EXPOSE HOMELESSNESS BLOGSPOT -COMMUNITY SERVICE ON HIATUS - LOTS OF USEFUL INFORMATION TO BE FOUND HERE!

HELLO EVERYONE.  It's MAY 2018.  Just wanted you to know that we're checking in as promised. 


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

To our homeless brothers and sisters and the citizen activists who seek to end Poverty and Homelessness in the United States of America.


Researching, writing, interviewing, designing, and producing this Blog has been a Community Service and a Labor of Love.  We've posted near 1,500 times in our effort to help you.  As our own lives became chaotic, exhausting, and sometimes frightening, we have endured to keep at it for eight years now.

We've experienced so many thoughts and feelings in the process:






The hope that we're helping others.  (If even one person has gotten off the street and has healed and is happy because of the information we've posted, it's been worth it.)


The frustration of learning about so many resources yet knowing that the crisis of homelessness in Southern California - and around the world - is an ongoing crisis and that all these nonprofits and charities, all the grassroots organizations and individuals who give of themselves - even it's just going out homemade peanut butter sandwiches - is NOT ENOUGH to eliminate the suffering.


The anger that turns into disgust that we feel when we learn about individuals - male and female - who have turned their lives over to a shelter or housing program in trust, who have been sexually harassed by case managers who even demand sex in exchange for housing, or had the money they saved for apartment deposits kept when they were kicked out, or who were in one of these programs for years waiting for their turn or chance, meanwhile loosing their health and even sanity in the process.


The shock of realization that we live in the Greatest and Richest country in the world, one that pats itself on the back for being "Christian," while homeless who are not Christian or religious are discriminated against because so many organizations want to convert you in exchange for helping you.  Our horror that anyone is allowed to be homeless while others enjoy such prosperity.  It's a complicated issue but it seems to us that the Rich and Powerful are allowing the Poorest of the Poor to be killed off, slowly.


THIS BLOG WILL REMAIN UP...


Since we began blogging the opportunities for people to do their own research, on free or prepaid cell phones, and at public service computers at libraries, has expanded.  There are information hot lines for city and county and other governmental resources (though we don't particularly care for them), and referrals for information and advice all over, sometimes an endless cycle of go-nowhere referrals. We know that we're not as needed as we once were but there is a lot of valuable information here at Expose Homelessness BlogSpot too, which you can continue to use, though as time goes by it needs to be updated.


We are taking a break but we will continue to:
* Check your comments, including Answers to the many Questions we have asked.
* Update links and video and eliminate those that are repetitive or truly defunct.
(We stopped working on our YouTube station a long time ago and it's time to let it go!)
* Work on the innards and make technology updates that are important, including simplifying our labels so that your search word choices bring up all the posts applicable and getting rid of nuisance robot hits that mostly come from Russia.
Update and add information to our Pages, which some people think of as our advice and opinions on how to best survive a shelter, deal with case managers, and use your EBT-SNAP funds to keep to a healthy diet.

ALSO WE WILL ADD MORE HOMELESS BLOGGERS and POVERY ACTIVIST BLOGS ON OUR LIST THAT WE HAVE ON THE SIDEBAR as we discover them.


Please, USE THE SEARCH FEATURE embedded in the side bar of this blog in order to bring up the information that you need, using words such as "shelter,"  "AIDS-HIV,"  or "Homeless Children," in order to access years worth of posts.  Then, go to the linked site or article for the latest information posted by that link.


THANK YOU FOR READING and USING  EXPOSE HOMELESSNESS BLOGSPOT. 




And Thanks Also To:
Google for the opportunity to Blog at no charge, to the posters of YouTube music, documentary, experiential, and testimonial videos that make this Blog an experience of listening as well as seeing, to Dover Publishing for the many images of butterflies and coloring pages sprinkled throughout this Blog that are free for non-profit use, and to FlashVortex for the animated banners and flags that have also been gratis.


WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO NOT ONLY SEARCH THIS BLOG FOR INFORMATION (Use the Google Search feature embedded in the left side bar!) BUT TO CONTINUE TO SHARE INFORMATION. 


Your Friends at EXPOSE HOMELESSNESS BLOGSPOT

CAROLE KING - SO FAR AWAY

MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr. on FRIENDS

"In the end, we will remember NOT THE WORDS OF OUR ENEMIES but the SILENCE of our friends."

BUTTERFLY TREE

THE CLEARING - DAVID CROSBY and JAMES RAYMOND

NATIONAL HOMELESS MEMORIAL DAY - THE SYSTEMIC CAUSES OF TRAGICALLY AVOIDABLE DEATHS

NATIONAL HOMELESS MEMORIAL DAY   FIND AN EVENT NEAR YOU




"The National Consumer Advisory Board, the National Coalition for the Homeless, and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council encourage our constituents to organize or take part in Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day events on or around December 21st, the first day of winter and the longest night of the year.


At these events each year, we remember those who have died and we strengthen our resolve to work for a world where no life is lived or lost in homelessness. We state clearly, together with others in scores of communities across our nation, that no person should die for lack of housing.

Each Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day event is unique to its community, but the events often include readings of names, candles, prayers, personal remembrances, marches, and moments of silence. They are often held outdoors, sometimes – fittingly – in the bitter cold. These events honor those who have paid the ultimate price for our collective failure to adequately address homelessness, and often include calls to address the systemic causes of tragically avoidable deaths."

CATHOLIC CHARITIES - LOS ANGELES

We first posted a link to CATHOLIC CHARITIES in 2011.
CATHOLIC CHARITIES PROGRAMS FOR HOMELESS WOMEN AND CHILDREN


EXCERPT: In 1984, responding to the urgent needs of homeless women in the Southern California area, Good Shepherd Center opened a drop-in center and Languille Emergency Shelter for 30 women. Expanding to meet the growing homeless problem, Good Shepherd next launched its mobile outreach program in 1986 and opened the Hawkes Transitional Residence for 30 homeless women in 1987. In 1992, Good Shepherd Center established its Mother-Child shelter for nine mothers and 21 children. In 1998, Good Shepherd opened the first of three phases of The Women’s Village; the Hawkes Transitional Residence moved to The Women’s Village and expanded to serve 30 women. The second phase of the Women’s Village, Angel Guardian Home, permanent housing for disabled mothers with children, was dedicated in May 2000. In 2008, the third phase, Farley House, an employment and education-focused transitional housing program, became part of Good Shepherd, along with an employment and client services center. The Village Kitchen, an on-site culinary program/cafe, was dedicated in June 2008. In August 2011, Farley House enhanced its services to include 10 families in its transitional housing program. Farley House currently serves homeless mothers with up to two children in all 21 fully-furnished apartments. Within its present five programs (three residences, drop-in and mobile outreach), in FY 2015-16, 1,266 clients were served.

JVSWORKS THREE FREE SHORT TERM TRAINING PROGRAMS

If you're in a shelter or sofa hoping, maybe if you have stable residence in an RV, you can probably qualify for JVS training.  Free 8 week training programs in three areas.  INCLUDES JOB PLACEMENT.  We advise you be honest about your living circumstance when you apply as we think the Jewish social services can help you with clothing.  Main thing is you have to be able to consistently show up for classes and then for work.   We think any shelter, any social worker, should be very cool about this.


BANKWORKS...
Job training, placement,  and ongoing coaching to become a bank employee from tellers and service associates to universal bankers and relationship bankers.


HEALTH WORKS - CERTIFIED NURSE ASSISTANT
includes classroom and clinical experience.  Prepare for CALIFORNIA STATE CERTIFICATION.


JVS APARTMENT WORKS -  APARTMENT MAINTENANCE TECH.


Generous sponsors are paying for the training.  You do not have to be Jewish,


Contact Ms. Olive at jolive@jvsla.org
310-273-6633 extension 5436

LANCASTER, SYLMAR, and SANTA CLARITA COLD WEATHER SHELTERS and 2016-2017 PICK UPS

We especially encourage Women to consider staying at a shelter during the cold months that these are open, for safety and to get referrals to other resources such as year round shelter programs.
*****
CITY OF LANCASTER - GRACE RESOURCES - Antelope Valley
44611 Yucca Avenue, Lancaster, CA
661-945-7524


39 beds.  Open November 24th 2016 - March 1 2017
Pick ups:
3:40 PM at Corner of K-8 and Gingham Avenue
across from Social Services.


3:50 OM at 45134 North Sierra Highway near Avenue I.
meet in courtyard
WALK INS ARE ALSO WELCOME but show up between 3:30 and 4:15 PM


******


HOPE OF THE VALLEY - SYLMAR ARMORY - San Fernando Valley
12860 Arroyo Drive, Sylmar, CA  91342
170 beds.  Open December 2016 - March 1 2017
WALK INS ARE WELCOME BUT NOT BEFORE 5:30 PM
818-207-8776
Also no shopping carts are allowed inside.  One small bag per guest allowed.
Security inside. hot showers,  hot dinner.  breakfast sack lunch. case management. warmth.


Pick ups:
6:00 PM at the old thrift store location at 8165 San Fernando Road in Sun Valley.
6:30 PM outside of McDonalds at 8045 Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood.
6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 PM in front of the bus bench at 6212 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys.
7:30 PM at 8401 Winnetka Ave, at the Winneketa Recreation Park, Winnetka
YOU WANT TO ASK WHEN THE NATIONAL GUARD WILL BE USING THE ARMORY FOR TRAINING AS YOU PROBABLY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STAY THERE AT THAT TIME and may want to plan to go to another, open shelter in advance rather than spend the time sleeping outside.
*****
SANTA CLARITA - BRIDGE TO HOME
23031 Drayton Street, Santa Clarita, CA  91355
60 beds. November 24 2016 - March 1 2017
661-388-3002  or 661-254-4716
Pick ups:
6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Vallarta Supermarket Shopping Center at 18571 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country, 91352
6:00 to 8:00 PM at Newhall Metro Link at 24300 Railroad Avenue, Santa Clarita, CA  91321
Shuttles run every 30 minutes.
WALK IN ALLOWED but line up starting at 6:00 PM.  Please don't show up earlier and loiter. Sensitive location so to keep this shelter open fine tune your arrival.  No shopping carts.  Your possessions that you bring in must fit in a 4 X 2 plastic tub.
*****
Those of you who have done this before know the drill. 

Los Angeles LESBIAN GAY TRANSGENDER CENTER

LALGBTCENTER - SOCIAL SERVICES AND HOUSING


For youth and seniors they offer transitional housing, education, employment, healthcare, legal assistance including asylum assistance.  For seniors - affordable housing.

EXCERPT: No organization offers a wider range of services for LGBT and questioning youth than the Los Angeles LGBT Center.


Whether you’re one of the thousands of LGBT young people experiencing homelessness in L.A., you’re looking for an adult mentor, you’re not feeling safe at school, or you just want a fun and welcoming space to connect with others your age, we can help.

SAN DIEGO'S URBAN ANGELS is HANDS ON NON PROFIT FEEDING STREET HOMELESS SEVEN DAYS A WEEK

URBAN ANGELS  hot meals for street homeless in San Diego


EXCERPT:
From cooking to serving to cleaning, Urban Angels runs the entire kitchen at Connections Housing, a state of the art service center and residential community designed to reduce street homelessness. We provide food services to Connections residents 7 days a week, every day of the year.


Urban Angels also assists with feeding services every Wednesday at The Salvation Army.


***
We like it when volunteers actually interact with homeless people.  Although some people think this is because volunteers need to know that homeless people are human beings, it's also because some homeless people need to know that volunteers are human beings.  After experiencing a lot of rejection, censure, and discrimination, homeless are no longer sure.

TRUMP ADMINSTRATION and the FEAR OF COPAYS or LOSS OF MEDICARE

We're hearing it all over, seniors who are already unable to afford RENT and FOOD and MEDICAL CARE, fearful that changes in MEDICARE in the TRUMP administration will mean co-pays they have no more money for.  Like the senior citizens who are LIVING IN RV's and VANS because they can't afford an apartment on their Social Security.


BERNIE SANDERS didn't win the Presidency but his message is still strong and needs to be carried by all of us.
BERNIE SANDERS - MEDICARE FOR ALL


Trump claimed during his campaign for the Presidency of this United States of America, which he won, that unlike other Republicans he did not want cuts in Medicare.


THE HILL - TRUMPS CAMPAIGN CLAIMS IN DOUBT RE MEDICARE

EXCERPT: The selection of Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) to become Health and Human Services secretary is testing President-elect Donald Trump....

FOOD ON FOOT - HOMELESS JOBS and HOUSING

NEED a JOB and HOMELESS?  JUST UNEMPLOYED and AFRAID OF BECOMMING HOMELESS?


Work for Food Program accepts ready to work individuals who will receive an opportunity to earn a FULL TIME JOB, a fully furnished and permanent apartment, a monthly bus pass, food cards, free ID voucher, free meals, gently used clothing, and rewards based on hard work.


APPLICATIONS SUNDAYS ONLY at
1625 North Schrader Blvd.  Hollywood  (north of Selma, east of Highland Avenue.)
in the parking lot of the Gay and Lesbian Center  (You do not need to be gay or lesbian)


NEW PARTICIPANT SCREENING 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM (be in the gate before 11:30 AM).


Let us hear from you after you go through the screening!


https://www.foodonfoot.org/

HOLLYWOOD METHODIST CHURCH and TEMPLE ISRAEL OF HOLLYWOOD - CHRISTMAS DINNER - DEC 25th 1 PM to 5 PM

HOLLYWOOD METHODIST CHURCH and TEMPLE ISRAEL OF HOLLYWOOD - CHRISTMAS DINNER  Corner of Highland and Franklin, Hollywood, California will have a FREE CHRISTMAS TURKEY DINNER that includes a visit from Santa with toys for the children and personal care item give away for the adults.


EVERYONE IS INVITED.  STARTS AT ONE PM and ENDS at FIVE PM.

CATERINA's CLUB HAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE SOME JOB TRAINING and GETTING MOTEL FAMILIES INTO HOUSING

Bruno Serato named his charity CATARINA's CLUB after his mom who suggested he feed the kids.  He's been doing so for several years.  We first linked to this organization in the fall of 2012.  We were able to listen to some of the KFI Marathon, and were happy to hear that Bruno's Charity has expanded.  Every night his volunteers cook up pasta and sauce for about 1,500 kids who live in motels.  His charity has expanded to giving some of the kids the opportunity to have some one the job training in the restaurant business.  Most of all, he has helped over 150 families get into apartments instead of living in the motels.


THE CHARITY GOT TONS OF PASTA AND SAUCE BUT IS STILL TRYING TO MEET IT'S HIGHER FINANCIAL GOALS FOR THE COMING YEAR.


CATERINA'S CLUB ORG


So if you're a motel kid, you might want to take Bruno up on what he's offering.


CHECK OUT HIS SITE TO FIND OUT IF YOU'RE IN HIS RANGE.

M.E.N.D. STILL GOING STRONG - FOOD BANK, CLOTHING, SHOWERS, REFERRALS

 We first posted on M.E.N.D. in 2011. We recently gave several newly homeless people we met the recommendation to go to Meeting Each Need with Dignity - M.E.N.D.  for showers, clothes, food, and more.  Operating without any government funds, we still think this is one of the best local resources for homeless people.  The other day we met a fellow from the South who has been out here homeless for two years.  He just got his free government cell phone and is looking for work in construction but needs eyeglasses.  We told him to go to M.E.N.D. to get new glasses.



To get there from the North Hollywood Red Line Subway Terminal area, take the 224 bus north,  from Burbank Olive area, take the 794 bus north.  Stay on the bus and watch for the small airport to the right, and then Pierce Street and the huge sign to the right that says. M.E.N.D.


http://mendpoverty.org

WHY BOB HOPE's ESTATE IS HOPE FOR THE HOMELESS

Though it was on the market for a long time and the asking price was slashed to 13 million, Bob and Dolores Hope's Palm Spring house has been sold and the money is going to homeless charity.


DAILY NEWS - DENNIS MCCARTHY - BOB HOPE'S HOUSE SALE AND THE HOMELESS


EXCERPT:
They could have left the family home worth millions to their children or the Catholic church, but Bob and Dolores Hope didn’t.


They left it to the homeless and the veterans of Los Angeles County to help shelter and feed struggling families at the bottom of the economic ladder - a million miles from where the Hopes lived at the top.


They didn’t trust trickle-down economics. There were too many potential hands between their money and where they wanted it to go, so they began a charitable foundation aimed right at the heart of poverty in this city.


Without any fanfare or press releases, the Hopes quietly took on the fight against hopelessness.
The money from their Palm Springs home, which recently sold for $13 million, was placed in the foundation, as will be the family Toluca Lake home now on the market for $22 million.


BOB and DOLORES HOPE FOUNDATION

SPLASHY BUTTERFLIES #6

DOWNTOWN WOMEN'S CENTER - HOW TO APPLY FOR HOUSING, HEALTH SERVICES, FIND A JOB

DOWNTOWN LA - WOMENS CENTER  link here and find out....

How can I apply for housing?    

• When do you serve meals?
• What other services do you provide?
• Is this a shelter/where can I go if I need a shelter?
• How do I get case management at DWC?
• How do I access health clinic services?
• Can you assist me with finding a job?
• What is a Day Center Orientation, and am I required to attend one    
• How do I get bus tokens/Rider Relief?

TINA MARIE - DEJA VU

LIBRARIANS and LIBRARIES - ENLISTING THEIR AID IN FIGHTING HOMELESSNESS - PEW TRUST

PEWTRUST ANALYSIS : ELISTING AID OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES FIGHT HOMELESSNESS


EXCERPT:


Public libraries have long been havens for people with nowhere else to go. Now, a growing number of library systems are adding services for patrons who are homeless, hungry, or suffering from drug addiction or mental illness. For the District of Columbia, that means hiring a social worker, partnering with nonprofits and organizing social hours.


The library can be part of the city’s efforts to reduce homelessness, said Jean Badalamenti, the social worker for the system here. “I see the library as playing a role in that, since this is where people are,” she said.


Libraries in the Internet age offer more than books and computer access. On a typical day, Washington’s central library, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, less than a mile from the White House, hosts all types of events, from free tax preparation assistance for adults to poetry workshops for teens.

CRANBERRIES - LINGER

BLACK FRIDAY PICKS? CHECK OUT THAT NO PROFIT BEFORE YOU DONATE!

THERE ARE SO MANY HANDS OUT...

Since we know that there is lots of fraud going on, we ENCOURAGE YOU today, and any day, to DO SOME RESEARCH about the non-profit that you are going to donate to.

We have a list of links on our sidebar but here are FIVE sites you should check out  before you write the check. 



NON PROFIT IMPERATIVE BLOGSPOT  (Gary Snyder)


CHARITY NAVIGATOR



NON PROFIT FACTS - A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND NON PROFITS JUST IN CALIFORNIA


CHARITY WATCH ORG


MINISTRY WATCH

2017 as well THANKSGIVING - NEED A FEAST? TEMPLE BETH HILLEL - VALLEY VILLAGE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY MEAL

FLOCKING TO A FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER?
IF YOU'RE HOMELESS, THIS DAY IS THE DAY YOU ARE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE A HOT MEAL.


NO PLANS YET?
TEMPLE BETH HILLEL - VALLEY VILLAGE

JAMES TAYLOR - FIRE AND RAIN

HOPE OF THE VALLEY THRIFT STORE IN SUN VALLEY IS GONE! HELP CENTER IN VAN NUYS OPEN

HOPE OF THE VALLEY RESCUE MISSION THRIFT STORE IS GONE!  Rumor is that the whole building will be torn down for residential development and that the store will reopen in.... SIMI VALLEY?  Since this location also accepted donations, including food, and served hot meals to homeless, and once also had a shelter... we feel concerned...


HOPE OF THE VALLEY ORG


OK THE HELP CENTER is OPEN!


6425 Tyrone Avenue Van Nuys  (Corner of Tyrone and  Victory - enter on Victory)


9am to 4 PM  Monday through Friday


SHOWERS  MON - FRI  9 am to 11:45
LUNCH       MON - FRI 12:45 to 1:15 
MAIL SERVICE   MON-FRI  9 AM to 1:15 PM
COUPON SERVICES  MON, WED, FRI,  10 AM to 2 PM
CASE MANAGEMENT - UPON REFERRAL
COMPUTER CZENTER -  TBD   (?!?!)


Rules...
WANT A SHOWER?  YOU MUST SIGN IN.
AFTER YOU SHOWER YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE PROPERTY UNTIL LUNCH TIME.
WHICH IS NOON.  SHOW UP RIGHT AT NOON.  YEP, after LUNCH you gotta go again...


ACCESS THE LOCATION THROUGH VICTORY ONLY.  Don't walk the neighborhood which will cause the neighbors to complain.  Don't hang around the church property.... REMEMBER  You are a TRANSIENT who has to keep moving.  (This last sentence isn't on their flyer but it is the point.)




FROM THEIR SITE : HEADQUARTERS

We Would Love to Hear From You!

Location:
11134 Sepulveda Blvd. Mission Hills, CA 91345
Mail:
PO Box 7609 Mission Hills, CA 91346
Phone:
818.392.0020
Email:
info@hopeofthevalley.org


UPDATE DEC 6 2016  HOPE OF THE VALLEY IS RUNNING THE SYLMAR ARMORY AS A SHELTER UNTIL MARCH 1 2017
CALL 818-207-8776 for more information.


170 BED PROGRAM at 12860 Arroyo Drive, Sylmar, CA  91342  Walk up guests OK but not before 5:30 PM


Multiple van pick up locations include
HOPE OF THE VALLEY OLD THRIFT STORE SITE at 6:00 PM
8165 San Fernando Road
NORTH HOLLYWOOD OUTSIDE MCDONALDS at 6:30 PM
8045 Lankershim Blvd.
6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 PM in VAN NUYS at the bus bench at 6212 Van Nuys Blvd.  (Civic Center Area)
7:30 PM in WINNETKA at Winnetka Recreation Park, 8401 Winnetka Avenue.

JIM CROCE - OPERATOR

SAINT JOSEPH'S CENTER VENICE - FOR WORKING POOR FAMILIES and HOMELESS MEN, WOMEN, and CHILDREN

SAINT JOSEPHS CENTER -VENICE

 

Housing

• Our Chronic Homeless Initiatives reach out to the most vulnerable homeless individuals in Venice and Santa Monica and help them transition into permanent supportive housing.
• Veterans Administration Supportive Housing (VASH) works with the V.A. to provide housing and long-term case management to homeless veterans.
• Supportive Services for Veteran Families assists homeless/very low-income Veteran households with rapid re-housing, housing maintenance, and homelessness prevention services.
• Housing for Health helps high utilizers of LA County public health resources obtain and maintain permanent supportive housing.
• Homeless Family Solution System provides short-term rental assistance, resource referrals, and case management to homeless and at-risk families in an effort to support housing stability.
• Housing Services assists homeless and low-income households in securing and/or maintaining voucher and project-based permanent housing.

 

BRILLIANT BLUE BUTTERFLY

USE YOUR ACCESS BUS PASS TO TAKE THE METROLINK TRAIN and MANY OTHER SMALLER CITY TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

ACCESS LA - LIST OF TRANSIT SYSTEMS THAT TAKE THE PASS

THERE IS A LIST OF OTHER TRANSPORTATION SERVICES INCLUDED VOLUNTEER DRIVERS

EXCERPt:

Volunteer Driver programs are community-based transportation services in which a friend or neighbor in the community volunteers their time and automobile to help riders get to places they need to go.  In most cases, one must be a resident of the community where the program operates, and have few other transportation options to get to important destinations.  Some programs do ask for a fee or donation for each one-way trip, but others are free services for the riders. 

Please click on one or more of the links below to see if a Volunteer Driver program could provide you with an additional transportation alternative.

Community Connections - serves the residents of Claremont, La Verne, Pomona, and San Dimas with their transportation needs including crossing county lines

Independent Living Partnership - serves residents of Riverside County

Connect- serves residents of West Hollywood and a small portion of West LA

ITN GreaterLA - serves residents within the Communities of Brentwood, Culver City, Mar Vista, Pacific Palisades, Palms, Santa Monica, Venice and West LA

TREP (Transportation Reimbursement Escort Program) - serves residents within select areas of San Bernardino County

EVERY DAY WE MEET SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW THEY HAVE SOME OPTIONS

We often meet people who became homeless and who have so adapted to street life, or park life, that they don't think about getting back into the main stream or into housing.  Some of these people have first of all been moved along, others have tried to stay put while they wait months or years to be taken into a shelter with a housing program.  Bad news about the terms and conditions of living at shelters by others who tried them is all around.  It's discouraging. 


Then there are the RV and VAN homeless, the upper class of homelessness so to speak, who are able to camp or otherwise maintain the mobile lifestyle because their retirement, SSDI, SSI, or other funds at least allow them to do maintenance and repairs, get insurance and inspections and stickers, and who will continue to do so as long as they can afford to.  Some of these people also are on wait lists for either Section 8, Senior Housing, or Low Income Housing, or some other option.  One woman lived this way for years waiting for her crazy parents to die.  They had been abusive to her but she did inherit their house eventually.


We often meet people who have become homeless WHO DO NOT KNOW THEY HAVE ANY OPTIONS.


THIS BLOG IS FOR THEM TOO.  More than anything we want you to know that you do have options, even though it may be hard work and frustrating to partake in them.

We recently met homeless people WHO DID NOT KNOW THEY CAN GET SOME DENTAL CARE with JUST MEDICAL.


We've met people living within a half hour by bus to M.E.N.D. who do not know about their TUESDAY MORNINGS for the homeless, where they can shower, get bus tokens to come back the next week, have a hot meal, and take away some groceries.


So if you've arrived here for the first time, please spend some time reading... our PAGES, our POSTS, ALL THIS IS FOR YOU!

GUNS N' ROSES - NOVEMBER RAIN

VETERANS DAY

USE THE SEARCH FEATURE ON THE SIDEBAR OF THIS BLOG TO EXPLORE PAST POSTS FOR VITAL INFORMATION FOR VETERANS!

STEVE HARVEY - HOMELESS TO A HUNDRED MILLION

YAHOO CELEBRITY - STEVE HARVEY ONCE HOMELESS MILLIONAIRE

EXCERPT FROM YAHOO ARTICLE FEATURING PEOPLE MAGAZINE COVER:
Harvey tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story that while he’s now amassed an empire estimated to be worth $100 million, he was once homeless and living out of his Ford Tempo.

“It kills me when I hear very successful people say, ‘I always knew I would get here,’ ” he says. “I didn’t. I always hoped I would get somewhere, but this is above and beyond. My imagination didn’t even go this big.”

He certainly seems to have it all. His bestselling 2009 book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man has been adapted into a blockbuster film and a sequel. He now hosts a syndicated radio show as well as the game show Family Feud and a hit daytime talk show, The Steve Harvey Show. Most recently he has hosted NBC’s hit variety series Little Big Shots.

But when he first quit job to take a chance at being a comedian, he found himself separated from his wife, on his own and living on as little as $50 a week.

“That was an ugly period, just very painful,” he says of becoming homeless in the late ‘80s.

TRUMP"S THE NEXT PRESIDENT! WILL HIS CAMPAIGN PROMISES of JOBS for AMERICAN HELP THE HOMELESS?

SINCE JOBLESSNESS and WAGES that are INCOMPATIBLE with the COST OF LIVING in CALIFORNIA are tied into HOMELESSNESS, we are hoping that DONALD TRUMP intends to STIMULATE THE ECONOMY with LIVING WAGE JOBS and other opportunities for people who are DISABLED or PARTLY DISABLED to earn income.


We've met so many people who once held good jobs who have been on the streets a long time, senior citizens living on SS and in RV's, people who sleeping in the mountains and coming down the hills to use library computers to look for work.  We even know of someone who kept at a job as a secretary while living in a homeless encampment under a bridge.  When he employer found out she was canned!

WITHOUT A DOUBT, having a consistent place to live and safely and privately get mail, a place to shower, a place to iron and hang up work wardrobe, a PLACE TO GET A GOOD NIGHT's SLEEP (which usually is not a homeless shelter) are essential to getting and keeping a job, as is training or retraining, having references or meeting people really willing to give a person a fresh start, and so on.


MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE DESTITUTE IN OTHER STATES COME TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, reasoning that maybe they'll get lucky and if not it's relatively warm in the winters.

EVERY STATE and EVERY CITY NEEDS ITS OWN PROGRAMS TO COMBAT POVERTY AND HOMELESSNESS.

So we HOPE TRUMP CAN MAKE ECONOMIC RENEWAL HAPPEN!

  SOUNDS GOOD...  STRONGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD....

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - VOTE!

BUTTERFLY RAVE

PLEASE VOTE FOR PROPOSITION HHH - 60,000 PEOPLE NEED HOUSING YESTERDAY! (IT PASSED!)

We came out for PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BERNIE SANDERS, who is no longer running ... and you CAN "Write Him In"... IN SOME STATES INCLUDING CALIFORNIA.  Though we think the Democratic candidates are more sympathetic to the plight of the homeless and poor in the United States of America,  ee know many who will go into the voting booth and vote for the party, or avoid voting for either Trump or Clinton, in favor of Jill Stein.


WHATEVER YOU DO, and we do hope you will vote,  PLEASE VOTE FOR PROPOSITION HHH.  We know it's complicated but it's the best thing going for the homeless at this point and WE MUST DO SOMETHING.  No easy answers, and much to be determined, we know, but we BEG YOU - PLEASE!


*If you are HOMELESS and did not REGISTER TO VOTE IN THIS ELECTION, PLEASE REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE NEXT...  YOU CAN VOTE WHILE HOMELESS...  See our past posts and side bar for information!


DAILY NEWS - LA VOTERS GREEN LIGHT PROP HHH  By Brenda Gazzar, Los Angeles Daily News


EXCERPT:
The proposition would raise $1.2 billion to create between 8,000 and 10,000 permanent supportive housing units for the city’s homeless — and those at risk of becoming so — as well as facilities for access to mental health counseling, addiction services and housing placement, according to supporters.
Proposition HHH garnered the support of about 76 percent of votes cast by the time all precincts had been counted on Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office. It needs 66.67 percent to pass, a considerable threshold for a ballot crowded with other tax measures.
“Today we can look at the most urgent moral crisis facing our city and say that help is on the way,” said Elise Buik, president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, in a statement.

LA TIMES - VOTING FOR PROPOSITION HHH - HOUSING FOR THE HOMELESS!

LA TIMES on PROPOSITION HHH  by Doug Smith


EXCERPT:
What would Proposition HHH do?
If the measure obtains the two-thirds vote needed to pass, the city would borrow up to $1.2 billion over 10 years for construction projects to provide “safe, clean, affordable housing for the homeless and for those in danger of becoming homeless.”

LABOR UNIONS and ENVIRONMENTALITS AGAINST JERRY BROWNS AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS

LA TIMES - LABOR UNIONS and ENVIRONMENTALISTS AGAINST AFFORDABLE HOUSING  by Liam Dillon

EXCERPT:


"It would be a disaster for local government, local communities, the environment and the citizens of California,” said a May 18 letter to state lawmakers from the State Building & Construction Trades Council, the Natural Resources Defense Council and other labor and environmental groups.


Brown’s plan would exempt urban housing projects that reserve a certain percentage of their development for low-income residents from detailed local government review. By making it easier to build houses, Brown believes the state can reduce California’s major housing supply deficit, which is considered the primary driver of the broad home affordability crisis. A project only would qualify for Brown's exemption if it’s planned on land already zoned for high-density residential development.




****
We homeless are so environmentally correct when we live in the parks.....

JOAKIM ESKILDSEN's PHOTOGRAPHS OF AMERICANS PLAIN OUT OF LUCK

DAILY MAIL JOAKIM ESKILDSEN - PHOTOS OF U.S. POOR

EXCERPT:

Could it happen to you? Meet the average Americans forced into poverty by accidents, ill-health or tragic misfortune in searing photo essay exploring the crisis of the country's hidden poor

• Danish photographer Joakim Eskildsen grew up with mythical ideas of 'Coca-cola and American culture'
• But he found the American dream persisted within the US as well, serving as a dangerous set of ideals
• He visited poverty-stricken regions of the US for seven months to capture the reality for 45million people
• He acknowledged his subjects' unique stories and said: 'I had the feeling anybody could fall into hardship'

**** GREAT PHOTOS!  GO TO THE SITE!

WRITE IN BERNIE SANDERS FOR PRESIDENT - YOU CAN IN CALIFORNIA - and IT'S NOT A WASTED VOTE!

BERNIE SANDERS SITE - REVOLUTION CONTINUES


If you're a BERNIE SANDERS FAN LIKE WE ARE, YOU CAN WRITE HIS NAME IN when you vote for President on November 8th.   YOUR VOTE IS YOUR WAY OF SPEAKING YOUR PEICE, so if you're sick of the pathetic Presidential campaign and your heart isn't into either candidate... If you wondering if you want a sexual harasser as a president or a highly educated woman who stays married to one...  WHY NOT VOTE FOR THE MAN WHOSE BEEN LONG MARRIED TO ONE WOMAN and doesn't have any scandals attached to him?


We know BERNIE GAVE UP, and we know SINCE HE RAN AS A DEMOCRAT, he ENDED UP ENDORSING HILLARY CLINTON.  We know competitors can get nasty, but she thought it was funny to suggest he be killed by DRONE and that's just going too far, even as an off handed smart remark.  DO YOU WANT FOUR YEARS OF Trump's tax returns and Clinton's e-mails?


WRITE IN BERNIE... and don't forget about PROPOSITION HHH as in HOUSING FOR THE HOMELESS!


*** IT'S NOT PERFECT BUT IT IS A START.... the spring will bring OTHER/FURTHER opportunities to do the same.   THE ONE THING THAT CANNOT BE OUTLAWED IS GREED, and DEVELOPERS ARE USUALLY GREEDY and RICH ENOUGH TO LAWYER THEIR WAY AROUND...

HALLOWEEN

MIRIAMS HOUSE - PROMISES FOUNDATION - SMALL NONPROFIT HELPS HOMELESS MOTHERS AND CHILDREN - 90% SUCCESS RATE

JEWISH JOURNAL - MIRIAMS HOUSE OPENS DOOR FOR STRUGGLING WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN


EXCERPT: The West Los Angeles house opened its doors in 2007 and focuses on women recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. It has 15 rooms and is currently hosting seven women with little to no income. Residents might just be regaining contact with their children, getting a degree and going to work.
It sits on a large property and has communal spaces for children to play in and women to gather. There also is a back garden where residents can sit outside and have time alone.
Miriam’s House is part of the Promises Foundation, started by Lisa Rogg, a holistic medicine expert, licensed acupuncturist and lifelong resident of Los Angeles, along with her husband Richard, who founded Promises Treatment Centers.
“When you are a homeless mother or a mother living below the poverty line, it’s difficult to find help for addiction,” Lisa Rogg said. “Often you are faced with the choice of giving up custody of your child or receiving the support you need. As a mother, it was my mission to help these women keep their families together.”
The home, which is funded by private donors, has a success rate of more than 90 percent for reuniting mothers with their children, according to executive director Brenda Valiente.


****
PROMISES FOUNDATION - LISA ROGG


EXCERPT: She believes that maintaining a home for low income families can help mothers retain custody of their children and stop the cycle of addiction which plagues our society.

4 NON-BLONDES -: WHAT'S GOING ON?

LA TIMES - ONE HOMELESS PERSON IN THREE IN LOS ANGELES IS A WOMAN

One in three homeless people in Los Angeles County are women, according to government figures released this year. The total of more than 14,000 women is a 55% increase from 2013. The number of women camped out in RVs, tents and lean-tos doubled in the last three years.
Homeless women face staggering levels of violence, in shelters and homeless housing as well as on the streets. A survey released this week by the Downtown Women’s Action Coalition, a consortium of service providers and advocates, found that nearly half of skid row women had been attacked in the previous 12 months; more than a quarter of them were sexually assaulted.


LA TIMES - ONE IN THREE HOMELESS WOMEN - 25% SEXUALLY ASSAULTED IN ONE YEAR  by Gale Holland

COUNTY 211 - COLD WEATHER SHELTER INFORMATION FOR SEASON 2016-2017 ( WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO TRY IT IF YOU HAVEN'T)

211 PROGRAM SERVICES  GO TO THIS LINK...  Since it is LATE OCTOBER and we have not yet easily found information on where COLD WEATHER SHELTERS WILL BE LOCATED THIS SEASON and when they will open or close,  and WE THINK THAT INFORMATION IS VITAL TO YOU, we're posting this link and will continue to browse through YEARS WORTH OF OLD NEWS and OLD POSTS on the Internet - junk that wastes time and should have been taken down long ago.


SEARCHING FOR  "COLD WEATHER SHELTERS"  LOS ANGELES 2016-2017 even governmental type sites seemed to be cluttered with old useless stuff.


***********


Over the last few weeks we've encountered a number of street homeless people over the age of 50 who have been on the ground sleeping rough, or who are being taken into vehicles by friends, using services for food and showers, hanging in the libraries, and we know these people aren't drinking, doing drugs, doing crime, or anything but EXISTING DAY TO DAY.  That can really wear you out.


But when we suggest that they try a COLD WEATHER SHELTER as a possible in to SOCIAL WORKERS and HOUSING, they have their reasons or excuses for not doing so. 


Elmer, about 55 years old, tells us he doesn't want to try it because other people who have told him their shoes and other things were stolen from them while they slept.


Jackie, about  60, tells us she is "fine" as is, and is waiting to move in with her boyfriend.  Thing is maybe that's true but Jackie sure has been waiting a long time to move in with a boyfriend who is OK with her sleeping rough, and has been going through rape threats.


Shaun, in his late forties, just had the guy who was sharing his van for sleeping, wreck the van and end up in the hospital, and so we told him "Go to an armory shelter as soon as it opens."  He's visiting the guy in the hospital hoping it won't be too long before they're back in the van.


We still think that it is safer for people to be sleeping in an armory with a security guard present and up all night than out there.

Whatever you decide...

SPLASHY BUTTERFLY #5

A MIGRANT IMMIGRANT POPULATION in CALIFORNIA? OPINION by JUZ CUZ - TEACHERS in LIMBO

People in California are at the end of their rope.  A whole class of people in trouble because they can't afford traffic ticket fees.   People up and leaving for other states.  In with families elsewhere?

HOLLYWOOD - THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE SLEEP ON THE STREET

This video is about Covenant House - a shelter program.


Here is the link COVENANT HOUSE

CHI-LITES - HAVE YOU SEE HER?

WHAT IS A "CASE MANAGER" ??? OFTEN NOTHING MORE THAN A PERSON WHO FILLS OUT and PROCESSES PAPERWORK WITHOUT SOCIAL WORKER EDU or SKILL IN DEALING WITH DISTRESSED PEOPLE

We've experienced it and we hear about it all the time...


"Case Managers" who hate the people they deal with, hate their jobs, are mean spirited, are out to trip you up, screw you out of the housing you waited years for.  "Case Managers" who could be replaced by ROBOTS, since they long ago lost their hearts.  "Case Managers" who are beyond burned out; they just don't give a crap about what happens to you.


NOT JUST AT SHELTERS.  BUT AT SECTION 8, GR, and other so called DPSS AGENCIES.


Now they have the job, they hate it, it's near impossible to get them fired, and guess what, YOU CAN COMPLAIN and ASK THAT YOURS BE REPLACED!


WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR CASE MANAGER STORIES FOR PUBLICATION HERE AT EXPOSEHOMELESSNESS.BLOGSPOT.COM


Send us a comment.  If you want to be published without being identified or linked to you, let us know at the top of the comment!

THANKS

END HOMELESSNESS by ENDING GREED! SAYS RON TAYLOR

They once made a movie about this man, called Taylor's Campaign... and he once ran for City Council.  Another senior citizen on the street.  800 in downtown in wheelchairs...  They hide the children.  He appreciates everyone who helps him.

HELLHOLE SHELTER DEMOLISHED - LA FAMILY HOUSING BUILDS NEW EXPANDED SHELTER

MYNEWSLA -CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON HOMELESS SHELTER and HEALTH CLINIC

EXCERPT:

The Campus, at 7843 Lankershim Blvd., which will include 50 permanent supportive housing units for chronically homeless individuals, bridge housing for more than 450 homeless individuals and families, a health clinic and office space for service providers.
The project is slated for completion in the fall of 2017. It includes a south campus consisting of renovated facilities, and an entirely new north campus that replaces the Valley Shelter as a service center for the entire San Fernando Valley. The health clinic will be open to the surrounding community.
L.A. Family Housing President Stephanie Klasky-Gamer described the facility as a “regional hub that will provide coordinated services and help break the cycle of homelessness and poverty for thousands of people.”
Mayor Eric Garcetti, county officials and representatives of the developer, L.A. Family Housing were on hand today for a groundbreaking ceremony.

....

Of course neither Stephanie or Eric seem to know what has gone on in the shelter that's been torn down...  The things they've gotten away with... We hope the clinic won't be North East Valley Health Corp.  There are people out there who hope that by the time the place reopens there will be all new management and staff too. "Campus?" Please! The hellhole was never a college, just a school of hard knocks.

PINK FLOYD - COMFORTABLY NUMB

WE NEED LAND - HOMELESS ACTIVIST RICH's OPINION - CHULA VISTA and SAN DIEGO SHOWERS and a PARKING PROGRAM

The organizations Think Dignity and Dreams For Change are providing portable showers and space to park for those who live in their cars but while all this helps, the homeless could use some LAND! 


THINK DIGNITY - SAN DIEGO and CHULA VISTA PORTABLE SHOWERS


DREAMS FOR CHANGE

DANA GOODYEAR of the NEW YORKER on COLD WEATHER SHELTERS IN LOS ANGELES "THEY REPRESENT PANHANDLING AT THE LEVEL OF POLICY"

NEW YORKER - HOMELESS IN LOS ANGELES by Dana Goodyear

EXCERPTS: To the hardcore long-term unhoused, a flotilla of recruits has been added—some of them presumably locals forced from their dwellings by rising rents, others itinerant young “travellers.” You see the latter in the evening, moving in groups, with skateboards, dreads, and bedrolls, a pit bull or two among them, heading toward the setting sun and the “sandominiums” that spring up on the beachfront after dark. ... According to one social worker who does field work among the homeless in West Los Angeles, after the announcement people started turning up from as far away as Las Vegas: their cities had bought them one-way bus tickets to L.A. The result is a huge, often acutely vulnerable population in the path of a storm system already proving itself 'brash' nasty, cold, and fierce. ...Shelters, necessary though they still are, are like spare change: they represent panhandling at the level of policy. The only fix is to intensify the effort to build housing for the homeless and the poor. Opening extra shelters when it rains, with longer hours, is the emergency version of a plan that already doesn’t work. It’s better than nothing—unless it means that nothing changes when the rain stops. In the long term, the homeless don’t need another place to overnight, they need accommodation in the more expansive sense of the word.

EYE CARE FOR HEROES PROGRAM - ACTIVE DUTY or VETS GET FREE EXAMS and MORE - DOCTOR ZDENEK in RESEDA

ZDENEK EYE INSTITUTE

EXCERPT:

Eye Care for Heroes Program

Dr. Zdenek is offering to all US Military, Active or Veteran a Free Eye Exam. Are you still in the US Military or a Veteran? Do you know if your eyes are healthy? Dr. Zdenek would like to say "Thank You for your Service to our Country" by offering his services to you. Let his knowledge and expertise give you some answers. With all the political turmoil in the VA, we have heard it takes 3-6 months to get an appointment with the VA. Dr. Zdenek can see you for free with in just a few days. For more information, call our office or visit www.EyeCareForHeroes.com


call 800 -957-3109


The complete eye exam includes testing for glaucoma, retina exam, eye glass prescription.


____


The Eye Care for Heroes Program bypasses the VA hospital.  There are other doctors in other locations that also participate.

LA TIMES on HOW THE HOMELESS CRISIS IN LA GOT SO BAD - THE STATE OF THE ART OF HOMELESSNESS,

LA TIMES HOW HOMELESS CRISIS GOT SO BAD

EXCERPTS
The number of tents, makeshift encampments and vehicles occupied by homeless people soared 85%, to 9,535, according to biennial figures from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority...


Countywide, more than 44,000 homeless people were tallied in January, up from more than 39,000 in 2013, the report said. Well over half -- nearly 26,000 -- were in the city of Los Angeles.
Homelessness among veterans dropped 6% countywide, to about 4,400, but the report did not break out a comparable number for the city.
Why is this happening?
Experts blame soaring rents, low wages and stubbornly high unemployment.
They point to gentrification downtown and in Venice, where cheap hotel rooms, motels and single-room apartments -- once the last refuge of the poor -- are being eliminated....
 Is there a cycle of homelessness among the working poor?
Yes. About 13,000 people on public assistance tumble into homelessness every month in Los Angeles County, according to a new study.
Although many quickly find work or rely on family to get off the streets, the number experiencing "continuous, unremitting, chronic homelessness" continues to grow, even after 10,000 people were housed over the last three years, according to the report being released Tuesday by the Economic Roundtable, a nonprofit research group in Los Angeles.
The report recommended that the welfare system intervene to help children and young adults who become homeless before their condition becomes chronic.
The group's analysis was based on records for 9 million county residents who received public assistance at any point between 2002 and 2010. The study said people from many systems, including those dealing with disability, mental health, foster care and criminal justice, fed into the homelessness pipeline. The Great Recession also drove many out of their homes, it said.

ALL THESE RESOURCES and IT'S STILL NOT ENOUGH!

ALL THESE RESOURCES that we want you to KNOW ABOUT just in case some or all of them are OPTIONS for you.  OPTIONS that  you can make CHOICES about!


There are a lot of HOMELESS RESOURCE BUSINESSES (even though they are called non-profits, they usually take in enough money to pay staff, pay their rent or mortgage, and so on) and yet THE GREAT NUMBER OF HOMELESS people IN NEED OF HELP, temporary or long term, is OVERWHELMING these resources.


WHAT WOULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE?


A CULTURE THAT ACTUALLY UPHOLDS THE VALUE OF EVERY HUMAN BEING.  A CULTURE THAT STOPS PRETENDING IT'S "CHRISTIAN," or SPIRITUAL or RELIGIOUS and ACTUALLY IS!


THIS POST is DEDICATED to those who have TRIED SHELTERS and prefer THE STREET!

SPLASHY BUTTERFLIES #4

CALIFORNIA TO FIGHT HOMELESSNESS WITH 1 % TAX - IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY - AN OPINION

An opinion -  have a one bedroom but no bed.  Have a roof and air conditioning and heat - but who will pay for the that?  SAVE MONEY TO "HOUSE THEM"  But don't some dogs have better accommodations?

hWWRT COM LA COUNTY MILLIONAIRE TAX
Excerpt
Los Angeles County has one of the highest homeless populations, but the County Board of Supervisors has a bold plan to fight it: an income tax of half of a percent on personal incomes exceeding $1 million, which would generate an estimated $243 million.

In an effort to address the growing homeless problem plaguing Los Angeles County, the county government is seeking approval from both Governor Jerry Brown and the state legislature to levy a tax on its millionaires. Seventy-six percent of LA County residents are in favor of the tax, according to a Los Angeles County Homelessness Survey.
THE GUARDIAN on San Francisco tax on TECH proposed
EXCERPT
San Francisco’s long, complex and often fraught relationship with the tech industry has come to a head with a proposal to levy a “tech tax” on the companies that have fueled the city’s transformation into a place that is increasingly uninhabitable for people on low or medium incomes.
Under the plan, large tech employers in the city, potentially including Google, Twitter, Uber, Airbnb and Salesforce, would be required to pay a 1.5% payroll tax. The estimated $120m in annual revenue would be used to fund affordable housing and services for the city’s large homeless population.
Local politicians are seeking to put the bill to a citywide vote in November, a move that would mark the culmination of years of boom that have rendered San Francisco one of the most unequal places in the U.
It is a city where 57.4% of homes are worth more than $1m, but hundreds of people sleep in tents on the street every night.

NAT KING COLE - ROUTE 66

PSYCHOLOGY FRAUD - SSI FRAUD - HINKY LAWYERS - and HOUSING FOR THE SANE!

SSA GOV - SSI FACTSWe've heard so much about these issues that we felt it was time to speak out about them.

It's popularly thought - AND PROMOTED - that homeless people are mentally ill people and that the mental illness came first and then the homelessness.  Being homeless is very stressful and it's not unusual for a person who wasn't mentally ill when they first became homeless to slowly go crazy.  However, the purpose of psychotherapy and psychiatrists is not to condemn people to being mentally ill for life.  It's to get them well.

Recently though we heard from an ex resident of a shelter that we have linked to here at the EXPOSE HOMELESSNESS  BLOGSPOT about a situation he encountered while a temporary resident there.
He says they arranged for a lawyer to come and talk to the residents and get them SSI.  That means that they favored this one lawyer who was doing their dirty work. SSI is more money than GR, more money than no money, but there are people out there with significant physical issues who cannot get SSI.

So the "solution" is to also claim to be mentally ill.  For those with fortitude or decent values, this is fraud and there are people on the streets for years because they refuse to let go the one thing they haven't lost and that's their principals.

There are lawyers willing to get you SSI all over.  We know that some shelters like to "refer" you to a lawyer or lawyers that they think or know will "help" you.  The term "help" does not mean help you get well, it means help you get housing because you have SSI.

The lawyers all take a percentage of the money you've been granted. 

This particular lawyer was supposedly having people sign that he would take a percentage of the money they would be granted for years.   We couldn't believe it.  But the person who told us this is one of those who refused and has a college degree, high intelligence, no history of criminal or drug activity, and has a resume with Fortune 500 companies on it.  And this was a "Christian" shelter too!

Shelters WANT you to BE SICK and STAY SICK.  That's our take.


Here are some stories from the street.  (All the names have been changed.)


Nancy - fifties - Burbank area. Screenwriter who left an abusive relationship.
"I'm getting GR and EBT.  I'm not ready for SSI.  I almost sold a script recently and that's what I do in the library is write.  Being on the EBT and keeping to a gluten free diet, I've lost more than 50 pounds and improved my health.  I was in a shelter program in another city.  I got a job and save a couple thousand dollars but they kicked me out when I lost that job in a mass layoff."


Ben - early sixties - Sun Valley area.  Computer Tech.
"I was cut off of GR Disabled Status because I couldn't prove that I have carpel tunnel.  I decided to try and make some income from computer upgrades. I do several odd jobs.  I get hot meals and showers. I'm not a candidate for SSI.  I was at a temporary shelter that pushed getting it."


Valerie - late forties -  Sherman Oaks area  Actress
"Yes I have an agent.  No he doesn't know I'm homeless.  I've been sofa surfing for a few years now.  I was into my drinking but I'm in A.A.   When I was drinking, I was probably a little crazy, but I'm not now.  I was pressured to get SSI back in the day when some outreach person figured me out and it sounded like I had to be on it to be taken into their shelter."

Melvin -  twenties.  Van Nuys area  "I'm a foster kid.  I bought a car before I turned 18 working fast food.  I live in it. I was diagnosed as mentally ill when I was about 16.  I took meds.  I got off the meds and you know what, I don't think I ever needed them.  A shelter program wanted to use that medical record from a couple years ago and have me go back on the meds and go mental so I could get SSI.

HAVE YOU BEEN RAPED AT YOUR SHELTER?

RAPE at shelters happens, and it's not only heterosexual rape.


Some shelters do not even have locks on the doors of the rooms that homeless live in,
At some the security is nonexistent or the guards have criminal backgrounds or are a joke.
ON THE STREETS RAPED HOMELESS FEAR MAKING POLICE REPORTS because they want to fly under the radar of the police.  But we think you should go to the hospital and make reports.


ON THE STREET WE HEAR ABOUT THE SEXUAL HARRASSMENT OF WOMEN AT SHELTERS by straight case managers.  We've heard about one who was finally fired but was telling women that they had to sleep with him if they wanted a Section 8 voucher.  We've heard about a homosexual case manager who threatened one man that if he didn't break up with his shelter girlfriend he would "bring him down."  The glances to his penis escalated into physical touching.


We recently heard about a homeless Christian woman who was threatened with rape by knifepoint on the streets in Burbank.  The homeless man who threatened her said he had already had all the other women in the camp.


If you want to tell us about your rape and don't want your comment to show after our approval, just write "Do Not Publish."

SAN DIEGO STREET HOMELESS GOTTA MOVE EVERY MONDAY

LA TIMES SAN DIEGO HOMELESS MONDAY MORNING MOVE
EXCERPT
José Ysea, a public information officer with the city of San Diego, said the sweeps remove about 3 tons of trash and debris from the public right of way each week.
With the downtown homeless population at about 1,000 and the number of tents and other temporary structures up 70% this year, he said, the city no longer waits for calls to clean up an area.
“We used to be reactive,” Ysea said. “Now we’re proactive.”
The sweeps by the city’s Environmental Services Department — charged with enforcing codes relating to waste, dumping and litter on public property — include the area around the St. Vincent de Paul Village, Petco Park and the San Diego Concourse.

On Monday morning this week, one woman walked down 17th Street with a twin-size mattress on her head. Another had managed to fit an entire couch inside a cart and was attempting to roll it to a place where she could wait out the sweep.

AUSTRALIA HOMELESS CRISIS - 100,000 and COUNTING

DAILY MAIL - AUSTRALIAN HOMELESS CRISIS POINT


HOMELESS IN AUSTRALIA, because so much of the country is RURAL are HIDDEN HOMELESS SLEEPING ROUGH.  The new count August 9th, will reveal a higher number of people with no place to call home in the country.


EXCERPT:

Couch surfers in rural areas made up 40 per cent, while 55 per cent of people sleeping in overcrowded dwellings were also in rural locations, the ABC reports.

Candice Morrell from homeless charity Mission Australia said that homeless people in regional Australia 'can be less visible' and said the shortage of affordable housing was a 'crisis', especially during the cold ski season when low-cost accommodation is booked up.

SPLASHY BUTTERFLIES #3

TESTIMONY OF "RONNIE" on the streets of GLENDALE in the 1980's - ON HELPING HOMELESS PEOPLE WHEN YOU AREN'T

I grew up on the east coast and came out to California.  I was on the streets in Glendale for about a year and a half in the 1980's.  Joblessness is what got me there.  I made real good money for a while and then nothing.  Today my life is stable.  I work full time and my health is good. I never forget what I learned, what it was like to have nothing. During that year and a half my health started to fail.  I started to loose teeth.  I was also talking to myself.  I was ready to crack up. 

I want to talk about people who aren't homeless helping homeless people.

While I was homeless there was this foster kid that I wanted to help.
He was making small amounts of money with his talent, I don't want to out him, but let's say he was being proactive and I admired that.  He also didn't seem to be mentally ill and seemed healthy to me.  So I hooked him up with some of the Christian churches that I was leaning on and they were going to get him work and get him some place to live, like a room in a house where he could live until he had his job a year and had saved up deposit money.  In the 1980's it was a whole lot less expensive to rent in Southern California.  So he did go with me to the church that wanted to help him but in the end he was unable to keep to a work schedule.  I gave up on him and just focused on my own recovery from homelessness.

When you see a homeless person in the library or the park, don't say or do anything to out them.  Usually there are people around who have figured it out or know the person is homeless.  If they are able to stay sheltered during the day like that and aren't causing issues, let them be.

If you want to help them with food or clothing or money, give it over without expecting to interview them or without getting a story from them.  Just pass things on.

It can be sensitive.

Sometimes a person's reasons for not trying to get into a shelter or going to a shelter may make no sense to you.  They may be rational or not about it.  They may think being homeless is their fate.  They may know they are near death.  It's their life.

"Ronnie"

WALL STREET TRADER SAM POLK QUIT TO START A NON PROFIT

DAILY MAIL ; WALL STREET TRADER QUIT and STARTED A NONPROFIT


He was once a money addict...He created Groceryships to give poor people access to healthy food.

EXCERPT:

came to the idea after watching the documentary, "A Place at the Table," which is about hunger in America — how, in the richest country in the world, millions of kids don't know where their next meal is coming from,' he told CNBC.

'I realized how much of my life had been spent trying to make it to the top — to be important, to matter — and how the consequence of all that striving is that many people are left behind. 

'I wanted to do something of value for the people who'd been left behind.' 

GROCERY SHIPS (THERE IS A LOS ANGELES CONTACT)

THE 12 STEPS OF THE ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS PROGRAM

1) Surrender
2) Hope
3) Commitment
4) Honesty
5) Truth
6) Willingness
7) Humility
8) Reflection
9) Amendment
10) Vigilance
11) Attunement
12) Service


On our side bar we have the national AA link so you can search for a meeting just about anywhere. But if you're in the San Fernando Valley go to www.sfvaa.org which is the CENTRAL OFFICE to find out about meetings, events, or to download a copy of RECOVERY TIMES.  The phone number for CENTRAL OFFICE is (818) 988-3001.  CENTRAL OFFICE also has a bookstore at 16132 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, at the corner of Sherman Way and Woodley) which is open every day.

If you are just out of rehab or living in a shelter, you may want to pair up with someone form the San Fernando Valley Hospitals and Institutions Committee (H and I).  These A.A. member volunteers will help you if you are leaving rehab, treatment, jail, hospital, and other institutions which usually includes homeless shelters.

If you know that alcohol is a problem for you, especially if it's the problem that lead you towards homelessness, please know that there are even psychologists and therapists who won't consider treating someone who isn't also in A.A.  A.A. has a decades long proven track record for helping people get off and stay off drink.  They are also a well attended and respected NETWORKING CLUB.

In Los Angeles there are meetings all over, at all hours, even specialty meetings for young people

SAINT JUDE'S ANGLICAN CHURCH and TEMPLE BETH EMET BURBANK JOIN TOGETHER TO HELP HOMELESS

SAINT JUDE'S CHURCH - BURBANK CALIFORNIA


111 SOUTH SIXTH STREET
BURBANK, CA 91501


818-842-7461


St Jude's is a relational church, proud to continue in the rich heritage of the Anglican Communion worldwide, Bible-believing and part of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.


"We are blessed to share ministry with Temple Beth Emet; Rabbi Mark Sobel has generously given of his time to teach Hebrew to members of St Jude's and both congregations are currently working together with Family Promise of San Fernando Valley, jointly hosting homeless families at St Jude's parish hall."


Homeless or Hungry?  Check their schedule/calendar about meals for the homeless, which occur about every 3 weeks or so.


Feed the Hungry - cooking crew starts at 10:30 or 11 a.m. Serving between 1:15 and 2 p.m. Clean up crew until 3 p.m.

CHANGE LINKS is IN NEED OF A VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR and VOLUNTEERS!

CHANGE LINKS
Their web site is dynamic but they are still also printing and distributing NEWS PRINT copies all around town.  check it out...

SPLASHY BUTTERFLIES #2

LABOR DAY

PORTLANDS SAFE SLEEPING PROGRAM ENDS but OTHER PROGRESS CONTINUES

DAILY MAIL - SAFE SLEEPING POLICY IN PORTLAND ENDS
It allowed homeless people to unroll a sleeping bag or unfurl a tarp between 9pm and 7am on city sidewalks and also allowed camping in some specific areas of the city, but there was a backlash.  The mayor said they never made sleeping on the sidewalk legal.

The policy was supposed to be a temporary measure while the city worked to create more temporary housing and dovetailed with the city's declaration of a state of emergency for homelessness. 

Portland has about 1,800 homeless people and needs 1,000 shelter beds, Hales said... The city has created 450 new shelter beds, expanded its emergency housing capacity and earmarked $250 million for affordable housing, he added.

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LA FAMILY HOUSING SPECIAL VETERANS PROGRAM - ON THE VERGE OF HOMELESSNESS OR RECENTLY LOST HOUSING?

SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERAN FAMILIES  (SSVF)


THE SSVF program is designed to rapidly re-house homeless Veteran families and prevent homelessness for those at imminent risk due to a housing crisis.  It also helps Veteran families who reside in or are transitioning to permanent housing to quickly regain stability.


SSVF providers offer a range of short-term service with a focus on case management, assistance in obtaining VA and other public benefits, and possible time-limited payments to third parties (landlords, licensed child care providers, etc. of these payments help Veterans families stay in housing.


ELIGIBILITY


VETERAN HOUSEHOLD: single person is a household, so is a family in which the head of the household, or the spouse of the head of household is a veteran.  The vet must have served in active duty and be discharged or released honorably.


VERY LOW INCOME
Based on the fact that the household income is half or less than the area MEDIAN INCOME or LOS ANGELES COUNTY per HUD.


For instance  for one person the income limit is $30, 400. under the 50% rule.  Check for details.


YOU MAY BE CURRENTLY RESIDING IN PERMANET HOUSING - but at risk,
YOU MAY BE HOMELESS but scheduled to move into permanent housing within the next 90 days.  (On a wait list perhaps._
YOU MAY HAVE EXITED PERMANENT HOUSING WITHIN THE LAST 90 DAYS.  (Lost your place.)


JOEL at 818-415-6035 is the outreach coordinator and intake person to contact at LAFH


****


As always we would like to hear from any of you who have entered this program.

SPLASHY COLOR BUTTERFLIES #1

MENTAL HEALTH and the FAILURES OF LA COUNTY'S MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM : HAYLEY FOX

JEWISH JOURNAL : LOVE and HEARTACHE by HAYLEY FOX - PSYCHIATRIC CARE - LA's MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM


EXCERPTS: According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, L.A. is home to nearly 9,000 homeless people with mental illnesses. In L.A. County jails, there were more than 4,000 inmates with mental illness as of May 2016, the Los Angeles Times reported last month. Without access to proper treatment, housing or legal guidance, it’s all too easy for people to fall between the cracks or simply get lost amid the bureaucracy. In fact, Laurie himself was a casualty of this overloaded system, and without his brother’s diligence, he would have ended up standing trial instead of being recognized by the court as mentally ill and being placed under a conservatorship.


...


Greg Spiegel is the director of strategic initiatives at the Inner City Law Center on Skid Row. For more than 35 years, this nonprofit law firm has been helping protect low-income families from eviction, developing strategies to end homelessness and placing veterans, the homeless and the disabled into secure, affordable housing.


“Over the last 10, 15, 20 years, we’ve learned that the way to end somebody’s homelessness is housing first,” Spiegel told the Journal in an interview.
It’s difficult for people to get clean or consistently take medication while living on the street, Spiegel said, so for individuals like Laurie Ritz with a serious mental illness, and/or those with drug addiction, the best first step on the road to recovery is permanent supportive housing. Such stable, long-term accommodations include built-in support systems that many homeless need, including doctors and counselors.


...Given L.A.’s housing shortage and lack of other stabilizing resources, many individuals with mental illnesses end up in L.A. County’s Twin Towers Correctional Facility, making it one of the largest mental health facilities in the United States. In just the past few years, Laurie has been sent to the decrepit downtown L.A. jail on multiple occasions, for up to six months. Much of this time was spent waiting for a judge to decide whether he was competent to stand trial.
“Each time is one too many,” said Laurie, who agreed to share his story with the Journal in an effort to help others avoid his same fate. “It’s not the kind of place anyone wants to go to, and certainly not go back to again.”


L.A. County’s inadequate treatment of its mentally ill inmates has been widely criticized by mental health advocates and the federal government alike. In 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice, which had been monitoring conditions within the jails for more than a decade, concluded “serious deficiencies” remain in the mental health care system. These are made worse by “inadequate supervision and deplorable environmental conditions,” such as insufficient cleaning of “feces-smeared cells,” depriving inmates of their constitutional right to mental health care.

ILLEGAL HOMELESSNESS - CITIES TARGETING HOMELESS ON THE RISE "EVERYONE WANTS TO MOVE THE HOMELESS BUT THEY HAVE TO BE SOMEWHERE DON'T THEY"

300 BEDS IN BOISE - 2000 HOMELESS


A growing number of American cities are ticketing or arresting homeless people for essentially being homeless. The new laws ban behavior commonly associated with homelessness like reclining in public, sharing food or sitting on a sidewalk.

Supporters argue these measures are necessary to push homeless people into the shelter system and maintain public safety. Critics say the laws violate the rights of homeless people and ignore the more complicated drivers of homelessness like mental illness.

We found homeless people camping in the woods to escape police harassment, a homelessness consultant opposed to feeding homeless people and a city that uses solitary confinement to force homeless people into shelters.

VICE News began its investigation in Boise, ID, where a group of homeless people have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of these laws. Their case could change the way homeless people are treated across the country.

Read "New York Cops Are Now Shaming Homeless People On Social Media" - http://bit.ly/1PKH6qX

Read "San Francisco Mayor Vows to Remove City's Homeless by Super Bowl Weekend" - http://bit.ly/1Mi30iZ

PINK - GOING TO CALIFORNIA

ARE YOU UNEMPLOYED BECAUSE YOU REFUSED TO DO SOMETHING ILLEGAL? QUESTION FOR HOMELESS

We know someone who quit his job because he knew that the place he was working for was lying to customers and overcharging them. 


We know someone who quit her job because she couldn't deal with the sexual harassment going on all around her.


These people are homeless now.


Did you quit or get fired because you were expected to do something illegal or because you were a whistleblower?

OLYMPIAN DEBI THOMAS LIVING IN BED BUG INFESTED TRAILOR - YOU WANT TO TELL THE INTERVIEWER TO JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!

HUFFPOST : DEBI THOMAS OLYMPIC ATHLETE LIVING IN BED BUG INFESTED TRAILER   This interviewer tries to heap shame on Debi for living in a trailer.  Well, some of us would LOVE to move up in the world into a trailer or are living in bed bug infested SHELTERS or HOUSING PROJECTS!  And some of us would love to have a partner who loves us, even if they have no money.  SO SHUT UP ALREADY!


EXCERPT:
In between the Olympics and the World Championships, Thomas got married, but says the relationship crumbled after just three years because her husband felt lost in the midst of her popularity. As with her professional stumbles at the Winter Games, Thomas considered this personal stumble to be a failure. Then, more failures: As a physician, Thomas says her high expectations led her to go head-to-head with colleagues, and she was let go from two jobs. Though she had never really wanted to open up her own practice, she did. That’s when another divorce led Thomas to lose her nest egg, she says, and she soon had to close her private practice after two years.


Thomas is currently broke, jobless, twice-divorced and living in a bug-infested mobile home in a trailer park with her fiancé and his two sons. She even lost custody of her own 13-year-old boy, and her fiancé struggles to control both his alcohol use and his anger.