| Oct 8, 2009 @ 9:43 PM |
No home for the Holidays.
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burnslikethesun
Posts: 13,109
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Does Obama get to use that administration as an excuse/crutch too?
Does it matter? What is important is there is a need.
This is a bi partisan issue. It reaches across the lines and touches everyone.
More so this is a current event discussion, not a political dick measuring contest.
The need now is greater then the year before, and the year before that, and the year before that.
So Capo, what do you do to help the homeless, if anything else besides paying taxes?
Got anything to really contribute to the subject, so I can give you a You rocks for something, for once.? Anything at all. You hunt don't ya? Ever consider donating your kill?
Homeless use of motels still on rise
By Jenifer B. McKim
Globe Staff / September 16, 2009
The number of homeless families living in motels funded by the state now tops more than 1,000, a dramatic 37 percent increase since June 1, a top official for the state Department of Housing and Community Development said yesterday.
Tina Brooks, undersecretary of the department, said 1,010 families - including more than 1,400 children - are now living in motels, at a monthly cost of about $2.8 million for taxpayers.
“It’s a huge strain,’’ said Brooks after a hearing of the joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
Brooks spoke to the committee to detail the transfer of the state’s family and individual emergency shelter system from the Department of Transitional Assistance to the housing department. The July 1 change was approved this year to help the state focus on housing solutions for the homeless.
The recession, high unemployment, and continuing foreclosure crisis are forcing more families to seek help. The state has been placing families in motels since 2007, when the 2,000 rooms in the homeless shelter system reached capacity.
Robyn Frost, executive director of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, said her office is receiving a flood of calls for help from desperate families seeking shelter and often her only option is to recommend they live in motels funded by the state. Frost said it’s not ideal because motels aren’t equipped to take care of families long-term.
Despite an increase in resources for the homeless, she said, the need is too great and many people don’t fit into criteria for aid. For example, she had to tell a mother that she couldn’t qualify for shelter because she owns a car. She’ll likely be sleeping in the vehicle with her teenage daughter, Frost said. I guess tax dollars really aint enough huh?
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| Oct 8, 2009 @ 9:46 PM |
No home for the Holidays. |
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capobeachguy
Posts: 4,877
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You hunt don't ya? Ever consider donating your kill? Sorry, but I've never hunted in my life.
My charitable activities are very substantial but also very private. Much of what I do is done anonymously. Contrary to Night's advice, however, I have opened my home up to strangers--an entire family whose home in a nearby town had burned to the ground.
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| Oct 8, 2009 @ 10:12 PM |
No home for the Holidays.
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burnslikethesun
Posts: 13,109
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I have opened my home up to strangers--an entire family whose home in a nearby town had burned to the ground. Now that so rocks.
Im not a hunter either. I'm buck shy, I think they call it. Ill go on a hunt, just cant shoot it.
Well duck hunting I can do. If it flies it dies.
But i fish like its going out of style.
Homeless numbers rising earlier than expected
Mike Marsh and his wife, Maggie and 1-year-old daughter, Madison at the MIcah House, a Council Bluffs, Iowa, shelter on Sept. 10. They share one room sleeping quarters.
By Erin Grace
Published: Tuesday, October 6, 2009
World-Herald News Service
OMAHA - Madison Marsh celebrated her first birthday with a splurge lunch at the Golden Corral - paid for by her mom's plasma donation - and, afterward, cake in the Council Bluffs shelter her family is calling home.
Dad's concrete-pouring job in North Dakota went bust and mom's entry-level wages weren't worth gas-guzzling commutes in a 19-year-old car they don't trust. So six weeks ago, the Marshes packed what they could fit in their oil-burning, rusted Chevy Blazer and headed south.
They joined a growing number of families in what some homeless advocates locally see as a twofold economy-driven trend: a rise in homeless families and an increase in homeless transplants from outside the Omaha metropolitan area.
What's happening at homeless shelters locally is mirrored in other measures of need that are growing, as might be expected, in this recession. Though Nebraska and Iowa were not hit as hard as other states, more residents of the two states are receiving assistance today than a year ago.
Food stamp use was up nearly 6 percent in Nebraska and 15 percent in Iowa. Energy assistance rose by double digits, hitting record figures in both states. NOT EVERYONE ON THE SYSTEM ARE BEAD BEATS! Just been beaten to near death.
Link
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| Oct 8, 2009 @ 11:58 PM |
No home for the Holidays. |
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SensualGemini
Posts: 7,534
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Owl: Your constant repetition of this ignorant inappropriate corollary just demonstrates to what lengths you will go to try to imply someone else is not doing their part.
...You are not; end of story...
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...Around here, the charities will not even take clothes, no matter their condition, as they don't have anymore room for them. As far as donating furniture, it better be almost new, or that is a no as well.
...Goodwill is a $1/bag for all the clothes you can put in there and they cannot get rid of it.
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Capo: My charitable activities are very substantial but also very private. Much of what I do is done anonymously. Contrary to Night's advice, however, I have opened my home up to strangers--an entire family whose home in a nearby town had burned to the ground.
 ... A stranger never went away hungry. Being a rural community, we don't have any homeless here and even the larger surrounding cities are absent with many HUD projects. One would have to go to Chicago or East St. Louis to find an issue for the homeless.
...We do have a senior citizen center in almost every community, which may only be 200 people, where everyone donates whatever to the elderly and there is a hot lunch everyday but Sunday. A donation box, some pay a little, some don't and it does not matter.
...Every small town has one, or maybe two churches that serves as a food pantry and the poor can go there to get their food, but most have plenty from food stamps, while it is the old that cannot get out to the stores, or they have too much pride, or for whatever reason, need checked on often.
...As far as holiday meals, did anyone realize that Tony Robbins now provides 2 million meals to the impoverished each year? He has an interesting story of how he got started after someone, a stranger brought a meal to his own home as a child.
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 2:47 AM |
No home for the Holidays.
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burnslikethesun
Posts: 13,109
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Homelessness occurs in small towns
A common misconception regarding homelessness is that it is just an urban problem‚ and some people picture the homeless as solitary streetwalkers who sleep in alleys and doorways.
In Macomb‚ the situation is quite different.
The homeless in the Macomb area are generally more accurately categorized as "nearly homeless" according to Tina Lovejoy‚ the Community Service Block Grant Coordinator for the Western Illinois Regional Council-Community Action Alliance.
The community alliance is a state and federally funded institution in Macomb that works with individuals who are struggling to maintain permanent housing.
"We want to help establish permanent affordable housing for everyone in need‚" Lovejoy said.
Most citizens who come to the agency are employed but have recently been evicted or lost their residence for some reason. The community alliance works with these individuals to help them find housing that is within their means.
They also help people budget their money so they will be able to pay their bills on time.
The agency even pays the first month's rent in many cases‚ according to Lovejoy.
"We help them realize what they can afford‚" Lovejoy said.
In 2002‚ the WIRC helped 170 people in McDonough County. Fifty-six percent of these people were single-parent females‚ 46 percent were teenagers under the age of 17 and 26 percent were single persons.
The Western Illinois University chapter of Habitat for Humanity is another institution in Macomb that helps house the homeless. Link
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 2:50 AM |
No home for the Holidays. |
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burnslikethesun
Posts: 13,109
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Tent cities pop up in small towns as well as big
Shanty towns and tent cities are popping up across the country as the U.S. economy worsens, but, The New York Times reports, they are not just emerging in big urban areas, but also in smaller towns.
"While encampments and street living have always been a part of the landscape in big cities like Los Angeles and New York, these new tent cities have taken root — or grown from smaller enclaves of the homeless as more people lose jobs and housing — in such disparate places as Nashville, Olympia, Wash., and St. Petersburg, Fla.," the Times reports
Sacramento got a flood of national attention when Oprah Winfrey's TV show did a story recently on homeless families camped by the American River. The city, county and state announced a joint plan on Wednesday to move the homeless to a local fairgrounds.
The Sacramento City Council voted unanimously on a $1 million homeless program to provide 150 additional beds, including 50 new beds at a winter shelter run by the Volunteers of America, the Sacramento Bee reports. That brings the total there to 204. The newspaper says the shelter will be allowed to stay open until July, three months longer than normal.
KXTV, a Gannett station in Sacramento, reports that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson joined forces to try to resolve the tent city problem. It says the makeshift town, which is located on private property, is expected to be disbanded by the end of April. Link
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 3:09 AM |
No home for the Holidays.
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SensualGemini
Posts: 7,534
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...Macomb, a college town, is a long way from here, while it stated they have jobs, but were recently evicted and nearly homeless.
...I think we have the homeless issue resolved in this area, as there are all kinds of half way houses, HUD projects, etc. and I have not seen, nor heard of a homeless person for years.
...But we do have an issue with the neglected elderly, when some old person has been dead for a week or two and nobody even noticed.
...Nevertheless, when unemployment benefits run out for 20 million or so and they have families, I have little doubt that it will get worse, before it gets better.
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 3:25 AM |
No home for the Holidays. |
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Nightowl001
Posts: 8,190
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 ...You are not; end of story... Can't you find a hobby besides posting about things you know nothing about? You may not like the fact that I so frequently point out where what you have posted is in error, but that is not remotely like your constant personal attacks on my character, which you have no basis for in your utter ignorance. I will donate money and food to shelters. I will donate money privately to individuals in need. I will help cut firewood (lots of woodburning stoves for heat in this part of the country). I will not open my home to strangers. Besides which, I work nights, numbnuts. There are not only safety reasons, but practical reasons strangers can't sleep on the floor in my house nor have the run of my house when I'M trying to sleep. None of which addresses the fact that my Creator, not YOU, decides what "my part" is and whether or not I have fulfilled it.
Okay, lesson over (not that I think you absorbed the lesson). Back to your usual postings of misinformation and disinformation and lies.
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 3:36 AM |
No home for the Holidays.
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kjac
Posts: 8,163
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Ironic that a thread about giving and sharing is reduced to anger and name-calling.
There isn't much of a homeless problem around here. The truth is, the recession is the best thing to ever happen to this region.
Southern Ohio has always been ignored when it came to development, jobs, and basically anything that might show someone thought they gave a damn. But when everyone else started having the same problems we've been facing for decades, people started taking notice and doing something about it.
It's amazing how little the recession affects those who already know how to be poor. 
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 3:41 AM |
No home for the Holidays. |
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SensualGemini
Posts: 7,534
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kjac: It's amazing how little the recession affects those who already know how to be poor.
...That is what my Dad says about the Depression era, as they were all poor and did not know any different.
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 3:48 AM |
No home for the Holidays.
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kjac
Posts: 8,163
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I readily admit I would never open my home to strangers needing a home. After seeing how badly it ended for my brother-in-law, I believe I can learn from his mistake without making my own thank you. If people can steal from someone giving them a free roof over their head, they're capable of anything.
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 4:34 AM |
No home for the Holidays. |
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SensualGemini
Posts: 7,534
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kjac: I readily admit I would never open my home to strangers needing a home. After seeing how badly it ended for my brother-in-law, I believe I can learn from his mistake without making my own thank you. If people can steal from someone giving them a free roof over their head, they're capable of anything.
...The perpetual homeless often prefer it that way. It is their way of dropping off the grid, of leaving society and would not have it any other way. Like the hobos and the trains, which I do remember, it was a way of life.
...I would agree, that taking in total strangers would be a bit dangerous, but then I am not the one asking, the one demanding that anyone else do more than I am in taxes, donations, etc.
...If they are not doing as much as I am, then they have no right to demand I do more, as after all, it is all about equality with the Socialists. Equality says that if not with money, then share what they do have to the point of being equal contributions. That is, if it is not what I expect as being all BS as a disguise for their own self serving wants.
...First, I have to take care of my own, as I made my children and the old folks don't really have a choice. Then I will do what I can for others and with all of it, I can do it ten times better than government ever thought of doing, without a 100 middlemen taking their cut out before it gets to the recipient.
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 6:45 AM |
No home for the Holidays.
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daisy315
Posts: 5,081
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we have a problem with homelessness here.. when I was living in the little cabin in the woods.. everyday there would be at least 3 new "tents" set up behind my cabin.. ( blue tarps)..the guys would get those wood flats from area furniture plants and use them as beds to keep off the wet ground and string up tarps between the trees behind my cabin.. and then they would fish in the pond beside the cabin for food..altho they were less than 100 yards from my home.. I never had a problem with them.. they never bothered me..sometimes I would leave bottled water and canned goods out there for them ( when I could afford it)
when my landlord would find the tents, he would tear them down.. but they were always replaced by new ones in a matter of days
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 9:24 AM |
No home for the Holidays. |
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legacy1
Posts: 668
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I'm running a food drive in my school for two different counties.
Every little bit helps.
Way to go Angel!
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 10:31 AM |
No home for the Holidays.
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SimplyImp
Posts: 1,159
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We do not have any "homeless" here per se. Last year, "Jacob" came to our community with his dog and grocery cart. He had a long grey beard, and hair, and wore an ankle length, long, yellow canvas coat with a hood.
He lived down at the campground, where a tarp was put up to break the wind for him and wood was chopped and left for him. He stayed with us for about 6 months and left late last fall to walk to another community 2.5 hour drive away to "play music".
Jacob was found last Feb., frozen to death in the snow. His dog had to be put down as he wouldn't let anyone near Jacob.
Jacob was, in fact, not homeless. He owned two properties, one in a nearby community, and was bi-polar. He chose to live the way he did. It was great though, that almost everyone in my community helped him out (not knowing this until after he died).
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Currently, there is a coat drive on in this community. Fortunately, I am able to donate several to this, as well as the hats and scarves that I crochet while watching tv.
I am really glad someone started this thread, as it reminded me (while I'm moving) to donate those heavy coats to the drive rather than just dropping them off at the Good Will store.
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 10:41 AM |
No home for the Holidays. |
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kattsmeow
Posts: 22,828
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Remember, the GoodWill store is what it says, a store. For me, the Salvation Army is where my money goes. I don't just send it in the mail, I usually take it right to them, and make sure it is in an area that I know that is having problems.
Another place to think about if you have one near you is a free med clinic.
I was wondering too, what do all of you do with old bed pillows??
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 11:02 AM |
No home for the Holidays.
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burnslikethesun
Posts: 13,109
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Bless your heart and your community Katts.
was wondering too, what do all of you do with old bed pillows??
Try the pound or animal rescues. They always need "beds" .
Just because there are none in your town, try the next town over.
Just cause ya don't see the need personally, doesn't mean one doesn't exist.
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 2:23 PM |
No home for the Holidays. |
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daisy315
Posts: 5,081
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good idea about the bed pillows Burns.. I never thought about that..
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 2:34 PM |
No home for the Holidays.
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 19,353
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I think each of us does what our conscience tells us to...I can't do a lot of volunteer work in this point at my life, although I had done it from my teens onward. Right now though, life's too demanding for me to contribute time so I contribute money - there's a soup kitchen in Phoenix that I give to separately, but most of what I give is done through the United Way. Since I get to vote on how it's used (something I really appreciate), a large chunk of what I give is to help the 'challenged' find a way to live independently (ABIL - A Bridge to Independent Living).
This is certainly appropriate as October includes 'Homelessness Awareness Week'. Here's a link that I received from the Valley of the Sun United Way this morning:
Live United
After June, this may change drastically - retirement approaches!! Less money to contribute but finally more time!
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| Oct 9, 2009 @ 5:13 PM |
No home for the Holidays. |
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newlife2006
Posts: 1,011
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I have been contributing to local "donate meals for holidays" program for years , but it always felt frustrating , since I knew that no matter how delicious meal is today - the problem will be still there tomorrow . But this year is different . I managed to really change life for one elderly couple, gave them for holidays -
A HOME !  And I don't mean I invited them to spend holidays in my home ,I really got them home to live at , just for two of them. Still feel amazed how little it really takes to make lifetime difference. They can afford monthly payments , it's initial expenses that were out of their reach. And that's exactly what it cost me - initial expenses , plus I helped them with moving , which only cost me several hours ( plus, naturally, gas costs) . Now , knowing they have peace of mind and a comfortable place of their own , I feel somehow connected to those people , consider them "mine" . 
Interesting feeling. Don't I sound like Oskar Schindler . Remember, he refered to the people he saved from death as "mine"? Now I know that delivering human being from homelessness feels the same. Besides, I'm way more virtuous Christian than Schindler was - since I don't make "my" people to work for me... 
Still , I couldn't resist a little sarcasm : I noticed that they allow themselves to make antisemitic remarks once in a while ( which is rather common disorder for troubled population in Chicago area , that's where I brought them from ). I didn't feel like reprimanding people who are much older then I am, so I put them into affordable housing subsidized by... local Jewish congregation instead.  Hopefully , this will teach them some religious tolerance . ( Which might be considered one more holiday gift for them from me ... )
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