RUMOR REACHES US OF HOMELESS RESOURCES COMPETITOR OUT TO GET US!

Competitor?  For POVERTY ACTIVISTS there may be differences of opinion but if you're on the same side of the issue, wanting to eliminate poverty and homelessness, are you actually competing? 

A rumor reached us that an individual staying at San Fernando Valley shelter that you've read about in these posts has a HOMELESS RESOURCES web site which takes contributions of money has been putting us down.  Meanwhile, the story goes, this person is applying for and taking Government Benefits and not reporting the money. 
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It's not like we aren't aware that there are lists of homeless resources to be found other places.  In fact there are just so many lists of resources.  

We hope that what we have to offer here is MORE THAN the lists.  It's real easy to pretend that each and every homeless shelter or resource provider actually has a heart, has our best interests in mind, and DOES EXACTLY WHAT THEY CLAIM TO DO WHEN THEY TAKE CONTRIBUTIONS.

MOST OF THE HOMELESS RESOURCE PLACES PRIDE THEMSELVES IN HANDING OVER LISTS OF OTHER RESOURCES - often out of date information or repetitive since they have PHOTOCOPIED pages of the same lists.   There are also medical clinics that claim to help the homeless but who do not advocate but who basically think they are helping because they 'send" people to another organization.  You can do a whole hell of a lot of go-sees trying to get help.

When we've told some these places that there was inaccurate information on their lists, well, months go by and they don't correct the list.  One Burbank location had a shelter listed in North Hollywood that had gone out of business more than 2 years before!  One food bank gave us a list and half the places we called had changed info.

It's not easy to keep up with all the changes.

WE THINK THAT SOME ORGANIZATIONS HAVE NON-PROFIT STATUS AND TAKE DONATIONS JUST SO THEY CAN REFER PEOPLE SOMEWHERE ELSE. 

Then there is 211 or 311 phone help lines or one of those 800 numbers where you can call and get the latest information.  Supposedly.  One person we know called 211 and followed through calling 5 referrals who were supposed to have furniture.  None did.  It was all misinformation.

As much as we want to help you, we know that information can go out of date quickly, so while we hope that you'll find a link to that help when you need it, WE HOPE WE WILL INSPIRE YOU TO KEEP ON ASKING QUESTIONS, KEEP ON MAKING THOSE PHONE CALLS, KEEP ON SHOWING UP FOR THOSE INTERVIEWS, while knowing how difficult, exhausting, and numbing that is.  We do want your comments, suggestions, testimonials, and updates!