But, house or no house, money or no money, we've been given the boot and we have to move. So, I've got to force myself to pack it all up. This 4 bedroom, 3 floor house. The Garage. The Shed. The Greenhouse. The 5 people and 3 cats.

The kids are planning the back to school party they want to have in the new house. David is painting their furniture in preparation for their new rooms. (We've been meaning to paint it for the last 6 months, at least.)

And meanwhile I'm standing there looking at all the work still to do. The heavy lifting. The settling in. The notifying various companies and redirecting our mail. But before that- the wondering, the waiting, the hoping, and the bloody packing.

Monday is D-Day (Discovering if we'll be homeless or not-day.) We should find out if our letting application has been approved, and if we'll be approved for a crisis loan. I'll be packing on pins and needles all weekend. If you can muster up any good wishes, good thoughts, prayers or hopeful comments, I would be in your debt.

TONY
"All this rain we've been having is getting me down."

It’s been an emotionally draining week for me. Sometimes working on the frontlines of homelessness and poverty the sands shift, and you’re world is turned upside down.

Roger’s death sent me to that place this week. I broke down twice this week - once at the Street Roots office, and once at home.

Most of my world consists of keeping the train on the tracks while juggling the madness of the streets coupled with running a successful non-profit.

Mostly this is product of being involved with a small non-profit that packs a big bang for its buck. What I mean by that is that we work hard to deliver something we can all be proud of. Something that I would like to think makes a difference in peoples lives.

You’ll find individuals like me all over this land that push it right up until the edge, and then push some more. You mustn’t tire. Keep a steady pace. Be kind to yourself, but never kind enough to walk away from the madness. Sometimes you leave it, sometimes you live it. 

There’s scores of reasons that those small non-profits find themselves constantly moving uphill. One is, the game is rigged and we all know it. From the privatization of anything good and decent to the drug trade to the streets – the criminal justice system and the non-profit sector is always there waiting. Poverty is an abstract in our world – drawn up on charts and calculated through changing trends. Good people do their best. 

Unfortunately, poverty is a real thing and it’s mean and ugly and its stench lingers to high heaven, or the District Attorney’s office, either way, it’s a world in which poor people will only learn of from being incarcerated or offered a mat on the floor by someone claiming to know where people go when you die. 

From the ghettoes of Baltimore to the streets of Portland you will find small non-profit facing a mountain that they neither have the resources or the energy to climb. But you keep climbing, in search of that ridge with a pond that ripples.

Roger’s death tipped the scales for me. Of course, it also reminded me that I haven’t hardened to the game so much as not to feel.

I read a quote in the Portland Mercury this week from a firefighter who said something like he wished he could bleach his brain out from all of the things he has seen. I thought, I can relate to that.

Most days are lost in creating and maintaining infrastructure  - bouncing from budgets to bureaucracies. Building relationships with good, everyday people that care about the world we live and support the work we do. Others days are lost at sea – dealing with the realities that plague our streets. From the drug overdoses to death to suicide to the realities of human beings walking in a technological world with nothing but the clothes on there back. Survival.

Death has always been an interesting one. I’ve watched in one capacity or another at least a dozen vendors die on the streets or alone in an SRO since I’ve been in the street newspaper movement. Some I was close with, some I hardly knew, and others I’ve had to work with the police to I.D. I have a tattoo on my arm from a great friend, artist and vendor who died of a heroin overdose in the Street Roots doorway. Why does that matter? It doesn’t. Expression is a funny thing, I suppose.

Bob Dylan once said, “you try to never to let some thoughts gain ground.” I believe these are the thoughts he was speaking of.

I’ve had a lot of thoughts rolling around in my head this last week with Roger dying.

This is something that came from it.

During the Great Depression, the homeless and down-and-out ended up living in shantytowns or tent cities. They were called Hoovervilles, after the president who lorded over the economic collapse, Herbert Hoover.

Certainly we'd never slip back to that reality. Right?

After all, we're the living-large culture. Two TVs and three PCs in every home.

But at some point you begin to wonder ... Manufacturing collapse. Housing collapse. Banking collapse.

Hmmm.

How far are we, really, from Bushvilles?

We may already be seeing the first ones.

But our modern version of a shantytown is much different than those from the last century. Hey, the average middle-class American couldn't survive in a tent unless it had central air, a Wii and plasma TV. With remote.

Tents would never do.

The 21st century Bushvilles are full of the very symbol of American middle-class abundance: cars.

Tony Santa Barbara, Calif., has opened 12 car lots where the newly homeless can safely park at night. The lots are open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and are monitored by a homeless advocacy group to make sure they're safe and secure.

"The way that the economy is going, it's just amazing the people that are becoming homeless," Nancy Kapp, a lot coordinator, told CNN. "It's hit the middle class."

Don't fool yourself into thinking this is an only-in-California thing. We're seeing the same middle-class migration to homelessness here.

"All of our beds are full and they're not full of people you think of when you say, 'homeless,'" said Sally Gress, spokeswoman with the Salvation Army in Broward. "One section of beds that were hardly ever full before was our section for single women. Now those beds are almost always full."

They're full of the working homeless. Secretaries and teachers. People getting salaries that no longer keep up with housing, insurance, food, utilities and gas.

"We offer rent and mortgage assistance," Gress said. "And before, the calls were always for help with rent. Now, the calls are for mortgage assistance. And they're coming from all over the place."

And, of course, with tighter family budgets, there's also been a drop in giving. In a report by Christian fundraising group Dunham and Co., 46 percent of Christian adults said they had reduced charitable contributions.

Even those at the higher end have been affected. Thirty-one percent of those making more than $100,000 said the economy was stifling their charity.

Another perfect storm in this season of economic hurricanes.

And we're just beginning to feel the damaging storm surge.

"It's just now starting to affect people with higher incomes," Gress said. "It almost makes you think it could happen to just about anybody who loses a job."

So now, more than ever, it's time for those of us who aren't living out of our car, or a cardboard box, to step it up.

And I'm not talking about handing your wallet to the alcoholic vagrant on the corner.

It's about supporting already-established programs such as the Broward Coalition to End Homelessness and the Salvation Army in both Broward and Palm Beach counties.

You don't have to be rich. Every Thursday morning this summer, my wife has been taking our kids to work at the Cooperative Feeding Program.

The kiddos complained at first, but have come to enjoy it. It didn't hurt that they were allowed to dole out the desserts.

Besides, feeling a sense of purpose through service can be addictive.

Particularly when the people you're helping don't look so different from you.

Ralph De La Cruz can be reached at rdelacruz@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4727 and 561-243-6522.

PS - In case you are wondering -  no Cooperative Feeding did not know that one of our volunteer's spouses was a Sun-Sentinel columnist.  He mentioned us all on his onsies....Sure is one small world......

Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting away.  I feel like I'll sit here forever at this table and wake up twenty years down the road to realize that I really shouldn't have pursued an English Lit major, that being poor doing something you love really isn't all it's cracked up to be.  When the sky is that piercing blue that only happens in the bright heat of summer, and the trees are that swaying lullaby of a green that make everything seem somehow closer to right, I think I'll be okay waiting.  I'll sit at home, regardless of futures and adult responsibilities while the house I grew up in ages with me and peels away from the idea of it I have sitting in my head.  I'll wait at this table, in these clothes that I don't like, and never go back to college and never go after anything ever again.  I'll wait here until something strikes me with a bullet in the turning over edge of night and suddenly I'll know what I want and where I belong.  As the time slips by and I pass my twenties in that haze of things already gone, I'll waste away containing the fury of my potential.  I'll be nothing when they find me and when the love finally hits and the blows finally land, anything I could be, any lightning bolts of inspiration will be dust.  Everything will be too late to save me.

What the hell am I doing here?

FEMA says they should be free of prosecution regarding the Katrina trailers...because they were responding to a catastrophe.

The government more so than others should always be held to the utmost standards of responsibility and the law. 

A government should protect its people...not throw them to the wolves and then turn its backs on the people it claims to represent.  

That is exactly what FEMA did.  FEMA threw the Katrina victims to the trailer manufacturing wolves knowing that the housing by way of highly contaminated trailers given to them would be hazardous and toxic to each and every person and family that entered them.

The FEMA trailers used to housed hundreds of thousands of Katrina victims were cheaply made...and made out the cheapest and most dangerous and deadly building materials money could buy...manufactured using formaldehyde a poisonous cancerous contaminant.  By having done so...FEMA managed to get more trailers for their dollars...but at what cost to the Katrina victims?

Their lives...the life of every man, woman and child...that spent a night or even a few hours in one of the Katrina trailers given to them as temporary replacement housing my their government.

The cheap hazardous housing sanctioned by FEMA...the Federal Emergency Managment Agency, an arm of Homeland Security of the United States of America...those FEMA trailers given to those who had lost everything during a raging hurricane which hit the Gulf Coast with vast davastation everywhere...they were given trailers which failed to meet federal safety standards of this country...and that the U.S. government, FEMA and the trailer manufacturers knew to be highly hazardorous, toxic and would be very deadly to the people who would inhabit them.

Yes, the U.S. government was negligent...very much so...and should be held accountable, as well as, all of the manufacturers,  who supplied trailers to FEMA for the purpose of housing Katrina victims...because they knowingly signed the death warrant...they did it knowingly...they knowingly signed the death warrent of hundred of thousands of people who had already lost everything...but their lives during Katrina.  And no amount of money is ever going to give that back to them.

And they did it all...for thirty pieces of silver...FEMA and the trailer manufacturers.

For FEMA to seek to take the owness off of themselves simply by saying...they did it because they were dealing with a catastrophe is more than irresponsible...but proaches upon callousness.

Gulfstream one of the manufacturers who got a heffy chuck of the FEMA money for suppling trailers to Hurricane Katrina victims...is a huge company with lots of luxury trailers. 

How can a company that makes trailers like this want to provide such cheap and harmful housing to anyone?

How can you do that to people who have already lost everything? 

It was like feeding them poison.  

And that is exactly what this government's agency, FEMA along with Gulfstream and everyone else involved and aided in helping it to happen...it is what they did.  They fed the Katrina victims poison...they eat poison, slept in poison, drank poison, watched televison in poison...their children played in it and slept in it etc...and they all sucked in that poison with each and every breath that they took.

And FEMA, Gulfstream and every other manufacturer involved knew of the extremely high elevated levels of  formaldehyde in the Katrina trailers.   FEMA and its manufacturers chose to use those matterials and to give them to the Katrina victims...who have suffered all types of victimization since Katrina...that has made their survival through the hurricane look like child's play.  Having survived Katrina...Katrina's victims have come to find that man's greed has proven to be more deadly and dangerous than a hurricane. 

Hurricane Katrina victims are now slowly dying from the formaldehyde contamination of their FEMA trailers...them and their children.    You can read more on this by clicking on the Links below.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1645312,00.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080723/ap_on_re_us/toxic_trailers 

http://www.pbase.com/septembermorn/katrina_was_no_lady

Well, we have finally gotten a break in the weather.  I should be running around and trying to get as much done as I can...but...  ....well, I'm on vacation.

Finally, yesterday started buying some food for my rib business...but I quickly ran out of money.  So, I am still in need of a few things before I can get started.  I am, however, watching the clock and calendar...since I have the grill...everyday I'm not up and running...the way I see it is this...I'm loosing money.  It is just the way it is. 

So, I'm hoping that before the weekend is out I'll be up and going.  And I have already set my goal to sell 50 sandwiches, 50 lemonades...would be a good start.  Then I would want to double it next week.   My goal is low because we're not advertising...and looking to only start off with one or two days from the yard.  You would be surprised just how much traffic goes pass my parent's house.

Hey...you've got to start right where you are.  Sometimes it is the only way to go.

Well, God bless....     and have a beautiful day.

ps...there has been some flap over what the City of Denver plans to do with homeless people during the 2008 Democratic National Convention on the 25th of August.

1. They plan on allowing the homeless to stay longer during the day in the shelters
2. They will be issuing movie tickets to them
3. They will give them tickets to the museum
4. They plan to give them bus tickets to get around town to various events for which they are giving them tickets to go

To the homeless it will seem like Christmas in August. 

Obviously, it is an effort to keep the homeless away from the convention and the many people who will be invading Denver...and some say to make the homeless invisible.  But to a group of people who usually find themselves being chased out of every place like they are vipers...it will be a welcomed treat.

Oh, yes...I almost forgot to give you your second Chinese word...or saying.       xie xie...   it means thank you.    It is pronounced     cher shay...   don't go by the way it looks...not all Chinese words sound as you would think.   Some do but they are very few...far and in between.

Now, I have taught you 2 things in Chinese.   So, if you are going to the Olympics you will find that these words will come in handy.

And since I am teaching you...let me teach you this too.    Bu dong....it means I don't understand.

This pronounced as it looks   ....boo dung     ...is how it is pronounced.

Also, in China their negative ....is  "bu"  ...there is no "no" in Chinese as in other languages.

Well, enjoy China if you go to the Olympics.

I don't read poetry, I don't really like it that much, in fact, I think its becoming increasingly redundant. This may sound hypocritical from someone who has a 'poetic injustices' section(cough, shameless plug, shameless plug) and I fully appreciate that it may seem that way. But the truth is that, I'm not trying to make a living out of it, I don't care if nobody reads my stuff, its more for me to write than to be read-I know that most people couldn't give a flying fuck, and they're probably right. All modern poetry is backed by music; bass loops and studio photography. Its not trendy to just think, you have to dance too. Anyway, thats neither here nor there. That paragraph should've been a single sentence: I don't read much poetry.

As I don't read poetry I wasn't expecting to be blown away by James, and I wasn't, its mostly shit-really terrible in some parts-but I kinda like it. He tends to drop and pick up rhymes almost at random, some of his ideas are really childish and none of it has been written after 1969! A lot of it is repetitive and stodgy, messy one liners and stuff that makes no sense. Whether by purpose or accident, its a perfect reflection of the life he lived-he stopped moving forward between '68 and '69. Came back from the war, got married and got homeless.

Shit isn't it?

*a block south of market and a block east of Westfield

I ask your indulgence as I use this post to deal with a comment that had been submitted in response to what I wrote yesterday morning. As you read I hope that you will understand my thoughts and feelings in this matter.

- m -

Paul,

As you have probably noticed, the comment you submitted to the post I published yesterday morning did not show up – nor will it. It had been "flagged" by the comments filter and was placed in the moderation queue because of two words, which the filter identified as profanity.

In that comment, as in the comment you submitted to my other post, Shock Therapy, you referred to me as stupid and as an idiot. No worries. You are, after all, entitled to your opinion. Besides, I have been called worse.

I also decided to check the blog's archived emails and discovered that you have sent 53 emails since February of this year. I took the time to re-read those emails - all of which were derogatory and mean-spirited in nature.

I can only speculate as to the reason for your seemingly apparent hatred of the homeless.

It is possible that you have had a "bad experience" or encounter with one or more homeless persons. It is also possible that you have at one time or another experienced homelessness in your life and – as a type of denial and as a desire to distance yourself from the experience – have adopted a pseudo-superior attitude toward the homeless. I have met a handful of persons for whom this is true. I have also considered the possibility that you and I have, at one time or another, met and that your emails (and now, two comments) are a vendetta against me personally.

While I defend your right to voice your opinions, this is nonetheless my blog. As such, there are two things which I will not tolerate: willful foolishness; or deliberate mean-spirited or hateful speech. Those who visit here are worthy of better than that.

If someone wishes to disagree with my views and opinions, they are free to voice that disagreement through their comments – providing their comments create the potential for a healthy and positive discussion. Anything less, is unacceptable.

After careful consideration, I have concluded that it would be best to permanently block any future comments you attempt to submit. Please understand it is not a choice I have made arbitrarily, but rather is one which I have made out of respect for my other readers. I have also marked your e-mail address as SPAM, and therefore it will never reach my e-mail's inbox.

If, however, you feel a need to voice your opinion regarding the homeless I would suggest that you author your own blog. It would be my hope that you would exercise integrity and present you opinions based on actual fact and not emotional speculations.

And to help you get started, I offer you these facts concerning homelessness:

• Approximately 3.5 million people will experience homelessness this year.
• 1.35 million of America's homeless are children
• 39% of those homeless children will be under the age of six.
• Roughly 400,000 U.S. Veterans will experience homelessness this year.
• 61% of homeless Veterans will have seen active combat.
• Combat Veterans are twice as likely to experience homelessness than their non-veteran counterparts.
• 2.2% of America's homeless are senior citizens.
• Nearly half of all homeless women are homeless due to fleeing relationships filled with domestic violence/abuse.
• Approximately 22% of America's homeless have some form of mental illness.
• Roughly 25% of homeless have an addiction disorder.
• Homeless persons are more likely to have chronic illnesses. Many have multiple chronic illnesses. There is also a higher incidence of chronic fatigue, malnutrition, and clinical depression among the homeless.
• 1 in 4 homeless persons have either full-time or part-time employment – and in some instances, both.
• Lack of affordable housing is one of the leading causes of homelessness.
• Only 6% of the homeless are so by choice.
• It costs American taxpayers substantially more to fund and maintain homeless support services organizations than it would be to provide true supportive housing for the homeless.
• And one last fact which is irrefutable: the homeless are people, as as such are entitled to be treated respectfully and humanely.

As for myself: you have my pity.

Do not allow yourself to continue to be consumed by your hated of the homeless: a hatred which is predicated by misconceptions and prejudices. For your own sake, I hope that you find the inner strength let it go.

There is however, one question which I have – the answer which is irrelevant to anyone but yourself:

If you so vehemently disagree with my views and opinions, why then have you continued to visit this site?

Respectfully,

- michael -
SLO Homeless

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Last Friday evening, July 18, 2008, Mayor Tom Leppert joined a group of volunteers and Stewpot staff to serve dinner to over 700 homeless people at the Bridge, Dallas' new homeless assistance center.  Typical of the mayor, he was 'hands on' with his service, working behind the line filling plates, then moving out into the dining room to work in other positions.

Standing in front of the cafeteria-style serving line, Mr. Leppert handed plates of food to homeless individuals coming through the line, greeting and shaking hands with each personally.  One of my daughters, who was working near him, was touched by his manner with these often-overlooked Dallas citizens, saying, "He looked each person in the eyes, giving them his full attention.  He is such an humble man, so kind and caring."  Having spent two evenings with Mr. Leppert and the homeless in the past, beginning with a visit he made to the Day Resource Center during the mayoral election, I definitely agree.

After working at the front of the serving line for some time, the mayor moved out into the dining room.  There he went from table to table among homeless citizens, patting them on the back and talking to them for as long as they wished.  He asked them how they were doing and listened to their struggles, their concerns and their successes.  

Several times during the evening, I said to one or the other of my homeless friends, "Come on over here and meet the mayor."  A number of them said, "I know him already!" and one, Chris, said, "Oh, I've met him before.  He's with us!"  I wonder how many prominent public officials would have the homeless population of their city speak of them in this way.  I said to him during the evening:  "Pretty impressive.  A public official who shows up both before AND after the election!"

I have to praise the mayor for his kindness and caring of this often-maligned and very vulnerable population.  Although many homeless people vote, there is not tremendous political capital in meeting with them in this manner.  My experience of Tom Leppert is that he genuinely wants to be the mayor for every one in Dallas.  He could easily show up for a photo-op (no press were present at this event), he could stay behind the glass counter, he could come and go quickly and say he'd made 'a stop.'  He doesn't.  For the third time since I've known him, he's come out among the homeless, touched them, talked to them at length one to one, spent time with them as though he did not have pressing time concerns.  (After he left us at 7:45 PM, he donned a business suit and went on to another event.)

Special thanks to Stewpot staff Edward St. John (Director of Operations), Reggie Crawford (Dining Room Coordinator), Brenda Roberts (Food Services Director), Jean Jones (Volunteer Coordinator) and Bruce Buchanan (Executive Director) for graciously hosting the mayor and his staff.  As it always is at the Bridge when I've been there, dinner service served by the Stewpot staff and volunteers was virtually flawless:  very efficient, immaculately clean, delicious and nutritious.

And very special thanks to Renee and Paula in the mayor's office at city hall for making this visit happen.  It was a real treat for all concerned.

KS

Wednesday, July 23, 3008                                                                                                                     ADDITIONAL NOTE:

I received this in an email today from Edward St. John, Director of Operations for Meal Services at the Bridge through the Stewpot, and I want to share it with readers:

“The Dallas Police provided a lot of support that Friday night without any fanfare or pressure on me or my staff...  They deserve a 'stroke' for being a positive influence without negating the good stuff that the Downtown Dallas Safety Patrol earns every minute of every day at the Bridge.  The Dallas Police Department presence 'guaranteed' a quiet evening, but for the most part, the Meal Service and DDSP have built that environment day by day, meal by meal, since May 20th.  We are proud of that....”

I couldn't agree more.  Thank you, Edward, for calling attention to the DPD's important role that evening.

KS

Homeless people don't take electricity for granted because, obviously, they usually have extremely limited access to it.  However, energy concerns continue to effect homeless men and women long after their immediate housing concerns are resolved.  Why?  Because outstanding utility bills can prevent them from securing permanent housing.  While there are agencies that will help with outstanding bills, they are not able to help everyone. 

Depending on the depth of security checks a landlord performs, outstanding utility bills can have the same effect as a bad credit rating or eviction history.  Furthermore, anyone who has such a bill cannot have a utility in their name until it is paid off.  The best short-term fix is to find an apartment that has utilities included.  Even this inclusion, of course, won't prevent a landlord from turning down these applicants.

Returning to society is something of a choice at first, but it also takes hard work, determination, and time to overcome all the obstacles and consequences of a life that has lead to homelessness.  Health issues can be improved and sometimes even resolved, but there are so many tiny details of living in society that can take months and even years to resolve.  Can you think of others?

One of the comments left to that posting mentioned two specific things which caught my attention. The first was,

"As a former clinical social worker, I am inclined to search for underlying psychological problems of the homeless…"

And the second,

"These guilt feelings and sense of worthlessness is largely learned by social conditioning and I suspect play a major role in the homeless feelings of impotency to deal with their situation...self respect and dignity does not need others to provide it."

It was not until yesterday evening that I posted a comment in response. Part of the reason is that I wasn't sure of the best way of expresses my thoughts. But, let me say this, those two points by the commenter left me doing some very deep and serious thinking about it.

So, I did one of the things I do best: I began researching. Afterward, I made a telephone call to a friend of mine who I asked to log on, read the comment and then return the call - which she did within a matter of minutes. What resulted was a conversation lasted around three hours.

My friend, a clinical psychologist, is someone I've know for over a decade. As a result, she knew me before I became homeless, throughout the 26 months that I experienced homelessness, and, of course, now that I've lived through it all and have come out the other side. And, because she did know me prior to having become homeless, I felt she would be able to provide me with some insight based on a type of "then versus now" perspective – in particular with regards to self-esteem.

About mid-way through the conversation my friend asked me what I didn't like about being homeless. I was about to tell her that there was absolutely nothing about homelessness that I liked, but I knew what she was after. She wanted specifics. So, I began to outline them.

Toward the end of the list, I mentioned that I didn't like the feelings of chronic fatigue; the lack of proper nutrition; and the tendency to become ill more often than I did prior to becoming homeless. All three are very common conditions among the overwhelming majority of homeless.

In addition, I told her that I did not like the way I was made to feel like an outcast by the majority of the mainstream community.

I don't mind if a person doesn't like me for my own sake. At least then, they can point to something tangible and have a valid reason for their dislike of me. But it did bother me to be viewed with contempt and disdain simply because I was homeless – as though homelessness was a character flaw.

After I finished my long litany, there was a small silence on the other end of the line. I almost thought that the call had been cut off. Then she said something which caught me completely off guard:

"You know, it sounds a little bit like brainwashing."

After we had hung up, I pondered her words. And, I can see what she meant.

Chronic fatigue and malnutrition is highly prevalent among the homeless. Both of which make the homeless extremely susceptible to a lowered immune system. But it also makes them susceptible to having their sense of self "twisted and bent" in an unhealthy manner.

Let me explain.

Sleep deprivation has extreme deleterious effects on the human psyche. Moreover, it can and does break down the human spirit – or a person's willpower, if you prefer that phrase instead. It also makes it difficult for a person to think rationally. And it makes them susceptible to suggestibility – hence the "brainwashing" that my friend equated it to.

During the 70's many religious cults used sleep deprivation as a way of proselytizing their converts. And, that's why sleep depravation is also used as an interrogation method. Once a person's ability to exercise their free will effectively is circumvented, they are potentially open to the acceptance of opinions and ideas that they would not otherwise accept.

Consider for a moment that the homeless are more often than not, being treated as though they are a "social disease." After a while, their self-esteem takes a battering. Their sense of self is, in essence, stripped away from them by the very society which should be helping them. And once a person's self-esteem reaches a certain low point, it makes it difficult for that person to become motivated enough to move forward with their lives.

I agree with what the comment said that "...self respect and dignity does not need others to provide it" – but, only to an extent.

The reality is this: human beings are, for the most part, social creatures. We require interaction with others. And, we have a need to feel accepted by others. I don't know any person who goes out of their way to associate with themselves with those who constantly reject them.

There are some who claim that they don't need other people, but I'm convinced that those who say such things are fooling themselves. Why? Because I've never met a person who doesn't interact with someone else – and they generally interact with those who show them acceptance.

To be sure, there are those homeless who had a low self-esteem; or little self-respect for themselves prior to becoming homeless. Yet, in some ways all of that is irrelevant.

There is a diametrical difference between a person having self respect and being treated with respect or - as is common among the homeless – being treated disrespectfully. There is also an extreme difference between having a low self-esteem and being treated with no esteem whatsoever.

Moreover, becoming overly focused on whether the homeless have a low self-esteem or a lack of self-respect because of themselves; because of the way society in general treats them; or a combination of the two is in itself futile.

All it does is cloud the true issue; it shifts the focus away from one horrid reality...

... nor does not excuse, justify or forgive us as a society for our mistreatment and disregard of the homeless.

Period.

*****     *****     *****     *****

P.S.

Sid, thank you for the comment.

And, thank you "J" for the impromptu counseling session.

Email: info@hcgrp.net

The Hunger Heroes air dates:

 The Long Way Home air dates:

The article told the plight of Eileen Pagni, who has been homeless in the Sonora area since 2004.  

Ms Pagni has called a tent, a travel trailer and a homeless shelter home for the last four years. What makes her story all the more poignant is that she is one of America's working homeless. According to the article, Ms. Pagni has been employed steadily over the last four years.

"For the homeless, every day is a struggle to make ends meet. Pagni has been steadily employed as a maid at the Inns of California in downtown Sonora for the past four years."

Despite this however, she has been unable to find housing. Her job pays only minimum wage. Affordable housing is difficult to find. Her struggle to achieve a part of the American dream pretty much unattainable.

Three sentences from the article caught my attention,

"Permanence in residence has eluded Pagni, who was born and raised in Tuolumne County.

She is one of a small, but underestimated, number of homeless people in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties. They include those who, like Pagni, work."

In particular, the word "underestimated" stood out like a flare on a dark night.

That word – underestimated - could be taken in different contexts: that the numbers of working homeless have been under counted, or that the working homeless have been underestimated by the mainstream community. Either would be applicable.

One of the most prevalent misconceptions that so many have regarding the homeless is that the homeless are lazy and do not want to work. But consider this fact: 30 percent of all homeless people are employed on a full-time or part-time basis.

Also consider these facts:

• Less than 6% of the homeless are homeless by choice
• Many people who are homeless have completed high school. Some have attended college and even graduate school
• Many homeless people have lost their jobs after years of employment
• Two trends largely responsible for the rise in homelessness over the past 20-25 years are: a growing shortage of affordable rental housing and a simultaneous increase in poverty

All one has to do is look at the currently economic situation within the U.S. and you can see how homelessness can occur to almost anyone in the proverbial blink of an eye.

The national unemployment rate is roughly 5.5 percent – which translates to about 8.5 million people who do not have employment. Very few of the jobs which are being created are providing a "livable wage." The numbers of foreclosures are at an all time high, with an estimated 2 million properties which will be affected by the housing crisis over the next 12 months. Some 47 million American's do not have health insurance. The costs of goods and services have skyrocketed.

Homelessness is happening to average everyday folks. Single adults are becoming homeless. Families are becoming homeless. Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are becoming homeless. Senior citizens are becoming homeless.

It's easy to point a finger at the homeless and proclaim that they need to go out, get a job and stop "sponging off of the rest of us." However, even if they are able to find employment, unless they can also find affordable housing, they are still going to be homeless and they are still going to need homeless support services. And, those costs are still being paid for by the taxpayer.

There is no one perfect solution to ending homelessness in our nation.

I personally don't believe that there will ever come a time when the need for homeless support service agencies become obsolete. I hope I'm wrong though. I would dearly love to see the day when there is no need for homeless shelters; when no person had to dig through trash cans looking for something to eat; when no one had to use their vehicle as a their home; and when no child had to celebrate Christmas in a homeless shelter.

The truth is that there are few folks who are completely impervious to potentially becoming homeless. About 1 in 4 American's are living paycheck to paycheck - which makes them prime candidates for homelessness. Even those who have a bit of disposable income at their disposal are feeling the pinch.

The next time you happen to see a homeless person standing on some corner with a cardboard sign; or see some person trudging down the street with their back bent over under the weight of their backpack; or spot a homeless person digging through a trash can think about this:

Unless you are a Warren Buffett type who is so financially set that you can throw money away and not blink an eye, you are just as likely a candidate as the next person to experience homelessness someday. And if that day does happen to come upon you...

...what then?

I walked from baggot street into town and there was about one homeless person every 50 feet or so.

Surely the government should be able to do something about it.

Fair enough, maybe it would be tough to rehabilitate hard-core drunks and junkies but most of them are young enough and probably just need a small amount of help to get back on their feet.

As much as I don't mind giving beggars on the street money, I still hate it when they try to stop you for conversation or something.

You can have my money but don't ask me to shake your dirty hands!

Today, as we made our way downtown, we actually took pictures from the van of the wicked looking cloud formations hanging over the Eastern horizon. So which direction were we heading? Well, East of course. I hate to be so repetitive, but this is something that Robin and I joke about, laugh about, pray about and simply put, tell anyone who will listen. It just doesn’t rain on us when we go downtown on Sundays. Like I said, I hate that I mention this so much, but today was simply the epitome of our faith and the fact that God has us covered on Sundays. This morning, as I loaded the trailer, the morning sun gave way to some pretty wickedly dark clouds and even a few drops of rain. I had the television on inside. The British Open was on I always like watching and listening to the major golf tournaments. So the Super Doppler Storm Team 7 Skycam First Warning Weather was telling us that we were in for a bit of trouble today. And I have to tell you I was wondering. Doubting maybe? How many times can we pull this off without getting absolutely soaked and eating with our friends in a torrential downpour? And to top things off, Robin committed our pop up canopy to a friend of ours for the day. I have to tell you when she told me she’d done that, I thought she’d lost her mind. Any other day but Sunday. That’s the only day we’d probably ever use it and you tell someone else they can use it? On a Sunday? Are you kidding me? It’s our only potential protection from the elements. But then, apparently, we never need protection from the elements. Right? So our friend comes over this morning and I help her load it into her van, all the while thinking to myself…"but what if we need it?" And I have to tell you it was looking as if we might need it.

So we get downtown and I see our friends waiting for us. I wonder if we are going to make it. I even go so far as to tell Robin that we might have to do an abbreviated version if the weather gets ugly. The thing is, we know it’s possible. It’s the weather for goodness sakes! And this summer, we’ve seen some of the most bizarre weather I can ever remember experiencing. Tornados, floods, you name it. Seems like we are in this endless Super Doppler tornado/severe thunderstorm watch/warning here in the Midwest. And the heat has been pretty intense. It is July. So you just never know what you’re going to get. Well if one would keep the faith, one might have a pretty good idea. So as we are unloading the trailer and getting set up, I look up and the skies are pretty black all around. The winds are kicking up pretty good. I’m handing tables, coolers, containers, whatever, out of the van at a pretty frantic pace. Trying to beat this thing. Whatever this thing might be. So we get set up, hurriedly, and I take my place on the small wall so we can pray and get this thing off and running. Now remember, the skies are black as far as we can see while we are setting up. In all directions. I did see a bit of a break off to the West, but I’m thinking that we are going to get it and get it good. We always begin with the Lord’s Prayer. Collectively. All of us. It’s really very cool. And I normally follow that up with a quick prayer asking God to bless our time together, to bless the meal, and of course thanking him for the opportunity to gather in His name. On what is a pretty filthy corner otherwise. But not on Sundays. Not from noon to 2:00 or 3:00 or whenever. And apparently not today. It was indeed the quickest prayer I’ve probably ever prayed on that corner. Because, as I began, a wicked wind kicked up. You know the distracting kind. The wind that kind of makes you look around and say uh-oh. We might be in the middle of something here. It distracted me to the point that I looked up and saw plates and paper items blowing off the table. So we gave thanks and tried to hurry things up. Now if I had maybe a little more faith, I would have stood strong on that wall and gave Him the thanks and praise he so richly deserves. But it was a little scary. I have to be honest. So I was distracted to the point that I kind of hung around the table to see if we couldn’t hurry things up. Robin was handing out flatware in the line and even had the gall to tell me to have them hurry things up. Oh ye of little faith…Dave and Robin. And then, as our friend Steve told me as we were unloading, we were going to see a miracle. And we did. The skies cleared and the winds died down. And it got hot. Now some might say whatever? So the weather just changed. Didn’t have anything to do with anything. Well, some might be wrong. Maybe. Because, I’m telling you it was extremely ominous when we removed our butts from the seats of that van and began unloading. And it was all around us. Know what I think? When I was praying on that wall and that wind kicked up and started blowing stuff all over the place? It was almost as if God Himself was saying to us…"I am here. Let’s get it on". Because I suppose that’s how he operates.

One of our friends mentioned something today that clarified that to me. And it was a simple thing. It was about hot sauce of all things. He mentioned that once he was going through the line and thought he might use a little of the hot sauce that is always present on the table. Hadn’t used any hot sauce in quite a while and thought he might use a little on that particular day. He got to a spot to begin eating, took a bite of the soup and according to him, used a mild expletive to pronounce to those around him the degree of heat in his mouth at that moment in time. He took the time to go back to the table and see exactly what it was he’d seasoned his soup with. Rule number one? Always check the label first. That darn Habanero hot sauce will have a little more kick to it than your average Tabasco sauce. I told him if we’re bringing it, then we are bringing the heat man! And that’s how God works. If he’s bringing it, you better step back my man and watch Him work. He’ll bring it.

And today? He brought it. Like He always does. I don’t know why we are always so amazed that he keeps us dry on Sundays. Or that He continues to provide in the way that He does. Because He is simply amazing in that sense. Maybe it’s just hard to believe that He’d keep providing in the manner that He does. That we could experience a change in weather the way we did today and have on other occasions and doubt that it could happen? You almost had to be there to experience it. Anyone that was there can attest to the fact that something very cool happened on that corner today. And continues to happen. Lots of life storms brewing on that corner. Lots of everyday, anyperson, dealin’ with life kind of storms. He can change ‘em. We know that. In the blink of an eye. Gotta have faith. Gotta bring it week after week.

I got an email from a friend of ours. I’ll end with it because it was so cool to me. He was simply thanking us, but it was so much more than that and he couldn’t possibly know how much it meant to me that he would take the time to send it.

Here’s his message…

"Dear Dave,

This is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. I should have written and mailed this letter. This is the proper thing to do but in the situation in which I find myself, this is the best I can do. I hope you don't mind.

Thank you very much for the belt you gave me on Sunday. I appreciate it very much. Now I appear better dressed. You cannot imagine how grateful I am.

Thank you also for the selfless service you do on Sundays. I understand you have done this EVERY Sunday for close to 2 years - without missing - come rain or snow. Consistency is the distinguishing mark of a man. What impresses me most is the cheerfulness with which you and your family do it. It is exemplary.

May God Bless you, your family and your ministry.

Kindly pass this message of gratitude to your wife, Robin. Give your children my regards.

I am,

 Sincerely and Gratefully Yours,

And my friend Eric Ryan Grob is probably THE smartest and best looking person I’ve ever met. And of course I love him.

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

TONY
"A buddy of mine just found a bottle of Crown Royal from 1984 in his friend's basement. This guy collects stuff that could be worth something some day and I think he might have something there. I know a few folks who'd just drink the bottle then and there, it wouldn't matter if the bottle was from 1784."

If Mr Barclay wants to spend £100,000 on the homeless he should provide these funds from his own pocket and not seek to use the power of the state to force already hard pressed council tax payers to cough up yet more money that is simply unnecessary.

However, if Mr Barclay *REALLY* wanted to help the homeless he would be calling for the abolition of all the unnecessary laws and red tape that stop landlords providing housing. The only thing these laws and regulations do is push up the price at which landlords can offer accommodation and entrench monopolies whereby new entrants to landlording are unable to enter the market place and thereby offer competition which will keep prices low and standards high.

So why is Mr Barclay taking this stand? After all, it's far easier to call for other people to be taxed instead of dipping into ones own pocket so I bet this really isn't anything to do with the homeless. I bet this is much more to do with Mr Barclay getting his face on the front page of the local newspaper because he wants to get elected as an MP. Even though the tories will be defending a large majority built up over the years by a respected local man, the retiring MP Malcolm Moss, Mr Barclay is not a local so he is doing this simply to get known. The "cause" could have been anything, it just so happens that homelessness was the first thing that Mr Barclay came up with in order to appear caring.

I am going to send this to the Wisbech Standard to see if they print it.