or are MEN, who are in mental health programs that lead them to shelters on the basis that transgender people are crazy!  We even know of someone whose case manager wants them to get SSI on the basis of sexual identity confusion.  (Are you crazy if you're transgender?)  But what then?  A life of living on disability just to get housing?  Sleeping behind a restaurant in West Hollywood can't last forever can it?

USUALLY IF A SHELTER TAKES A TRANSGENDERING PERSON IN, they will be put in with the people who have the same biological sex.  So if you're a man and you're on hormones and growing breasts you will still be put in with men if you are pre-surgery (on your penis) and after surgery (without penis) you'll be put in with women. 

Homeless transgender people have difficulty finding places they can wash.  They find that the gym doesn't want them in the men's locker room or the local swimming pool doesn't want them in the ladies because there are kids around.  A certain small percentage of people are born with sexual characteristics of both sexes and they have the same issue.  OFFERS TO DRESS AND UNDRESS BEHIND CURTAINS DOESN'T SEEM TO WORK.  There is also a concern that a transgender man pre-surgery may be a rapist in the ladies room.

At shelters transgender people are afraid of more than the usual problems with room mates.  Men are afraid the other men in the room will beat them up.

We think this is a true concern.

BRUCE HICKS -- DESIGNER BUILDER OF MOBILE HOMELESS SHELTER

HUFFINGTON POST : BRUCE HICKS MOBILE HOMELESS SHELTER

Bruce Hicks, owner of Food Truck Heaven in Davie, Fla., was inspired to construct the 8-foot by 5-foot aluminum shelter on wheels after learning of a formerly homeless man in Utah who had succeeded in doing something similar, the Sun Sentinel reported.

 

Photo is by and owned by Bruce Hicks.

After completing the prototype –- which cost him about $500 to produce –- he and his partner, businessman Jeff Norton, are going to take the pod to local shelters to see how they can be used.

HOMELESS IN ORANGE COUNTY DOCUMENTARY (2013) BY TOM GERSEN PLUS WELCOME INN - INTERFAITH NEEDS NETWORK

 Uploaded by Tom Gersen, we're not sure if Tom made this film but we think so and we're running it because of the myth that there is no poverty in Orange County!

Homeless in the OC: A short documentary film about the help needed in the affluent OC (Orange County) for the homeless. We can all be close to being homeless too... With the loss of job, business, illness, etc. when there I talked with 5 contractors/tradesmen that have fell on hard times and are now homeless.

Music credits: Todd Agnew - Unchanging One

WELCOME INN ORANGE COUNTY - INTERFAITH NEEDS NETWORK

UNION RESCUE MISSION - WOMEN AND CHILDREN OR SENIORS OVER 55 GET TO GO TO HOPE GARDENS

URM SERVICES link

UNION RESCUE MISSION - SKID ROW TESTIMONIALS

This is a Christian Organization.

Women can rest in their bunk all day and have foot lockers.  They can use the legal or mental health clinic.

You, man or woman, can have a hot meal even if you are not taken into the shelter.

You can get showers.

MISSION AND STATE - SANTA BARBARA HOMELESS BLOG ADDED TO OUR LIST

MISSION AND STATE - SANTA BARBARA HOMELESS BLOG link here

THIS APPEARS TO BE A UC - SANTA BARBARA CAMPUS publication with a link to homelessness and off campus issues. We're linking to the HOMELESS BLOG part.

There are 6000 homeless people in Santa Barbara... the blog profiles a number of these people including videos.   These are just two of them, from two homeless people with very different ideas about the people of Santa Barbara.




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

VIDEOS ORIGINALLY POSTED NO LONGER AVAILABLE

SAN DIEGO RESCUE MISSION - WOMEN AND CHILDREN - NEED DAYCARE

SAN DIEGO RESCUE MISSION link

"Homelessness Doesn't Always Look Like a Man With a Cardboard Sign"

FOOD STAMPS - NOVEMBER 2013 CUT BACKS TO ALL FOOD STAMP USERS

SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT : FOOD STAMP CHOPPING BLOCK

"Beginning November 1, “food stamp” benefits will decrease country-wide when part of the federal government’s 2009 stimulus package reaches its scheduled end. These across-the-board cuts for what’s known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) will slash food assistance for nearly 47 million Americans.

However, House leadership seems interested in pushing even more extreme cuts to the program this fall ​— ​cuts that would reduce benefits for up to 300,000 California households and kick nearly 280,000 Californians out of the program altogether.”

Food stamp utilization by Californians has gone up significantly since the recession hit several years ago, but only about half of the eligible people in the state receive benefits from the entitlement program. The same is true for Santa Barbara County. There are currently 30,000 individuals on food stamps, but 60,000 people qualify."

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

We looked at some charts and lots of articles on the Internet to try and figure out about how much to expect as a reduction.  You should be receiving some mail about this.  One article mentioned that while there were cuts, there was also now a higher income limit to receive SNAP.

If you have not been, try going to a Food Bank in your area, BEFORE, you run out of food or go shopping.  This way you won't buy what you're getting in a bag. 


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

UPDATE DEC 2013.  We are now meeting people who have the RESTUARANT MEALS PORTION TURNED ON DUE TO DISABILITY WHO have seen an increase of about $10 a month.

ARE LIBRARIANS HAVING COMPASSION FATIGUE? PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND THE HOMELESS

When do the rights of the homeless really impinge upon the rights of other patrons? Are unsightliness and odor enough reason to bar homeless people from the library?  A number of articles on the net are saying that librarians are having "Compassion Fatigue."

Here is a blog called IN THE LIBRARY WITH A LEAD PIPE which is pretty interesting.
IN THE LIBRARY WITH A LEAD PIPE - Welcoming the Homeless in Libraries

WE DON'T UNDERSTAND ALL THOSE WHITE TUBE SOCKS! WHERE ARE THE POLKA DOTS?!

Other than they must be the cheapest 12 pack of socks anyone can buy.

They show dirt fast. 
They are worth one wear to the street homeless who can't do the laundry.

 We think POLKA DOT SOCKS FOR THE HOMELESS MAKE MORE SENSE!


YES WE WANT FUN SOCKS!  We want to roll up are jeans and show our sense of humor.  So buy us the polka dots and the Mickey Mouse!

ARE YOU HOMELESS BECAUSE YOU CARED FOR YOUR PARENTS?

We've met a number of people - mostly living in SUV's, RV's and vans fixed up to look like business vehicles - who were care givers of elderly or sick parents.  These people are often the child in a group of children - the ones who stayed in the family home, took care of sickly parents, who would have had to sell their long-term home and go into more expensive assisted living centers if they didn't.  Some of them inherited the house but but were unable to keep going.  We've met the caregivers whose own brothers and sisters let them make these sacrifices and then ripped them of their inheritances or refused to pitch in to help them keep their own apartment.

Is this you?

FREE CELL PHONES FOR THE HOMELESS - WHY THIS WORKS FOR US

Reading over many articles about the FREE LINELINE CELL PHONE for homeless and low income individuals,  we saw on several sites that not homeless people were pretty ignorant about why homeless people would even need cell phones!  We're also concerned that there may be high charges for going over your minutes having gotten by barely with about 300 minutes a month ourselves.  (One call easily takes 15 minutes, and if you're calling a busy number, the HOLD TIME can eat those minutes up fast!)

We can't recommend any particular cell phone provider but if you want to tell us about a good or bad experience with one, please leave a COMMENT!

So here is our list!

1) Because working phone booths are hard to find and you can't get a return phone call on them and you probably can't loiter near a phone booth.

2) Because free phone service lets people who've been paying for phones and service use that money for something else they need.

3) Because a homeless person with a cell phone can call 911 if they need help - police - ambulance - just like most people who are not homeless can.

4) Because you can communicate with places and people that may help you, such as Social Services, Shelters, and Employers. 

5) Overall with a phone you're less isolated and more connected as a human being.

6) Cell Phones allow you to connect with people who would be LONG DISTANCE calls otherwise, like your family or old friends, maybe people who can help you or take you in.

7) They work when it comes to passing as not homeless!

OBAMACARE DEBUTS IN CALIFORNIA use this site! COVERED CALIFORNIA

COVERED CALIFORNIA  link here. 

The site just opened and there are glitches due to demand.  There are other sites that say they will help you evaluate coverage but we think you should stick with the STATE OF CALIFORNIA's site.  Why?  Because these other sites may have more of an agenda, such as being sponsored secretly or openly by one or another health care plan!

WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ON HEALTHY WAY LA, but we're trying to find out.  We haven't had a chance to use this site ourselves... Don't panic cause you don't have to enroll this year.  Just do your research for 2014.

YES THE US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS IN SHUT DOWN and HEALTH CARE IS THE PREVAILING ISSUE THAT'S GOT IT THERE. 

Possibly the whole thing will go up in smoke.

BUTTERFLIES YELLOW GOLD AND ORANGE

SIXTY MINUTES - HOMELESS KIDS IN FLORIDA - ONE THIRD OF ALL FAMILIES WHO ARE HOMELESS ARE IN FLORIDA

 2013
2/3rds of homeless families in Florida are living in the street. This social worker has organized food banks, given out clothes, taken donations and government funds.  ONE THIRD OF ALL FAMILIES WHO ARE HOMELESS IN AMERICA ARE IN FLORIDA. Families stay in Wallmart and YMCA parking lots and in Hospital Parking Lots.

BROWN AND BLACK AND PINK BUTTERFLY

FOOD STAMP TRAFFICKING? THE FBI WANTS YOU! (YOU'RE NOT WORKING AT A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT ARE YOU?)

NINE RETAILERS ARRESTED FOR MILLIONS IN FOOD STAMP FRAUD - TRAFFICKING - FBI BALTIMORE  link to article.   (Arrests are being made around the country.)

"A federal grand jury has indicted nine retail store owners or operators on federal charges of food stamp fraud and wire fraud in connection with schemes to illegally redeem food stamp benefits in exchange for cash. The indictments allege the retailers received almost $7 million in federal payments for transactions in which they did not provide any food, a fraud scheme commonly known as “food stamp trafficking.” Stores allegedly split the proceeds with food stamp recipients. The indictments were returned last week and unsealed today. Federal agents arrested the defendants and executed search warrants at the stores and related locations this morning..." FBI web site.

*****

Our DO YOU SELL YOUR EBT? post is very popular, but we're not telling anyone to sell their stamps.  We understand that some of you do because you need things that the cash will buy and that no, you're not all using that money for beer or drugs... you are desperate. 

You might not be tempted to sell your stamps for cash if you could find a better job or your GR was a higher amount or maybe if your case manager wasn't threatening to kick you out of a shelter if you don't put more money into your account there.

It's illegal to traffic food stamps and the people who the FBI investigates and arrests are usually the stores that are giving cash for the fake sale. EBT users go into these stores with say $50 worth of stamps and the store gives them maybe $25 dollars and out they go with no groceries.  (We hear that when regular folks are selling to other regular folks the take is about 20%.)  How does that work?  They go shopping together and go out the door with groceries.  Then one person takes the groceries and gives the other person the cash agreed on. The people who get caught selling their stamps may not be arrested, but they may never be able to get the benefit again. Over a lifetime that can really hurt you.  It might even contribute to your death.

EBT/Food Stamps/Cal Fresh benefits may soon be slashed.  The House says slash them.  The Senate may not allow it.

So let's go through some issues here.

First of all, you apply for these benefits when you are unemployed or working a low paying job.  For instance people who work at Fast Food places may qualify for EBT.  Every 3 months (in California it may soon be every 6 months) you report in.  You resign the paperwork and if you read the fine print you'll see there are penalties for selling the stamps.

To be realistic, EBT/Food Stamps/ Cal Fresh are considered SUPPLEMENTARY FOOD ASSISTANCE but many people make do with this amount every month.  Many EBT users are ALSO going to Food Banks to stay in budget.  Homeless who cannot cook such as people living in rooms with no kitchen, SRO's (Single Room Occupancy) and so on and cannot cook have a bad time trying to eat a variety of health foods and afford it.

So if you are HUNGRY and NEED THE STAMPS, where are you getting enough good food so that you can actually afford to sell the stamps?  Some people are eating at shelters or feeds. Some get some food from friends or family or eat real cheap, like lots of hot dogs!

Some people actually go a bit hungry so they can get that cash and pay their vehicle registration.

The basic problem is POVERTY, isn't it?

HOMELESS VETS VERSUS THE VA - ACLU- SC SUES THE VA - THE NATION

ARTICLE by Jon Wiener on March 25, 2013 EXCERPTS : "Greg Valentini is a homeless vet in Los Angeles who took part in the initial invasion of Afghanistan and participated in the assault on Tora Bora that sought Osama bin Laden. He’s also a plaintiff in the class action suit brought by the ACLU of Southern California (ACLU-SC) arguing that the VA has “misused large portions of its West Los Angeles campus and failed to provide adequate housing and treatment for the people it was intended to serve...

”THE NATION : ACLU CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST LA VA


"Steve Lopez, the legendary Los Angeles Times columnist, has been following Valentini. When he came back from Afghanistan, Lopez wrote, Valentini “ended up in post-combat hell, living in a tent by the Long Beach Airport, bathing in a lake and eating out of garbage cans.”

"The problem is that the land, donated 125 years ago for housing disabled veterans, today houses nobody. That’s why the ACLU-SC is suing the VA. Veterans of the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, WWI and WWII lived there for decades. But since the 1970s, the dormitories have been empty, and the VA has rented parts of the site to a Rent-a-Car company and a hotel laundry, along with a neighboring private school and UCLA, which use the land for athletic fields. Meanwhile homeless veterans sleep on the street outside the locked gates."

FOOD IN NEED OF DISTRIBUTION INC ALWAYS NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

Food In Need Of Distribution, Inc.
Cathedral City, CA 92235

PHONE NUMBER: (760) 328-3663

America's Second Harvest Is The Nation's Largest Domestic Hunger-Relief Organization.

We Are A National Network Of Over 200 Food Banks And Food-Rescue Programs That Distribute Donated Food Through 50,000 Charitable Agencies To Hungry Americans. America's Second Harvest Distributes Food To 23.3 Million Hungry People Each Year.

FROM EXPOSE HOMELESSNESS : THIS IS NOT A LOCATION OF A FEED or FOOD BANK. However, they may know of places to go in the Indio area.  We are interested in hearing about any INDIO resources for homeless and poor people that the area has from people who have used them!

VEHICLE TO HOME PROGRAM MYSTERY?

VEHICLE TO HOME PROGRAM - an informational link

and another
ROADMAP TO HOUSING - OLD PATH CONTRACT

We know so many people that might find this program helpful but it doesn't seem to be well known. It appears that you contact LAHSA or PATH...

"The Vehicles to Homes RFP will target all vehicular dwelling homeless individuals and families currently in the CouncilDistrict11(CD11)area of Los Angeles . A comprehensive inventory of occupied vehicles in the community has been compiled as of July20,2010 and will be used to determine the' current living area 'eligibility for the program..."

SHAME ON COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA! THERE'S A NEED FOR SIX TIMES MORE SHELTER BEDS THAN THEY HAVE!

From the article:.

Police officers will now be assigned to patrol the city center and keep homeless people out. They will also be instructed to strictly enforce the city’s “quality of life” laws, including bans on loitering, public urination, and other violations. And just to ensure that no one slips through, the city will set up a hotline so local businesses and residents can report the presence of a homeless person to police..


In order to accommodate all the homeless people who will now be banned from downtown, the city will partner with a local charity to keep an emergency shelter on the outskirts of town open 24 hours a day. However, it’s unlikely the shelter, which can handle 240 guests, will be enough to handle the local homeless population, which numbers more than six times the available beds..

THINK PROGRESS article on COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA'S CRIMINALIZATION OF THE HOMELESS


COLUMBIA NEEDS TO DO MORE RESEARCH AND LOOK AT WHAT OTHER PLACES ARE DOING TO POSITIVELY INTEGRATE THE HOMELESS AND POOR INTO SOCIETY. Though the shelter may be at the edge of town and keep the homeless rounded up and ghettoized, what exactly do they expect people to do all day, sit around and wait for death? Columbia needs to look into providing showers, feeds, and places to lock up possessions, legal assigned parking (check out Santa Barbara's program), homeless RV parks, and think outside the box for temporary shelters.

THE CONTRIBUTOR - NASHVILLE STREET NEWPAPER - NEEDS FINANCING

NASHVILLE STREET NEWSPAPER FINANCIAL CRISIS - ABC NEWS

"A Nashville street newspaper that rose from a shoestring operation helping the homeless to the biggest-circulation publication of its kind in North America now finds itself seeking a helping hand in hard times. And the staff of The Contributor hopes readers will pitch in with donations to help the paper survive.

Fundraising hasn't kept pace with growth at the paper, an institution of sorts in a city of landmarks like the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame. Now the street paper that has morphed from an all-volunteer effort to a nonprofit with a paid staff helping to turn out 110,000 papers a month says it has just enough money for one more press run.

"Final Issue?" reads the latest headline of The Contributor, which has aided hundreds of poor and homeless since its 2007 start.

 

Co-founders Tom Wills and Tasha French Lemley hope the thousands who buy the newspaper each month will heed their wake-up call and donate to the nonprofit that produces The Contributor — not just buy a paper off the street.

 

"Most of our supporters consider buying a paper a donation," Wills said. But actually, most of the $1 price of a copy goes to the vendors, the homeless or formerly homeless who hawk the paper around Nashville and beyond.

 

Vendors receive 15 free papers the first time they sell and after that, they buy the papers at 25 cents each. The Contributor has a $1 cover price, but most people give vendors $2 and occasionally much more..."

 

Full article linked...

M IS FOR MONARCH BUTTERFLY BOUQUET COLORING PAGE FOR OUR HOMELESS CHILDREN

MEND POVERTY BLOG ADDED TO OUR LIST - TAKE THE FOOD STAMP CHALLENGE!

MEND POVERTY BLOG - MEND NONPROFIT PACOIMA link to Newsletter.

MEND is a favorite non profit of the homeless.  WHY? because if you get there on Tuesday Morning early, you will get a shower, a simple breakfast, a hot lunch, bus tokens (as available - at least enough to get back there next Tuesday), clothing, groceries if you can carry them, and referrals, plus they have a dental and vision clinic on site.

AND THEY DO THIS ALL WITH PRIVATE FUNDING AND VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE A HEART!

Our only worry is that we'll tell so many people about MEND that they'll get overwhelmed!

It's NOT just our experience or what we hear on the street!  In 2012 MEND was named the State of California's top non-profit!

DAILY NEWS : PACOIMA's MEND NAMED STATES TOP NONPROFIT link to full article.

For more than 40 years, MEND and its army of volunteers have given food, clothing, health care and jobs training to poor families in the northeast Valley. Its goal: to encourage the more than 30,000 residents it serves each month toward self-reliance. The Pacoima nonprofit gets no government grants. Instead, it is run by a small staff and 3,000 volunteers, who dole out hot meals, teach English language courses and give fresh clothing to the homeless. It has also doubled the number of partnerships with businesses, schools and community groups to 300 organizations to expand services.

POVERTY - ON MY OWN (HIP HOP)

ONE THIRD OF GREAT BRITAIN'S CITIZENS ARE TOO POOR TO PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY

INDEPENDENT UK - ONE THIRD OF BRITONS CAN'T AFFORD TO PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY

EXCERPT of article by Andrew Johnson.

"The report found that participation in society falls as income falls, as might be expected. But participation bottoms out for the 30 per cent of households with the lowest incomes, for whom additional income then makes no difference. In other words, there is a cut-off point for being a full member of society.

Below this “participation floor” incomes may vary wildly. But extra money is spent on replacing worn-out goods or upgrading services, rather than buying extra things.

“Those [within the 30 per cent] with higher incomes do not have measurably increased living standards, greater social participation or higher levels of trust,” the report says. “The 30 per cent of people with the lowest incomes are forced to choose between the basic necessities of modern life; they must decide which needs to neglect.”

SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY - 200th ANNIVERSARY 2013 - WALK FOR THE POOR

SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY - A CATHOLIC CHARITY

Walk for the Poor
Saturday, September 28, 2013, 10am - 2pm. To benefit those living in poverty served by SVDPLA.
Lincoln Park, 3501 Valley Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90031. Registration $15. All walkers receive a T-shirt.
Register at: www.walkforthepoorla.org

HOMELESS COURT - LA COUNTY - UPDATE

http://www.ladpss.org/dpss/grow/homeless_court.cfm  UPDATED FEB 2016

READ THIS AND FIND OUT IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE. YOU WILL NEED A LETTER OF SUPPORT and THAT IS TO COME FROM A CASE MANAGER SO LIKELY YOU ARE IN A PROGRAM WHEN YOU CAN USE THIS OPPORTUNITY.

"The Homeless Court (HC) program was created by the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles Public Defender’s Office and advocates for the homeless including Public Counsel and the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA).

This program helps impoverished individuals with a history of homelessness to clear tickets and warrants for minor offenses such as traffic tickets, infractions, and various minor misdemeanors including jaywalking, riding the metro without a fare, sleeping in public places, illegal use of shopping carts, possession of an open container of alcohol in public, obstructing traffic on the sidewalk, sleeping on a bus bench, as well as any warrants that arise for failure to resolve these offenses..."

Here is a blog by a law student at Loyola about HOMELESS COURT!


LOYOLA STUDENT BLOG on HOMELESS COURT

"The session I went to was hosted at People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), a non-profit organization that offers a wide variety of services to people without housing. Judge Tynan, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, was presiding. Individuals are invited to participate when they have met the program requirements and undergone the application approval process. By participating in Homeless Court, they have the chance of having some of their outstanding warrants and tickets recalled and quashed "in the interest of justice." The tickets and/or warrants can only be the result of the commission of an eligible minor and non-violent "quality of life" offense, traffic infraction or misdemeanor; felonies cannot be set aside. The "interest of justice" here is simply the ability to allow people to get their lives back on track by removing the impediments of quality-of-life tickets (urination in public, sleeping in public) or traffic tickets (traveling solo in a carpool lane) that they are unable to pay. I found the process to be a reasonable outgrowth of a simple idea: Whether you are still homeless or not, if you fit the criteria and are ready to move your life forward, you should not be prevented from doing so because of an unpaid loitering ticket. Some clients I talked to had been waiting for two years to address three traffic tickets that have prevented them from getting a job. Therefore, when they were invited to the Homeless Court session, they similarly jumped at the opportunity..."

taken down due to age and repeats April 2016 BURBANK TEMPORARY AID (BTAC) IN DESPERATE NEED OF REAL FOOD DONATIONS - MATCHING FUNDS THROUGH GLOBALGIVING ORG

BURBANK TEMPORARY AID CENTER link

BTAC is one of the few resources the destitute in Burbank have. Homeless can get a shower and a lunch or bag of groceries. Recently homeless have been given COAST GUARD RATIONS in Mylar wrappings, nutritious, but far from a real meal.

We're sure BTAC appreciates the donation from the Coast Guard, but we're hearing that people are getting a lot of pies, bread, sugary juices, pasta, but not much protein, other than these ration wafers.

What to give homeless who are hungry is confusing for some food banks and food pantries and shelters. Most rely on what grocers and bakeries are discarding. Anyone who has gone to food banks knows there is a lot of stale bread and bakery items, which may calm the hunger pangs but sugar and fat put weight on you and pretty soon you have diabetes.


UPDATE NOVEMBER 2013.  Just so you know, we've posted on BTAC several times now and will be removing old links soon.  THIS ONE WILL STAY UP for some time.

THERE IS A CHARITY THAT IS COLLECTING FUNDS FOR BTAC MOTEL VOUCHERS
The sad part is that they say that people need just a few days in a motel before they are taken into a program.  Actually it can be months on waiting lists.
http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/emergency-shelter-program/ is the program.  THEY HAVE MATCHING FUNDS

EVE OF DESTRUCTION - BARRY MCGUIRE

See our sidebar for your HOMELESS VOTING OPPORTUNITIES!

BUTTERFLIES FLOCK TOGETHER

SAN BERNARDINO SUN RUNS THREE PART SERIES ON LOCAL HOMELESSNESS

HOMELESS LESSONS SUCCESS FAILURE - SAN BERNARDINO SUN ARTICLE - link to full article, one of three, here.

Excerpt: " At its peak, Ontario’s Tent City was estimated to have been home to more than 400 people.

Now the camp, formally called the Temporary Homeless Services Area, is down to three or four because of a partnership with the city and Mercy House, an Orange County-based nonprofit that provides housing and comprehensive support for the homeless.

“A wide variety of things have happened,” said Larry Haynes, executive director of Mercy House. “Essentially, it’s just about done. It’s pretty close to being shut down and the reason is because so many folks have been able to get some sort of shelter or housing placement.” ...

It is not illegal to be homeless, said Upland Police Chief Jeff Mendenhall, who deals with the homeless issue in his city, most notably in Memorial Park and encampments south of Cable Airport and 11th Street.

The department receives calls from residents and business owners.

“It is frustrating because we are here to solve problems and when a person calls and complains about a situation, there are limitations to what we can do,” Mendenhall said. “It becomes frustrating for the officers, the department but we will obey by the law.”

BURBANK CITY COUNCIL VOTES YES FOR HOUSING FOR VETS PROJECT

BURBANK LEADER - VETERANS HOUSING HELP BURBANK HOUSING CORP link to article from August 23, 2013.

"The cost to acquire and rehabilitate the property, and relocate its current tenants, is $2.7 million, the majority of which will be funded by federal affordable housing funds and the Burbank Housing Corp., according to city officials.
The property includes four buildings and a courtyard located at 1101 W. Verdugo Ave. and 1108 W. Angeleno Ave. Each one-bedroom unit is roughly 580 square feet....City officials said the demand for the program is high since 25 homeless veterans reside in Burbank, according to a recent study.

“Data suggests there is a need to help these veterans, get them off the streets,” said project manager Ross Young.

The idea is to provide housing and support services — including vocational training and job placement — for a period of two years, at which point the veterans are expected to find permanent housing. Ten one-bedroom units will be made available, with the last unit reserved for a program director, Young said.

“I am so supportive of this,” said Councilman Gary Bric. “It’s something that we owe our veterans.”

SCAMED BY SENIOR HOME OWNER WHO RENTS ROOMS TO DISABLED? EVICTED BY YOUR OWN CRAZY MOM? CAN GENESIS HELP?

(Thanks B for editing our original post!)

HOW DID YOU BECOME HOMELESS?

We're posting this because we don't think our friend, who we'll call Shannon, is the ONLY person who has been scammed by a senior citizen home owner in the Toluca Lake area.

Our friend was living in an Assisted Living building but yearned to be away from so many people, to cook her own meals, and have more of a life, because she was one of the younger people in that place and it was lonely and boring.

Shannon found a listing for a room for rent for about $500 a month in the Toluca Lake area. After only a couple weeks there, she found herself locked out with her possessions inside. She had to go to a motel.

She had to have another person retrieve her possessions. She is thinking of buying and living in a van. She is out half a months rent $250 which is huge money for her. She believes that this senior citizen home owner may have pulled the same routine on others before - male and female - as a kind of scam to make money. Or the lady may be crazy.

We also just met up with another friend who has been living with her mom in Sherman Oaks for fifteen years. Mom, in her seventies, is starving herself to keep a much younger boyfriend who is moving in. Guess who is being evicted by mom?

Mom is even willing to lie that her daughter is an abuser and put her on the street  as she sees this new man as her last chance at love.

What do you do when confronted by stories like these almost every day?

Social Workers are burned out from hearing them and not all the professionals in the homeless business care.  We try our best.

We've given Shannon a couple phone numbers to call and hopefully someone will investigate this home owner.

First of all, just because you rent a room rather than an apartment doesn't mean you have no rights. You  should get a lease signed by the both of you just like when you rent a whole apartment.  You probably shouldn't rent the place without it because that document gives you protection.  Even without a lease, you can get the police to help you get your possessions out of a lock up and that includes at shelters where they lock your possessions up to punish you like we hear they do at LA Family Housing Valley Shelter.

The home owner also has the right to go after you for unpaid rent if you run out on your bills, or evict you legally. It can take months to do this and there are legal services and advisories that may help you if you just need some time to make up the rent.

Most seniors do go into their last years with their wits about them and most parents who have a child living with them for years, maybe because that child is disabled, don't put them on the street. But yea, we've met disabled people living in vans and RV's whose parents put them out, or didn't leave them an inheritance.

If you've been living with a parent for years as a care-giver and you see changes in your parents behavior or attitude,  you may also reach out for help for the both of you.  If your parent is like letting other people take FINANCIAL ADVANTAGE of them, getting very forgetful, flying into rages, playing games with their medications or forgetting to take important meds, or anything that makes you suspect that they are no longer able to totally take care of themselves or that they have gone crazy, you can talk to social workers yourself. 

We are suggesting to both people to go to a local SOVA and ask for an appointment with a lawyer.

You need to talk to a lawyer in person, not talk to a volunteer at LEGAL AID or any do it yourself type legal clinic.

We also had a friend call a place called GENESIS.  Geriatric Evaluation Networks Encompassing Services Intervention Support Programs is part of the County of Los Angeles Mental Health.  If you are DISABLED and Collecting SSI at any age, or you are simply over 60, and someone is abusing you or taking financial advantage of you, they may be able to help.  There is one problem though - you have to give them a Social Security Number.  If you are trying to get someone else help or an evaluation rather than yourself then you have to have that other person's Social Security Number.  If the person who needs help is your mom, you just might have that.

GENESIS-FCCS is at 213 351-7284.

BILL HANDEL - KFI RADIO - BELIEVES IN A LIVEABLE MINUMUM WAGE - HE'S HALF THE WAY THERE TO UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEMS OF HOMELESSNESS!

KFI - BILL HANDEL - WEB PAGE HERE! On air: Weekdays 5 - 9 a.m. Call / Text: 1-800-520-1KFI / 640640 Email: bill@kfi640.com


Who says we aren't fair? We've been on the back of KFI radio which we've called 50,000 WATTS OF IGNORANCE, not so long ago and often we listen to the radio, especially early morning radio.

Friday morning, August 2nd, 2013, while talking about fast food workers striking around the country, we actually heard Handel express support for the LIVING WAGE!

Since some of us use EBT for Fast Food at places like Jack In A Box, Subway, and Pizza Hut, and are grateful to have a hot meal, even then we know that so many people are ONE PAYCHECK AWAY FROM HOMELESSNESS and that some of the people who make the burgers and sandwiches and pies could be next.

People really do need to afford $1000 a month average rent for a one bedroom apartment in most of Southern California and on minimum wage if you're young and single you're going to have to rent a room, live with a lot of people, maybe family or roommates, or live in your van or RV.

We're even meeting employed people who have the retirement plan of living in a Van or RV  so that they can save up money to move to another city like maybe Detroit, where there are supposed to be houses for $1.

Bill's understanding that it takes about $18 an hour to live is right on.

We think GREEDY LANDLORDS are the number #1 reason why people who shouldn't be, because they are working or have worked for years, are homeless. WE ALSO SEE WHAT THE GREEDY LANDLORDS ARE DOING TO SECTION 8!

So Bill, we hope you and some of the more ignorant but intelligent members of KFI staff, will read us!  (We think you do!)

DESERT ONLINE FEATURES LINKS TO INDIO FOOD BANKS AND SHELTERS

THE DESERT ONLINE (INDIO) FOOD BANKS AND SHELTERS LINK

We don't know anyone from Indio and so we're asking people who are using services in that area to give us some feedback.  This link includes links to areas that are often thought of as wealthy retirement and vacation destinations.

Coachella Valley Rescue Mission and Family Services Of The Desert & Food Now are some of the links.

COLOR ME BUTTERFLY (THREE)

WILL COLORADO REOPEN MENTAL HOSPITAL AND CREATE TOWN FOR HOMELESS?

NPR - LISTEN TO STORY - COLORADO PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL FOR HOMELESS

Article excerpt : That proposal by the Democratic governor would bring mentally ill and addicted homeless people to Fort Lyon, at one time a psychiatric hospital for veterans and then a prison. The facility, near the tiny town of Las Animas, has been closed for two years.


Under the plan, people would leave the streets of the cities where they live now and voluntarily come to Fort Lyon. And the town would welcome the jobs that reopening the facility would create.

Jack Simms, who's been homeless in Colorado Springs for a decade, says it's needed.

"I see it, man. They need to open some beds somewhere, at a mental health facility or something," says Simms, who says he struggles with depression and smokes pot to cope. "I can survive out here, [but] these mentally ill people, it's rough. They just walk up and down the paths. They look like zombies. I'd be a guinea pig. I'd try it out."

CAN RV PARKS FOR THE HOMELESS WORK IN LA? WE SAY YES!

Hello everyone. We devoted a couple posts to the Austin Question of RV park communities for the homeless, and we just learned that such a park has been approved in East Travis County - Austin. WE ARE SO HAPPY FOR THE FOLKS! Since believe it or not there are STILL VACANT LOTS in LA we think there is plenty of reason for our City Council and new mayor Eric Garcetti to look into this. Really, even if the lots were used temporarily, say for a year at a time, that could make a lot of difference. Among homeless, those who own RV's are kind of considered the high class of the homeless. Still, there are those who can eventually get an RV or other vehicle providing they can save some income and afford registration and gas. In a nation where they say half are underemployed or not using their degree and possibly in LA 4 families out of 5 are one paycheck from the street (paying their rent but unable to save) we feel that maybe they ought to get a jump start on locating those lots.


Here's an idea.

What about around Dodger's Stadium?

NEALE DONALD WALSCH - FORMERLY HOMELESS - SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHER

Author of "Coversations With God," he was in an accident, he lost everything, he became homeless in Ashland Oregon, and gradually worked his way up and out, and was paid over a million dollars for his first book. In this interview Walsch talks about the DVD of the same name.

MARY HAYES - ONCE HOMELESS HERSELF - CROCHETS MATS FROM PLASTIC BAGS FOR THE HOMELESS!

PJSTAR - MARY HAYES _- CROCHET MASTER -GIVES BACK


PEORIA — Mary Hayes is a knit and crochet master, with a wall of awards from the Heart of Illinois Senior Olympics. She also knows what it's like to be homeless.

So when a friend told Hayes she'd seen someone crocheting plastic bags into yoga mats to give people without shelter a little extra comfort, Hayes thought it was a perfect way to give back.

At South Side Mission's Sunday morning church service, Hayes donated her first mat, rolled up and tied with a shimmering peach-colored bow, to Sandy, one of the shelter's residents. Sandy was homeless for seven months before coming to South Side Mission. Because of her situation, she preferred not to have her full name published.

Though a mat might seem insignificant, she said, little things make a big difference.

"I remember there was cold, there was concrete hard as my mattress," Sandy said. "I wish I'd had something like this."

Hey we found some instructions!


P.S. the woman in this video is not Mary Hayes, who is a Senior Citizen Activist.

LA POOR FARM in DOWNY - WILL IT REOPEN AS HOMELESS SHELTER OR VILLAGE?

LATIMES - LA COUNTY POOR FARM ! link to full article  from the Los Angeles Times by Bob Pool on August 4th, 2013 here

(George Atkinson is a citizen activist who has contacted representitives with his idea of reopening the unused areas of the old farm for today's homeless.)

"In its day, the county Poor Farm was an anomaly. A 1902 story in The Times described the place as "wrapped in sunbeams and wreathed with flower gardens."

"The Los Angeles County Poor Farm visibly resents the incongruity of it name," the story said. "The delightful innovation of housing the homeless and unfortunate in such environments belongs exclusively to Southern California, for no other part of America bears record of having done likewise."

The Times' account explained that the farm operated with an eye toward being self-sustaining, not profit-oriented. "There is no intention of going into extensive agriculture for financial profit because such an arrangement would bring pauper labor into competition with the farmers," it stated.

Still, the farm raised $10,061 in 1901 from the sale of oranges, livestock and dairy products, the report said. Operating costs that year totaled $32,914 — or about 341/2 cents per day for each of the farm's residents.

The story described male residents' living quarters as "immense," with as many as 30 beds along the walls. Three men's wards opened to a central courtyard, and each resident was provided with bedding, a chair and a small bed stand. There was a large reading room filled with several hundred books "for those who can read," the story reported. Another building housed female residents.

By 1910, the Poor Farm covered nearly 400 acres."

SAN DIEGO NON PROFIT RUNS RECYCLING CENTER HIRES HOMELESS

HUFFINGTON POST - MARK HORVATH - SAN DIEGO NONPROFIT RECYCLING CENTER HIRES HOMELESS

"What started as just an idea turned into going around in a old pic up truck picking up recyclables from businesses and nightclubs. Today, Aware Recycling has a center in downtown San Diego along with a work program that hires homeless people along with a big-brother-type mentor program for youth.

One of the people I met while I was visiting still lived homeless, but thanks to the help of Aware Recycling, he just enrolled in college with dreams of going to law school! How cool is that!!!"

HOLLYWOOD STABBING OF TOURIST and HOMELESS CRIME - OUR OPINION

We feel we must make a statement due to hearing the ravings of another radio talk show host against all homeless over the stabbing of a woman in Hollywood who was on the tourist streets and taking pictures of homeless people.  As we understand the story, the homeless man said no, she took the picture anyway, and he killed her. 

We feel we must make a statement especially because we're here encouraging our homeless-curious and caringreaders to not shun us, abandon us, avoid us, or be prejudiced against us.We're not making any excuses for a murder over something which may be trivial. 

However, taking photos of anyone without their permission is rude and wrong as is expecting them to pose for you because you want them to.  Taking pictures of someone because they are homeless, which is a way of outing them, disrespecting their privacy, and going against their wishes not to be photographed is wrong. 

Ask yourself because we are asking the photographer. Does this person you want to photograph really want you to show all your friends when you get back home their picture as an example of a homeless person?  What are you going to do with the picture you had no permission to take?  Distribute it around the world from your cell phone? Twitter account? Your web page?  Have you offered them a tip or other compensation to pose with you? 

COMING TO LOS ANGELES or HOLLYWOOD to see CELEBRITIES?  On Hollywood Boulevard there are a lot of homeless including lots of run-away kids who are prostituting themselves or being pimped out or trafficked.  A lot of homeless go down to Hollywood because the tourists have money and the pan handling can be real good.  There is a difference though from a person who has a JOB posing as a Cartoon Character or Dead Celebrity and a person who is simply there!

At last count there were something like 80,000 homeless in LA.  Some of them are in Hollywood.  On that day that one murdered, 79,000 did not.

NATIONAL COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS ASKS YOU TO HELP GET THAT HOMELESS BILL OF RIGHTS PASSED

NATONAL COALITION FOR HOMELESS - BILL OF RIGHTS ACTION link to this paragraph.

July 26, 2013: Is your state legislator considering a Homeless Bill of Rights? Show your support and be heard by sending a letter to your State Representative or Senator. Click here to take action!

You will go to this statement:
 
Homeless Person's Bill of Rights Legislation
Years of research and advocacy around criminalization of homelessness and increasing violence committed against people experiencing homelessness has shown that added protections are needed to preserve the civil rights of people experiencing homelessness. NCH staff work to educate public officials and local advocates about the importance of passing protections for those without housing in the United States.

We support the efforts of local advocates to pass Bill of Rights measures that include:

• Protections against segregation, laws targeting homeless people for their lack of housing and not their
behavior, and restrictions on the use of public space.
• Privacy protections for those experiencing homelessness, and the ability to vote or feel safe in the community.
• Providing broad access to shelter, social services, legal counsel and a quality education for the children of homeless families.

The following cities and states have passed or are considering homeless rights legislation:
California | Connecticut | Delaware | Illinois | Baltimore, Maryland | Minnesota | Missouri
Oregon | Puerto Rico | Rhode Island | Tennessee | Vermont | Madison, Wisconsin
* Is your state legislator considering a Homeless Bill of Rights? Show your support and be heard by sending a letter to your State Representative or Senator. Download our sample letter here!

For more information on homeless bills of rights, please contact Michael Stoops, the Director of Community Organizing, at mstoops@nationalhomeless.org or 202.462.4822 x234.

 

 

EL CARRILLO - SANTA BARBARA HOMELESS - BRINGING OUR COMMUNITY HOME

BRING SANTA BARBARA HOME link

CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS ARE REVIEWING REHABS DUE TO SO MUCH FRAUD

LA TIMES - CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS REVIEWING REHAB CENTERS - FRAUD REPORTS  article by Chris Megerian.

"California officials are conducting a statewide review of taxpayer-funded drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in the wake of reports detailing fraud in the multimillion-dollar program. "We are deeply concerned," said Toby Douglas, director of the California Department of Health Care Services. "We have to put all our resources into fighting fraud in this program." The Center for Investigative Reporting and CNN, in a series of joint reports beginning earlier this week, said some clinics have been billing the state for patients who don't show up or don't have substance-abuse problems. In the last two fiscal years, $94 million was sent to 56 clinics in Southern California where there was evidence of improper billing, the reports said.

A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR THE HOMELESS. WHY? BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS BECAUSE THEY ARE DRUG ADDICTS and SOME SHELTERS ARE MOVING PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT DRUG ADDICTS TO REHABS or REQUIRING REHAB FIRST. IF YOUR CHOICE IS TO STAY ON THE STREET OR LIE THAT YOU NEED REHAB IS THERE A CHOICE?