| Thoughts About Being Homeless |
| BEING HOMELESS Having to live outside presents all sorts of challenges. Keeping warm and dry may be a problem; even in Florida it becomes dangerously cold at times, but that's only part of it. I've camped as necessary, but out of public view. This is not just for privacy or to avoid the law, but to avoid being found by those who will steal or destroy anything you have. It doesn't matter if it has no value; some people will steal anything. I've had my camp torn apart with only cans of beans stolen. It's not just a matter of losing belongings continually. The homeless are frequently assaulted, robbed, and sometimes killed. Gangs of teenagers, lacking any real parents to teach them anything (or with criminal parents that teach their children to be criminals too), often find it entertaining to beat up homeless people. One time, when I was forced to move from my camp and find something else, I picked out a spot that no one had used in years and cleared out the thorn vines and debris. I put up a plastic tarp for protection from the rain. A couple days later, when returning at the end of the day, the tarp and all the other belongings were gone. So I put up another out of cheap plastic sheeting. What else can you do? There is no such thing as police protection in this regard. They will only tell you that it's your fault for being there. Not only that, they will threaten you with jail even though there is nowhere else to go. Officers have asked me "Why don't you just go into a shelter?", even though there is no shelter available. It amazes me sometimes just how out of touch with reality many public employees are. |
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| HALFWAY CURES FOR HOMELESSNESS All too often I see people offering help to the homeless which, while well-meaning, turns out to be only a half-way attempt that accomplishes very little. Any doctor can tell you that giving a patient only part of a prescription for their problem not only isn't effective but can make the problem even worse. When homeless people are promised help, given just a little, and then dumped back where they were, they become even more discouraged and often give up all hope. It's an easy excuse to label them "chronic" and turn them away as not worth the time or expense. There are thousands of churches, missions, shelters, and drop-in centers that provide homeless just enough to survive on. This is very nice, keeping these people alive to be another day on the street. All too often the primary objective is keeping the organization alive by maintaining a substantial list of clients to refer to when seeking more funding. Reducing the number of homeless would be counter-productive in terms of sustaining the organization. Certainly it's good to give food and clothes, but if there were consideration to the total picture, with a realistic objective of helping people to get off the street, there would be less homeless each year instead of far more. |
| ORGANIZATIONS THAT PREY ON THE HOMELESS One day, while walking to the grocery store, I came upon some people asking for money for their "mission". I said that I didn't have money to contribute and they asked if I was homeless. They tried to get me interested in going to their homeless shelter in Tampa, saying that they could get me transportation immediately. The fact that they were recruting just down the street from an established christian mission, without ever going there to talk to people, was just one thing that made me suspicious. I'm certainly glad that I didn't accept the offer. Some time later I came upon articles about the organization, which was called the Deeper Life Church, from newspapers locally and in other states. It turned out that the shelter offered extremely poor living conditions. Those wishing more were sent out on the road, panhandling for funds in several states raising millions of dollars. Local news media made inquiries into what was going on, with mixed success since funds raised went through family channels. No one could find out exactly how much was raised or where it went, though the "Bishop" of the organization drove an extremely expensive luxury car. The organization was found guilty of food stamp fraud at least. One thing is certain; the money wasn't for helping the homeless. |
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| PROFILING FOR DOLLARS Some people protest against being profiled, being categorized by race or ethnic background. If you're homeless it often becomes necessary to fit into a profile for designated funding in order to recieve any help. Programs for the homeless that depend on government funding need to prove that their clients fit specific need profiles in order to get grant money. If you can prove an addiction problem, such as by having a list of DUIs or arrests, then you can get into a funded program for that. If you can prove a serious medical or mental problem, then there is a specific program available. Be capable and willing to work without any obvious problems, forget it! The assistance available depends on where the government funding is, and that requires fitting into a catagory. Don' fit the profile? Come back when you do. If you stay on the street for enough years you will eventually become disabled enough to qualify for some help. |
| ATTITUDES TOWARD PANHANDLERS One day I was walking past a guy I see panhandling frequently. He wasn't homeless, but obviously far too handicapped to do any kind of work and didn't have much to live on. He's one of those who have some reason to panhandle. I watched a car stop next to him just long enough for the driver to say "Get a job!", and then take off quickly. Some people feel a need to share the hate they carry inside. I wonder if the driver realized later just how ignorant he looked. |
| GOOD ADVICE? It's not unusual for people to tell me things like "I was never unemployed a day in my life" or "When I was in your situation I found work on my own and never needed any help" and "never accepted charity". That sounds very good, but I know it's just lies told to impress people. The last person that told me he never took charity collected SSI and food stamps for years and lives in government subsidized housing. One person bragged about making his own business by picking up street people and having them work in his lawn business. It was illegal, of course, with no taxes paid or any insurance whatsoever. If he had been caught by the law he would have served time in prison, but he got away with it and therefore considered himself successful in business. Good advice? I've also had people laugh at me for wanting a real job since they know it's easier, and more profitable, to deal drugs on the street. I hear lots of good advice like that. |
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| ABOUT DISCRIMINATION Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you" but say to the poor man "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet", have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? from James 2:2--4, NIV Bible |
| www.homelessamerican.com HOMEPAGE |
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