Homeless

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  Change.org: End Homelessness

• Homelessness Cannot Happen to Just Anyone

  David Henderson

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:46 am

  As homeless advocates, we have to be driven by facts. It is a fact that an estimated 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness every year. It is a fact that military veterans account for an estimated 26 percent of the homeless population while comprising only 11 percent of the general population. People who experience homelessness are more likely to be minorities, more likely to have disabilities and less likely to complete high school. So why then do we perpetuate the myth that homelessness can happen to anyone anytime? If we are all at risk of homelessness, why do the people who…

• "Poverty Olympics" Spotlight Cost of Vancouver Games

  Josie Raymond

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:44 pm

  Yesterday athletes took to the picturesque surroundings of Vancouver. But wait, the Olympics start next weekend. It was the "Poverty Olympics," a protest led by people who feel that the city's leaders haven't delivered on promises that hosting the Games would benefit all residents, even the homeless. Hundreds of activists watched as the "Olympians" competed in three events in the downtrodden neighborhood called Downtown Eastside: the housing hurdles, the broken promise slalom and a wrestling match that pitted locals against an "evil developer." The event even had mascots: Itchy the bedbug and…

• Students Shouldn't Be Punished for Being Homeless

  Shannon Moriarty

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:57 am

  Rosa Bracero should have graduated from high school this week. Instead, she was forced to make an impossible decision between fulfilling her educational aspirations and helping her homeless family gain admittance to a shelter for the night. Rosa was supposed to take the Regents exam at her Brooklyn high school last week -- a requirement for graduation in New York. But on the day she was scheduled to take the test, her family was evicted from their apartment. When the family went to a homeless intake center, staffers said they would be denied shelter if the entire family was not present for…

• When Will We Take Care Of Our Own?

  Mark Horvath

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:24 pm

  I want you feel a little bit of what I am feeling so maybe we will all wake up and start taking care of our neighbors. Last year the most horrifying photo for the homeless community was of a dead homeless man frozen in the ice in an abandoned building in Detroit. Over the summer I happened to be visiting Detroit and drove by that building. I was told that the people who found that man's body decided to play a game of hockey rather than report it. This year's indelible image might be of the homeless frostbite victim in Flint, Michigan. Yesterday someone posted a link on InvisiblePeople.tv's…

• What Obama's Budget Says About Homelessness

  Josie Raymond

  6 Feb 2010 | 1:47 pm

  President Obama released his 2011 budget this week and homeless advocates are giving it the seal of approval. As always, some worthy issues, like housing vouchers, see funding increases while others, like aid for the elderly, lose out. This year, though, people who recognize that the answer to homelessness is homes feel like the budget is a step in the right direction. The National Alliance to End Homelessness points out that the budget -- which is still subject to approval by Congress -- proposes the largest increase in homeless services in 16 years. The NAEH is especially pleased about the…

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  InvisiblePeople.tv

• Brian

  invisiblepeople

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:03 am

  Brian has been without a home for the last 39-years. A Vietnam-era veteran who has recently discovered he is HIV-positive, he feels like he is still trying to find his way through life. Now, he is experiencing homelessness and recovering from heroin addiction in Des Moines, Iowa, and he laments being 54-years old and trying to reassemble his life. He longs to go back to school and write self-help books. Given three wishes, Brian would ask for a good life, peace in the world, and that the woman he loves wouldn’t drink so much and become angry with him. It’s encouraging to meet a…

• Gypsy

  invisiblepeople

  4 Feb 2010 | 12:10 am

  Gypsy is homeless on Iowa. The hardest part for her? Her children have been sleeping at a friend’s house for the past two months. She gets to see her children during the day, but she wishes there were more to do. They can only stay in the public parks and attend free feedings. Some days, they misses these meals, and her children end up going without food. Children should never have to suffer through homelessness. Asked about her three wishes, she wishes for her children to be successful in their lives and for the people she’s met on the streets to do something positive with their…

• Jody and Phillip

  invisiblepeople

  31 Jan 2010 | 10:20 pm

  Jody lives in her car, while her 19-year-old son Phillip lives in a shelter in St. Paul, Minnesota. After being unfairly evicted from her apartment, she sold all she had to buy a car to live in. As I was giving out socks, Phillip approached me. His shoes have holes all the way through, so he is unable keep his socks from wearing out. That’s how I entered into my conversation with these two. Thanks to Hanes I was able to help with much-needed socks Their three wishes are simple—an apartment, a job, and car repairs. We don’t often consider that the face of homelessness starts…

• Pearl

  invisiblepeople

  27 Jan 2010 | 11:14 pm

  I saw Pearl sleeping in front of a shelter in St. Paul, Minnesota. She lives in fear of those she lives among. She laments those among the homeless that are strange, scary, and cold-hearted. It’s not all of them, and she knows some are “really kind.” She spends her days on the lawn in front of the shelter, as she’s not prone to wandering the streets. With pain and trouble, she calls the shelter in St. Paul her home—unable to meet the income requirement for a case manager. A truly warm and kind heart, Pearl isn’t what many of us expect when we try to put a face…

• Bird Man

  invisiblepeople

  24 Jan 2010 | 11:21 pm

  I love interesting people. In Washington, DC I observed ‘Nature Boy’ walking down the street. He was such a contrast to the neighborhood I had to find him. As luck would have it we met at a park across the street from the White House. While driving the Embarcadero in San Francisco I got a glimpse of a man trying to leverage his wheelchair to dig deeper into a trash can. The next day I went back purposely to find Dale. For maybe a year now I would pass by ‘Bird Man’ regretting I didn’t have my camera on me. The times I drove to his Echo Park location off the 101 with my camera he was…

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  Homelessness on The Huffington Post

• N.Y. Group Mobilizes To Help Girl Prevented From Graduating By Homelessness

  The Huffington Post News Team

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am

  New York City bureaucrats won't let Rosa Bracero graduate from high school because her family is homeless. The Daily News reported Thursday that Bracero missed her Regents exam two weeks ago because her family was being evicted that day and the city's intake center requires every family member to show up for to apply for shelter. Bracero took a makeup exam, but the state won't validate the results. Now, after the Daily News reported on Bracero's plight, the Coalition for the Homeless in New York City has launched a campaign to force the city to allow Bracero to graduate, blasting an email to…

• Matt Farmer: A View From the Cot

  Matt Farmer

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:34 am

  The husband and wife a few feet away from you are at it again. She's screaming at her old man. She says the son-of-a-bitch stole her money so he could buy more heroin. You've figured out pretty quickly that he's a junkie and that this story isn't going to have a happy ending. For the time being, however, you're in their space and it's best just to keep quiet. You try hard to ignore their fighting because you still have homework to do. You're also hoping that the junkie and his bride haven't scared the daylights out of your two little brothers, who happen to be nearby. At some point you manage…

• Mark Horvath: When Will We Take Care Of Our Own?

  Mark Horvath

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:14 am

  Feel free to read what you want into the title of this post, because this morning I have so many mixed emotions, I don't care what you think of me. I only care that you feel a little bit of what I am feeling so maybe we will all wake up and start taking care of our own neighbors. Last year the most horrifying photo captured was of a Detroit homeless man frozen in the ice. Over the summer I happened to be visiting Detroit and we drove by that building. I was told that kids found that man frozen but decided to play a game of hockey before they reported it. This morning someone posted a link on…

• Homeless Man Loses Legs To Frostbite, Contemplates Future

  The Huffington Post News Team

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:47 am

  FLINT, Michigan -- Here is what Stephen Frye knows: He lost both of his legs and one of his arms to frostbite last month. But the 47-year-old homeless man doesn't remember whether he passed out in the abandoned house he used to call home and he can't recall how he got to Hurley Medical Center. Read more: Homeless, Stephen Frye, Homelessness, Michigan Homeless, Flint MIchigan, Impact News

• Family Eviction Means No High School Diploma For New York Teen

  The Huffington Post News Team

  4 Feb 2010 | 11:31 am

  High school senior Rosa Bracero is the victim of some very bad timing, New York Daily News reports. On the same day that the 17-year-old was supposed to take her last exams to qualify for her high school diploma, her family was evicted from their New York home. When the family went to a homeless intake center, staff told the family it would be denied shelter if the teen left to take the English Regents exam. Bracero's school, Brooklyn's High School for Civil Rights, allowed her to take a makeup exam. But she has now been told by the state that her exam will be invalidated because regulations…

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  Yahoo! News: Homeless

• San Jose: Homeless man, 45, found in abandoned church ID'd as homicide victim (San Jose Mercury News)

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:42 am

  A 45-year-old homeless man who was found inside an abandoned church Friday has been identified by San Jose police as the city's second homicide victim this year.

• In India initiatives fall short of sheltering Delhi's homeless (The Christian Science Monitor)

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:28 am

  The Supreme Court of India last month ordered Delhi to provide shelter for all the of the city's estimated 150,000 homeless. So far the city has opened only 37 shelters .

• Does literature of the homeless exist? (Guardian Unlimited)

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:55 am

  Writing in a warm room is hard enough, let alone when you've no food or money. No wonder there is so little authentic literature of the homeless I used to see a homeless man perched on a curb out the back of Safeway in Camberwell. Although it looked as if he hadn't had a bath or a square meal in a while, I'm ashamed to say the thing that always elicited the most sympathy from me was that he was ...

• Homeless advocate sues Sacramento over camping law (San Diego Union-Tribune)

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:07 am

  An advocate for the homeless is suing Sacramento over a city law he says has been used to target homeless encampments.

• Homeless advocate sues Sacramento over camping law (Channel 8 San Diego)

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:52 am

  Associated Press - February 9, 2010 11:44 AM ET SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - An advocate for the homeless is suing Sacramento over a city law he says has been used to target homeless...

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  National Alliance to End Homelessness

• Alliance Recommendations for the Federal Plan to End Homelessness

  National Alliance to End Homelessness

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:45 pm

  <p>Experts on the Alliance staff offer guidance to the USICH on the Federal Plan to End Homelessness.</p>

• Alliance Online News: President Releases FY 2011 Budget Request

  National Alliance to End Homelessness

  2 Feb 2010 | 11:45 am

  February 2, 2010

• President's FY 2011 Budget Rundown

  National Alliance to End Homelessness

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

  This document provides a brief rundown on funding for homeless and housing programs that were included in President Obama's FY 2011 budget proposal.

• President's FY 2011 Budget Chart

  National Alliance to End Homelessness

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:15 am

  This chart highlights numerous homelessness and housing federal programs. For each program, it shows how much funding was appropriated in FY 2009 and FY 2010, as well as how much President Obama requested in his FY 2011 budget proposal. The chart also notes whether the President's Proposal represents an increase or decrease and by how much.

• FY 2011 McKinney Campaign: Sample Letter

  National Alliance to End Homelessness

  2 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

  Advocates are welcome to use this sample letter as a model for letters sent to their Members of Congress. The letter encourages Congress to provide $2.4 billion for McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Grants in FY 2011.

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  NPACH

• President Talks About Importance of Second Chance Act

  29 Jan 2010 | 7:19 am

  Yesterday, at a town hall meeting in Tampa, President Obama responded to a question about what could be done to help provide ex drug felons with jobs, so that they would not return to a life of crime, by touting the Second Chance Act. NPACH worked diligently with a bipartisan group of advocates and Members of Congress to pass this legislation, to help ensure that people leaving jails and prisons do not become homeless because they cannot rent an apartment or find work.

• New Report: How Schools Can Help House Homeless Youth

  7 Dec 2009 | 11:12 am

  Our partners at NAEHCY have recently released a report detailing the ways in which school districts and staff can help provide housing for homeless youth, to help keep them stably enrolled in school through graduation. The report provides recommendations to districts interested in establishing housing programs, and offers great examples of existing programs that have used American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) or "stimulus" funding, HUD McKinney-Vento housing money, and other creative sources of funding to put youth in housing. Read the report here.

• Homeless and Foster Education Bills Introduced in US Senate

  30 Nov 2009 | 1:29 pm

  On Thursday, November 19, US Senators Patty Murray and Al Franken introduced the "Educational Success for Children and Youth Without Homes Act of 2009," S. 2800, and the "Fostering Success in Education Act of 2009," S. 2801. These bills would improve current federal law that ensures that children and youth who are homeless or in foster care have their educational rights protected. Ensuring that homeless children and youth can enroll in school and succeed academically and socially is a critical focus of NPACH's efforts. That is why we are proud to endorse and publicize the important work of…

• U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Appoints New Executive Director

  20 Oct 2009 | 9:42 am

  At a meeting on Monday, October 19, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness appointed a new Executive Director. The new ED will be Barbara Poppe, who currently serves as the Executive director of the Community Shelter Board in Columbus, Ohio - an umbrella organization that oversees housing and services programs for homeless persons in Columbus. We welcome Ms. Poppe to her new role, and look forward to working productively with the Council to ensure that federal efforts to end homelessness are properly coordinated. Our views on how to make this happen were laid out in a memo sent to the…

• NY Times Focuses On Post-Foreclosure Homelessness

  20 Oct 2009 | 9:25 am

  Citing the Foreclosure to Homelessness report released this summer by NPACH and a group of national homelessness advocacy organizations, the New York Times reported yesterday on former homeowners who, after losing their housing due to a foreclosure, are now homeless. The story relates the reality of homelessness today -- that it can often involve staying with friends and family, or living in motels, for both brief and lengthy periods of time. In doing so, it provides support for our view that the HUD definition of homelessness must reflect these living situations. We look forward to HUD's…

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  inforUM

• The Real House-Less of Orange County: Homeless behind the Orange Curtain

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:43 am

  The real Orange County, California is not the Bravo Television series of diva housewives sitting in their marbled kitchens behind iron gates of immaculate housing communities. Impoverished families languishing in motel rooms outside of Disneyland or lining up to enter the Orange County Rescue Mission, the largest shelter in the county, dispel Bravo’s mirage of the good life in the OC. In a county that possesses one of the most expensive housing markets in America, over 8,000 residents can’t even afford a simple apartment. They are homeless. The terms “Orange County” and “homeless”…

• Is marriage the solution to poverty or is it the cause of poverty?

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:44 am

  I tend to look at social issues with common sense, rather than some political bias. For example, if people have the physical and mental ability to work, should they receive public assistance for the rest of their lives? No. If a person has chronic mental or physical disabilities should they? Yes, if they have no other support. It’s the gray area, however, where society tends to clash, sometimes brutally. Typically, it’s the extremes on both the left and the right that bait each other. So when I read an opinion piece on Fox News supporting the position that marriage will lift people out of…

• Shelter Partnership Joins Councilwoman Jan Perry on the Urban Land Institute's 1000 Homes Tour of Supportive, Permanent Housing for the Homeless

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:19 am

  It is truly inspiring to have the opportunity to visit the agencies addressing homelessness on the front line and to see first-hand the life-changing work that is being done by so many dedicated people in our community. Last Saturday, I assisted in leading a tour organized by the Urban Land Institute of Los Angeles’ Young Leaders Group. The 1000 Homes Initiative is designed to educate the community—including developers, architects, students, elected officials and their staffs, and the general public—on the benefits of permanent, supportive housing as an important strategy for solving…

• Book on homeless man and Los Angeles journalist is highlighted by Long Beach Book Week

  6 Feb 2010 | 12:31 am

  Imagine one city reading the same book. For the past nine years, the City of Long Beach’s Public Library Foundation encouraged the whole city to read one book at the same time. This year, the foundation chose the book, “The Soloist: A Lost Dream, An Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music.” Written by Los Angeles Times columnist, Steve Lopez, the book chronicles the journalist’s relationship with Nathaniel Ayers, a man who was once homeless on the tough streets of downtown Los Angeles. After numerous encounters with Ayers, Lopez discovers that this homeless man was once…

• Why homelessness is decreasing while hunger and poverty is increasing

  4 Feb 2010 | 5:13 am

  The numbers just don’t jive. Cities across the country, including those here in Los Angeles County, are proudly announcing that homelessness is reducing. Los Angeles recently released numbers showing that homelessness in this county of 88 cities was reduced by 38%. They reportedly document that a staggering 25,000 people are no longer homeless. Another city in the county known for being home to a large homeless population will announce soon that their homeless population has been reduced by 50% in a span of one year. What’s going on? Our country is experiencing the worst recession in a…

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  Pads Chicago's Blog

• 2010 – This is my year!

  padschicago

  19 Jan 2010 | 4:38 pm

  This is it. 2010. My year to remember! I can promise it. This is going to be a great year–the BEST year–with amazing experiences and achievements! I can honestly feel it in my blood, in my mood, in my body, in my pain, in my every heartbeat. No wonder I have palpitations where my heart skips a beat sometimes, LOL! If attitude is everything, then I have it ALL. You know what I have been telling myself lately when something bad happens or when I have pain? I tell myself, “Smile”. Such a small, simple word. But it works! I love that word. Even more, I love to do it, and…

• Be safe, my new friend.

  padschicago

  13 Jan 2010 | 4:11 pm

  A woman came to the shelter overnight from the hospital. A domestic violence victim. And she didn’t speak English–she spoke Assyrian. They were planning to put her in a cab and send her to the homeless services office. I told them to check with whoever is on-call because the office isn’t open that early. Well, they got the ok and someone would be there to open early. I couldn’t let this woman take the cab alone, not speaking English, so I said that I would go with her. And good thing I did!!! Dispatch didn’t tell the driver an address, he asked about payment,…

• Creating change

  padschicago

  17 Dec 2009 | 3:30 pm

  I have posted on Twitter about fun, new projects. Tell you, I am honestly excited about this! Through the place where my caseworker is in Chicago, I am starting a class in advocacy–perfect for me! The class works with legislative issues and writing to representatives (what we are working on right now), volunteer issues, and more. This class will help me to develop my advocacy skills. I have never written to members of senate or congress before or had much of anything to do with legislation. I am sure the advocacy training will inspire new ideas how to help homelessness issues. The…

• A mentoring program for the homeless?

  padschicago

  10 Dec 2009 | 3:10 pm

  This morning on my way in to the Arlington Heights Memorial Library one of the employees stopped and talked to me. He mentioned something that I have said before: there needs to be a mentoring program for the homeless. New people arrive to homelessness every day. To whom can they turn for help? When I first became homeless, I didn’t know what to do, where to go. I didn’t know “the ropes” to being homeless. I got in my car and just sat there. I thought, “Now what?”. I finally drove with no real destination. When it got dark and I was tired, I didn’t…

• Confusion

  padschicago

  9 Dec 2009 | 6:07 pm

  I am still learning about my health. I have so many things going on medically, and they are all related. The rheumatologist still has not made an actual diagnosis yet. Its hard to wait so long to get proper treatment for something! Treatment is pretty much symptomstic right now, I think. Slowly, I am putting things together to learn and be able to figure things out. I will have another rheumatology appointment in the future and perhaps that one will bring us to the point we are waiting for. I am so tired right now. I have no energy left to write. More tomorrow. Crack a whip on me. By the way,…

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  NC Coalition to End Homelessness

• Homeless survey also notes who is nearly homeless

  North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness

  29 Jan 2010 | 4:00 am

  Wednesday, January 27, 2010  by Jennifer FernandezStaff Writer  GREENSBORO — Every year, volunteers comb shelters, wooded areas and abandoned buildings as part of the annual “point-in-time” count of the homeless.  The survey, which takes place today, will include for the first time a count of those who are considered “precariously housed” or “imminently homeless” in Greensboro. Officials handling High Point’s count said they are not adding the optional category to their survey this year.  Housing experts suspect a…

• NCH Winter Homeless Services Report

  North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness

  26 Jan 2010 | 6:00 am

  A new report on winter homeless services has been published by the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH). "Winter Homeless Services: Bringing Our Neighbors in From the Cold" includes data from 94 reporting organizations and programs in 40 states. It describes the policies and practices related to cold weather at these sites. The report was published to raise awareness of the dangers and consequences of hypothermia on people experiencing homelessness. Read the full report. 26-Jan-10 9:00 AM

• Healthcare for the Homeless: Strategies for Successful Collaboration

  8 Dec 2009 | 12:00 pm

  The 2009 Conference of the North Carolina Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care was held in Asheville, NC on December 3-4, 2009. Click here to see NCCEH's presentation.     8-Dec-09 3:00 PM

• Activist's Web site, tweets put new face on homelessness

  North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness

  1 Dec 2009 | 9:00 am

  by Valerie Streit                                                                                                                                   …

• Surge in Homeless Pupils Strains Schools

  North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness

  9 Sep 2009 | 6:00 am

  by Erik Eckholm The New York Times Published: September 5, 2009       ASHEVILLE, N.C. - In the small trailer her family rented over the summer, 9-year-old Charity Crowell picked out the green and purple outfit she would wear on the first day of school. She vowed to try harder and bring her grades back up from the C's she got last spring — a dismal semester when her parents lost their jobs and car and the family was evicted and migrated through friends’ houses and a motel.     Charity is one child in a national surge of homeless schoolchildren that is driven by…

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  Chicago Coaliation for the Homeless

• CCH-led programs highlighted in national policy brief

  admin

  2 Feb 2010 | 2:34 pm

  The Institute for Children & Poverty of New York City released a policy brief today on homeless families in Illinois and Chicago. The brief describes how Chicago’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness has changed the way Chicago deals with homelessness by moving to a “housing first” strategy that aims to move people quickly into housing and providing them with services once they are housed. Since 2003, when the Plan began, Chicago has eliminated many emergency shelter beds and created a new type of 120-day program called “interim housing.” Over the years, CCH has been critical of…

• Homeless youth -- a Trib profile, and a meeting with Mayor Daley

  admin

  2 Feb 2010 | 9:42 am

  The HELLO group for street youth is profiled in a touching feature story published Jan. 31 in the Chicago Tribune's Sunday Magazine. Our youth attorney Beth Cunningham co-facilitates the group, which began weekly drop-in meetings in January 2005 – five years later, they’re still meeting every Tuesday night at the Broadway Youth Center, on Chicago’s North Side. Read the excellent feature, Verses for adversity, here. Through our Youth Futures mobile legal aid clinic, Beth offers extensive outreach. Eighty percent of clients are “unaccompanied youth” – that is, teens who are homeless…

• Youth affected by Hill v. Erickson settlement

  admin

  26 Jan 2010 | 1:02 pm

  Legal notices were mailed Jan. 15, 2010 to more than 700 youth who are pregnant or parenting and in the custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). These young people are members of a class of youth who brought a lawsuit, Hill v. Erickson, against DCFS. A 1994 consent decree in the Hill case established a broad range of rights, placements, and services to help these youth develop as adolescents as well as capable parents.  In June 2009 however, those rights were threatened: DCFS sent letters to foster care providers across the state proposing to drastically…

• Evanston meets candidates for the 18th State House

  admin

  26 Jan 2010 | 12:19 pm

  Almost 200 residents from the 18th State Representative District gathered Jan. 20 at Northwestern University’s McCormick Tribune Center for a candidates’ forum on poverty and homelessness. The event was organized by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH), working with the following resident groups: YWCA Evanston/North Shore, Sheil Catholic Center at Northwestern University, Northwestern Community Development Corps, Lake Street Church, Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs, Interfaith Action of Evanston, Housing Options for the Mentally Ill, Evanston Alliance on…

• A Facebook vote for youth provider TLP!

  admin

  21 Jan 2010 | 3:24 pm

  Teen Living Programs (TLP) serves homeless and unaccompanied youth, one of the respected providers where our youth attorney offers weekly outreach. Through a nationwide contest on Facebook, TLP has a chance to win a large grant from JPMorgan Chase Bank. (In a separate effort, Chase also generously funds our Law Project’s back-to-school outreach in the Austin neighborhood.) Can you help? Do you Facebook? If you or your kids use Facebook, please use it to cast a vote for TLP before midnight Friday, Jan. 22. Get more information on the TLP website, or look up Chase Community Giving,…

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  Cleveland Homeless

• Update on Cincinnati Hate Crimes

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:44 am

  Madness Captured, Hate Crimes Legislation NeededThe Cincinnati Coalition is keeping us up to date on the situation with regard to the attack on Robert Meehan. On the first posting, we had a strange comment submitted from a self proclaimed witness to the event. It has to be said that the comment from "the witness" does not match the security videotape. In addition, the Cincinnati police were clear that no crime justifies the beating that Meehan suffered.The alleged attacker, Michael K. Taylor, a.k.a. Madness was captured late last week. Lieutenant Mike John of the Cincinnati Police department…

• Budget Freezes??

  31 Jan 2010 | 5:21 pm

  Did We Learn Nothing During the Depression?Last week, the President announced that he was freezing discretionary funding except for defense, education and a bunch of other programs. First, I do not understand why the defense department is exempt, but second why do we need a freeze at this time? Didn't the current Fed Chair tell us that the Great Depression lasted longer than it needed to because government was not willing to take on debt in the early 1930s? We have only barely made it through this giant recession, and we are freezing the federal discretionary spending. It makes no sense. The…

• Another Hate Crime in Cincinnati

  31 Jan 2010 | 1:00 pm

  Man Beaten Within An Inch of His LifeA man was “beaten within an inch of his life” says Cincinnati Police Lieutenant Mike John after a January 24 incident outside of a local bar/restaurant. Sunday morning at approximately 3:48am Robert Meehan was severely beaten just outside of Bootsy’s Restaurant at 631 Walnut Street. Just moments before he was beat, Meehan was recorded by a surveillance camera walking with a black man who is approximately 30-35 years old, 6'02"-6'03" in height and 225 lbs. He was wearing dark blue/black jeans, orange dress shirt, black jacket and black knit type hat.

• Local Reports from Around United States

  25 Jan 2010 | 7:57 am

  Local Reports from the National Coalition Meeting I attended the National Coalition for the Homeless meeting a couple of weeks ago. Here are a few things that I heard around the country. Indiana: – There were large cuts from the Indiana State Budget—They are holding back on new Medicare enrollment to try to balance the budget.Homeless Prevention Rapid Rehousing (HPRP)/Stimulus funds for homeless people is slow going and not much going to people in Southern Indiana. Texas:Governor refused to accept stimulus now refusing to accept education dollars.Austin held a let’s get to work forum in…

• Met Dick Gregory Last Night

  25 Jan 2010 | 7:55 am

  Photo from Smithsonian.com magazineCivil Rights Icon Starting a Fast for HaitiI was just sitting in the lobby of a Washington DC hotel enjoying an adult beverage and the football games when I look over and at the next table is Civil Rights icon Dick Gregory. I was in DC for the National Coalition for the Homeless Board meeting. I am not a star struck/autograph type of person , but this was Dick Gregory. I played his comedy routines on a radio show in college and used many of his anti-war speeches in my activism. He spoke frequently in the 1980s and 1990s about the problems facing the African…

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  Coalition for the Homeless

• Rosa Deserves to Graduate

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:46 am

  Last week, Rosa Bracero was prohibited from graduating high school on time because she was homeless. Tell Mayor Bloomberg that no homeless child should have to miss school because of DHS's inflexible policies

• NY Bureaucrats Block Homeless Teen’s High School Graduation

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:37 am

  Rosa Bracero, a homeless high school student, was prevented from taking her graduation exams by New York City and State bureaucrats.

• The Next Wave of Homeless Families

  2 Feb 2010 | 10:06 am

  Families timing off of City's Work Advantage subsidy face few options.

• Taking Advantage of Homeless Families

  1 Feb 2010 | 2:17 pm

  An alarming news report documents the growing problems with Mayor Bloomberg's flawed "Work Advantage" program -- including children and families placed into hazardous homes.

• She’s Baaaaaaack…

  27 Jan 2010 | 9:03 am

  Right-wing extremist Heather MacDonald has returned to spread lies about homelessness, and to call for evicting thousands of homeless children to the streets of New York.

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  Picture the Homeless

• PTH Civil Rights campaign on disorderly conduct ... moving forward from January 21 summit

  admin

  27 Jan 2010 | 4:35 pm

   Picture the Homeless's Civil Rights Campaign thanks everyone who attended and supported our January 21 summit on the NYPD's abuse of the disorderly conduct statute.  Checkout this write-up in the Indypendentread more

• **UPDATED** PTH February events calendar

  admin

  26 Jan 2010 | 1:35 pm

   Checkout PTH's February events calendar...* Our weekly Wednesday movie night kicks off on Feb 3 with the Oscar-nominated Trouble the Water -- discussion w/ director in-person!   More films on Feb 10, 17, 24...* Our weekly Tuesday Homeless Organizing Academy starts with classes on Feb 2, 9, 16, 23...read more

• PTH leaders blogging with Poverty Initiative

  admin

  25 Jan 2010 | 4:17 pm

   The Poverty Scholars Program of the Poverty Initiative at Union Theological Seminary brings together low-income organizers from New York City and nationwide who are organizing in their communities around a variety of social justice issues.  Jean Rice and Owen Rogers, two long-time leaders of Picture the Homeless, are both active participants in the Scholars Program's activities, including classes and strategic dialogues.read more

• NYC civil rights summit this week ... a PTH member's testimony on disorderly conduct

  admin

  19 Jan 2010 | 1:11 pm

   This Thursday, January 21 in NYC, the Civil Rights Campaign of Picture the Homeless is hosting a summit on the NYPD's unconstitutional use of the Disorderly Conduct statute[ see PTH member Indio's personal testimony below... ]Disorderly Conduct SummitThursday, January 21at 7pmread more

• PTH sings & speaks out with Crystal Waters!, and rep's in New York Times and on GRITtv again

  admin

  19 Jan 2010 | 10:06 am

   Picture the Homeless members have spent the past few days on events and activities supporting the people of Haiti and celebrating the legacy of Dr. King, and we're looking forward to continuing to build on this.Also, PTH's Rob Robinson appeared again on the program GRITtv, in a roundtable on "a vision for social housing." read more

• 
  ChoseFast

• Update on homeless friend who …

  Cara Michele

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:59 am

  Update on homeless friend who burned hand in campfire, 2nd comment here: http://bit.ly/9MbnM0

• STILL ON: Feb. 6th, Dance For …

  Cara Michele

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:57 am

  STILL ON: Feb. 6th, Dance For Hope: Greensboro Urban Ministry Benefit. Tickets available at the door $25. http://bit.ly/d03qV7

• Grace CC winter shelter for ho…

  Cara Michele

  1 Feb 2010 | 12:48 pm

  Grace CC winter shelter for homeless women needs sturdy shelving for 6×8′ space. Call Marsha: 336.379.1936

• Audrie: StreetWatch exhausts f…

  Cara Michele

  1 Feb 2010 | 11:32 am

  Audrie: StreetWatch exhausts food supply preparing homeless for snow. News-Record.com: http://bit.ly/cfPUVh Help? http://bit.ly/c26U4f

• StreetWatch gave out 15×3-day …

  Cara Michele

  31 Jan 2010 | 11:13 am

  StreetWatch gave out 15×3-day supply food bags to homeless before snowstorm: http://twitpic.com/10qcpk Help restock? http://bit.ly/c26U4f

• 
  The Homeless Guy

• Libraries And The Homeless: Random Thoughts

  28 Jan 2010 | 4:17 pm

  I first became homeless in February of 1982, 27 years ago. Since then, I have spent about half of my life homeless. That's 13 years of literal homelessness. Arriving for the first time in Nashville, a city I had never been to before, and becoming homeless, happened simultaneously. I knew practically nothing about the city of Nashville. So my first days of homelessness were spent mostly

• The Contributor: February 2010 Issue

  27 Jan 2010 | 1:55 pm

  The February issue of The Contributor, Nashville's homeless newspaper hit the streets about a half hour ago. I will start selling tomorrow at 20th and West End, starting early in the morning. Please come by and buy one or two. The suggested price is one dollar, and all proceeds go directly to the homeless/formerly homeless vendor. Last month the paper had 99 active vendors selling an average of

• Ingram Scholars At Vanderbilt Talk To The Homeless

  21 Jan 2010 | 9:20 pm

  The Ingram Scholars at Vanderbilt is a unique program offering full tuition scholarships for students engaged in community service work. They work in many fields, and one of them is homelessness. So this past Wednesday the Ingram Scholars invited three formerly homeless people to come talk about their homeless experiences. This was followed by a question and answer period. The Scholars

• Room In The Inn Part 3

  12 Jan 2010 | 7:45 pm

  (written for the February issue of The Contributor)Room In The Inn is a winter shelter program for the Homeless in Nashville. The program is five months in duration, from November 1st to March 31st, covering most of the cold weather here.In less than two months the program will be over for the season. Long gone are the fun filled and exciting days building up to its launch. The fund raisers

• It's my Birthday

  4 Jan 2010 | 4:53 am

  All donations gratefully accepted.

• 
  Homeless Family's Blog

• Counting and iPods

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:18 am

  Are you homeless and use one of the many colored apple ipods?More and more in the last two years I've been seeing public uses of technology by more people experiencing homelessness than 'homies' or business people when walking the streets of Jacksonville.My take: either they're more savvy than 'homies' and local business people...OR...there's more of them that aren't being admitted to after the last 'Homeless Count'.The thing about the count that gets me is nobody admits just how 'off' it really is. While local 'counters' and volunteers did appear to attempt to find and engage more in the…

• Accomodations: Who gets it first, kids?

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:05 am

  It's another gimme, you run a shelter you need lighting fixtures!About four years ago I knew this one guy that worked in a shelter, handling more things than he needed due to outdated equipment provided. While wonderful office accommodations were built for the senior staff, the fact is some of the residents were living in what was no better than a garage.A big garage. One you could drive a semi in, park it, and have room for maybe four more.Me, I'm against that. I'm all for having people 'satellite' off laptops accommodating the needs of those they serve, rather than their needs accommodated…

• Going green differently

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:14 am

  Years ago I used to enjoy talking about my dumpster diving antics, pretty much a 'green' thing when you can find spare computer parts. As time went by I was able to afford laptop memory to enhance products purchased for my advocacy.I was talking to a guy this week in Cleveland who's doing the 'green' thing in his community. They're literally reusing old things in building a greenhouse project, but it's not your typical thing. Full business, plan, and they sell the produce to the local neighbors at reduced cost.Very nice.

• What stuff's made of

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:59 am

  Ok, so readers outside of being homeless have use and need for an instant life insurance quote, but the fact is those experiencing homelessness 'might' not have like interests.Same goes for luggage. They're demands are more realistic. Homies really don't check the product as much as homeless. I've yet to see luggage on wheels that can take two weeks of streat-beat I've personally put some through.

• Before born

  28 Jan 2010 | 2:11 am

  One of the projects I've been involved with since December 2004 has been the Medical Home for Homeless Children's Project. Through it, many expecting mothers received prenatal vitamins that otherwise wouldn't have.While Jacksonville is touted as providing some of the best of care, many people fall through the cracks 'trying' to get through the nightmare of weeks until just the first financial appointment.There's then the weeks of attempting to get confirmation they're not working as well as paperwork from case managers where they stay...'if' they stay somewhere.I talked to Tamara Patton from…

• 
  Jaime's Big Voice

• Good news and as usual bad news

  7 Feb 2010 | 10:51 am

  Good news is I didn't lose my pride and joy, my dvd recorder because by some miracle and luck I managed to keep it and buy a hole fortnights food. The reason well I found one pound fifty and I brought a loaf and bread and a pint of milk. I had sixty pence left so I thought lets have a bet on a horse so I did and that won at 10\1 which gave me £6.60 and placed the oringinal 60p on a straight forcast which means I had to pick the first and second that came in and I got £53.25. I kept the £56 and played with £3.25 and would you believe it I won again this time it was £37 exaclty. I then…

• Life it's fun but what a struggle

  3 Feb 2010 | 2:46 pm

  What can I say? Everyday I wake and pray for just an average day of near normality but as we all know sometimes life just throws a spanner in the works. First it was my health and a dizzy doctor, who I now think was using some kind of hallucinogenic drug because no doc could have been that bad. Now my health has finally got back to some kind of normality but as I said there's always something else. It is partly my own fault but now I'm struggling with my bills which I have got partly sorted but it has cost me. I thought I could pawn my pride and joy. My DVD recorder. It was a way to pay what…

• This what I think

  25 Jan 2010 | 10:51 am

  Over the last twenty to thirty years I have been what I call asleep due to the amount of drugs I took over the years and now I am awake and yet even I see the changes made in our so called fair society. My first observation is about our children and they way we slowly erode their childhood by changing learning ages. the test they have to take. I begin to wonder is it worth it? I see a child learning to play with other children as the first steps of learning how to get on together. There are rungs on a ladder. Sometimes some children can take two rungs at a time but for most its one at a time.

• Recovering blogger

  7 Jan 2010 | 5:06 pm

  Well. my bit for charity wasn't done exactly as I planned because I caught a tartar of a cold and couldn't do all my shifts. I haven't been out of my flat since, today was the first day. It was strange no one was walking or chating in the streets all were skating or trying to stay up right. Pensioners with zimmer frames were even speed skating. Cars were doing the bolero. So this I am guessing is the long term effects of blogging or snow and I thought I was having a bloggers flash back. Since I stopped writing so much I wondered why I've kept on seeing things. Silly me, today I thought I saw…

• Christmas

  20 Dec 2009 | 4:32 am

  I was thinking about Christmas and the phrase home for Christmas. I know that some people do have homes and family to go to at this time of year but what about those who have nothing and no one. I have heard some people as I walk the streets at night say its their own fault that they are where they are and I now ask the question how the hell do they know. Do they personally know the people? I don't think so but you never know because every now and then someone knows someone on the streets and if you remember it is a small world we live in and to be honest England is not that big really. I…

• 
  Homeless Man Speaks

• Warm head and warm heart

  Philip Stern

  4 Feb 2010 | 3:26 pm

  TONY “Hey Phil, check out my new Mountie hat. Johnn over at the leather store gave it to me. No matter what happens, now my head won’t freeze. I wish I could say that for the rest of my body.” Tagged: hat, Mountie, RCMP

• Comment from a reader

  Philip Stern

  2 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am

  Hi all, Here’s an extended comment yesterday from a reader referring to a post from Nov. 2006 in response to a Facts and Arguments piece by Dan Hilton in the Globe and Mail. We thought it worthy of posting on the blog itself. [Also see the thoughtful comments to this posting.] Re: Designer Java for a Regular Joe “If this province wasn’t so ultraconservative and didn’t see every homeless person as a druggie or alcoholic then I think the whole province would be a lot better. Unfortunately, that’s what they see and that’s what they think and that’s what they write in the…

• One more time

  Philip Stern

  27 Jan 2010 | 4:52 pm

  PHILIP “Hey Tony, I gotta tell you, the Liberals are Neck-in-neck with the Conservatives.” TONY “Didn’t we tell everyone we weren’t going to do politics anymore?” PHILIP “Well how about one more time?” TONY “OK, but we’ve got to stick to it. We can’t be telling people if we don’t do it, if you know what I mean. “ Tagged: Casablanca, time

• Looking good

  Philip Stern

  22 Jan 2010 | 7:38 am

  Here’s a photo I took in late November. Tony’sw doing OK, as much as OK works in his world. Philip Tagged: good

• Working the late shift

  Philip Stern

  21 Jan 2010 | 10:48 am

  TONY “Sometimes just you gotta do what you gotta do. I’ll tell you, I’m not sleeping outside tonight if I can help it.” Tagged: sleep

• 
  Union Rescue Mission

• Men’s Dorm Assistant

  ehennings

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:48 pm

  Shifts available —– 12:00 Midnight to 6:00 a.m. Union Rescue Mission (URM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving me, women, and children who are experiencing homlessness. Established in 1891, URM is the largest rescue mission of its kind in the United States and the oldest in Los Angeles. We provide a comprehensive array of emergency and long-term services at no cost to guests, including: food, shelter, clothing, medical and dental care, recovery programs, transitional housing, legal assistance, education, counseling, and job training to men, women, children,…

• Case Manager (Relocation Specialist)

  ehennings

  29 Jan 2010 | 4:16 pm

   Union Rescue Mission (URM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the poor and homeless. Established in 1891, URM is one of the largest rescue missions of its kind in the United States and the oldest in Los Angeles. We provide a comprehensive array of emergency and long-term services to our guests, including: food, shelter, clothing, medical and dental care, recovery programs, transitional housing, legal assistance, education, counseling, and job training to needy men, women, children, and families. We currently have a opening in our Hope Garden’s Facility in Sylmar…

• Security Officer

  ehennings

  29 Jan 2010 | 4:08 pm

  Union Rescue Mission (URM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the poor and homeless. Established in 1891, URM is one of the largest rescue missions of its kind in the United States and the oldest in Los Angeles. We provide a comprehensive array of emergency and long-term services to our guests, including: food, shelter, clothing, medical and dental care, recovery programs, transitional housing, legal assistance, education, counseling, and job training to needy men, women, children, and families. Must enjoy working in ministry related environment. Under the direction of…

• End of January Update

  ehennings

  29 Jan 2010 | 3:59 pm

  Dear Friends, As we come to the end of the month, we would like to share just a few of the activities that have been keeping us busy here at URM!  From serving record numbers of people, to running winter shelters to planning a special event for our guests, the last few weeks have been action packed.  Please take a moment to watch this quick update on what we are accomplishing with the help of friends like you! Blessings, Digg this! Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Post this to MySpace Share this on Facebook Tweet This!

• The Letter

  Rev. Andy

  26 Jan 2010 | 1:26 pm

  Dear Friends, I’m compelled to weigh in on “the letter” circulating around the community and apparently headed toward Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s desk.   I received the letter, and was invited to sign on in agreement with the conclusions and corresponding actions it outlines. Instead of signing on, I alerted some LAPD commanders to what I believe to be yet another attempt by some to remove the helpful police presence from Skid Row, and return this area many of us have worked so hard to change back to the deprived, predator & drug infested hopeless state it was in less than a…

• 
  Portland Rescue Mission

• Alan's Story of Hope

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:07 am

  Alan came to our Burnside Shelter for a meal, but found something more through our Learning Center.Alan's Story of Hope (Quicktime Version)Alan from pdxmission on Vimeo.Men like Alan are hungry for more than just a meal. They want a way back home. They want freedom from addiction and the root causes of homelessness. Our 12- to 18-month recovery programs for men and women offer just that.Your gift today provides food, clothing and shelter. And you help provide recovery programs that give hurting people a second chance at life. Thanks. Donate online at www.PortlandRescueMission.org. Or call…

• Reaching Out To Homeless Women

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  Life for any homeless person is difficult.  But much more so for homeless women -- a majority of whom experience dangers of violence and rape while on the streets. Last Saturday, Portland Rescue Mission provided a safe haven for around 75 of these hurting women at our Burnside Shelter.  Volunteers from the Community of Adsideo pampered women with massages, manicures, haircuts and clean clothing.  The women enjoyed food, conversation and love in a safe, warm environment.  "A homeless woman is a lonely person," says Jan Marshall, Director of Women's Ministries.  "When…

• You Can Make A Difference

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  Interested in volunteering? Join us for our upcoming Partnership Overviews this month: Saturday, February 6th9:30- 11:00 AMBurnside Shelter (111 W. Burnside, Portland) Thursday, February 18th7:00-8:30 PMShepherd's Door (13207 NE Halsey, Portland) - Discover our approach to ending homelessness by healing its root causes - Learn more about the emergency services and long-term recovery programs we provide - Hear stories from the men and women we serve about how their lives are changing - Find out the many ways you can help as a volunteer When you invest your time in the men, women and children…

• Give a Happy Birthday!

  1 Feb 2010 | 10:32 am

  Many homeless men and women watch their birthday come and go uncelebrated. But thanks to the generosity of Fred Meyer and your thoughtfulness, our homeless guests will know they're not forgotten this year.On Wednesday, February 17th, we'll throw a birthday party complete with gifts, cake, cards and colorful decorations. You can be a part of our annual Birthday Party for the Homeless when you send a birthday card with an encouraging note to let a hurting person know you care.-- Write a message in a store-bought or homemade card.-- Please do not include any personal information other than your…

• A Journey That Ends On A Portland Sidewalk

  26 Jan 2010 | 4:00 am

  From the Good News PDX blog: A journey that ends on a Portland sidewalk [James] packed a bag and walked. He walked out on family, friends and the life that he built and headed south. He never really had a destination in mind. Few people in James’ place do. They just have to get away. It’s a common trend with addiction. The length of his journey isn’t clear, but, after a while, he landed on a Portland sidewalk in Old Town. To him, it seemed like just another space on the game board that was his wayward journey to who-knows-where. But what James didn’t realize, is he’d actually…

• 
  Stone Soup Station

• Self-Care: The Great Debate

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:38 am

  Self-Care: The Great Debate “The Voice of Self-Care Wisdom” vs. “The Voice of the Work” Wisdom: “Stop denying. Listen to the wisdom of your body. Begin to freely admit thestresses and pressures that reveal themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally.”Work: “Work until the physical pain forces you into unconsciousness.” Wisdom: “Avoid isolation. Don't do everything alone! Develop or renew relationshipswith friends and loved ones. Closeness not only brings new insights, but also can be anantidote for agitation and depression.”Work: “Shut your office door and lock it…

• Winter Weather Brings Serious Challenges To Us All

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:26 am

  Another bitterly cold weekend with snow flurries flying.  I've been in Nashville only about four years now, but I don't recall it being this damned cold here - for so long - since I've been here.  (No, this is NOT Nashville; the pic here is of my home in Nevada!)   I had the dogs out last night and we walked the neighborhood, our evening ritual, and I couldn't help but think about all the folks on the street who were going to face another long, uncomfortable evening  shivering through the darkness.   Last week, although relatively short due to our…

• "all Alexander and Diedrich know for sure is that someone hurt Cherokeewolf, and the way he came into this world and the way he left it was a sin"

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:46 am

  Just a couple of quick comments here:  If nothing else comes out of this event, I would hope that we as a city and a community of human beings make resources available to assist pregnant mothers who for whatever the reason, find themselves homeless in the final portion of their pregnancy.  There is absolutely no excuse for this tragedy to have happened and it almost certainly wouldn't have occurred had the baby been left in the care of it's blood mother, who should have immediately been able to access a Housing First program.   We as a city are waaayyy behind the curve on…

• "In order to effectively engage students in learning about homelessness, it is important for teachers to prepare"

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:01 am

  I was wandering around on the HRC website this morning when I came across this little gem about teaching others on the issues of homelessness.  This page then led me to a newer section known as the Homeless Hub which was literally chock full of goodies related to teach about homelessness.   It got me to thinking about all the efforts I've been involved in to raise awareness and advocate about homelessness and I wish I would have had this site available to me when I first hit the streets and began writing about the street years ago. Getting Ready to Teach Homelessness Preparing…

• Selling The Contributor: "They’re my people here. People will honk and wave at me. I have quite a few regulars. "

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:23 am

  When we sat around a table that first meeting, strategizing about how we were going to get the paper going, I think people like Sharon here were all of our ultimate dream. We knew that most folks who are experiencing homelessness would gladly work day and night for a livable wage - hell, for any wage - but the barriers in front of them were so large that often they were viewed as insurmountable.  We wanted a way in which people didn't have to worry about anything but their own work ethic and sense of responsibility to themselves. The paper has now far exceeded my own dream and while I…

• 
  Do1Thing

• Do1Thing Young Faces of Homelessness Exhibit Debuts at Photo Expo Plus in New York City

  More than 27,000 people viewed the “Do1Thing Young Faces of Homeless” photographic exhibit this past weekend at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. Curated by Debra Weiss, the show was sponsored by Canon Professional Images and printed by Lieberman Photographic Labs. Our sincere thanks to everyone who everyone who helped to make it [...]

• Debra Weiss Curates Do1Thing Gallery Show at PhotoPlus Expo 2009 in NYC

  Do1Thing is proud to announce that Creative Consultant Debra Weiss is curating the Do1Thing “Young Faces of Homelessness” Gallery Show at PhotoPlus Expo 2009 in NYC October 22-24, 2009. Debra has been an agent for some of the top names in the business, a consultant for Black Book and did a stint as CEO of APA [...]

• ‘Lulu’s Story’ a Powerful Look at Teenage Homelessness – Photography by Alex Daley-Clark

  We’ve all heard the phrase “putting a face on homelessness” countless times. The idea is simple: provide some flesh and blood to let the rest of us grasp the larger problems of poverty. It would be so easy to dismiss it as another tired cliche if it weren’t powerfully truthful. Consider “Lulu’s Story,” a multimedia piece [...]

• Do1Thing Featured in the Portland Press Herald

  We’ve all heard the phrase “putting a face on homelessness” countless times. The idea is a simple one: show some flesh and blood to allow the rest of us to grasp the larger problems of poverty. It’d be so easy to dismiss as another tired cliche if it weren’t powerfully truthful. Consider “Lulu’s Story,” a multimedia [...]

• Join Us in MAINE for a Do1Thing Gallery Event

  Do1Thing is proud to announce an evening at The SALT Institute for Documentary Studies showcasing the “Young Faces of Homelessness” photographic exhibit. We’d love for everyone in the are to join us for the event. Meet Founder Najlah Feanny Hicks and Do1Thing Director of Photography Alexandra Daley-Clark along with homeless teen Lulu at the gallery event. UPCOMING EVENT: Do1Thing.org: [...]

• 
  Car Camper Homeless Blog

• The State of Florida Robs the Car Owner

  The Car Camper

  29 Jan 2010 | 1:28 pm

  Today, I went to do the tax. title and tags bit with the state of Florida. They want $429.00 to license it. I don’t know when I have been so shocked. I cannot believe this state is ROBBING its citizens to the tune of over $400.00 in taxes and fees to make a car street legal. This is, forgive the expression, highway robbery. The state legislature is made up of nothing short of thieves, who are stealing from the citizens of Florida, robbing us.  I cannot believe that these politicians–which is the dirtiest word in any language, and a politian is a lower form of scum than any…

• iPad = Jumbo iPod Touch = My First Impression

  The Car Camper

  27 Jan 2010 | 2:31 pm

  Listening to all the talking head talk about Apple’s newest release, the iPad, you would think they were all completely precognative. From Leo Laporte to Alex Lindsey to David Pogue and on they are all saying they nailed it. Sadly, I remember clearly what they have all been saying and they were all wrong. When you come right down to it, the iPad is a jumbo sized iPod Touch and NOTHING more. It has no camera, it has no phone, it does have some custom versions of the iWork applications, but really, all that is different, at least so far as the released information is that this is a jumbo…

• Enter Jumbo

  The Car Camper

  27 Jan 2010 | 1:07 pm

  Well, at long last, I am back in the world of the mobile and, what is more important to me, the safe. I have a new car and my new car is named Jambo Jumbo or Hello Biggun (Jambo is Swahili for Hello, jumbo is just anothfr word for big!) It’s Jambo for short.  Jambo is a 1999 Ford Windstar Minivan/SUV. It’s got 178K miles and I bought it for $200 needing the front breaks completely reworked. Completely? New rotors, calipers, hoses and speed sensor. This job, along with 4 new used tires that are street legal come to a grand total, with the purchase price and tax, title and…

• No Longer Homeless

  The Car Camper

  6 Jan 2010 | 4:36 am

  Don’t forget to Read The History of My Homelessness, Part 4. You should probably read it before this post, but that’s up to you. That said, here goes: At the time where The History of My Homelessness ends, I thought of calling some of my old (pre-Californai, pre Oregon) friends and ex-clients. All where people who had previously hired me to do work for them. I had not called them before while homeless, don’t ask me why, I just hadn’t. Well, one of them, a real estate mogul in South Florida, said to me, “Hey, glad you called, I want to build a seminar oriented web…

• The History of My Homelessness Part 4

  The Car Camper

  6 Jan 2010 | 4:25 am

  So, now I had a place to camp and a place to spend the day. But that was also  problem. That article. A. It means in this case, ONE. One is not good, too much time in open place draws attention to you. Sleeping in a car, it’s not good to draw attention to you. I mean attention from the police or from the street life. So I needed to do something about this. Spending too much time in any one coffee shop will be bad too urn less you spend a lot of money. I could not afford to do that. Within the first three weeks, I managed to find the following places to spend the day: …

• 
  the 13th juror

• Florida's safety net is shredding

  Jacqueline Dowd

  2 Feb 2010 | 6:25 am

  Florida's safety net for people in need is shredding in the face of escalating demand and dwindling resources, says the head of the state's United Way network.And Florida's safety net is almong the nation's weakest.Ted Granger, president of United Way of Florida, says social service agencies statewide are seeing more and more people who are homeless and hungry. The 211 referral hotlines are seeing increases of 50% to 150% over the last twelve months in people needing basic services, such as assistance with rent and food."We're struggling as United Ways across the state," Granger says. "We're…

• Some good news in Obama's budget, and some bad

  Jacqueline Dowd

  1 Feb 2010 | 5:35 pm

  More than $2 billion for HUD grants to combat nationwide homelessness sounds good.But President Obama's budget also includes steep cuts to housing programs for the elderly and persons with disabilities.Funding for tenant-based and project-based rental assistance programs was increased by $2.1 billion compared with 2010.Targeted cuts in the proposed budget include housing assistance for people with disabilities (Shelter + Care, I guess), which would be $90 million, compared with $300 million that's estimated for 2010. Housing aid for the elderly could also be drawn down to $274 million, from…

• Homeless chased away, Jacksonville shelter warned about trash

  Jacqueline Dowd

  29 Jan 2010 | 3:47 pm

  For the last week, homeless people sleeping near Jacksonville's City Rescue Mission have been chased away from the sidewalk nearby. And then the mission itself was warned by city code enforcement about garbage left on the sidewalks outside its fence.The mission says it was blindsided by the actions, because the few dozen people who sleep outside the mission's New Life Inn, which has been full for months and has seen a 33 percent increase in demand, have been doing so for over a year."Rarely from time to time, police would come by and ask them to move on, but never with the kind of intensity…

• Another homeless man murdered

  Jacqueline Dowd

  27 Jan 2010 | 12:15 am

  A man found dead in a homeless camp south of Sanford was a homicide victim, authorities said.Deputies were flagged down and by a man who told them someone was dead in a homeless camp in the woods behind the Quick Stop at U.S. Highway 17-92 and Collins drive, south of Sanford, said a spokesman for the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.The victim has been identified as 56-year-old Albert Capps.Capps, who was known to frequent the U.S. Highway 17-92 corridor in Sanford, has been arrested several times on charges such as disorderly intoxication, obstruction of public streets, trespassing and…

• Think you know where the poor folks live?

  Jacqueline Dowd

  24 Jan 2010 | 9:06 am

  Florida suburbs were among the first to see the effects of the “Great Recession” translate into significant increases in poverty between 2007 and 2008.It was the leading edge of a trend seen all across the country. By 2008, suburbs were home to the largest and fastest-growing poor population. Between 2000 and 2008, suburbs in the largest metro areas saw their poor population grow almost five times faster than primary cities. As a result, by 2008 large suburbs were home to 1.5 million more poor than their primary cities and housed almost one-third of the nation’s poor overall.The Tampa…

• 
  Sans Houses

• light and sound.

  frenchpress

  30 Dec 2012 | 11:00 pm

  This blog is in 2 distinct parts:Older Posts:©2007-2008 Tasha FrenchAll of the black & white images are scans of full-frame gelatin darkroom prints and were mostly shot with a 35mm Nikon FE2 SLR*.Square images were shot with a medium-format Hasselblad c/m.At the top of many of these posts, you will see a link to a selected audio clip of the interview with that person. The average recorded interview length is about an hour. The clips on this blog are from about 2.5 to 5.5 minutes. Audio recorded with a Marantz PMD660 Digital Flash Media Recorder using an AKG C-900 Cardioid Condenser Mic.Newer…

• Keysha & Mary

  frenchpress

  19 Aug 2009 | 10:30 am

  _TAF9939.jpg, originally uploaded by frenchpress.

• Nathan

  frenchpress

  19 Aug 2009 | 10:11 am

  _TAF9754.jpg, originally uploaded by frenchpress.

• Carl

  frenchpress

  16 Aug 2009 | 12:28 pm

  _TAF9420.jpg, originally uploaded by frenchpress.

• Johnny

  frenchpress

  16 Aug 2009 | 12:24 pm

  _TAF9577.jpg, originally uploaded by frenchpress.

• 
  Vagabond

• January 2010

  Kerry Echo

  6 Feb 2010 | 12:05 pm

  Matt grabbed his cell phone from my hand."God, Kerry!" I was supposed to have called Matt's work number and extension. He was testing his voice-over-internet phone to see if the pop-up box would appear on the computer screen as it should when he received an incoming call, the one I was supposed to have made. "Matt," I spoke slowly, hoping to dilute his impatience, " I am not trying to aggravate you. You know, in the past couple of weeks, I have stopped to get gas, gone into the station to pay, come out, and driven away. A few miles later, I happen to look at the dashboard and notice I didn't…

• My Friend, Bob

  Kerry Echo

  6 Dec 2009 | 2:20 pm

  Bob is a regular guy who probably had little more to say to a wife than "What's for dinner?" I don't hold that against Bob. I am only trying to say that he is free of pretense, easy-going, able to laugh at nothing, and very likable for these reasons. I admit it: I like Bob, and I do not take to homeless men generally.Bob says his father was a cop-killer. His father claimed to have come from the belly of a snake. He knew he was a bad man, accepted it, and bragged about it and the number of cops he murdered. Bob has never killed anyone, even though he has been in a few scrapes. His father…

• The Daily Dance of Going Nowhere

  Kerry Echo

  21 Nov 2009 | 5:45 pm

  On the other side of expensive vacation rentals, the ocean is an edge of darkness dotted with lights from invisible boats in the distance. Parked at the end of the continent, I am feeling the terrible weight of my stark life. No one can know, really, in all truth, how I got here. It has been worth pondering in therapy, but no answer to the problem is permanent even if I can make it through another week. Week to week. Day to day.One foot in front of the other, I struggle to endure the daily routines that circumscribe my life; and, to be honest, I am tired and bored of the radius of financial…

• The Vulnerable

  Kerry Echo

  7 Sep 2009 | 12:19 am

  That evening at bedtime, I lay upon a stack of pillows and a folded sheet spread out the length of the front seat, relishing the quiet. It felt good to lie down and stretch out, and the back windows of the truck cab, as well as the front triangular vents (out of which my father might have flicked his cigarette ash), let in a slight breeze despite the late-August heat.I will be glad when it is finally over. It will be peaceful and complete the way it feels to lay one's body down for a night's rest. I survey my small quarters, looking up at the ceiling overhead and out the back windows. Very…

• Running

  Kerry Echo

  15 Aug 2009 | 6:48 pm

  I am running for my life.I am running to save my life and running away from it.I come along the straight of the oval where the breeze off the ocean feels as though it is under my feet and lifting me. I always have that sensation of riding this stretch, although one would think the wind would slow me down. I run backward on the track, or clockwise, just so that I can sail this stretch while everyone else, for no known obvious reason, runs the opposite way. I am not trying to be odd. I just like the feeling, and so far as I know, there are no rules about which direction to run a track.Besides,…

• 
  the Girl's Guide to Homelessness

• Two Cool Things…

  ~B~

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:40 pm

  1)  I received the first half of my book advance (yay!) which is taking me a good ways towards stabilizing myself financially, if I budget right.  Hopefully, I should be re-housed in no time! 2)  I met Jon (Beat On The Street) yesterday for the first time.  We’ve been online friends for nearly a year, but [...]

• Crazy Busy Week Ahead!!!

  ~B~

  1 Feb 2010 | 1:29 am

  Agh, things are about to get hectic!  I’m allegedly being paid today (yes, I know I’ve been saying this for about 4 months now… but this time it’s true!), sometime in the next couple days I’m going to get to meet another homeless activist who’s been my friend since the very beginning (Jon, aka BeatOnTheStreet, [...]

• On Current Dearth of Juicy Tidbits

  ~B~

  28 Jan 2010 | 11:23 pm

  I feel sort of guilty for not really giving you guys any juicy insights into my personal life lately, but that’s because things are pretty static and there’s really not much to tell at the moment.  I’m still visiting with Vicki Day in London and scooping entrepreneurial business tips from her brilliant mind, which is [...]

• San Francisco Clashes With Homeless Dog Owners

  ~B~

  27 Jan 2010 | 3:23 pm

  Here’s an interesting article that has me in a quandry: City Hounds the Homeless for Dog Licenses (First of all, I’m going to try and ignore author Matt Smith’s passing reference to “surly bums” and focus on the greater picture here – the “homeless with pets” issue.  BUT just for the record, I equate the word “bum” [...]

• London; and Your Homeless News for the Day

  ~B~

  25 Jan 2010 | 12:26 pm

  Hi all, As I mentioned, I’m in London right now, visiting with a friend and taking care of some business stuff before I head back north to Scotland.  I may be in the UK for a few more weeks, haven’t really decided yet.  But here’s a couple photos for you, of me in Trefalga Square, in [...]

• 
  SLO Homeless

• Sacramento Homeless Veteran Gets A Second Chance

  michael

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:38 am

  A little over a week ago, I read an article in the Sacramento Bee that made me feel both sad and happy at the same time. It was about a Veteran who had battled alcoholism. It was about a man who had been homeless up until just recently. It was about new friendships having been built. [...]

• Sub-Freezing Temperatures Put The Homeless At Greater Risk

  michael

  8 Jan 2010 | 5:17 am

  Over the past week, the news has been covering the extreme cold temperatures that have gripped large parts of the nation. Even in traditionally warmer climates like Florida, they have been experiencing sub-freezing temperatures. Some farmers in that state are concerned (and rightly so) that their crops may be adversely affected – or that they may [...]

• The New Year May Bring $3500 In Fines For One Pennsylvania Church

  michael

  31 Dec 2009 | 5:23 am

  I don’t know who said it first – or when – but there is a phrase which states: "Never discuss religion or politics in polite company" For the most part, I guess that’s pretty good advice because those are two topics which can create quite a ruckus even between the best of friends. Yet, despite how good [...]

• Beliefnet’s Most Inspiring Person Of 2009

  michael

  17 Dec 2009 | 5:22 am

  In his book, The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote: "Such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere." In yesterday’s USA Today, I read an article about a Florida 12-year old named Zach Bonner. The article [...]

• Colorado Springs: Another Town Struggling With Homeless Encampments

  michael

  7 Dec 2009 | 5:31 am

  Like many other cities across the nation, Colorado Springs, CO., has seen an increase of "tent cities" within its city limits. And, like many other cities, Colorado Springs is trying to find a way to address the issue. Later today, they will be considering an ordinance which would prohibit "camping" on public property.   A report from KRDO TV-13 [...]

• 
  invisible homeless kids

• The Ugly Reality...Homelessness Never Far Away

  Diane Nilan

  6 Feb 2010 | 7:25 pm

  One of the most difficult things I can imagine for the people I've known who experienced homelessness, especially families, is when they face returning to it. And this week I found out about a family that did.Charlie, our HEAR US "poster child," the cute boy whose image was captured by photojournalist Pat Van Doren, a longtime friend and conspirator, and his mother, "Cookie," recently lost their home, for reasons that I'll keep private, but not unlike reasons of other vulnerable people. 20-year-old Charlie had been working, but got laid off and is now just trying to make ends meet by temp…

• Home Sweet Home, but Really...

  Diane Nilan

  23 Jan 2010 | 5:32 pm

  For reasons far beyond my understanding, my path crosses with some very interesting people. I'm in Las Cruces, NM now, having shown our new documentary, "It's All About the Children," to one of the women in it and to a small group of educators. I'm also filming interviews with "non-homeless" homeless families/youth, those staying in motels or doubled up with others for the HEAR US Learning Curve Express project.One of the outreach team put me in contact with a young mother with 5 little boys under the age of 7 staying in a local motel. Tina was more than willing and able to talk about her…

• Poverty and Homelessness: Call It What It Is!

  Diane Nilan

  11 Jan 2010 | 7:04 am

  A family having "hard times" (translation, homeless because they lost their housing due to hardship) in Starkville, MS was taken in by a mother who understood what "hard times" does to a family, as she was not far from that pernicious condition. On Monday, Dec. 28, in Starkville, a fire rooted in poverty and overcrowded living space took their lives, 3 women and 6 small children. Having known "hard times," India Williams, the 25-year-old mother of 3 small children, squeezed the other 2 women and 3 children into her humble apartment because they needed a place to stay. I'm not sure of the…

• Stepping Up: Stephanie, Courageous Champion

  Diane Nilan

  2 Jan 2010 | 8:01 pm

  I love starting a new year with a new s-hero. Stephanie Burmudez, 13, started my year off right (It's not her fault my bliss will likely not last long.)She was asked to write about her experience of being homeless for her North Philadelphia shelter's newspaper--one written by homeless children and adults to benefit homeless persons--and she first said no.But the newspaper account of how she came around is worth reading. She closed her column with some profound observations: You could be us. We could be you. It's just One Step Away . . .We are all one step away . . . to getting a home. To…

• How Many Ways to Say 'We've Got a Problem'?

  Diane Nilan

  29 Dec 2009 | 5:08 pm

  The old love poem starts, "How do I love you? Let me count the ways." I suggest an alternative, "How bad is homelessness among families and teens? Let me count noses..." and then I'd point to myriad ways the problem has been described....Let's see...soaring, skyrocketing, surging, exploding, astronomical, rising, record levels...well, you get the point.In the days of Phil Mangano (pre-Obama administration homelessness czar at the mic), we heard a great deal, ad nauseam, about the need for numbers to convince the administration that we have a problem. So, with a nationwide systemic effort,…

• 
  Peoplesplaceseattle's Blog

• Enjoy Seattle for free

  What do you do with your leisure time? Imagine (or perhaps you don’t have to imagine) you have no money.  Not just “a little” money or “not enough” money, but NO money.  Your basic needs are met (shelter, clothing, food, medical care) but you have no currency of any kind. How do you engage in a consumer-based [...]

• When the Patient Can’t Afford Care–(some of) Seattle’s awesome clinics

  I’m working on a resources section to provide a more comprehensive list of services and agencies.  As that comes together, I’d like to highlight some of the places that have made a significant impact on the members of People’s Place. Leave your recommendations and share your experiences in the comments section–where do you go for health [...]

• Seattle has awesome food banks

  Let’s give some appreciation to the staff, volunteers, and donors who make Seattle food banks great.  On any day of the week, at almost any time of day, it’s possible to find a location that will provide you with healthy, tasty food for free. Thanks! Some of the food banks we love (and you should consider visiting [...]

• Basic routines not so basic for homeless

  What’s your morning routine? It probably includes many things we consider basic most parts of the US: running water, garbage pickup, electricity, telephone access, mail service, safe, reliable storage for your simplest belongings. Imagine if you had to visit a different location to access each of these services. (Assume you live in a community with these types [...]

• After the fundraiser, looking ahead

  Thanks to everyone who made our first fundraising event a success! We raised over $4000 and had several recurring pledges towards monthly expenses.  We’re now working on grant and other funding opportunities–possible only because of the stability offered by knowing we have money in the bank for immediate expenses. The majority of our donations have come [...]

• 
  Sacramento Homeless blog

• Weird Homeless Communist Theatre, Part II

  Tom Armstrong

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:46 am

  Merin sues again, but to what real purpose?An article in the Bee, today, tells us that Mark Merin is suing again ― using the homeless, again, to enrich he and his wife ― but where, O where, will this this take us, the homeless, now?Close followers of Homeless World Sacramento will recall that last summer Merin set up a homeless encampment on a tiny parcel of property [something like an eighth of an acre] he owns on C Street, near 13th. About thirty people settled in on the parcel, utilizing camping equipment that Loaves & Fishes provided.At first, the parcel was leased to Loaves &…

• Strategies of Confusion: Duckspeak in Homeless World and the Mayor's Office effort to misinform

  Tom Armstrong

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:28 am

  Duckspeak is a Newspeak term meaning literally to quack like a duck or to speak without thinking. Duckspeak can be either good or "ungood" (bad), depending on who is speaking, and whether what they are saying is in following with the ideals of Big Sister. To speak rubbish and lies may be ungood, but to speak rubbish and lies for the good of "The Party" may be good. In the appendix to 1984, Orwell explains:Ultimately it was hoped to make articulate speech issue from the larynx without involving the higher brain centres at all. This aim was frankly admitted in the Newspeak word duckspeak […].

• The Bee: Scare tactics and hypocrisy

  Tom Armstrong

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:26 pm

  "The thing that has not speeded up is the capacity to actually think through something." ― Ellen Goodman quoted in the chapter "Saving the News" in the book Losing the News.One day following their scare article about an early-released jail inmate who may have attempted to rape a Loaves & Fishes mental-health counselor, the Bee printed a Board editorial that condemns those resorting to scare tactics relating to the early-release program ― but without mention of their own article which is very possibly the principal scare-mongering source of alarm.The article about the…

• Loaves & Fishes was closed today, offering little forenotice of closure

  Tom Armstrong

  4 Feb 2010 | 5:11 pm

  Typical.Even though homeless people can have to walk long distances far out of their way to get there, Loaves & Fishes often closes for a day, or two, or three, without giving much in the way of notice to its denizen. It happened again today.For the purpose of a staff retreat, Loaves & Fishes was closed.Wouldn't you think that a staff retreat would be precisely the kind of thing for which notice to denizens could be given? should be given? I would think that. But no.You have to wonder why Loaves & Fishes is even in the homeless-help business, its administrators being so negligent…

• Trouble in Homeless World: An alleged crime on North C Street

  Tom Armstrong

  4 Feb 2010 | 9:36 am

  Picture of Kevin Peterson that appeared with the Bee article, "Inmate arrested for alleged rape attempt hours after early release."An article in today's Bee tells us of the arrest of Kevin Peterson just hours after "an early-release ... on a charge of attempted rape."I know Kevin, a little. He stayed at the mission for a few weeks, and, after he left, I saw and talked with him some in and around Friendship Park.The Bee article, because of the charges, and from not knowing Kevin, gives the impression that he is some sort of beast of prey. That doesn't reconcile with the Kevin that I…