EXPOSE HOMELESSNESS IS A COMMUNITY SERVICE BLOG

EXPOSE HOMELESSNESS IS A COMMUNITY SERVICE BLOG!

WE DO NOT CHARGE MONEY AND WE DO NOT MAKE MONEY.
We do not anticipate charging or making money any time soon.
We do not pay for any Blog related services. 

GOOGLE BLOGGER IS FREE FROM GOOGLE as are all Google products we use.  Over the last year we have, according to Google Stats, enjoyed an average of 3000 hits a month.  We do not pay for any product or service to get these hits.  Interest in our blog is because of  the subject matter and thanks to the talent and energy put into it.

WE WANT TO THANK GOOGLE FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.

If you are or were homeless and would like to volunteer to help us make phone calls about food banks and shelters, please leave your email address on a comment with the words DO NOT POST.  We will contact you privately!

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UPDATE OCTOBER 2013

Everything above remains true.  The only thing that's different is that we see more like 4000 to 5500 hits a month.  We'll continue to do this blog as long as we can!  We've put up some new PAGES on the sidebar with topics such as QUESTIONS TO ASK A SHELTER, or WHAT MAKES A GOOD CASE MANAGER!

ARIZONA NATIONAL GUARD PAINTBALLING HOMELESS TARGET

FOX NEWS REPORT from October 16th of 2012

Recruiters for the National Guard hunted homeless people with paintball guns and committed a litany of ethical and criminal violations including sexual abuse, forgery, embezzlement and assault, The Arizona Republic charged after a five-month investigation.

AN INFINATE VARIETY OF TRANSIENT PEOPLE - BUTTERFLIES - OUR PERFECT SYMBOL

EACH OF US UNIQUE AND IN TRANSITION - COLORING PAGE FOR OUR HOMELESS CHILDREN (23)

We're reading that maybe one in 50 children in the United States is Homeless.  If you are a Homeless Child, we want to encourage you to think of yourself as someone who is growing and changing, someone who will some day make a positive contribution to this world we live in just by being you.  We hope you will move into a happier life soon, but we also hope you will never forget your time as a Homeless Person as the experience may give you a greater understanding of this universe we live in and build your character so that you can be a simply amazing adult!

ARE YOU DIABETIC AND GOING WITHOUT MEDICATION BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO REFRIGERATION?

Homeless people often have very unhealthy diets. Besides not always being able to buy food, they often cannot cook food unless their in a park that allows picnicking and don't have refrigeration unless they keep ice in a cooler in their vehicle. That can get expensive. If you're on foot, forget it!

If this is you, we are wondering if there are any free or low cost clinics near you that would let you keep your insulin in their refrigerator (without making daily appointments that would be billed out to the state, county, federal government) and where you can give yourself shots.

(One homeless man we met died within 6 months of loosing his house because of diabetis and heart failure.)

NEIL DIAMOND - I AM I SAID

NEW YORK'S RESPONSE TO RECORD DEMAND FOR HOMELESS SHELTERS

New York Acts Quickly Amid Sharp Rise in Homelessness AARON EDWARDS's article from New York Times link here!

"...The administration is not legally obligated to get the approval of community boards before opening shelters, but its policy requires it to tell them of its plans ahead of time.


Of the nine new shelters, the city opened three, including the two in Manhattan, under its emergency authority, giving little notice before proceeding. Several of the other shelters were opened under normal practices but officials had moved quickly. The city told a community board in the Bronx this week that a 50-unit homeless shelter would open within days.

By law, the city is obligated to supply shelter to people who have nowhere else to go, though there are limits to how long they can stay in certain shelters... "

SHOULD SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COUNTIES FOLLOW THIS EXAMPLE?

VAN MORRISON - SOMETIMES WE CRY

PROJECT T.O.U.C.H. - TEMECULA - RIVERSIDE COUNTY - LIST OF SHELTERS

UPDATE NOV 2014 :  Over 700 hits on this post since we first put it up - and 347 hits in the last 12 months -  that means there is NEED!

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2013  the cold weather shelter ended - but by giving some residents tents and sleeping bags - THAT IS CAMPING THAT IS NOT HOUSING

PROJECT TOUCH ON LINE


PROJECT T O U C H SEEKING SHELTER FOR RIVERSIDE HOMELESS article by Ashley Ludwig of Southwest Riverside News network.

"Project T.O.U.C.H. (Together Our Unity Conquers Homelessness) was founded at a time when all was well with the economy after Anne Unmacht had an epiphany.

“In 2003, I was still selling real estate when I was pulled by the needs of the homeless,” Unmacht said.

“There is a national initiative to end homelessness and we hope to soon have a permanent home for Temecula’s homeless shelter,” Unmacht said. “Homelessness is not neat and tidy, but full of complex and complicated issues. We work closely with the local law enforcement and don’t enable our clients who commit crimes.”

OK HERE'S THE LINK and reading it over, you are going to have to check in with the police before you're taken in to their program. Questions is, is this list of shelters on their site run by them or not?  PROJECT TOUCH MAIN PAGE

Path of Life Family Shelter

2530 3rd Street
Riverside, Ca.
951-275-8755 (open from 4pm to 8am)

Path of Life- Year round Emergency Homeless Shelter
2840 Hulen Place
Riverside, Ca.
951-683-4101 (open from 5:30pm to 8am)

United Community Outreach-Lakeland Ranch

One year program for men run by Pastor Jim Trimmer
951-232-1651 (Call 24 hours a day)

Circle of Hope

A shelter for women and children
420 Harrison
Corona, Ca.
951-278-2215 (open 4:30pm until full)

Hacienda House
1 year program for men
951-657-3041 (8:30am to 5:00pm M-F)

The Restart Center
Shelter for Men, Women and families - 90 day maximum stay
200 E. Menlo
Hemet, Ca.
951-766-7476 (Shelter intake 10am to 2pm M-F

PLEASE GO TO OUR SIDEBAR PAGES AND READ "QUESTIONS TO ASK A SHELTER"

MICHAEL BUCHER - YOU'RE NOT ALONE

Michael is Chairman and Co-founder of The You Are Not Alone Network (YANAN) a Native American teen suicide prevention website.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE web site

SAN BERNADINO HOMELESSNESS - BOBBI ALBANO TESTIFIES

SAN BERNADINO HOMELESS TESTIMONIAL full article by Bobbi Albano,

By Bobbi Albano   from June 11 2003, SAN BERNADINO CALIFORNIA

"At one point in my life I was homeless. I wasn't concerned with nutrition, eye checkups, getting enough sleep or the effects of smoking. No, when I was homeless, none of those things concerned me. Since I lived in my car, I ate at drive-through fast food joints. Getting to appointments for regular dental and medical exams was not on my agenda. I smoked cigarettes, mostly to ease the tension of life on the street. I had two young children and I was mostly concerned about keeping a good attitude and making our life seem normal.

A normal life is exactly what Leanne Drieberg, the Chief Executive Officer of Inland Temporary Homes, offers homeless folks in San Bernardino and the surrounding areas. She says people often have the misconception that drugs are the main cause of homelessness in the community.

“Homelessness is caused by a lack of resources and a safety net like family and friends," Drieberg says. "If drug addiction caused homelessness, then wouldn’t we see more rock stars homeless?” ...

MICHAEL LEONI DOCUMENTARY - AMERICAN STREET KID - FILMED IN LOS ANGELES

Written and Directed by: MICHAEL LEONI  from Spare Some Change and An 11:11 Experiment comes the feature documentary, THE AMERICAN STREET KID.
8 Million kids are living on the streets of America and every day, 13 of them will die.


American Street Kid follows theater director Michael Leoni's journey onto the streets of Los Angeles and into the lives of 13 homeless kids. What begins as a weekend project to raise awareness with a Public Service Announcement to expose the hardcore reality of this American crisis, becomes a personal mission to save as many kids as he can from a life of using drugs, begging for money or selling their bodies just to survive. The film is a revealing portrait of the incredible bonds that form between Leoni and the kids, the power of love and what happens when one man gives up everything in the hope of making a difference.

Their powerful stories are heartbreaking and their unrelenting desire and determination to create a better life shines through, in this true tale of love, friendship, and the triumph of the human spirit.

GEORGE CARLIN ON HOMELESSNESS - NOT IN MY BACKYARD - SHOW AT THE GRAMMY MUSEUM

Not In My Back Yard = NIMBY   LOW COST HOUSING!

GEORGE CARLIN OFFICIAL SITE  updated December 2015   NOW A SHOW AT THE GRAMMY MUSEUM in downtown LA is dedicated to George and his comedy.

NEWARK NEW JERSEY CORY BOOKER FOODSTAMP BUDGET DIET - FOODSTAMP CHALLENGE

Kathleen O'Brien/The Star-Ledger The Star-Ledger's article on CORY BOOKERS FOOD STAMP BUDGET DIET  full article link here!

'Booker shopped at the Pathmark in Irvington because it was within walking distance of his home. (Many on food stamps have no way to get to stores beyond their neighborhood.)

Accompanying him was Elizabeth Reynoso, the city’s food policy director. She says they shopped carefully, comparing the unit prices before making choices. The mayor planned to build his meals around potatoes, but when he saw sweet potatoes were on sale — half off! — he switched to them.'

JOHN DOLAN TELLS IT LIKE IT IS - TIPS FOR NEW PAUPERS

JOHN DOLAN TIPS FOR NEW PAUPERS - FULL ARTICLE LINK HERE  originally published October 15th 2008 -  about the time the first wave of middle class homeless were starting to hit the streets in the United States.

... Car. Got one? Maybe you should sell it. Cars drain the last dollars out of you. And there’s something worse: cops can smell desperation, and they hate the poor. I didn’t use to hate cops much, except drug cops, but God, I hate them now. The real purpose of cops is to keep poor people off the roads. That’s their only real goal. On my way to an interview for a job that could have gotten us out of the gutter, a cop stopped me because my insurance was two weeks overdue—for the simple reason we didn’t have money to pay it. She gave me a $600 ticket for that, plus $120 for not having an updated address on my driver’s license. Then she called for a tow truck and told me, “So, a lesson learned here today!” as I watched my car towed away and trudged off with our terrified dog down a typical Western suburban road: four lanes of fast traffic with no sidewalks. Are you poor? The cops are your enemy now. Accept it. The car is how they’ll try to get you. Sell it if you can—which is to say, if there’s any decent public transportation—hah!—where you live...

(We think John was writing from Canada.)

TODAY HOPE OF THE VALLEY OPENS WEST SAN FERNANDO VALLEY STORE

What happens when someone donates to Hope of the Valley?  According to their site, the homeless are given vouchers to pick up a few items and then the rest is put up for sale.  TODAY HOPE OF THE VALLEY OPENS A SECOND STORE.  This one is in the Chatsworth and Lindley area of the west San Fernando Valley. 

HOPE OF THE VALLEY WEB SITE

They are trying to fund a new Family Services Center and Genesis House, a shelter for women and children. They will also have a Christmas Toys Give Away soon.

Also Keyes Motors will donate $1.00 for every person who becomes a fan of Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission on Facebook, up to $10,000.   http://www.facebook.com/hopeofthevalley

BUTTERFLY COLORING PAGE FOR OUR HOMELESS CHILDREN (52)

OUR PERFECT SYMBOL

FATHERLESS CHICAGO - MURDER CAPITAL - CHILDREN TURN TO CRIME

FATHERLESS CHICAGO YAHOO NEWS ARTICLE

"And today? The Chicago papers say that 85 percent of the children in those same public schools and in our former bungalows live under the poverty level. Nearly 80 percent of black children are illegitimate -- and most, fatherless. But those figures only give us the base for the really frightening things happening in the city that is being called this summer the "Murder Capital of America."

UPDATE ON OUR FRIEND WHO IS SLEEPING IN THE PARK AND GOING TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE

A while back we reported that a friend of ours was sleeping in the park, even in the winter and rain, but was taking a couple classes in a certificate program at a community college trying to end long term unemployment despite a college degree and some great work history by redirecting his or her career.

Our friend completed one semester with good grades but had trouble re- registering without an address the next semester and with small but important checks from a parent ending was unable to continue.

Our friend has been interviewed by outreach people from a couple programs that visited the park and it's been determined that because he is not mentally ill he isn't a priority to be taken in.

We also know of one program that has ordered homeless who were in school to quit while demanding that other homeless at the same shelter go back to school. "They just want to control."said one of those who was ordered to change their life plan or go back to the street.

 It doesn't seem that there are too many programs willing to let someone stay long enough to complete even a certificate program.

Our friend says he will keep sleeping in the park and doesn't know if he will make it to the age where he can get early social security and apply for low income housing.

One day at a time, even when you've always been clean and sober, dear friend.

CONWAY TWITTY AND SAM MOORE - RAINY NIGHT IN GEORGIA

A wonderful song that's a lot about those of us who are street homeless!

WE WERE RIVITED TO HEAR DAVID CRUZ - KTLK RADIO - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - EXPOSE THE BEATING OF KELLY THOMAS ON THANKSGIVING NIGHT

David Cruz, radio host of his own show on KTALK radio 11 50 AM chose the Thanksgiving diner hour to play portions of a heart rendering tape of the BEATING OF KELLY THOMAS and we want to honor him for doing so.

Hearing the terrible pleaing screams of Kelly as what Cruz called  "A MOB IN UNIFORM" beat and Tazered him made us so upset we were talking about the DEATH PENALTY FOR Officer Manny Romas (not sure of the spelling here) and his hoard.   But as Cruz pointed out Romas is being tried for SECOND DEGREE MURDER which is not correct since there is evidence from the officer's threats that he intended to kill.

YOU CAN CALL THE FULLERTON POLICE AT THIS NUMBER TO ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE PROTEST 
714-566-6308

Cruz said that he's been to the LA morgue and to skid row and that he knows there is another homeless dead every day and that he was not all that interested in the homeless before this but hearing this tape which a woman colleague insisted he hear effected him "AS A HUMAN BEING and AS A FATHER!"

Luckily recorded on video the 33 minutes of beatings smashed Thomas's face  and body till he was chocking on his own blood. 

One of us thinks that maybe the Tazers used on Thomas should be inserted up the asses of the officers involved and turned on.  Some of us would enjoy watching a hanging.

WE WERE SICK! 
AND WE THANK YOU AGAIN DAVID CRUZ!

Link to David Cruz KTALK radio
KTALK DAVID CRUZ LINK

DO YOU SELL WHAT YOU FIND IN THE TRASH ? ON E-BAY?

We were just wondering since we recently met someone going through trash cans and dumpster who told us that he's been selling things he finds - even a laptop - on e-Bay!

BELL SHELTER -CITY OF BELL - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - SALVATION ARMY - TRY THIS ONE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GO TO SKID ROW

Bell Shelter is run by THE SALVATION ARMY

BELL SHELTER - SALVATION ARMY LINK

The Salvation Army Bell Shelter opened in January 1988 with help from Judge Harry Pregerson, who recognized a critical need for emergency shelter for homeless people in southeast Los Angeles County. The shelter is located in a converted 40,000 square foot hangar formerly used as a U.S. Army Air Base, in the city of Bell. It is the only program of its kind in California to fulfill the objectives of the 1987 Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, which encouraged the use of vacant Federal facilities as homeless shelters.

On site adult education classes offered through Los Angeles Unified School District - These classes lead to a General Education Diploma (GED), computer competency, HIV/AIDS awareness and/or a security guard certificate.

LIFE CYCLE OF A BUTTERFLY - EACH OF US IN TRANSITION