Selling and buying EBT - SNAP (government food benefits that used to be called Food Stamps and is also known in California as CalFresh) is not supposed to happen but it's happening. Officially you can get into big trouble if caught. But we get so many hits on our posts about such things, we thought we should say more about it.
People simply need the cash for any number of things including over the counter medication (who can afford a trip all the way to an emergency room just to get sent away hours later with over the counter medication?), sanitary supplies (easily $10 a month), shoes (wear out fast when you have to walk everywhere), new underwear and socks and bras (rarely given out at clothing giveaways or available at thrift shops and besides at thrift stores there are never dressing rooms for try ons and who can afford to spend the money when there are no returns), gas for their vehicle, stamps and postal box fees...you name it... not just cigarettes, beer, drugs.
OK so here is the slippery slope of trading food benefits for other goods.
1) NOT FRAUD!
A family member or friend who is doing way better than you actually invites you over for a party or meal and you want to contribute something. So you go shopping with them and then use your EBT -SNAP to pay for some groceries. You get to eat some of what you bought and some of what they provided. We feel no guilt. But we will have to go to a food bank to make up for it.
This is a lot like living at a shelter that serves one, two, or three meals a day to residents. Sure if you stay there all day every day you will eat, but you might not get enough food, healthy food, and what happens when you need to get out and go? (APPLY FOR EBT if you are not on SSI/SSDI etc.)
2) MAYBE
Someone at the shelter has a car and you ask them to give you a ride. They say you have to pay gas and you have no money for gas so instead you offer to buy them groceries in exchange. Maybe a tuna salad and some cola on your card. The exchange is pretty even. A couple gallons of gas to get you where you need to go. We feel no guilt.
3) VERY LIKELY
You go shopping with someone specifically to pay for their groceries and then they look at the receipt and give you the amount just spent in cash. (A great deal by the way! We hear of people giving 24% of the total so they are basically buying their own groceries real cheap.)
4) TOTALLY ILLEGAL on YOUR PART and that of the MERCHANTS.
You go into a store - usually an independently owned corner store where the owner will give you a certain percentage of cash based on your purchase. Basically you put, say $20 of retail groceries on your EBT which they bought wholesale and they KEEP the groceries and get to sell them again. How much do you get? We hear as low as 25 cents on the dollar, meaning that for the $20 in cash you may have to "buy" groceries worth $80. Seeing what a raw deal this is, you can tell a person is desperate for cash. However, some people find this better - more sure and less humiliating or risky with the police - than begging or panhandling.
5) TOTALLY ILLEGAL on YOUR PART and that of the BUYER.
You place an ad on a Craigs List type Internet sales and trading place saying you have a card for sale. When the buyer arrives you hand over your card, give them the pin number, they give you the cash agreed upon and go buy groceries at what is usually a big discount for them. (Wouldn't going to a food bank be a better option to supplement grocery buying?) Then you go to your social services and claim that you lost the card or it was stolen from you. Really bad karma!
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
ANTELOPE VALLEY in SECTION 8 : ARE POLICE VIOLATING RIGHTS? ARE CITIZENS or LANCASTER GOVERMENT RACIST?
CITYWATCH - BIG TROUBLE IN THE LITTLE ANTELOPE VALLEY Written by Bill Boyarsky in August 2013, reporting on the Community Action League, which has gone to battle with the Lancaster - Palmdale area, which has become a Section 8 haven.
EXCERPT:
"In the late 1990s, African-American and Latino families arrived, many from black and Latino South Central Los Angeles, for the lower housing prices and freedom from violent, gang-dominated streets. By 2010, whites were a minority in Lancaster and neighboring Palmdale. Among the newcomers were poor people who rented homes and apartments with the help of a federal program paying a portion of their rent, commonly known as Section 8. Most of the renters were African-Americans. The number of black Section 8 renters doubled from 510 in 2000 to 1,119 in 2004 and rose to 1,530 in 2008...
Section 8 renters were particular targets of Lancaster city government, the county board of supervisors and the sheriff’s department.
With money allocated by the city and the county supervisor representing the area, task forces of up to 15 sheriff’s deputies and housing inspectors raided Section 8 homes, ostensibly acting on tips that illegal drugs were present or fraud was being committed. But really, they were aiming to terrorize residents into moving. Officers stormed into homes and searched them without warrants. They rifled through chests of drawers, went through belongings, threatened children with arrest and obtained the names and addresses of Section 8 recipients so they could watch their homes. Housing authorities tried to evict a woman suffering from stage 4 cancer who had her daughter and granddaughter stay with her at nights. She was accused of having unauthorized tenants. But higher authorities permitted her to stay. ...
read the whole article at the link.
*****
OUR OPINION:
There is no good reason for any law enforcement to go through a person's belongings unless they are suspected of a crime and there is a search warrant.
We feel sure that if a person is suffering and needs someone to stay with them because they are disabled - and many Section 8 voucher holders are - that telling the Section 8 people you are very ill, in pain, or otherwise in need of help, and that a family member or friend needs to be with you should eliminate the issue. Many disabled people also have paid care givers, some paid by the government to be there. A family member is usually not paid.
It becomes an issue when the person has MOVED IN without authorization. That means they no longer live somewhere else and their belongings are there with them, not a suitcase but all of it. Section 8 apartment living does not mean that you will never have guests or that you will never have a boyfriend or marry. The Section 8 apartment is there for you to LIVE in, not to be STORED in.
It is not up to local law enforcement to check this out. SECTION 8 HAS INSPECTORS to come out to inspect. Landlords sometimes have leases that allow them to charge more for an apartment based on number of occupants and the rent increase MUST be approved by Section 8 first...
If you are a Section 8 holder, just be open with your case worker about your changing needs. We know people who just write a letter stating something like "I am having surgery and will be in the hospital for a few days and then my mother is coming to be with me until I can get around."
EXCERPT:
"In the late 1990s, African-American and Latino families arrived, many from black and Latino South Central Los Angeles, for the lower housing prices and freedom from violent, gang-dominated streets. By 2010, whites were a minority in Lancaster and neighboring Palmdale. Among the newcomers were poor people who rented homes and apartments with the help of a federal program paying a portion of their rent, commonly known as Section 8. Most of the renters were African-Americans. The number of black Section 8 renters doubled from 510 in 2000 to 1,119 in 2004 and rose to 1,530 in 2008...
Section 8 renters were particular targets of Lancaster city government, the county board of supervisors and the sheriff’s department.
With money allocated by the city and the county supervisor representing the area, task forces of up to 15 sheriff’s deputies and housing inspectors raided Section 8 homes, ostensibly acting on tips that illegal drugs were present or fraud was being committed. But really, they were aiming to terrorize residents into moving. Officers stormed into homes and searched them without warrants. They rifled through chests of drawers, went through belongings, threatened children with arrest and obtained the names and addresses of Section 8 recipients so they could watch their homes. Housing authorities tried to evict a woman suffering from stage 4 cancer who had her daughter and granddaughter stay with her at nights. She was accused of having unauthorized tenants. But higher authorities permitted her to stay. ...
read the whole article at the link.
*****
OUR OPINION:
There is no good reason for any law enforcement to go through a person's belongings unless they are suspected of a crime and there is a search warrant.
We feel sure that if a person is suffering and needs someone to stay with them because they are disabled - and many Section 8 voucher holders are - that telling the Section 8 people you are very ill, in pain, or otherwise in need of help, and that a family member or friend needs to be with you should eliminate the issue. Many disabled people also have paid care givers, some paid by the government to be there. A family member is usually not paid.
It becomes an issue when the person has MOVED IN without authorization. That means they no longer live somewhere else and their belongings are there with them, not a suitcase but all of it. Section 8 apartment living does not mean that you will never have guests or that you will never have a boyfriend or marry. The Section 8 apartment is there for you to LIVE in, not to be STORED in.
It is not up to local law enforcement to check this out. SECTION 8 HAS INSPECTORS to come out to inspect. Landlords sometimes have leases that allow them to charge more for an apartment based on number of occupants and the rent increase MUST be approved by Section 8 first...
If you are a Section 8 holder, just be open with your case worker about your changing needs. We know people who just write a letter stating something like "I am having surgery and will be in the hospital for a few days and then my mother is coming to be with me until I can get around."
Saturday, March 21, 2015
UNKNOWN MILLIONS FILM PROJECT HOPES TO DOCUMENT HOMELESS WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD - WANTS YOUR QUESTIONS - KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN
UNKNOWN MILLIONS PROJECT
THE PLAN IS TO FILM AROUND THE WORLD AND ASK WOMEN HOW AND WHY THEY ARE HOMELESS. What cultural or familial considerations come into play? Are most homeless women victims of violence? (ADD ANY QUESTIONS YOU THINK SHOULD BE ASKED BY LEAVING COMMENTS BELOW.)
OUR OPINION AND ADVICE:
It's terrific to ask homeless people about their lives - before, during, and after - their homeless experience. ASK and LISTEN WELL to anyone who is homeless and willing to tell their story. Very few homeless people are asked about their lives, even by educated social workers and case managers working at shelters who are making assumptions and preferring stereotypes because stereotypes are what gets funding. (See our PAGES and WHAT MAKES FOR A GOOD CASE MANAGER.)
In some cases people who are not mentally ill are urged and even threatened with being kicked out of a shelter if they don't lie to get government benefits and PLAY THE GAME because these programs use the money they get from donations to pay their staff, and do not put money towards deposits for apartments, even for working people whose small wage is not enough to allow them to save money.
SO ASK ABOUT FRAUD IN PROGRAMS.
We think there is a serious shortage of shelters and programs for women who are single, without children, especially if they are not mentally or physically qualified to disability. These women have probably ruined their credit and been evicted while still trying for employment and once the homeless label is stuck on them or their address is a shelter they find near no help finding employment and can't pass background checks so they are stuck.
SO ASK ABOUT EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT, and ANY PLANS OR DREAMS TO MAKE MONEY AND BE SELF SUPPORTING IN THE FUTURE.
Even if someone's dream seems implausible it's a good sign that they still dream of a better life. It means they are not thoroughly beaten down.
Homeless women are subject to violence such as rape. Besides the trauma of rape itself and the potential for unplanned pregnancy and STD's including AIDS, homeless women are solicited for prostitution, are subject to sexual harassment and are generally NOT SAFE, sadly even at shelters, and we have HOMELESS UPON HOMELESS CRIME.
SO ASK ABOUT RAPE and HOMELESS UPON HOMELESS CRIME.
THE PLAN IS TO FILM AROUND THE WORLD AND ASK WOMEN HOW AND WHY THEY ARE HOMELESS. What cultural or familial considerations come into play? Are most homeless women victims of violence? (ADD ANY QUESTIONS YOU THINK SHOULD BE ASKED BY LEAVING COMMENTS BELOW.)
OUR OPINION AND ADVICE:
It's terrific to ask homeless people about their lives - before, during, and after - their homeless experience. ASK and LISTEN WELL to anyone who is homeless and willing to tell their story. Very few homeless people are asked about their lives, even by educated social workers and case managers working at shelters who are making assumptions and preferring stereotypes because stereotypes are what gets funding. (See our PAGES and WHAT MAKES FOR A GOOD CASE MANAGER.)
In some cases people who are not mentally ill are urged and even threatened with being kicked out of a shelter if they don't lie to get government benefits and PLAY THE GAME because these programs use the money they get from donations to pay their staff, and do not put money towards deposits for apartments, even for working people whose small wage is not enough to allow them to save money.
SO ASK ABOUT FRAUD IN PROGRAMS.
We think there is a serious shortage of shelters and programs for women who are single, without children, especially if they are not mentally or physically qualified to disability. These women have probably ruined their credit and been evicted while still trying for employment and once the homeless label is stuck on them or their address is a shelter they find near no help finding employment and can't pass background checks so they are stuck.
SO ASK ABOUT EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT, and ANY PLANS OR DREAMS TO MAKE MONEY AND BE SELF SUPPORTING IN THE FUTURE.
Even if someone's dream seems implausible it's a good sign that they still dream of a better life. It means they are not thoroughly beaten down.
Homeless women are subject to violence such as rape. Besides the trauma of rape itself and the potential for unplanned pregnancy and STD's including AIDS, homeless women are solicited for prostitution, are subject to sexual harassment and are generally NOT SAFE, sadly even at shelters, and we have HOMELESS UPON HOMELESS CRIME.
SO ASK ABOUT RAPE and HOMELESS UPON HOMELESS CRIME.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
INDIANAPOLIS' INNOVATIVE HOMELESS BILL OF RIGHTS SHOULD SET EXAMPLE FOR OTHER CITIES - IMPORTANT!
THINKPROGRESS - INDIANAPOLIS HOMELESS BILL OF RIGHTS full article by Bryce Covert
EXCERPT:
As of January, volunteers counted 1,897 city residents going without shelter or permanent housing, a 19 percent increase over the year before. The bill ensures this population a number of rights, such as the right to move freely in public spaces, a reasonable expectation of privacy for their belongings, equal treatment by city agencies, and access to emergency medical care.
It also restricts the ways the city can interact with them. It would be required to give 15 days notice before displacing a homeless person from an encampment, although an amendment gives police the power to circumvent the requirement in case of emergency. The city would also have to store a displaced person’s belongings for 60 days and connect him with nonprofits that offer transitional housing and other assistance.
The version passed on Monday was narrowed from an original one that didn’t have enough support. A provision that would have protected the homeless from employment discrimination was taken out, as was funding for a new homeless engagement center, which has been broken out into a different proposal
...
But supporters point out that the bill isn’t just about increased protection for homeless people. It’s also about finances. “It is much more cost-effective to provide support services and assistance to those experiencing homelessness in our city, than to arrest them,” Councilman LeRoy Robinson (D) told The IndyStar. There’s plenty of evidence to back this idea up. A study in Florida found it costs the state $31,065 in medical and incarceration costs per each chronically homeless person left on the streets every year, compared to the $10,051 cost of giving the same person permanent housing and services like health care and job training. A shelter in Fort Lyon, Colorado will cost less than $17,000 per person versus the $43,240 it costs to leave her unsheltered and interacting with the police and hospital systems. An apartment complex intended for the homeless in Charlotte, North Carolina saved $1.8 million.
The Indianapolis bill is modeled after laws in Rhode Island and Illinois. Rhode Island’s law enshrines their right to move freely in public spaces, get equal treatment by state and municipal agencies, seek emergency medical care, and expect privacy for their belongings as well as additional protection from employment discrimination, voter discrimination, and the disclosure of records and information. Illinois protects the homeless from discrimination based on homeless status, including in employment. Connecticut also enacted a bill of rights in 2013 with nearly identical provisions as Rhode Island’s. Seven other states and two cities have considered such legislation.
EXCERPT:
As of January, volunteers counted 1,897 city residents going without shelter or permanent housing, a 19 percent increase over the year before. The bill ensures this population a number of rights, such as the right to move freely in public spaces, a reasonable expectation of privacy for their belongings, equal treatment by city agencies, and access to emergency medical care.
It also restricts the ways the city can interact with them. It would be required to give 15 days notice before displacing a homeless person from an encampment, although an amendment gives police the power to circumvent the requirement in case of emergency. The city would also have to store a displaced person’s belongings for 60 days and connect him with nonprofits that offer transitional housing and other assistance.
...
But supporters point out that the bill isn’t just about increased protection for homeless people. It’s also about finances. “It is much more cost-effective to provide support services and assistance to those experiencing homelessness in our city, than to arrest them,” Councilman LeRoy Robinson (D) told The IndyStar. There’s plenty of evidence to back this idea up. A study in Florida found it costs the state $31,065 in medical and incarceration costs per each chronically homeless person left on the streets every year, compared to the $10,051 cost of giving the same person permanent housing and services like health care and job training. A shelter in Fort Lyon, Colorado will cost less than $17,000 per person versus the $43,240 it costs to leave her unsheltered and interacting with the police and hospital systems. An apartment complex intended for the homeless in Charlotte, North Carolina saved $1.8 million.
The Indianapolis bill is modeled after laws in Rhode Island and Illinois. Rhode Island’s law enshrines their right to move freely in public spaces, get equal treatment by state and municipal agencies, seek emergency medical care, and expect privacy for their belongings as well as additional protection from employment discrimination, voter discrimination, and the disclosure of records and information. Illinois protects the homeless from discrimination based on homeless status, including in employment. Connecticut also enacted a bill of rights in 2013 with nearly identical provisions as Rhode Island’s. Seven other states and two cities have considered such legislation.
EXPOSEHOMELESSNESS.BLOGSPOT.COM DOES NOT AUTHORIZE OTHER WEBSITE OWNERS WHO ARE OFFERING PDF FILES OF OUR BLOG and COPYING OUR COLORING PAGES FOR CHILDREN
THEFT IS REALLY BAD KARMA!
We condemn their theft of our content. We do not know these people. They are not volunteers for us. We have nothing to do with them. They have not contacted us. They are just riding on our backs offering PDF files of our entire blog, and we need to say that we do not authorize. Copyright law allows only links with short excerpts or short quotations as we do, not someone else's entire work that took years to write and compile. And some of these sites have no contact information available. In some cases they unite our content with opinions we do not at all endorse or that we even find to be very offensive.
Additionally there are sites that are copying pictures that are owned by Dover Publications which are OK for us to use because we are a not for profit blog and have a Dover account but that means it is not OK to use for profit and without permission of Dover Publications.
We caution our readers NOT to click on these links.
We condemn their theft of our content. We do not know these people. They are not volunteers for us. We have nothing to do with them. They have not contacted us. They are just riding on our backs offering PDF files of our entire blog, and we need to say that we do not authorize. Copyright law allows only links with short excerpts or short quotations as we do, not someone else's entire work that took years to write and compile. And some of these sites have no contact information available. In some cases they unite our content with opinions we do not at all endorse or that we even find to be very offensive.
Additionally there are sites that are copying pictures that are owned by Dover Publications which are OK for us to use because we are a not for profit blog and have a Dover account but that means it is not OK to use for profit and without permission of Dover Publications.
We caution our readers NOT to click on these links.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
QUESTIONS FOR HOMELESS ? USE THE SEARCH FEATURE TO PULL UP THE QUESTIONS!
We've just gone through our whole blog looking at the QUESTIONS FOR THE HOMELESS that we've posted through time. We've made sure that each of them has the label "Questions for the Homeless" so you can find them!
Saturday, March 14, 2015
LOCAL COLD WEATHER SHELTERS CLOSE TOMORROW - AND MATTRESSES BANNED FROM HOMELESS CAMPING
Over the last few days, those who have been staying at Cold Weather Shelters and have not been taken into a year round shelter program are facing going back to outdoor camping, sleeping in vehicles, or sleeping in a sleeping bag on the pavement.
We always hope this blog will help those who are in need to find food, clothing, and shelter. We know shelter is the much more difficult issue. You may not always have healthy or a good variety of foods or be able to cook or heat food, but between feeds, food pantries, and EBT benefits, you probably won't actually experience starvation. And you may not always be able to shower often enough or be able to own or carry changes of clothes with you, but you probably won't go naked.
As a result of the conditions of sleeping outdoor, including pain inflicting concrete to put a sleeping bag down on, homeless often drag mattress that others have put out on the curb for big item pick ups throughout the Southland, to their sleeping space, be that an abandoned building, in a park, or up one of the local mountains. While these mattresses become dirty, they are a pleasure to sleep on under the stars until they get wet with rain. Mattresses mean a warmer and more body-supported sleep for many.
We see many sides to this issue but the BASIC ISSUE is that NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO BE HOMELESS, that NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO BE DESPERATE FOR A MORE COMFORTABLE OR WARM SLEEP that they have to drag an old thrown out mattress anywhere.
We always hope this blog will help those who are in need to find food, clothing, and shelter. We know shelter is the much more difficult issue. You may not always have healthy or a good variety of foods or be able to cook or heat food, but between feeds, food pantries, and EBT benefits, you probably won't actually experience starvation. And you may not always be able to shower often enough or be able to own or carry changes of clothes with you, but you probably won't go naked.
As a result of the conditions of sleeping outdoor, including pain inflicting concrete to put a sleeping bag down on, homeless often drag mattress that others have put out on the curb for big item pick ups throughout the Southland, to their sleeping space, be that an abandoned building, in a park, or up one of the local mountains. While these mattresses become dirty, they are a pleasure to sleep on under the stars until they get wet with rain. Mattresses mean a warmer and more body-supported sleep for many.
We see many sides to this issue but the BASIC ISSUE is that NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO BE HOMELESS, that NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO BE DESPERATE FOR A MORE COMFORTABLE OR WARM SLEEP that they have to drag an old thrown out mattress anywhere.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
LIVING PRAISE CHURCH - CHATSWORTH Friday Homeless Services - Walk Ins Welcome
LIVING PRAISE CHURCH - CENTER http://www.livingpraisechurch.org/
818 - 709 -5722
9200 Owensmouth Avenue, Chatsworth CA 91331
EVERY FRIDAY FROM 9 AM to 1 PM to HOMELESS
showers, clean clothes, toiletries, back-packs, tokens Breakfast and Lunch and Laundry Services.
UPDATED Feb 2016
818 - 709 -5722
9200 Owensmouth Avenue, Chatsworth CA 91331
EVERY FRIDAY FROM 9 AM to 1 PM to HOMELESS
showers, clean clothes, toiletries, back-packs, tokens Breakfast and Lunch and Laundry Services.
UPDATED Feb 2016
Monday, March 9, 2015
SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR LEE OUTLINES PLAN TO MOVE ENTIRE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT INTO HOUSING - IN TEN DAYS!
SANFRANCISCO GATE - PLAN TO MOVE ENTIRE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS INTO HOUSING full article
EXCERPTS:
"One-stop help centers exist all over the U.S. — in San Francisco, there’s Project Homeless Connect, a 10-year-old effort to refer the homeless to job training, substance-abuse counseling and other programs that can pull them off the streets.
But what has never been tried is moving full encampments under one roof — dogs and couples and tents and all — and housing them there until permanent housing is found. The Navigation Center will be doing this as a pilot project for eight to 18 months, depending on its success.
The whole thing is a gamble of sorts, its creators admit. But for now, hopes are high.
“To have a newness to this, we have to have a sense that people actually will get help,” Lee told officials who came to tour the center, which the city Public Works Department just finished building out with dormitories, a laundry, counseling rooms, and pet and storage areas.
The center will be open 24 hours a day, but the idea is not just to provide an alternative spot to pitch a tent. By moving campers in as a group, the city hopes, they will trust the process more than many do in shelters, where, as Fairrer puts it, “you’re sleeping next to strangers and don’t know what to expect.”
The center is being funded by a $2 million anonymous donation funneled through the San Francisco Interfaith Council. An additional $1 million from the same donor is being used to help create what city planners hope will be 500 new supportive housing units — housing with counseling on-site — for the homeless by the end of the year.
*****
OUR COMMENT! EVERY CITY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEEDS A PLAN LIKE THIS and THE FUNDING. Shelters are time wasters. Even "lucky" people sometimes waste years of their lives expecting a shelter to get them permanent housing. Shelters take funds from the government and donations from corporations and individuals and use it for salaries of incompetents.
EXCERPTS:
"One-stop help centers exist all over the U.S. — in San Francisco, there’s Project Homeless Connect, a 10-year-old effort to refer the homeless to job training, substance-abuse counseling and other programs that can pull them off the streets.
The whole thing is a gamble of sorts, its creators admit. But for now, hopes are high.
“To have a newness to this, we have to have a sense that people actually will get help,” Lee told officials who came to tour the center, which the city Public Works Department just finished building out with dormitories, a laundry, counseling rooms, and pet and storage areas.
The center will be open 24 hours a day, but the idea is not just to provide an alternative spot to pitch a tent. By moving campers in as a group, the city hopes, they will trust the process more than many do in shelters, where, as Fairrer puts it, “you’re sleeping next to strangers and don’t know what to expect.”
*****
OUR COMMENT! EVERY CITY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEEDS A PLAN LIKE THIS and THE FUNDING. Shelters are time wasters. Even "lucky" people sometimes waste years of their lives expecting a shelter to get them permanent housing. Shelters take funds from the government and donations from corporations and individuals and use it for salaries of incompetents.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
STREET QUESTION - WHAT KIND OF WORK DID YOU DO BEFORE YOU BECAME HOMELESS?
Natalie : "I was a baby nurse." I traveled with my employers. Then I got injured between jobs. I just missed getting SSDI. I got SSI and a room in a house. The house was sold."
Nadine : "I was a yoga instructor." "I'm living in my car. I'm still vegan. I don't drink or do drugs. I find a place in the park to practice and I still hope to teach yoga again."
Jose : "Construction until I hurt my leg. I will tell you, I do drink, but not on the job and not when I was hurt. I'm looking for any kind of day work."
Cathy : "My fiancée and I came out here looking for work from the South. He gets odd jobs. I make crafts for sale. Other than that, a church is helping us."
Bruce : "Don't laugh. I was an IT (Internet Technology Tech). It's not true that a degree or even years of good experience will guarantee you a job." We asked Bruce, who is nearing 60 how long its been since he had work. He said about 5 years.
Lakiesha : "I've done everything. I've cleaned houses and hotel rooms. I worked at a laundry. I worked as a cook. I'm not lazy. I just don't make enough money." (She laughed.)
Benson : "I'm a Vet. I had a breakdown. I worked for a while when I got back from Nam."
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO WERE WILLING TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION!
(Names may have been changed to protect the privacy of the people who did!)
USE THE SEARCH FEATURE IN THIS BLOG TO FIND OTHER STREET QUESTIONS!
Nadine : "I was a yoga instructor." "I'm living in my car. I'm still vegan. I don't drink or do drugs. I find a place in the park to practice and I still hope to teach yoga again."
Jose : "Construction until I hurt my leg. I will tell you, I do drink, but not on the job and not when I was hurt. I'm looking for any kind of day work."
Cathy : "My fiancée and I came out here looking for work from the South. He gets odd jobs. I make crafts for sale. Other than that, a church is helping us."
Bruce : "Don't laugh. I was an IT (Internet Technology Tech). It's not true that a degree or even years of good experience will guarantee you a job." We asked Bruce, who is nearing 60 how long its been since he had work. He said about 5 years.
Lakiesha : "I've done everything. I've cleaned houses and hotel rooms. I worked at a laundry. I worked as a cook. I'm not lazy. I just don't make enough money." (She laughed.)
Benson : "I'm a Vet. I had a breakdown. I worked for a while when I got back from Nam."
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO WERE WILLING TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION!
(Names may have been changed to protect the privacy of the people who did!)
USE THE SEARCH FEATURE IN THIS BLOG TO FIND OTHER STREET QUESTIONS!
Friday, March 6, 2015
HIGHER EGG PRICES MEAN LESS NEEDED PROTEIN FOR THE FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA
We were SHOCKED by the higher egg prices, now that the law is that California chickens must have more room to move around. WILL THE PRICES STAY HIGH? What have farmers purchased or gone into debt for to give those chickens more room.
We went to our local Ralphs, a local Farmer's Market where eggs that had been about a dollar higher than Ralphs were now $4.75 to $6.00 a dozen and then to Trader Joe's because we thought "TJ's eggs were always free ranging" or whatever. The eggs at Trader Joe's were higher priced than before the new law went into effect too at about $2.99 a dozen.
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT FARMERS ARE NOT RAISING THE PRICES PAST WHAT THEY NEED TO COMPENSATE THEMSELVES FOR THE LARGER CAGES or RANGES?
Will the Food Bank that we go to, which normally gives us five or six small eggs a month still be able to give us some eggs?
What we know is that even those who no longer eat meat because of health, religious conviction, or unaffordability, and who rely on eggs for protein may have to HALF the number of eggs they eat for the same price and that means they may not get enough protein.
WILL PEOPLE START CROSSING INTO OTHER STATE'S BORDERS TO BUY CHEAPER (i.e. more affordable) EGGS?
OK, Americans supposedly have more than enough protein than needed, but when you also see the price of cheese going way up, recently on sale at Ralph's (store brand) for $6.99 a pound, we have to wonder...
WILL THE HIGHER FOOD PRICES MEAN A RAISE IN EBT OR SOCIAL SECURITY?
We went to our local Ralphs, a local Farmer's Market where eggs that had been about a dollar higher than Ralphs were now $4.75 to $6.00 a dozen and then to Trader Joe's because we thought "TJ's eggs were always free ranging" or whatever. The eggs at Trader Joe's were higher priced than before the new law went into effect too at about $2.99 a dozen.
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT FARMERS ARE NOT RAISING THE PRICES PAST WHAT THEY NEED TO COMPENSATE THEMSELVES FOR THE LARGER CAGES or RANGES?
Will the Food Bank that we go to, which normally gives us five or six small eggs a month still be able to give us some eggs?
What we know is that even those who no longer eat meat because of health, religious conviction, or unaffordability, and who rely on eggs for protein may have to HALF the number of eggs they eat for the same price and that means they may not get enough protein.
WILL PEOPLE START CROSSING INTO OTHER STATE'S BORDERS TO BUY CHEAPER (i.e. more affordable) EGGS?
OK, Americans supposedly have more than enough protein than needed, but when you also see the price of cheese going way up, recently on sale at Ralph's (store brand) for $6.99 a pound, we have to wonder...
WILL THE HIGHER FOOD PRICES MEAN A RAISE IN EBT OR SOCIAL SECURITY?
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
DAVE BULLOCK and MICHAEL BLAZE and their "SKID ROW PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB"
JEWISH JOURNAL - writer Ryan Torok - BRINING CAMERAS TO SKID ROW RESIDENTS full article
"It’s given them, members of the club, an outlet and a way to express themselves artistically and also to document their day-to-day lives,” Bullock said of the club, which he co-founded in 2007 with Skid Row resident and homeless advocate Michael Blaze. “They have access to the community that only someone who is part of the community can have. Any photojournalist or outsider like myself can never hope to capture the stuff that they do. It’s amazing what they get.” ...
Most recently, in an effort to purchase additional cameras, Bullock launched an online campaign on CrowdRise that has raised nearly $2,000 for the club. It costs $100 to buy a Canon point-and-shoot camera as well as an 18-gigabyte memory card and a tripod, Bullock said. To date, the club has provided 50 digital cameras to Skid Row community members, Bullock said."
"It’s given them, members of the club, an outlet and a way to express themselves artistically and also to document their day-to-day lives,” Bullock said of the club, which he co-founded in 2007 with Skid Row resident and homeless advocate Michael Blaze. “They have access to the community that only someone who is part of the community can have. Any photojournalist or outsider like myself can never hope to capture the stuff that they do. It’s amazing what they get.” ...
Most recently, in an effort to purchase additional cameras, Bullock launched an online campaign on CrowdRise that has raised nearly $2,000 for the club. It costs $100 to buy a Canon point-and-shoot camera as well as an 18-gigabyte memory card and a tripod, Bullock said. To date, the club has provided 50 digital cameras to Skid Row community members, Bullock said."
Monday, March 2, 2015
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF NORTH HOLLYWOOD ... CALL AHEAD
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF NORTH HOLLYWOOD
818 763-4356
11210 Otsego Street (near Magnolia and Lankersheim) North Hollywood 91606
Pantry offers food, serving San Fernando Valley Residents. Clients can come twice a month. Hours vary, best to call first but usually on Wednesday or Friday between 11 am and 4 pm. SHOWERS AND HOT BREAKFAST ON TUESDAYS at 8 AM.
Hands for Hope after school program and parenting classes Monday - Thursday
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REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN GET EBT BENEFITS and STILL GO TO MOST FOOD BANKS!
818 763-4356
11210 Otsego Street (near Magnolia and Lankersheim) North Hollywood 91606
Pantry offers food, serving San Fernando Valley Residents. Clients can come twice a month. Hours vary, best to call first but usually on Wednesday or Friday between 11 am and 4 pm. SHOWERS AND HOT BREAKFAST ON TUESDAYS at 8 AM.
Hands for Hope after school program and parenting classes Monday - Thursday
******
REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN GET EBT BENEFITS and STILL GO TO MOST FOOD BANKS!
Sunday, March 1, 2015
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COUNTIES - HOMELESS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
WIKI COMMONS MAP OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COUNTIES
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This is a map of Southern California counties by WIKI COMMONS.
When it comes to homeless news or services, these counties are our focus. If you are homeless and living in any of these counties we would like your comments and suggestions.
(If you don't want us to publish your comment just write DO NOT PUBLISH on it. You can also send us your e-mail address through a comment and one of our volunteers will get in touch with you.)
If you want to share your experience as a homeless person of any agency, shelter, food resource, medical clinic, etc. we want to hear from you!
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