WRITE HOME PROJECT - BERKELEY UC ALUMNI - POETS GABRIEL CORTEZ and NATASHA HUEY - CREATIVE ARTS WORKSHOPS FOR HOMELESS YOUTH

BERKELEYSIDE - HOMELESS YOUTH WRITE AND OPEN MIC -WRITE HOME PROJECT

"Conceived and run by two UC Berkeley alumni and working poets, Gabriel Cortez and Natasha Huey, The Write Home Project facilitates creative arts work by homeless youth (under 25). Write Home provides an outlet for its participants to be heard while they tell stories about, and create a dialogue around, the state of homelessness.

The Project focuses on three key components: weekly workshops and open mics provided in conjunction with The Suitcase Clinic, video production of the youth’s performances as a testimony of their struggle for the public, and town hall meetings to discuss the current state of homelessness..."

SUMMERTIME - ELLA FITZGERALD and LOUIS ARMSTRONG

THE DIGNITY ROLLER POD IS HOMELESS HOUSING INVENTED BY GARY PICKERING

GARY PICKERING JUST WANTS TO SPREAD HIS IDEA SO OTHERS CAN BUILD WHAT HE CALLS A DIGNITY ROLLER POD.   FOR THE HOMELESS.

WE CELEBRATE THIS CITIZEN ACTIVIST!   He was once homeless and here is his BLOG!
DIGNITYROLLER BLOGSPOT - GARY PICKERING

DISNEY WORLD FLORIDA AREA - HUGE HOMELESS FAMILY POPULATION - NO SHELTERS - WHY DOESN'T DISNEY FINANCE ONE!

YAHOO NEWS : DISNEY FLORIDA - HOMELESS FAMILIES

"The Johnsons are among a growing number of families living in hotels in this Florida tourist corridor because they can't afford anything else and because their county has no shelters for the estimated 1,216 homeless households with children.

The problem has created a backlash among the mostly mom-and-pop businesses, with some owners suing the county sheriff to force his deputies to evict guests who haven't paid or who have turned their rooms into semi-permanent residences. It also shines a light on the gap among those who work and live in this county that sits in the shadow of Walt Disney World, and the big-spending tourists who flock here.

On any given day, tourists pay nearly $100 per person to get into Orlando's theme parks. There, they may be waited on by homeless parents. From their hotels, they jog past bus stops where homeless children wait to head to school. They buy coffee at Starbucks next to the motels that have become families' homes.

Starting minimum pay at Walt Disney World — the area's largest employer, just a few miles from the motels — is $8.03 an hour, though that could increase to $10 under a contract being negotiated with the resort's union.... "  

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Earlier we posted the news that a majority of homeless families and children live in Florida.   We believe that the DISNEY COMPANY SHOULD BE FINANCING A SHELTER AND HOMELESS SERVICES, that is, if they really love children!

JUDGE HARRY PREGERSON REALISTICALLY ENDS THE BAN ON LIVING IN VEHICLES - HOIDY TOIDY BILL CARROLL -KFI RADIO - WOULDN'T BE CAUGHT DEAD SLUMMING!

KFI RADIO STATION LINK   Bill Caroll  and Bill Handel  (and a couple employees who have admitted they lived in vehicles when they came to LA!)

LA TIMES APPEALS COURT ENDS BAN ON LIVING IN VEHICLES  full article

"For the second time in two years, a federal appeals court has struck down a key enforcement tool in Los Angeles' efforts to deal with burgeoning homelessness, declaring a ban on living in vehicles an invitation to discriminate against the poor.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided unanimously Thursday that a city ordinance prohibiting people from living in vehicles was unconstitutionally vague. That ruling followed a 9th Circuit decision in 2012 that prevented Los Angeles from confiscating and destroying possessions that homeless people leave temporarily on sidewalks.

Both ordinances had been enforced, along with other policies, to help the city cope with a homeless population now estimated at 36,000 to 54,000.          

"The City of Los Angeles has many options at its disposal to alleviate the plight and suffering of its homeless citizens," wrote Judge Harry Pregerson, who was appointed by President Carter. "Selectively preventing the homeless and the poor from using their vehicles for activities many other citizens also conduct in their cars should not be one of those options."

 

 

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We were SO HAPPY to hear that the ridiculous ban on living in vehicles was struck down by Judge Harry Pergerson and two other judges on the panel at the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.   We hope this means that the police will stop bothering people who are simply trying to keep some kind of roof over their head.  We suspect that the ordinance will be rewritten in a way more specific to the homeless though. 

We listened to KFI last evening and this morning to hear the "personalities'" and what they had to say.  Bill Carroll displayed the typical ignorance of someone who has never thought "There but for the Grace of God go I."  He had the typical home owner "not in my neighborhood" attitude. 

The problem has been and is that "nobody" wants a homeless shelter in their neighborhood either and that the number of shelter beds available is nothing  compared to the number of homeless.  Whole cities in Southern California don't have a single homeless shelter, not even in the winter, and are always throwing homeless over the border into the next town, even when the people who need help were long term residents or employees in their town.   Many homeless have given up on getting into a shelter and many homeless WOULD RATHER LIVE INDEPENDENTLY IN THEIR VEHICLE than deal with the B.S. of shelters. 

The Bill Carroll type of person wants the poor and the homeless to go somewhere else where they can't see them and stop hurting their property values.  They don't want to see poverty.  They want to pretend poverty doesn't exist, that it will never happen to them, or anyone they know.  They are not their brother's keeper.  They may not even consider poor people to be fully human.  When a certain group of people are expected to move on or be removed we call it the ethnic cleansing of poor people from your turf.

To our surprise, yesterday a male who works for KFI radio in the evening, someone we could not identify by voice, spoke up on the air and admitted that he had lived in his vehicle before when he first came to LA.

To us that was brave, especially if you have to work for someone with a hoidy -toidy Bill Carroll attitude.

This morning it was Bill Handel's opportunity to try to be a little more even in his reportage.  We've blogged about Handel before, especially when in the past he delighted in the story of his brother baiting homeless with $5 bills.  Citing statistics from THE NATIONAL COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS, who Bill called "biased" he revealed that 44% of those living in their vehicles are WORKING!  

Handel also brought up the fact that some people like SLY STONE chose the lifestyle and don't want a permanent residence.  (While we think there are some people who do make this choice, we think most people living in their vehicles have no other choice economically.  Many people on SSI/SSDI/SS cannot afford the typically $1000 plus a month rent for an apartment in LA or do not qualify due to bad credit or are so broke that they can't come up with security deposits.  (Some shelters let people stay only for the purpose of saving money for deposits.)  Many people who have no choice really still like to say that living this way is their choice (rather than being in a sleeping bag in the park, living with their abusive ex, etc.)

The statistics quoted in the article of 36,000 to  54,000 homeless in Los Angeles is a LOW COUNT.  Homeless counts are held separately for parts of Southern California that are not CITY OF LA and rarely do the census takers  locate ALL the homeless. 

LAHSA HOMELESS COUNT INFORMATION results 2005 through 2013

We were surprised this morning when another KFI radio employee, Mike Crozier, spoke up and admitted that he had also lived about half a year living in his vehicle when he first came to LA.  Crozier went to Broadcasting school and had managed to do well enough to work at KFI but good ol Bill Handle called him a looser for EVER having lived in a vehicle.  Another brave employee of KFI!

So Carroll, Handel, and Associates consider the following:

1) The last homeless count was probably a low figure and LA CITY IS LA CITY.  Shelters are inadequate, many have only temporary stays, and there are about 2000 beds in a city with about 40,000 homeless.  Based on the homeless census we can say that THE HOMELESS ARE ACTUALLY MAKING UP ANOTHER CITY - THE THIRD WORLD IN THIS ONE.

2) The average apartment in Los Angeles/ Southern California is $1000 a month or more and we're not talking luxury. Rooms in houses are being rented for almost entire SSI checks.

3) Senior citizens on Social Security and the disabled in SSI and SSDI do not generally get enough to afford that typical apartment, not if they had average income.  A senior who is living in his vehicle has more independence than if he or she goes into a state subsidized senior housing situation where they are left with about $10 a week to spend as they like.

4) One in 7 Americans is poor enough to get food stamps/EBT/SNAP and that means one in 7 Americans is living paycheck to paycheck or  has so little income that their entire savings might pay for the security deposit for an apartment in Los Angeles.  See our previous post about college educated EBT users.

5) You can thank Ronald Reagan and the Republicans (while he was Governor of California before he was President of the U.S.) for closing the mental hospitals for the seriously mentally ill but meanwhile so called improvements in the availability of therapists and prescription drugs has meant that more people than ever are diagnosed as "mentally ill"  Now, can you tell us where the JOBS for the mentally ill but on meds are available?

6) There are no free or very low rental campgrounds for RV's and other vehicles homeless use to live in the city.  We suggest the use of the Dodger's Stadium parking lot!   Hire some good security, assign people spaces, give it a parking space of separation between vehicles.

SONOMA COUNTY SAFE PARKING PROGRAM FOR HOMELESS  An inspiration.


 

HOMELESS SHOULD NOT BE PUT ON DISPLAY - LETTER by DONNA EDWARDS TO DAILY TRIBUNE

DAILYTRIBUNE - LETTER - HOMELESS SHOULD NOT BE PLACED ON DISPLAY  Donna Edwards full letter

..." I found it very disturbing to read in Ms. Kapen’s article, “The needy still have pride, dignity”, that a news station had been invited by a local synagogue to film homeless people to whom they had given shelter. The result of this was the homeless being subjected to that which had brought anxiety and humiliation upon them. I view the synagogue’s attempt to put their homeless guests on display before the media as an affront to their dignity, as well as a betrayal of the trust these people had placed in them.

Due to recent frigid temps, the media has turned its attention to homeless people trying to survive on the streets. In one such story, a homeless man was filmed sharing his story while at a local shelter. However, no measures were taken to protect the identities of other homeless clients, who were shown milling about in the background, most likely unaware that they too were being filmed. In any given group of homeless individuals, there are some who actually have jobs and, thus, might not want their employers or workmates to know of their homeless status. Little children, in their blessed innocence concerning their circumstances, most likely would have no qualms about being part of all this media attention. However, older children, teenagers, are very self-conscious; these would be mortified should they become part of a homeless story and seen by their friends and peers. Extreme care must, therefore, be taken to preserve the dignity of all homeless persons — adults and minors.

 
My question is, why should the homeless have been expected to participate in a “dog and pony show” to “earn their keep”, as in Ms. Kapen’s story, at a hosting synagogue?..."

HOMELESS JESUS SCULPTURE CONTROVERSY - "SOMEBODY CALLED THE COPS ON JESUS!"

HUFFPOST RELIGION - HOMELESS JESUS SCULPTURE CONTROVERSY

The statue, a work by Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz, places Jesus on a park bench, sleeping in a thin shawl. The man is unidentifiable as Christ save for crucifixion wounds on his feet.

In a previous interview with The Huffington Post, Schmalz said he was inspired to craft the statue after seeing a homeless man n the ground before Christmas in 2011. "My instinctive thought was, that is Jesus Christ. I saw Jesus," he said.

The statue is so lifelike, DavidsonNews.net Editor David Boraks told NPR, that people have called police after mistaking it for an actual person.

"That's right," NPR observes, "Somebody called the cops on Jesus.

BEST COAST - THE ONLY PLACE (sending this one out to our Venice Beach Homeless!)

BUTTERFLY FAIRY #3 - COLORING PAGE FOR OUR HOMELESS CHILDREN

PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS - LA CITY - BURBANK - ORANGE COUNTY - GOOD CHOICE FOR EXERCIZE - SHOWER

LA PARKS - AQUATICS

BURBANK SWIMMING POOLS

ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC POOLS

We encourage you to search for PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS in your area...  We think that the $2 for LA Pools (with library card) is worth it for the exercise and shower opportunities.  Some pool showers are only cold water though.

UPDATE: We've been told that the discount for the library card in City of LA is ended and that the fee per adult is $3.50.  The fee for a DISABLED or over 65 year old senior citizen is $1.  Children are $1.  The fee per adult non resident of Burbank is $9.

THE HOMELESS CHILD EXPERIMENT by FOUSEYTUBE

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CHILD ACTOR BEGS AND IT'S ON VIDEO?  WATCH AND SEE!!!

FREE SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM BEGINS TODAY - LA PARKS AND RECS - AGES 1-18 NO PROOF OF INCOME

LA PARKS AND RECS SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM 2014  go to full site to find LOCATIONS = OVER 100 FREE FOOD SITES!

Come to the park for Free Summer Lunch!
FREE food, friends and fun! Kids and teens can get FREE meals all summer long and stay active. The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks offers FREE lunches to kids and teens ages 1 through 18* at over 100 parks starting June 9, 2014 until August 8, 2014.

To find a location nearest you, click on any of the site lists at the left or bottom of the screen to the right, or call our office directly at 818-546-2383 or 818-546-2384.
FREE Summer Lunch Program Information:

• Meals are FREE to children and teens ages 1 through 18*.
• FREE summer lunches will help families save money.
• Food served is healthy and follows USDA nutrition guidelines.
• No application or proof of income is needed. You can just bring your child to one of the participating City of Los Angeles parks in your community.
• Please note staff plan and order lunches based on the daily number of kids that come to their sites. Therefore, in the event your child does not receive a meal because there is a shortage of lunches, let the staff know so they can plan to order more lunches the next day.
• Please note parents of children ages 1-5 may sit with their child to assist them with opening their packages. However, staff have the option to not allow parents in the eating area if Program Rules are not followed.
• Please note meals must be eaten on site.

***

NOTE THAT THE CITY OF LA SWIMMING POOLS OPEN ABOUT THE 15th of JUNE and the cost is about $2.  with a LIBRARY CARD!

HALF OF HOMELESS MEN HAVE SUFFERED TRAUMATIC BRIAN INJURY - NEW STUDY BY DR. TOPALOVEC-VRANIC - SAINT MICHAELS HOSPITAL

SCIENCE DAILY - ALMOST HALF OF ALL HOMELESS MEN HAVED HAD BRAIN INJURY

SOME EXCERPTS:

Almost half of homeless men had traumatic brain injury in their lifetime

Date:

April 25, 2014  St. Michael's Hospital

Almost half of all homeless men who took part in a study had suffered at least one traumatic brain injury in their life and 87 percent of those injuries occurred before the men lost their homes. While assaults were a major cause of those traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, (60 per cent) many were caused by potentially non-violent mechanisms such as sports and recreation (44 per cent) and motor vehicle collisions and falls (42 per cent).

 

Dr. Topolovec-Vranic said it's important for health care providers and others who work with homeless people to be aware of any history of TBI because of the links between such injuries and mental health issues, substance abuse, seizures and general poorer physical health.

 

 

JUNE 6 1968 ROBERT KENNEDY'S SPEECH FOR HUMANITY

Bobby Kennedy's Speech for Humanity makes us wish for a Presidential Candidate like this today... Give 10 minutes to listen to this speech and you may cry for what could have been.




"Hand in Hand with the Freedom of Speech goes the Power to be heard, to share in the decisions of government."

VETERANS RESOURCE CORPS at LAKEVIEW TERRACE LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY

A veteran or military family member in need of help can contact George or Corey  who are Veterans Corps Members at 213 598-5199

Library Location is LAKEVIEW TERRACE LIBRARY - VETERAN RESOURCE CENTER
12002 Osborne Street, Sylmar, CA  91342

HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, MENTAL HEALTH, VETERAN COMPENSATION BENEFITS
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Just as a note here, if your parent is a veteran who became disabled, you may be eligible for some benefits to help you with your own education and other issues.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS MAYBE THE ANSWER TO GETTING YOUR EATING HABITS UNDER CONTROL : SAN FERNANDO VALLEY INFO MEETINGS 2014

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS ORG   NATIONAL

OA SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

INFO LINE  818- 342-2222

OFFICE  818 881-4776

DO YOU EAT WHEN YOU ARE NOT HUNGRY?
DO YOU BINGE? PURGE? OR RESTRICT?
IS YOUR WEIGHT AFFECTING YOUR LIFE?

OA of San Fernando Valle4y
7133-B Darby Avenue,  Reseda CA  91335

Hear a panel of speakers and get your questions answered.

WHEN YOU JOIN OA  there are NO DUES, NO FEES, NO WEIGH INS and NO DIETS!

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On our HOW TO BE A GOOD ROOM MATE PAGE we mention that YOU SHOULD BE WORKING ON YOURSELF as a focus rather than SITTING OUT GOSSIPING.  If you're in a shelter, you should be using your time there for SELF IMPROVEMENT and getting control of your eating is important.  So, you're overeating or eating bad foods may mean being overweight and overweight leads to bad health and discrimination against the overweight.




August 2016 This post edited... call them to find out when and where meetings are!

EACH OF US UNIQUE - BUTTERFLY