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If you are homeless, have been homeless, helped the homeless or have stepped over or ignored a homeless person - Share your story with us!
DO Something
November 6, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Below is an email I sent to a close friend (more of my spiritual guide) back in May’09 about an experience I had with a homeless gentleman in Detroit. I wanted to share this story with you all. It keeps me motivated to always “DO Something”.
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Hey J…
I’ve been overwhelmed with emotions the past day due to a small event that happened unexpectedly. Took my manager Kelly to meet with a promoter yesterday. Dropped her off and I went to McDonald’s to sit in the parking lot and day dream. We were in the poorest area of Detroit. I watched a lot of homeless/hungry people roam around. While sitting in my car eating an ice cream a man (somewhat crippled on a cane and obviously homeless) limped through the parking lot and headed towards the dumpsters. He was filthy and looked very very sad. Its like it all happened in slow motion. I knew what he was about to do.
The parking lot was busy, people everywhere. I suddenly felt the need to intervene but I paused for a moment as if I was praying that man wasnt going to the dumpster for food. McDonald’s dumpsters are enclosed in a small brick building type of structure in the back of the parking lot. The man entered and closed the doors behind him (leaving one door slightly opened). I waited a few moments trying to think of what I’d say to get him out of there… (rats, dirt, filth, and I’m sure McDonald’s doesnt allow entry). I got out of my car (ice cream in hand) and walked pass the dumpster just to look in. The man was leaning against the wall inside. He looked as if he wanted to cry until he saw me pass by slowly. Then his sad look turned into an embarrassed look. My heart dropped into my stomach and it took all of me not to burst into tears from sadness and anger. I walked back to the dumpster and went in. Looked at him and said “Come inside McDonald’s and I’ll buy anything you want – as much as you want”… The look on his face was disbelief at first, then a defensive look as though I may be fooling him. I assured him I wanted to take him inside and feed him and to not eat out of this dumpster. His expression changed and he said “Really? God bless you, God bless you”. It took him a while to limp back to the front of the parking lot (he was using a modified stick as a cane). I assumed he may have been a veteran based on his age. Very dirty and extremely worn.
We entered the restaurant. He remained at least 10 steps behind me the whole time. It was very very chaotic in there since high school and business let out around the same time. I had never seen a McDonald’s so packed. We finally got the counter. I ordered a lemonade then asked him to order whatever he wanted. He was still reluctant as though it was a prank. Then I sternly looked at the girl taking the order and said “this man can order whatever he wants and as much as he wants”. So, she asked him. He asked for french fries. I said to him again “order ANYTHING you like and as much of it as you like”… He said “God bless you two more times and stood closer to me”. He ordered a cheeseburger to go with it. I added a bottled water to his order. The girl taking the order finally understood what I was doing. I really had to leave then because Kelly had just text me and said she’s ready to be picked up (she was standing outside of her meeting place – not a good area). Before I left I told the girl one more time MAKE SURE THIS GENTLEMAN GETS ALL HE WANTS. She gave me a look as though she wanted to thank me too and said YES, I WILL MAKE SURE HE GETS IT ALL. The gentleman then softly asked her if he could eat his food in the restaurant. I wanted to burst into tears again. I realized how often the homeless are ignored – considered “invisible”. Once she gave me the change (about $12) I handed that to him and told him to enjoy his meal and I walked out. I didnt want to leave. I wanted to stay and talk with him. Find out if he had a place to sleep, a place to go, family, friends. If he needed a ride anywhere. Anger set in with me. I kept asking myself “WHY?” and what more can I do.
The emotions that ran through me generated a sense of ENERGY. I felt the DO Foundation. I was angry, hurt, sad, and motivated all at once. I told Kelly when she got in the car and we then discussed more options we’d like to add to the DO Foundation.
My past few meditations have all been about the foundation on the bases of this experience. If its the last thing I do on this earth THAT FOUNDATION WILL BE FORMED AND UP AND RUNNING.
Whew.. Had to tell you that.
-B
November 10, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Here is a link that puts hunger around the world in to perspective.
http://www.rustylime.com/show_article.php?id=1497
November 10, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Thank you for sharing that with us! I became so teary eyed and spiritful while reading this! Doesn’t it just tear you up inside and make you angry. And sad and wonder….why is it that we live in such a rich country and we still have people homeless and living on the street? I know everything happens for a reason cuz God doesn’t make mistakes. Maybe he wants us to get up off our behinds and go out and help those less fortunate, the multitude. That is the greatest thing to do…give of yourself to others! I know you have a BIG Heart and that is good. Thank you for DOING SOMETHING and making us more aware of what is going on. You know now I am more observant when I see a homeless person. I always let my kids read about things that go on in the world. I let them read this story and everytime we pass the brick building where they put the garbage at McDonald’s we think about that man and how blessed he was that day by you! I would always give when someone asked for change but since you made the Foundation I am more aware of the situation. Count me in…I’m rolling up my sleeves to DO SOMETHING and make someone else’s life brighter!
God Bless You!
November 10, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Help (Poem by 11 yr. old Makayla Carr aka Baby Girl)
do you care about anyone else, or do you care more about your self?
do u stop to help people around you, or do you think your just to good to be true?
get off your butt and make a change, dont leave the mess there, rearange.
homelessn…ess could happen to you, this aint no joke its true.
give some food or a dollar, if you down with what im ayin let me hear you holla!
dont just sit there and do nothing,
GET UP AND DO SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 12, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Dear Brian,
I want to share a story with you…inspired by you.
Im going to try and make a LONG story Short.. as i was visiting with a friend at her job (social worker), chatting with her in her office…..
Out in the hallway/waiting area, i over hear another social worker, talking to a gentalman, (who i over hear is on dialasis) and has no where to go…he is there for emergency help for shelter. As i next hear the social worker tell the man..”.lets go, i got you approved for a night at the hotel. Grap a cup of soup and some danish, you will have to eat” ( what the hell? a soup? )
Well…boy oh boy….did tears fill my eyes, and i felt sad….and it hit me….how dare i sit here and DO nothing, i have food at home….then I remembered your “McDonalds” story.
I got up, and interupted all the commotion and requested I be allowed to bring the man dinner. WOW, if the room stood still, i walked over to the man, shook his hand and introduced myself and asked him, if it was ok with him, i bring him dinner?…
He said, yes, he accepts kindness….it was sooo sad to see him crying and I dont know what his story was….but if it gave him a smile and some comfort even for a minute.. I was happy..
Pressed for time…and all my running around, finally contacted by the social worker on where the man was and room number, i brought him two hot dinners..(homemade), juices, water, donuts ….snacks…etc..
The ending to my story is….YOU are a shinning star, that teaches and guides the way for others to DO SOMETHING, this experience for me, the man, and my lil 10yr old…who packed up lots of snacks and went with me to deliver the food was all inspired by you….and I thank you…and my lil boy, requested we bring dinner again tomorrow…..
Thanks….Barbara
November 13, 2009 at 1:37 pm
My thoughts and a couple of experiences that I have encountered:
In my local area (Philly/Jersey) the organizations that I support in time and resources (and that anyone in the area is more than welcome to volunteer at) are Chosen 300 Ministries in Philadelphia, and the State of New Jersey VA & DAV (disabled & homeless veterans associations); but please keep in mind that in this world it is not just about someone that is attached to a specific organization as they are trying to receive assistance, for me it is anyone that I come in contact with that is homeless, hungry or in need of the basic necessities for living; I had a hungry homeless guy randomly knock on my front door before (this was in the deep of winter, it took me less than 10 minutes to make him a hot meal, give him gloves, a coat, and tell him that he was welcome to come back if he needed help that I could give or another meal — I say that because people always ask what they can do … I say be resourceful because it is not always about reaching in your pocket and giving money but when it is about that do that too).
The last time that I volunteered at Chosen 300 Ministries was for my 40th birthday, 2 weeks ago. Here I thought that I was going to bless a group of people in need and this is the feeling that I shared when I left Spring Garden Street that day:
Today was such a blessing, I am deliriously tired after standing and serving for 3 hours straight but completely overwhelmed by the show of love and appreciation that was shown to me by a group of people that I thought that I was going to go bless. I was brought to tears and truly humbled by their hearts of gratitude and “their expression of love” toward me. Although a “smaller crowd than usual” at approximately 200 homeless that night, each one of them lifted their voice in song, taking the time to sing happy birthday to me with a joy about them prior to us blessing the food and beginning to serve them. In all honesty, I didn’t even anticipate them knowing that it was my birthday and that the group of people that were there to serve them were my friends/my birthday party but my friends who are the founders of the organization also showed their appreciation to us by making a banner which was shining bright against the wall in the feeding hall, and the group of people coming in to be served kind of took it from there and gave me something more to appreciate. And in that place there were (are) no boundaries or judgments, just a certain love and care where they understood that I was approachable, we had conversations and hugs of appreciation were shared across the board. Some of them I know better than others because they come there regularly, others I had never met but they actually felt like I had sacrificed something by coming to serve them on my birthday (for me it was “my birthday gift” and a small token to others), and so for those that were new and those that I had never met before but had been there before they were comfortable in those moments, that setting on my birthday and they took the time to make their presence known and to voice their appreciation. Oh my gosh, the feeling of greeting them all individually as individuals … can’t even explain it!
And within the love and openness that was in that place that day, I watched it bless my friends in such an amazing way (some of them donated and signed up to volunteer their time to help the homeless, it was the first time that some of them had ever gone or done anything like this and it was just amazing).
YOU NEVER KNOW HOW YOU MIGHT TOUCH SOMEONE’S LIFE BUT IF YOU TAKE DOWN THE BARRIERS OF JUDGMENT AND OPINIONS AND WALK IN LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER JUST AS HUMAN BEINGS WITH AN OPEN HEART YOU NEVER KNOW HOW THEY MAY TOUCH YOUR LIFE.
In my experience of volunteering at Chosen 300, there are two elderly ladies that come regularly, they are in their late 60’s/early 70’s and they are sisters; one has a broken foot and it is hard for her to get around (it is also hard for her foot to heal because she has to be on it so much), this organization is the only place they can get to in order to have a hot meal, some shelter for a while and at times leave with clothing, blankets, etc (but it is hard for anyone to leave with stuff when they have no place to put it and when they have to keep all that they may own with them at all times). I was specifically looking for them on my birthday but they did not make it out that night. They touch my heart so dearly each and every time I come in contact with them and although it is my belief that no person in America should be hungry or homeless to have them be elderly, hurting and in need (and the City of Philadelphia or any federal agency has nothing to help them) I have taken them personally into my life and my goal is to make sure they receive and have shelter for the rest of their time on this earth.
And I will end this note by saying to Brian O’Neal — I love and appreciate you so much, I love your heart, and I love your heart for people. You inspire me, and you inspire so many others through all of the amazing things you so selflessly do!
November 13, 2009 at 5:48 pm
The DO Foundation holds the essential belief that ALL people, no matter their walk of life, is entitled to dignity, respect and community assistance in realizing a life of self-sufficiency.”
-Administrator / DO Foundation
This statement by the DO Foundation & its Administrators sparked the following thought — In your daily walk & outings, BE APPROACHABLE!!!
It made me think of another recent encounter I had with a homeless and hungry man. I was stopped at a traffic light and could see someone approaching out of the corner of my eye … the guy was crossing the street from a McDonald’s parking lot and he came up to the truck, I had the window opened slightly and he said, “I haven’t eaten in 2 days and I just want to get something to eat will you help me?” as I went to help him another lady pulled up only in time to see that he had approached my vehicle. I got my daughter out of the truck and it just so happened that we all ended up in the parking lot and heading towards the door at the same time, she didn’t have any idea what he had said to me but as we all walked into McDonald’s she was behind him but in front of me, she looked back at me shaking her head with this look of disgust, signaling to me like “how dare him and don’t give him anything.” I was floored and immediately felt a sense of anger in that she was making a judgment and had no basis for a negative thought whatsoever! I know that she understood the displeasure I had towards her response by the look on my face, she turned bright red in embarrassment and shortly after entering the McDonald’s I noticed that she never made it to the counter and I didn’t see her anymore. It is unfortunate that many times when someone who is in need of help approaches someone to ask ANY question, that if they don’t look a certain way “they are looked AT in a certain way” or shut down immediately before being able to finish their sentence or express their need. Be approachable, be considerate and compassionate … consider the fact that they have to muster up a certain amount of courage to approach anyone to ask for help or that they must be in a place of great need to ask and at that point it isn’t about pride, I’m sure they are truly humbled within the situation and they certainly don’t need another person to tear them down in spirit any lower than they may already be torn.
November 13, 2009 at 7:36 pm
I think the main reason why people don’t help the homeless is because they think, erroneously, that homeless people put themselves there and have a choice. They could “pull themselves up by the bootstraps” and get out of their situation. It doesn’t matter the reason people end up homeless. There are many reasons. But that isn’t important. They are still human beings and deserve kindness and food and water and shelter!
I used to feed some homeless people in my hometown in Texas when I was young and just out of high school. I made sandwiches and took them to the people twice a week. That’s all I could do at the time but I talked to them. I stayed there and talked to them. I don’t know if I made any difference to them or not.
But later in life, I found myself homeless too. First I was staying with a friend and then eventually became absolutely homeless. Actually sleeping on the sidewalks on cardboard boxes and in shelters and under bridges. I know this life first hand. The thing that happens is HOPELESSNESS. I began to believe I would never get out of the streets. I had no home so it was hard to get a job. I needed things like clothes and shoes. There were two places to get 3 meals a day and I was grateful for that. There was a place during the day to get a drink of water from a fountain and to use the bathroom and take a shower but after 5 p.m., there were no facilities open.
You become accustomed to the life very quickly which really surprised me. I remember the first time I slept on a cardboard on the sidewalk. It was a Saturday night and I woke up Sunday morning and took off my blanket off my head (that someone had given me or I found, I don’t know which) and a car drove by very near where my head was on the sidewalk and I was so humiliated that they’d seen me asleep on a sidewalk. But the next night I slept there, it did not bother me anymore. It was like I gave up.
There were groups of people who would come to minister to the homeless or who would bring water bottles to us and talk to us and that meant a lot to me. They treated me like a human being.
But there was still no way out.
I think helping the homeless RIGHT NOW with what there needs are RIGHT NOW is so very important. A water bottle, a ride to get a birth certificate, a meal, a kind word or a hug can turn the whole day around and make me feel like a part of the human race. But what is really needed is a helping hand OUT of the streets for those who want to leave.
Granted, some people don’t want to leave. And then some are addicted and just aren’t yet ready to quit and leave “the life” just yet. Helping them with their needs right now is still great and goes a long way. I remember when I was feeding those people when I was young, I asked one guy why he lived on the streets and he just simply said, “I have nowhere else to go.”
But for those ready to leave, there needs to be some way to get them out of there. A place to live so they can put their things in one place and not have to carry all their belongings with them throughout the day when the night shelters kick them out in the morning. A place to call their own so they can have some pride and HOPE. Then the job comes next. Little by little these people CAN be integrated back into everyday society. It is NOT hopeless. It happened for me but I did not “pull myself up by my bootstraps.” I had help by someone who believed in me and who wanted to help me and take a chance on me.
I was given a place to live with 3 other people. At first, I was still so depressed and felt so hopeless. I couldn’t even FATHOM getting a job. Now you have to realize, I’d been a working, self-supporting member of society all of my adult life, with 5 years of college behind me when I found myself in this predicament. But here I was not even able to VISUALIZE myself ever working again. I couldn’t do ANYTHING it seems. I had lost the ability to do everyday normal living things.
A friend told me one day that I was going to die if I just did nothing. If not physically die, then emotionally. So I made myself get up every day and clean the bathroom from top to bottom for the house. That’s the best I could do. For days, I could only get up and clean the bathroom for everybody in the house.
Then I began to cook. I cooked dinner for everyone in the house and cleaned the bathroom.
Then I began cleaning and rearranging the house along with the other little chores.
Slowly, I began to feel like a human again doing these simple little tasks.
In a few weeks, I was able to go get a job. Menial. But it was a job. I was able to contribute to the house. It felt good.
I will tell you that it was almost 6 years ago to the day that I was homeless. My last night on the streets was November 19, 2003. I have now been reunited with my son for five years, I work and have lived in the same home for 5 years. I am a self-supporting member of society again but it took about a year to get back on my feet.
Six years ago, I had nothing but the clothes on my back. But one person reached out and offered help to me and here I am.
Brian, I am so grateful you are willing to offer a helping hand and I know you will help so many in the future. All it took for me was one person who cared but I haven’t forgotten all the people who offered water, the Word of God, hugs, kind words, and meals and other things while I was homeless.
ANYTHING you can do is appreciated. I have read things where people have tried to help and it wasn’t appreciated by a homeless person. Please, if that has happened to you, please keep trying to help. Don’t let that one bad experience keep you from helping the next person. You might meet a ME out there somewhere who will be very grateful for anything you can do. You might be that person to extend the very helping hand that is needed. All that is required is that you just do SOMETHING.
November 15, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Still burns me in memory the sequelae of when i living without a home, talk and my tears will not stop, I had to go through many needs, for days without a morsel of bread to his mouth, he had to do many unpleasant things to survive, besides having the eyes of all in the deepest contempt, I still remember it like today, very few people are aware of how much suffering homeless, we must live it to feel, that was the worst moment of my life, and I have very bad memories, many, the only thing is that people appreciate the noble sweet time have known, and even people prepared intellectually, not only for drug users living on the street, everyone is talking and decided to continue this case until the end in support of Brian, I think all these people deserve a place in the world, and Brian is doing, join this cause is the task of moment ”
Maria Eimil
November 15, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Help (Poem by 11 yr. old Rishard Carr)
1, 2, 3 there U see, homeless people begging 4 $ by a tree. Don’t laugh this ain’t no joke! Bad health conditions might have a stroke. In an alley, on the streets, Under a box, no car just feet. No food just trash cans/beer, Sadness, loneliness, heartaches & tears.Still not clear? Let me help U understand. BUILD THEM U……P/TAKE A STAND!! In other words DO SOMETHING! Could B U, 1 check away, Help,RIGHT NOW.TODAY!!:-)
November 16, 2009 at 10:52 am
This morning I noticed a homeless man on a bike searching through all the trash cans at a BUSY gas station. Everyone just watched him and did nothing. I saw him find one can (.10 deposit). He was frustrated about that. I approached him and gave him $5. His face lit up with glee and he said “God bless you” about 4 times to me. God, bless HIM.
November 16, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Hi Brian,
After seeing your blog site I wanted to share, in more detail, the soup story incident at the hospital. I saw a homeless man go to several of my peers asking if they would buy him a bowl of soup, or rather I am assuming he asked that question. I couldn’t hear what the verbal exchange was, but when he approached me while I was paying the cashier for my lunch he asked me, “Sistah can you buy me a little soup?” I said, “Yes, go on and get your soup.” I told the cashier, Patricia, to ring up his soup. She even gave me the hospital employee discount (I don’t get an employee discount because I am a traveler nurse). This man came back with a pitiful half a bowl of soup and he sat it on the scale to be weighed. In unison the cashier and I told him it doesn’t need to be weighed, and get back in there and get you a whole bowl of soup. He said countless of God Bless you’s and gleefully got his soup and shouted out God Bless again and walked out smiling. Everything seemed to happen so fast, that it didn’t dawn on me until after he left that I should have offered him a whole meal. I felt horrible. In the future I will remember to ask is there anything else you need? In honesty, while doing a good thing, my mind was flawed by what the next person didn’t do, and so I didn’t think clearly enough to focus on all I could do for him, and thus I felt miserable. A learning experience.
Below is the comment I shared with you on Facebook. I copied and pasted it to this site. It speaks in small content of the soup incident, and of my past experience of befriending a homeless individual.
As recent as this weekend I bought a homeless man some food after watching my peers (nurses) and Doctors ignore his plea for a bowl of soup in our hosp cafeteria. I have bought food for countless people who are disadvantaged, even buying baby formula for mothers asking for help at a store.
This is a recent comment I shared below on another persons site in regards to homeless people, which struck up a lot of passionate comments. I have added a few more things to it. Sorry so lengthy.
I once met a lady named Mrs Lehman in downtown Los Angeles off of 5th ave. She lived across the street from a DEA office near Good Sam Hospital. My date and I offered her food after our lunch date. Sad to say I was gonna miss those left overs from P.F. Changs, but we wanted to see if she was hungry. She accepted the food and introduced herself by about 20 different first names, in fast succession, and ended by saying, “But you can call me Mrs. Lehman.” Well I forgot her name the next time I saw her and thought I’ll just make one up cause she has 20 of em. I decided to call her Darlene. She said, “No, my name is not Darlene,” told me all the names again, and ended with Mrs. Lehman. She never asked for anything. For about 2 years I would drive by her spot about twice a week just to take her something whether it was food, money, clothes, a blanket, or to sit and drink coffee together and talk with her. For two years she never asked for anything. Even when my hands were empty. She always greeted me by saying my name and a big, “Hi Lora honey? How are you (with a beautiful big smile)?” As odd as this may sound, she was very refreshing and I found myself driving by her spot more and more because I enjoyed her and her conversations. She had a medicinal spirit, humble, caring, loving, and an absolute joy to talk to. One day she disappeared off the streets. My friend who worked in the bldg on her corner said she was picked up by a shelter help group. I hope that is where she lays her head. I can honestly say I miss her dearly. I called her a friend. Might sound crazy but I needed her probably more than she needed me. My relationship with this woman changed me, how I think, and how I view friendships. Simply put, she is one of the many people God placed in my direct path on my journey in life, and I am glad I had the vision to see it.
Thank you for your time. If I can serve, or help the cause, I would very much enjoy the experience of being a part of.
Aloha and Mahalo,
Lora
November 19, 2009 at 12:56 am
I worked in Las Vegas for three years building and working on cell sites. I got to know several homeless people. I didn’t have a lot of money to give them. One man I knew had old rotten shoes with holes. I found out he was a size 11 and asked my very handsome gay cousin (size 11) who has a closet full of shoes if he had an extra pair. (I mention my gay cousin because I knew he had a lot of nice shoes.) He gave me a very nice pair of expensive, casual, like-new shoes, to give my friend. I gave the man the shoes and a bag of new socks. I have never seen anyone so happy in my life. He danced around in them like it was Christmas.
Sometimes I had to work on cell sites at night and I would find guys sleeping in the cell sites in the fenced in area, freezing. I had a warehouse full of shipping blankets that I would give these guys. I think we can help them by asking them if they need a coat, sleeping bag, or something like that. It does not always need to be money.
November 22, 2009 at 5:26 pm
One of the things we can DO is help the homeless in our own towns. This morning, I was very blessed to get to go to a place where they help the homeless and feed them on certain days of the week. It’s only Sunday mornings for breakfast and Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for breakfast and lunch. I am unable to go there during the week since I work a full time job then but on Sundays I go and help prepare and serve breakfast and get to talk to the homeless men and women there. It was an awesome blessing to get to do this. It was nice getting to do this for THEM but really, they bless ME. Then there is a worship service after the meal and a man got up this morning and gave a praise testimony and sang a gospel song. The man beside me started singing in harmony and man, could he SING! It was so beautiful, I cried. The man beside me has been homeless since the 80’s. Wow. Turns out we know some of the same people in other cities. It is a small, small world and we are all humans and not so very different from each other!
November 22, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Today I had a beautiful experience, I went grocery shopping for food and found a homeless man, I have very little money, but i invite to go shopping with me to the market, buy him some food, also i give $ 10,00 dollares, glowing face, joy shone in his eyes, after having completed my purchase, when I left of market, was out with other homeless people and share with them what I had given him, I approached him and also gave a box of cigarettes, among all ate and smoked and thanked me with a hug, I think anything you do for these people is very important to your spirit … Today I was happy to help.
Thanks Brian, thank to you, the world is moving up ”
Maria Eimil”
November 23, 2009 at 10:42 pm
I was right out of college when I first saw (what I knew to be) a homeless person. NOW I know that I had probably seen many, and just didn’t know. As a young adult, living in Queens, NY and commuting to NYC to work, I remember initially being very overwhelmed by the sight and smell of so many homeless people. I had been warned, however, not to look them in the eye, and not to take out my purse to give them money for fear of having it snatched. I learned how to carry change in my pockets to offer them because of that. Unfortunately, what I remember most is that one day, I didn’t “see” them anymore. I didn’t even smell their sometimes-offending odors.
My work took me to Baltimore, MD after a few years. The homeless people were, once again, very apparent to me because they seemed bolder somehow. I worked in a busy Trauma Surgery Department, and that is when I noticed that homelessness does not have an age attached to it; I saw small children living in abandoned homes; eating corn chips and drinking jungle juice for a meal. How could this be?
When I returned to my home state of NC, I put these thoughts in the back of my mind and began working with a nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities. Well, guess what…having a disability can cause homelessness, too. It’s a huge problem, and not just for the obvious reasons. When I listened to Brian’s radio spot, the thing that struck me the most was his description of what it is REALLY like to be on the street. The fact that after a few days of being hungry and going without a shower can change the way you think, and hearing about what you become willing to do and say to get a meal. I don’t think I will ever be the same…and I hope not. Now, I feel compelled to DO something.
November 27, 2009 at 9:05 am
Let me shoot you a special story Brian and my encounter with a homeless person. My son is in school at University of North Carolina at Pembroke. He works part-time at a local grocery store there to make extra money. Anyway, he was suppose to drive up really early this morning because he had to work last night. We live three hours away. He calls me around 7:00am this morning and ask if it would be okay if he brought someone home with him. He said it would put him getting here later on though, around 3:00pm because the guy had to work until 12:30pm. At first I was like what…you’ll be late for dinner and who is this person? Then he told me that it was a guy that he works with that didn’t have any place to go for Thanksgiving and no place to stay. He lives in Pembroke and attends the local community college. Anyway, he’s 19 years old and has been living in his car for the last two months. He didn’t want anyone to know his situation, but my son found out through someone else that was having a discussion about how mean his mother and her boyfriend were to him. My son said said he’s been crashing with him for the past few weeks and he forgot to tell me (yeah right…lol.). His mom’s boyfriend put him out and he had no where to go. Brian, my heart nearly dropped. Then my son said something that touched my heart. He said I see alot of parents in this county that are so out of touch with their children and act like they just don’t care and it causes the kids to act the same way. He said I guess it’s really surprising because I never had to wonder if you really cared or loved me. You always showed it and when I look at this dude, it makes me sad. That statement let me know that I raised my son right and that he has a heart of gold! Anyway, I was blessed to have one extra guest for dinner today. I guess he’ll be staying here through Saturday and I’m so glad to have him!
November 28, 2009 at 10:07 pm
I went to see the movie The Blind Side about a homeless football player. It is a true story. I think I cried 95% of the time. He comes out triumphant but his story is like a lot of stories that many people/kids go through. The Cast: Sandra Bullock, Kathy Bates, Tim McGraw, Ray McKinnon, Quinton Aaron, Heather Holliday Richmond The fate of people do not ever know. Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), for example, he may never hope to become famous. Even for a living could have probably been beyond his dreams. But that all changed when he met Leigh Anne Touhy (Sandra Bullock) and Sean Touhy (Tim McGraw) who gave her new hope. Michael Oher is a black kid who grew up in broken-home. Without shelter and without adequate education, Oher’s fate was never clear. Touhy families who are concerned about Oher then adopt a child. They do not care if Oher was not a white child as their families. With the support of his new family, the spirit grew Oher. Without having to leave school, Oher chose football as his way of life. Over time, Oher had grown into a talented football athlete. No one thinks that is just the beginning Oher homeless child who has no life expectancy. But with… http://www.watchmoviesonlines.us/the-b... It is a MUST GO SEE!
December 16, 2009 at 9:18 am
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December 22, 2009 at 3:06 pm
An article I ran across today:
http://www.google.com/search?q=prince+william+spends+night+with+homeless+in+London&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&ie=utf8&oe=utf8
December 22, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Prince William spends night on London streets
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Delicious Digg Facebook Fark Newsvine Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Twitter Yahoo! Bookmarks Print AP – In this image made available by the Charity Centrepoint in London, Tuesday Dec. 22, 2009, Britain’s …
Slideshow:British Royal Family Play Video Celebrity Video:Serena Williams is the AP Female Athlete of the Year AP Play Video Celebrity Video:Jude Law: what’s up doc? AP By JENNIFER QUINN, Associated Press Writer Jennifer Quinn, Associated Press Writer – Tue Dec 22, 10:34 am ET
LONDON – A cold alley in central London is a far cry from a palace — but it was the spot Prince William chose to sleep to highlight the plight of homeless British teenagers.
He spent a chilly night near Blackfriars Bridge last week with Seyi Obakin, the chief executive of British homeless charity Centrepoint. William has been the charity’s patron since 2005.
“I cannot, after one night, even begin to imagine what it must be like to sleep rough on London’s streets night after night,” William said Tuesday. “Poverty, mental illness, drug and alcohol dependancy and family breakdown cause people to become and then stay homeless.
“I hope that by deepening my understanding of the issue, I can help do my bit to help the most vulnerable on our streets.”
William, second in line to the throne, was exposed to some of the hardships found on London’s streets when his mother, Princess Diana, took him to a shelter in 1996. Just 13 at the time, William spent an hour at the facility with his younger brother, Harry.
Diana was well-known for her charitable work and the homeless was a group she was particularly close to. She had also served as Centrepoint’s patron, a position she held at the time of her death in 1997.
A photograph released by the charity shows William, 27, in the alley in jeans, a gray hooded sweat shirt and a knit hat pulled low.
In a post to the charity’s Web site, Obakin said the idea for William to spend a night on the streets — known as “sleeping rough” in Britain — was hatched in March.
“He was determined, as he has always been, to understand deeply the full range of problems a homeless young person might face,” Obakin said. “For me, it was a scary experience. Out of my comfortable bed. Out there in the elements. Out there on an extremely cold night, with temperatures down to -4 C (39 F). And it was the same for Prince William. But he was determined to do it.”
Obakin said they found a secluded spot — tucked away behind some garbage bins — and settled in for a restless night.
“But there was no shielding from the bitter cold, or the hard concrete floor, or the fear of being accosted by drug dealers, pimps or those out to give homeless people a ‘good’ kicking,” Obakin said.
William is currently training to be a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue pilot.
___
On the Net:
http://www.centrepoint.org.uk/
December 23, 2009 at 6:22 am
I grow up in the foster care system 3 month ago I aged out. My social worker just said Bye with no resources. My mother is a drug addicted and I don’t know my father. So I came Homeless. I am a senior in high school. I have dreams of becoming a doctor. But one I need a place 2 stay and money to pay for college. I think the state could do something with kid growing up in foster care then being homeless your 18th birthday
December 25, 2009 at 11:30 pm
The site was decisively fantastic! Lots of nice information and afflatus, both of which we all need!
December 26, 2009 at 1:27 am
http://www.publicopiniononline.com/ci_13998267?sou... Homeless During The Holidays: Franklin County Families Cope While Living At Shelter by Vicky Taylor, Public Opinion Online
December 26, 2009 at 11:10 am
This is my first time i visit here. I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! keep up the good work.
December 27, 2009 at 12:04 pm
I agree Monique Frazier. The state should do better than to leave you out on the streets! What state do you live in? Maybe we can find some good natured people there to give assistance.
December 27, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Miami Dolphins: Dolphins’ Parcells talks at stoplight with homeless man — South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com
December 31, 2009 at 2:01 am
I took some clothes to Our House homeless shelter with my kids. We had a nice time there. I gave my Holiday Box to the head person, Georgia as a gift. I had the guy name John who is a worker there take a picture holding the cds. He gave us a tour. I took pictures but not with any people in them. They said not to take pictures of people in it because someone might not want to be recognized. I understand their privacy. My oldest daughter said she would like to volunteer some time. I told them we all did Taekwondo and gave them my card and they gave us theirs. We saw the kids and they said they wanted to take Taekwondo lessons. We are working on it. They have women and children sleeping quarters on one side and the men on another side. In the picture of the beds if you see beds pushed together it meant the mother had a child or children. The house is a real nice place and it looks like they are well equipped. They have classes and job listings available. The adults have a room to learn the basics, job skills and how to get their GED! While the parents are gone to work the kids are in school or daycare. They had bicycles outside that the homeless used as transportation to and from work. The head lady, Georgia was on vacation. I know we will be coming back and giving our time to them. We realize that they are just like us…ordinary people. We are poor like them but we have shelter and a car for transportation. We are truly blessed! http://www.ourhouse.org
January 7, 2010 at 11:51 am
Little Rock helps homeless escape freezing temperaturesAs temperatures continue to dip below freezing, Little Rock city leaders are taking steps to make sure the homeless are taken care of. The city opened a new warming center Wednesday to help the less fortunate.
http://www.todaysthv.com/video/default.aspx#/News/Little%20Rock%20helps%20homeless%20escape%20freezing%20temperatures/53098765001/52747342001/60657564001
January 8, 2010 at 10:41 pm
H&M and Walmart destroy goods……HORRIBLE!!!
Cynthia Magnus holds up unworn, destroyed clothing she found in the garbage. Photo by Suzanne DeChillo/New York Times
This week the New York Times reported a disheartening story about two of the largest retail chains. You see, instead of taking unsold items to sample sales or donating them to people in need, H&M and Wal-Mart have been throwing them out in giant trash bags. And in the case that someone may stumble on these bags and try to keep or re-sell the items, these companies have gone ahead and slashed up garments, cut off the sleeves of coats, and sliced holes in shoes so they are unwearable.
This unsettling discovery was made by graduate student Cynthia Magnus outside the back entrance of H&M on 35th street in New York City. Just a few doors down, she also found hundreds of Wal-Mart tagged items with holes made in them that were dumped by a contractor. On December 7, she spotted 20 bags of clothing outside of H&M including, “gloves with the fingers cut off, warm socks, cute patent leather Mary Jane school shoes, maybe for fourth graders, with the instep cut up with a scissor, men’s jackets, slashed across the body and the arms. The puffy fiber fill was coming out in big white cotton balls.”
The New York Times points out that one-third of the city’s population is poor, which makes this behavior not only wasteful and sad, but downright irresponsible. Wal-Mart spokeswoman, Melissa Hill, acted surprised that these items were found, claiming they typically donate all unworn merchandise to charity. When reporters went around the corner from H&M to a collections drop-off for charity organization New York Cares, spokesperson Colleen Farrell said, “We’d be glad to take unworn coats, and companies often send them to us.”
After several days of no response from H&M, the company made a statement today, promising to stop destroying the garments at the midtown Manhattan location. They said they will donate the items to charity. H&M spokeswoman Nicole Christie said, “It will not happen again,” and that the company would make sure none of the other locations would do so either. Hopefully that’s the final word. [NY Times][Huff Post]
January 14, 2010 at 6:37 pm
We make kits for the homeless that we keep in our car. They are a gallon size ziplock with a bottle of water, roll of toilet paper, a strong FlexForce trash bag folded up, beef jerky, slim jims, granola bars, bandaids, alcohol wipes, books of matches, toothbrushes, tooth paste, crackers, cookies, etc. and a small bible. We stop and share them and offer to pray with them too. We teach others to make these kits to have on hand when they encounter someone in need.
January 22, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Shelter For The Homeless….Temporary Shelter
http://sync.arkansasonline.com/videos/2010/jan/09/3781/
January 31, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Former Newark Bears mascot, now homeless, shows how recession hits home
By Barry Carter/The Star-Ledger
January 31, 2010, 10:29AM
John Munson/The Star-LedgerKendell Woolridge is homeless in Newark.
NEWARK — Kendell Woolridge wants a place of his own — something stable, warm, and not Penn Station in Newark, where he wound up last week for the first time in his young life.
But he is the kind of guy you bet on. There’s something about him, the smile, the attitude, the belief that things will break his way again.
“I’m 23,” he said. “I’m not supposed to be homeless. I shouldn’t be living like this.”
Last week he was. And so were many young people like him.
It had been two years since he lost his job, the best one he said he ever had. Woolridge was the mascot of the Newark Bears — Ruppert — and the clubhouse manager, until he got laid off in 2007 when the baseball team changed ownership.
It was a great gig, because the stadium was home, too. He took care of the clubhouse, cleaned it, washed the players’ uniforms, then crashed in an office overnight.
When the job was over, so was his place to stay.
“That’s why I fell off,” he said.
He bounced from one friend’s house to another, holding down jobs at ShopRite, then Walgreens, but never making enough, he says, to be stable.
He knew it was rough out here, but not like this, not to the point of Penn Station.
He found himself somewhere by the PATH train, sleeping to stay warm, then heard there would be social service agencies at the Essex County Skating Rink in Branch Brook Park Wednesday. About 50 of the agencies come every year as part of a statewide program to count the homeless and connect them to services. The effort takes place in other counties as well, with volunteers looking for the homeless by waterfrosnts, bridges, abandoned warehouses and other places they may frequent to stay warm. Results are then turned over to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
While urban areas bear the brunt of poverty, the suffering has spread to Essex suburbs in ways that leave county officials staggered.
“Our food stamp program grew by 50 percent, and our Medicaid caseload grew by 31 percent in the last two years,” said Bruce Nigro, the county’s director of welfare.
In Montclair two years ago, 925 people applied for food stamps. That number has jumped to 1,256. In West Orange, 750 cases increased to 1,371, and Maplewood rose from 347 to 637, Livingston from 85 to 161.
“We’re seeing numbers we’ve never seen before,” Nigro said. “These are people who lost their jobs.”
A state agency tracking the face of the homeless sees more and more families in crisis every year.
“That was the one thing that stood out from the past two years,” said Colleen Velez, program manager for the New Jersey Corporation for Supportive Housing. “It was the beginning downturn of the economy.”
The need was evident Wednesday. Crowds of people showed up at the skating rink, lining up as early as 7 a.m., three hours before the doors opened. Kids were in strollers. Toddlers getting restless cried once inside. The playful ones ran around, then slid on the floor, laughing. The young families ate boxed lunches in the cafeteria, talked to representatives from the slew of agencies. They grabbed pamphlets and signed up for services if they were eligible. Soulful music played to make things somewhat festive, to make people feel better.
Darnella Smith, 38, was one of them. She’s been in Newark five months, living in transitional housing, having relocated when a storm flooded her home in Florida. Smith wants to work, but that’s going to be hard now. She’s five months pregnant, has three other children and is on assistance. The free haircuts for her boys were a big help.
Sitting next to her was Jacqueline Feliciano, 32. She wasn’t homeless but said she goes to the food pantries in Newark so she can feed her two young boys when food is low.
“The face of the homeless is getting younger and younger,” said Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo. “Look at all of the people here.”
In his county, DiVincenzo said, one out of every five residents is on some form of assistance. It’s disturbing to him. Make that alarming.
“More and more of these kids need jobs,” he said. “We need to find jobs for these young people. They want to work. They want help. That could be anyone of our kids. That could happen to anybody.”
In the early-morning hours Wednesday — midnight to 4 a.m. — volunteers fanned out in Newark to find the homeless so they could count them and tell them to come to the skating rink for help. Many of the usual haunts, like the old Essex County Jail, were abandoned. The waterfront was empty except for a loner known only as Fred. No one was under Route 280 by McCarter Highway, either. There were only remnants — clothing, bottles, cardboard, tarps — that let you know somebody had slept there at some point. It was cold, and many had found shelter elsewhere.
At Penn Station, a dozen or so people were on the floor in an enclosure by the Market Street bus lane. There was no heat, but it kept the wind out. They slept on newspapers, feet sticking out from underneath blankets, some with cardboard. One pair of small shoes was sandwiched by two larger pairs of feet: This is a family.
Upstairs by the PATH train, several more people found refuge in a vestibule. When the train pulled in around 3 a.m., they got on to ride all night long.
The final tally of homeless won’t be known for several days, but officials said 733 people came to the rink for help. Some had their eyes checked, others a haircut or nails done. Little things to ease the pain. They just needed something extra, maybe a hat, a coat for their kid, information on where to get food when the shelves get empty at the end of the month.
However you slice it — urban vs. suburbs — people are hurting. On cold nights, they are at Penn Station and shelters.
It’s enough to depress even the toughest of us.
But then there was Woolridge. He has been on his own since 19, when he had to leave home. Time for him to be a man, he said. He’s always worked. Even now, with no place to stay, he tended one of the food concession stands at Newark’s Prudential Center.
He takes the money he earns to care for his 1-year-old daughter, whom he sees as much as possible. That makes him proud. He said he prays to keep his head on straight and attends New Hope Baptist Church when he can on Sundays. He knows he should tell church members about his problems but feels embarrassed. It’s not supposed to be like this.
When he made his way to the skating rink, Woolridge bumped into a familiar face from a Bears game. It was DiVincenzo. Woolridge reminded the county executive that they shook hands years ago, when he was Ruppert. DiVincenzo remembered and offered him help so he wouldn’t have to go back to Penn Station.
Woolridge accepted, but changed his mind on the way to the shelter on Fulton Street. He was able to camp out with a friend instead.
For that night.
Then, on Friday, for some reason he can’t explain, Woolridge walked into the general manager’s office at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
He told them who he was, that he had once been Ruppert the Bear.
Well, they said, as it turned out, they needed a Ruppert for the new season. They hired him on the spot.
Woolridge starts March 6, making his Ruppert comeback appearance at the Nutley Irish Parade.
“I’m just trying to get back on my feet,” he said. “I’m going to see what happens next and go from there.”
February 1, 2010 at 1:52 am
I found this article on Change.org that I thought you would be interested in.
http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/mapping_the_impact_of_the_recovery_act
March 15, 2010 at 1:04 am
I found this article and thought you would be interested in reading.
http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/city_arrests_homeless_man_and_locks_up_his_dog