Houselessness

Tri to End Homelessnes Race Report: Homerun For the Homeless 5k

2011-05-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

Today was my first 5k in years. Since I'm fundraising for Back on My Feet, the Colorado Rockies Home Run For the Homeless was an obvious choice. The cause was only the first of many things that made the race great, including running on the track around the perimeter of Coors Field, professional timing chips (the Blaster Blast tri did the timing by hand), organized volunteers, and a post race party in Coors Stadium that included free beer, hot dogs, and slushies in addition to the usual post-race bagels and bananas.

Mile 0-1 (~8:49)
My goal for the race was to run less than 10 minute miles. Little did I know that the first half of the race would essentially be an obstacle course. The race included walkers and there was no separating the walkers from the runners. By the time I reached mile marker 1 there were still walkers everywhere.

Mile 1-2 (~9:45)
Mile 2 felt longer than I expected. Most of my runs are 6+ miles. I had it in my head that a 5k would be a hop skip and a jump but 30 minutes of hard running is still taxing and weaving in and out of walkers took extra energy. By mile 1.5 the walkers thinned out but as I approached mile 2 the rolling hills kicked in.

Mile 2-3 (~9:06mi)
The hills made my calves feel like lead. I started kicking myself for working out the day before. My legs were tired and people were driving up the hill past me as I putted along. I reminded myself of my goal and just put one foot in front of the other as we pushed on to the track inside Coors Field. By the time I hit the field it was flat again and I felt great. They had the jumbotron on us as we ran the perimeter of the field, which is much larger than it looks on TV. The end was near!

Mile 3-3.1 (~2:24)
The last push was fantastic. I took everything in me as I drove to the finish line. By the time I crossed the line I could not run another step. This is how you are supposed to feel at the end of a race! While I hoped for a better time I felt confident that I put everything I had into the race. I could have done better if I trained smarter by resting but that is a lesson that I will take with me to the Boulder Boulder 10k on Memorial day. Tomorrow will be resting and then it's back to work!

Tri to End Homelessness Race Report: Blaster Blast

2011-05-08T17:40:00.000-06:00

After several months of training, my triathlon season finally started this morning.

My alarm started buzzing at 6am but it didn't matter, I was tossing and turning since 2. I bundled up in the clothes I laid out the night before, tossed a yogurt in my bag, and hopped on my bike to ride that mile and a half to the start of the race at Colorado School of Mines. Before this morning I never rode with temps below 60f but when I headed out the door at 6:30 it was 36f, and the temp staid at 36f throughout the entire race.

Upon arrival I knew that this was going to be different from the races I'd done before, and not just because it was a pool swim. There were no assigned spots for the bikes, there were no timing chips, and I somehow ended up with number 2. Being number 2 made me nervous because the low numbers are usually for the elites and I'm far from an elite racer!

Swim-400yds-7:40
The swim was a 400yd swim/8 times down and back. The swim was in heats by age and I was in the second heat, I guess the average triathlete is older than I thought? As I was busy being nervous about being number 2 and in an early heat it turned out that number 1 was facing the same crisis. We found each other and shared our woes, and it turned out that we were assigned to share a lane. This really helped me to calm down and get my bearings.

I originally thought it was going to be warmer out but the cold threw me for a loop. Instead of swimming in my new tri gear and freezing for the rest of the race, I decided to swim in tight running shorts and a sports bra covered with a tank top.

The start of the swim was a little confusing but once I made it into the pool I was off and strong. My breathing was consistent and strong, my turn-around (I don't do flip turns) at the end of the pool was seamless, and my weaker right arm held up to the test. Unfortunately, I had it in my head that it was an 800yd swim and was expecting to do 16 times down and back so I was surprised when a volunteer was trying to get my attention to get out of the pool at the end of lap 8. I lost a couple seconds there and was mad at myself because I would have worked harder if I realized that it was only half the distance that I thought. But there wasn't time to be mad for long. I towel dried myself before running back out into the cold.

T1-6:56
I spent almost as long in the transition area as in the pool? Oops. But it was time well spent because I dried off before I went outside and put on dry shorts and a top before taking off on the bike. The cold was a shock, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. At this point I was glad that they didn't reverse the race.

I quickly stripped off the tank and wet shorts (yes, I did race this one with underwear, I wasn't about to wear those wet shorts for the bike and run!). I wished that I had a looser pair of pants as I struggled with my running tights but it was worth it. For top layers ended up going with just a turtleneck sports top and an unzipped fleece jacket. I pulled on my socks, strapped on my cleats, put on my helmet and took off to start the ride.

Bike-8 miles-32:05
I was pleasantly surprised that I was not cold for the entire 8 miles.

The course was incredibly boring, 13 loops in a residential area. The upside was that there was a bit of a hill in the middle of it but the hill, coupled with the constant turns, meant that I spent nearly zero time in "aero" (the preferable position for triathletes, when you have bars off the end of your handle bars that you lean down on, it's more aerodynamic but I'm so slow that I'm sure it doesn't help much).

Bikers were everywhere, passing on the left and right without warning. I almost hocked a loogie on one. As I went around and around and around I wished that I had a counter of some sort, all I could think of the whole time was "I finished lap 1, 12 to go, 1, 1, 1, 1, okay, that was the end of lap 2, 11 to go, 2, 2, 2, 2..." I think I did exactly 13 laps but it's entirely possible that I lost count somewhere in there. With the heats in the pool and now the loops I gave up on making any estimate for how I was actually doing (I don't wear a watch when I race, though this one made me think that I should go get one asap).

T2-3:06
As I crossed back into the transition area it was time for the million dollar question, do I keep on the jacket or do I lose it and just run in the turtle neck? I mulled it over as I tied my shoes, grabbed my pack of cliff blocks (basically fruit snacks for adults), and chugged some Gatorade. "Ditch it." I decided and I was off.

Run-3.1miles-32:53
Ditching the jacket was the right choice. The run started off with a downhill, which I couldn't fully enjoy because I knew that two and a half miles later I'd be climbing back up it. The rest of the course was on a bike/running path that I run regularly. Because of the heats in the swim it wasn't too congested. I didn't pass anyone but no one passed me. There were few enough runners that everyone was encouraging each other as we chugged along (I love that about triathlons). The course was out and back so I was very excited when I saw the volunteer and knew that it was time to turn around. I ran strong, monitoring my breathing closely as I chugged up the final hill to the finish. Almost 33 minutes is a bit slower than I hoped but the course included a few brutal hills, including the last leg to the finish, so I'm happy with the pace overall.

The End
The finish was anti-climatic. Maybe it was the dreary weather or the few spectators or maybe the mom-and-pop nature of the race itself. I felt like I could have raced harder but now that it's about 4 hours later I'm starting to crash so that might have been the adrenaline talking. Regardless, I'm ready to get back to training so I can be even stronger at my next race.

Tri to End Homelessness

2011-04-23T12:25:00.003-06:00

"Marathon Monday" 2007 changed my life. On that day, I made some remark about how I could never do that but a friend told me that I should try it. The next day I went out for my first run and I haven't stopped running since. Almost exactly a year later another friend convinced me to sign up for a triathlon with her. Training changed everything. The stress of the daily grind melted away, even on the bad days I still felt like I accomplished something. I want to give that experience to others who need it.

This year I'm doing a series of Olympic length triathlons to fund-raise for Back on My Feet. Founded in 2007, Back On My Feet (BoMF) is a is a nonprofit organization that promotes the self-sufficiency of people experiencing homelessness by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength, and self-esteem. While the actual home is the key to helping people move from homelessness to housing, confidence and self worth are necessary for people to be able to sustain their housing.

Consider the following expenses for BoMF:
$5          Socks
$10        Shorts
$7          Shirts
$15        Pants
$10        Long Sleeved Shirts
$20        Jacket
$20        Hat and Gloves
$100      Race Entry Fees
$175      Running Shoes
$200    Mileage Incentives
$250      Social Outings and Celebration
$1,250   Housing, Education and Employment assistance

After in-kind donations, the total cost per person in the program is $1,800, which is why I chose $1,800 as my fund-raising goal.

The best part is that I will dedicate workouts to you!
Donations of up to $25 will get one workout (swim, bike, or run, you pick).
Donations of $26-$50 will get two workouts.
Donations of more than $50 will get all 3 workouts.

I will dedicate each race to the person (or persons, feel free to poll your money with friends) who have the highest donation at the time of the race.

And remember, $5 is a pair of socks so even the smallest donation can have an impact on BoMF.

To donate please visit my fundraising website.

The 15-Year-Old Who Changed Everything

2011-02-27T11:18:00.002-07:00

I come from a world of privilege. I grew up in a suburban city with a small town feel. My folks were high school sweethearts and bought their current house before I was born. My family has seen very few divorces, no juvi involvement, and no problems with substance use (or at least none that were talked about). When my dad’s friends come over, there are impromptu jazz jam sessions. Sometimes it feels like I’m living in a sitcom where everything wraps up neatly in the end of every episode with hugs abound and hopeful music rising up in the background as the screen fades to black and the credits begin to roll.

When I first finished college I worked in a residential home for youth in state custody. Coming from my background, it was hard to understand the kids that I worked with. I would never dream of talking to my parents or other adults like that. Why didn’t they just understand that the sooner that they buckled down and followed the rules the sooner they would get more privileges? I received training on how to work effectively with the youth and as I learned their stories I began to think that I understood. But it wasn’t until now, seven years after I first stepped in the door at that first job, that I think I might actually be starting to get it.

Last weekend I met the fifteen-year-old who changed everything. Chad is the little brother of a friend. Said friend and Chad recently moved over 1,000 miles away from the city that Chad grew-up in. Before moving, Chad was living in a crack house and once sold his father a glob of wax by telling him that it was crack. One week after leaving, Chad’s father and best friend were both in jail for different offenses.

Chad made me realize how complex the lives of the youth I worked with are. When I talked to him sometimes I was talking to a fifteen-year-old but most of the time he seemed at least twenty-one. How he would have hated to be placed where I worked! The rules and lack of autonomy would have smothered him. He would have been one of the kids who I accidentally found myself in power struggles with. He would have thought that I was naive and stupid. But sitting there in my friend’s living room we were both just people talking about TV.

Burn Out

2011-02-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

Whoa, that was quite the hiatus.

Blogging about homelessness is depressing. You watch the same stories of funding cuts and rising numbers of people who are homeless cycle through over and over and over. New programs sprinkle in optimism but it starts to feel like nothing is changing. Eventually, I burnt out.

Burn out is a huge hurdle for human services. Energetic people, especially young people, come to human services with a sense of optimism. They are going to save lives. So many of them walk away, bitter and confused, after only a few years. Nobody ever told them that they wouldn't be doing the saving. Their supervisors didn't teach them to leave their job at the door when they went home at night, if they had supervisors.

When I looked at the tags I've used in the past, I realized that "self care" was never one of them. Maybe because I wasn't doing a good job of it myself? I'm one of those optimistic young people who is at greatest risk of forgetting to put my own self care first.

This time, I'm going to try blogging as a form of self care. Even with all of the depressing stories, blogging reminds me why I do the work I do. It's not so I can help "those" people, it's so "they" can help me.

The Homeless, The Mentally Ill, and The Ignorant

2009-11-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

Meds Can Reduce Homelessness, but The Homeless (and Advocates) Don't Get It
Huffington Post, October 20, 2009

Some advocates for the homeless believe that housing is a ‘right’ and are devoid of any responsibilities, like taking medicines. Other advocates for the homeless want to present the homeless as being high-functioning well-educated, previously employed individuals who are temporarily down on their luck. I don’t deny this may be true for the majority of homeless, but these advocates shouldn’t deny there is a giant percentage who don’t fit this mold.

I should have known from the title that reading this article was a very bad idea. What this writer doesn't get is that it isn't as easy as saying "you need medication." We're all in situations where we know what is "good for us" but make choices to do different things instead.

I have severe hearing loss in my right ear, it started when I was in the second grade. My left ear was pretty close to normal so I tried a hearing aid in the right ear in elementary school but it didn't help much so I stopped using it. I had to say "what?" a lot and people sometimes thought I was ignoring them but I found ways to get by, usually undetected.

In middle school I nearly failed a class one quarter because it was lecture based and I needed to have a notetaker for one of my college classes but I just blamed it on the teachers voices.

I worked in residential care with adolescents for a few years. I couldn't hear when kids were talking to me if they were on the "bad" side and I couldn't hear the gossiping or the plotting. At that time I briefly considered getting a hearing aid but I was off to grad school in a few months so I decided to let it slide.

I went to grad school, did fine, got out, and got a job.

More recently my work began to suffer. I do a lot of training and I couldn't hear the questions that were asked. When it got to the point where I couldn't hear conversation at the quiet dinner table I knew I needed to seek out some help.

As soon as I got a hearing aid I began to realize that what was "normal" for me for so long was no where near "normal" for other people. During all of that time up to now I thought I was functioning just fine, that I had a grip on things. Now I'm starting to realize how much more successful I would have been if I just stuck with that hearing aid that I had in the third grade rather than going it on my own.

How am I any different from the person who decides that they feel better without their meds? The person who says "I don't need meds, I can make it on my own"? Or the person who says "I can't afford my meds so I'll have to give it a shot without them"? I am no different, and neither are you.

These are people who are experiencing homelessness and mental illness, NOT "the homeless mentally ill." This writer never once referred to them as "people," he just called them by their illness and their housing situation. That is not what makes a person a person. I am not a "hearing impaired." I am a colleague, a friend, a blogger, a daughter, and maybe someday a mother. Or maybe someday homeless. But none of these things alone will ever define who I am.

Please think before labeling people. It just makes you sound ignorant, especially when you label yourself as an advocate for "the ___". How about "homelessness," "treatment for mental illness," or "people experiencing homelessness/mental illness" instead?

Motel Life

2009-11-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

Motel Life
Denver Post

This is a heartfelt multi-media presentation put together by the Denver Post. It consists of three short segments of photos and audio of three families that are avoiding the shelter system by staying in motels. These families love each other and are doing what they can to pull through together. It's definitely worth a watch.

Us and Them

2009-10-06T08:23:00.000-06:00

Maybe you've seen it already. Maybe you still don't believe that it's happening. Or maybe it's you. Around the country people who never dreamed of becoming homeless, people who have well paying jobs, people who own BMW's, and people who thought they had a safety net are finding themselves joining the ranks that they once thought only consisted of addicts, the weak, and the mentally ill.

Identity Crisis Accompanies VA Family's Financial Slide
Washington Post, October 6, 2009

Ron Vazquez was not a drunk. Not a drug addict. Not mentally ill.

For weeks, he repeated those phrases to himself and to anyone else who would listen. He and his wife used to fight over walk-in closet space and which BMW to buy. Yolanda Vazquez is the quintessential PTA mom -- organized and energetic. Ron's the classic Little League coach -- involved and enthusiastic. They were not drunks. Not drug addicts. Not mentally ill.

They were not homeless. Except that now, they are.

The Vazquezs are not alone. Around the country families that never dreamed that they would find themselves in a shelter are there. But they still see themselves as different from the "real" homeless people. As the oldest daughter says "This is where I live. It's not who I am." While I don't think the family should view themselves as derelicts and the scum of society, it saddens me that families that find themselves in this situation don't see the humanity in the "real" homeless people. There are plenty of people who struggle with alcoholism and mental illness but do have stable jobs and high salaries. Some of them have their illness under control while others are just successful at hiding their illness. Either way "those people" pass as one of "us" every day.

We are no different from "them." All that makes us different is that in this crazy world some of us have it easy and some of us didn't. The next time you see someone panhandling, or sleeping on a park bench, or slipping into a shelter remember that they shouldn't be pitied and you can't "save" them. Remember that if things were different you could be them and think about how you would want them to treat you if the tables were turned. Because, no matter what you feel, "they" are one of "us" too.

Current Trends in Denver Colorado

2009-09-30T10:13:00.000-06:00

I recently moved to Golden Colorado, about a half hour from both Denver and Boulder. We moved here for the mountains and change of scenery. I'm proud of my new home but now I have something to be even prouder of.

Denver is making great strides in their struggle with homelessness, and I'm not talking about the parking meters for donations (is there any research on whether those do anything?).

Mayor Hickenlooper Beefs Up Homeless Funding
Denver Post, September 30, 2009

At a time when Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has proposed freezing city salaries, laying off 176 employees and slashing library hours, he has decided to boost spending to battle homelessness.

The mayor's proposed 2010 budget would transfer $2.3 million in general-fund money next year to homeless programs, the second year in a row in which those programs have received money from the general fund.

Why is he doing this? Is he a kind compassionate soul? Maybe, but his argument is hitting at the wallets of the tax payers: it's cheaper to provide them services than have them in jails and emergency rooms. Since 2006, bookings of people experiencing homelessness are down by half and police calls related by homelessness have also decreased since 2006. That alone is a huge cost savings.

Where is the money going? 500 new housing units to add to the existing 1,500 units. This particular article doesn't get into whether Denver is like Boston and adopting a housing first approach or if there is a focus on services as well. Another article I ran across addresses funding cuts for homeless seniors, but, unfortunately, that is how the game is played. There is only so much money to go around and helping one population means neglecting another.

How long will it last? Who knows, politicians are notorious for having to make tough decisions, but the article indicates that Hickenlooper hopes to continue this commitment for 20 years.

Gwen Thompson: The Homeleess American Girl Doll

2009-09-25T09:14:00.000-06:00

Meet Gwen Thompson, the Homeless American Girl
ABC News September 25th, 2009

In a storybook that details the doll's life, Gwen's mother revealed, "I woke up one morning to learn that my husband had left us, and my daughter and I were evicted -- truly homeless. I always thought homelessness happened to other people. Never to me."
Ms. Thompson goes on to describe their destitute lifestyle, "At first, my daughter and I slept in our car. I'd park so that we'd wake up near a wayside rest area or restaurant - somewhere where we could use the sink for washing up - and then I'd go to work and pretend that life was just as it had always been."

I'm not sure what Matel is trying to accomplish with this $95 doll? At first I thought it was completely absurd but then I remembered my favorite childhood game: orphans. My three cousins, two brothers, and I would all gather in my grandmother's basement and pretend that we were orphans hiding out because we didn't want to go to the orphanage. Same thing when we "played trools" (blast from the past!), they were always orphans (though I think the trolls lived in an orphanage). Kids aren't immune to sad situations.

But why would mom choose Gwen when there are options for dolls with much happier stories? The moms who need Gwen to normalize their situation and help their daughters understand that they aren't alone are not going to shell out $95 on a doll. I think that with the right donation or fundraising campaign this doll could do a lot of good. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like there was any such campaign in mind when they created the doll.

The Soloist

2009-07-05T08:05:00.000-06:00

While it's three months too late to catch the movie primer, I finally read "The Soloist."

Nathaniel Ayres was a brilliant student at Julliard whose bout with mental illness landed him on the streets of LA. Steve Lopez is a journalist looking for a good story. "The Soloist" is the true story of the unlikely friendship of these two men.

Since it's a true story one can't criticize the the plot too much but I do worry that some readers may walk away thinking that people who are sleeping on the street just need someone to take an interest in them. Lopez doesn't shy away from the fact that Ayres was resistant at first and that it took a lot of time, consistency, and patience to make the friendship work but many people who live on the street would require even more of a commitment than Ayres did.

Without a roof but not without a Facebook Page

2009-07-03T18:17:00.000-06:00

Homeless Folks Getting Reconnected Through Facebook, Twitter
Switched.com July 3, 2009

Although the homeless may not have physical mailing addresses, they want to have virtual ones through free social networking sites. Featured in a profile by the Wall Street Journal, 37-year-old Charles Pitts administers Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter pages, and runs an Internet forum on Yahoo, all despite living under a bridge in San Francisco. The executive director of Central City Hospitality House in San Francisco estimates that 50-percent of the visitors to its free computer center are homeless.

I've been wanting to write about how to use Facebook as an engagement tool but the field is mixed as to whether or not it is appropriate. Obviously everyone should lock personal profiles and should not "friend" clients but there is disagreement as to whether or not there is value in creating a professional profile.

Some say that a professional profile can be a great tool to connect with clients:

You can post status updates that say where you are and when you'll be at the shelter/drop in/office so your clients know when you are available,
You can send people reminders for appointments via private message,
You can see what your clients may want you to know but don't want to tell you,
and you'll seem "hip" since you know what is going on with technology.

Others say that under no circumstances should staff use Facebook with their clients:

Boundries are easily confused on the internet,
Confidentiality is at risk because others can see that your clients friended you and any wall posts or comments you make are public,
and is is just too easy to blur the professional with the personal.

If you do decide to start a professional profile here are some things to remember:

Do not friend clients on your personal page under any circumstances,
Only friend clients back; do not initiate the first contact beacuse this can make them feel coerced into friending you,
Be cautious not to reveal consumer status when making wall posts or comments (you may want to make it a personal rule to only send private messages with your professional account),
Talk to your colleagues first to see how they feel and if there are any confidentiality issues or program rules that you would be violating by creating a professional Facebook page.

An alternative to making a professinal Facebook page is to make an organizational page like Youth On Fire. Because it isn't attached to one person boundaries aren't such an issue and it's a great way to get the word out about events and hours of operation.

If I were working in direct care I would advocate for the use of professional Facebook pages but I'm a twenty-something blogger so of course I'm going to advocate for the use of technology. Many programs are going to need time to get used to the idea and someone to help them understand the importance of connecting with their client base in this way. And the best selling point is that it is FREE!

2009-04-18T17:55:00.000-06:00

Long story short I found out through the grapevine that in a class on race that a friend of mine took they dissected a Yelp review of a Latin American restaurant... the random wacky part was that it was a review that I wrote. The class concluded that I was pretty darn racist. Now, I know I'm not perfect but I'm certainly not racist. I find myself having prejudiced thoughts every so often just like everyone else, we can't turn off what we've been socialized our whole lives to think overnight.

I re-read the review and could see where they might have drawn the conclusions from but if a review of a French hole-in-the-wall said the same things (that the service was expectedly slow and that I wasn't sure what meats/fish was in one of the dishes) nobody would have batted an eye. But what still has me fuming isn't the fact that some things I wrote were twisted around, it's the fact that in colleges across the country there are people sitting in classrooms doing exercises like that every day but the lesson on one subpopulation doesn't necessarily transfer to another one. Plenty of people who are aware aware of prejudice towards Black or Asian people still run around calling people who are homeless derogatory names without a second thought.

How do we get that lesson to naturally transfer so we can teach it once, instead of a lesson on Black people, disabled people, homeless people, gay people, non-english speaking people, old people, Asian people, transgender people, poor people...? The root of the message is the same: everyone is valuable and everyone's experience is just as valid as yours and mine. Why is it so much harder to understand that when the thing that makes someone different is the fact that they don't have a place to call home?

Faces and Voices

2009-04-15T20:08:00.000-06:00

While the "face" of homelessness is often a stinky, middle-aged-but-looks-older-than-his-years male with a bottle hidden under his coat and torn dirty clothes a few sizes too the reality is that there are many different faces of homelessness. Every face has a voice and some of these voices can be found in your own living room.

Invisible People is a website that interviews a variety of individuals who are living on the streets. One of the people that they interviewed, Briana, has a blog of her own called Girls Guide to Homelessness. And she isn't the only blogger out there who is currently homeless, there are many, even a website solely dedicated to bloggers who are homeless and a community that is working to compile a list of all blogs that address homelessness. The voices of people who do not fit the stereotype are ringing out loud and clear, we just need to stop and listen.

"Mankind is No Island"

2009-04-05T19:54:00.000-06:00

Fantastic YouTube video shot completely by cell phone:

More NIMBY?

2009-04-03T21:23:00.001-06:00

Looks like Lancaster CA is also on board with the one way tickets out, so much so that the Mayor is donating $10,000 of his own money to the cause:

Homeless in Lancaster Get Free Tickets to Go Away
LA Times, March 30, 2009

Jonathan Powell, a spokesman for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, disputed allegations that the city was encouraging its homeless to relocate to the Antelope Valley or anywhere else.

"We're doing everything possible to get our homeless families the services and shelter they need to get back on their feet," he said.

Powell said Los Angeles' social service agencies view accusations of homeless dumping by other municipalities as "urban legend, to deflect from their lack of achievement on this issue...

So far, most beneficiaries of the free bus program in Lancaster have been local residents who chose to go elsewhere, according to the Grace Resource Center.

Several homeless people who learned about Parris' views when he visited the center in January said they were offended.

"The way the mayor put it, 'homeless go home,' I didn't like that. That was kind of cold," said Grace Guijarro, 57, of California City, who lives at the Lancaster Community Shelter. "Not all homeless are . . . robbers and killers.""

When your gender is "other"

2009-04-03T20:50:00.000-06:00

Homelessness among transgendered individuals is common. The most recent research (not so recent anymore) revealed that one in five transgendered individuals experienced homelessness and one in four transgendered individuals were not happy with their current housing status.

Shelters Slowly Adapt to Help Transgendered Homeless
The Associated Press

Twelve years heading the Salvation Army's downtown homeless shelter had done little to prepare Janeane Schmidt for the recent night when a soft-spoken biological male transitioning into a female walked in.
Schmidt didn't want to refuse someone in need. Having seen few such cases, however, and with limited space that winter night, she wasn't sure where to place the transgender woman. The shelter has space for homeless men and women but not anyone in between.
"Rather than turn them away, we give them a cot," said Schmidt, whose staff allowed the woman to stay a week in the shelter's lounge — the only space they could find.

This solution isn't ideal but for many shelters it is revolutionary. As recently as 2003 it was reported that some shelters in Atlanta actually posted signs that said "No Transvestites." I used to volunteer at a shelter where I co-ran a book group. After one of the sessions one of the staff pulled the other volunteer and I aside to let us know that one of the individuals who attended the group was transgendered. We didn't need to know that, we were just spending time with these people and weren't involved clinically. But he thought it was appropriate to "out" the individual, probably because he was uncomfortable and didn't understand. This is where the importance of sensitivity training (as horrible and cliche as it sounds) and reminding staff of confidentiality. He wouldn't run around telling the volunteers that someone was HIV positive (I hope) and it wasn't appropriate for him to reveal this information either.

If accepting people into programs and offering a cot in the day room is the best we can do right now so be it, it's safer than the streets and it's within the view of staff so in some situations it may be safter than the sleeping quarters. But a cot in the dayroom is still segregation and we need to strive for better.

For more information about making shelters trans-friendly check out Transitioning Out Shelters: A Guide for Making Homeless Shelters Safe for Transgender People

YouTube Documentary

2009-03-31T19:36:00.000-06:00

Great YouTube documentary on youth homelessness.

Sometimes Life Just Sits Up and Bites You

2009-03-25T20:34:00.000-06:00

When I first started volunteering a year and a half ago "Bob" was a regular at the shelter. An attractive guy who reminded me of someone I used to work with, he had it together, always with a smile and a helping hand. Soon after I started he disappeared.

In January he was back. He didn't really remember me and he was more reserved than before but he opened up as we worked together in the kitchen.

Last night he was there again but this time "together" would be one of the last words I would use to describe him. He was plastered. I'm used to seeing drunk people at the shelter, it's a wet shelter so pretty much everyone there is high on some sort of substance. But seeing Bob that way broke my heart. Substance use is no joke, it's a lifelong struggle.

From Paperback to Film

2009-03-20T21:10:00.000-06:00

Two novels on homelessness are currently being adapted to film:
Another Bullshit Night in Suck City novel-film
The Soloist novel-film

I haven't read The Soloist but I have read Another Bullshit Night. It wasn't an easy book to get through but it's worth a look. Very unique writing style, and google is hosting it for free so why not check it out?

Because Social Workers are in it for the Money

2009-03-18T20:41:00.000-06:00

Ending Homelessness, A Tough but Well Paying Job
New Times, 2/18/2009

Ending homelessness in SLO County will be neither easy nor cheap. In fact, it will cost $100,000 just to hire someone whose job will entail finding funding.

It’s part of the county’s so-called 10-year plan to end homelessness, although those writing the plan pitch it as more a step in the right direction than a decade-long cure-all to homelessness. Federal requirements actually mandate the plan title to include reference to ending homelessness in 10 years. It may not end homelessness, but having the plan helps qualify local homeless-services providers for more federal funding.

I don't know a single person in "this field" who is in it for the money. But that doesn't mean that I think that it's unreasonable to spend $100,000 on salary AND overhead (as the article later specifies) for someone with extensive fundraising skills. You need to spend money to make money and securing the right staff person for this job can maker or break an organization.

Didn't we just hear about the $1,000,000 bonuses that AIG staffers got? That's three more zeros, for just the bonus. It's really upsetting that the only reasons larger salaries are sometimes offered in the human services world is to "lure" people from the for profit sector. What makes them worth so much more?

Genius or NIMBY?

2009-01-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

Hawaii has unorthodox plans to help control homelessness in the 50th state:

Plan would buy airfare to send Hawaii homeless to mainland
Honolulu Advertiser, January 25, 2009

Homeless service providers are supporting a proposed state-funded program that would provide airplane tickets for people who have come to Hawai'i from the Mainland and then find themselves homeless — and stuck.
State Rep. Rida Cabanilla, chairwoman of the Housing Committee, said she plans to ask for $100,000 this legislative session for a pilot program that would fly people who have recently arrived from the Mainland and are now homeless back to where they came from.

Relocating to Hawaii seems like an exotic idea. Who wouldn't want to live somewhere that feels like a permanent vacation? But because the cost of living is expensive and jobs are scarce which can result in homelessness. As much as 19% of the shelter population in Hawaii were in the state for a year or less before finding themselves homeless. As a result, Hawaii is funding programs that provide individuals who find themselves homeless soon after their arrival with a plane ticket home.

Other states employ similar techniques but it seems more extreme in Hawaii because the state is so isolated. When I first read this article I thought that it sounded like an obvious case of Not In My BackYard Syndrome (NIMBY) but now I'm not so sure. They only offer the tickets to people who want them and they make sure that services are in place wherever home is before sending someone away. For those who will return to family and friends, or service providers, who know them and care about them this ticket could be the ticket out of homelessness.

Boston Homeless Census

2008-12-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight I made the pilgrimage downtown for the Boston Homeless Census. All communities that receiving funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the Continuum of Care (CoC) need to conduct an annual "census" of people who are experiencing homelessness. It consists of literally counting every person in the streets (and shelters submit their numbers too) on a given night, usually in January.

My partner and I didn't find a single person in our assigned area, but I still didn't consider the evening a waste of time. My partner had 15 years of experience working with youth in the city of Boston. I learned about how the Department of Youth and Families responds to gang violence, conflict resolution, and treatment of the family (not just the individual). It was a great learning experience; much more valuable than adding tick marks to our sheet.

When goodby is the absence of goodbye

2008-12-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight I found out that "Will," one of my favorite guys at CASPAR (the shelter where I volunteer weekly), hasn't been around lately because he got housing. Of course I'm glad that he got housing but I'm reminded of why it stinks to be a volunteer and not a full time staff.

As a volunteer I never really get to know these guys (and some gals). I'm only there one day a week so even though I develop rapport it's only surface deep. I often can't tell when they are making up stories to pull one over on me. Tonight one told me that he had a partial lobotomy when he was 26, staff confirmed that this wasn't true but I believed it for a good 15 minutes.

When Will told me he was going to get an apartment I figured that some optimistic caseworker was putting silly ideas in his head. Turns out that the optimistic caseworker was right and I never had a chance to say goodbye.

I'm truly going to miss him, he was at the shelter the whole year and four months that I've been going there. Every week he'd tell me my eyes were so blue with such curiosity that I am certain that he doesn't remember the majority of our conversations. He was inappropriate enough to make me blush but not so bad that I was truly uncomfortable. And he had great stories. I'll miss him but I don't know if he ever even knew my name.

Tour of the Boston Rescue Mission

2008-11-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the opportunity to tour The Boston Rescue Mission (BRM) with Boston Cares. The shelter began in 1899 and is one of the oldest in Boston. Services available at BRM are extensive, including men's and women's recovery-focused programs, a halfway house, meal programs, and a women's re-entry program. We got to see the space that houses several of the services and the Saturday morning outreach in the Boston Common. The outreach was probably the most interesting part, BRM sets up a table in the Common and hands out hot food to anyone who wants it. By the time we got there a line had already formed and there was another group handing out clothing from tables nearby. I'm sure I've been in the Common on Saturday mornings before but this weekend I saw it in a new light.

Health Care for the Homeless

2008-06-13T19:05:00.000-06:00

I'm at the Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) conference in Phoenix AZ. I'm learning a lot and doing some fantastic networking but all of this excitement gets me hyped up and gives me all kinds of energy which I would really like to get out in a run but I'm meeting co-workers for dinner at 6:30 and it's currently 5:55.

Last year was the first time that I came to this conference. At the time, I had been at my job for just under six months and I was incredibly overwhelmed by the conference. It made me realize how little I really knew about the homelessness world even after a half year of working in the field. This year has been a completely different experience; I can read through the list of sessions and know what they all mean, I'm seeing people that I know and people who I have emailed back and fourth with, and I have interesting and provoking questions to add to the conversations. There are still moments that make me feel like I know nothing at all but they are few and far between.

I can't wait to get back and apply what I'm learning to my work... and go for a run.

Project Homeless Connect: Beyond a One Day Event

2008-05-17T19:18:00.000-06:00

Project Homeless Connect is a one day one-stop-shop model for persons experiencing homelessness. The idea of a "one-stop-shop" and "no wrong door" is something that you often hear about in homeless services and Project Homeless Connect is an embodiment of this idea. It brings community leaders come together to bring services, from housing to haircuts to ids to giveaways, together in one place. There have been more than 300 events in over 170 communities in less than three years. Each event stands alone and is organized by the community in which it takes place. It's so cutting edge that they are using videos on YouTube to spread the word:

One of the major criticisms of Project Homeless Connect is that it is a ONE DAY one stop shop. It would be impossible to bring together all of these services in the career-fairish way that Project Homeless Connect does on a daily basis but there are some programs that are beginning to try to deliver a breadth of services with one point of entry.

For the City's Homeless: A One Stop Center
Mercury News, May 17, 2008

[Christine Burroughs] described how the new operation would work for an estimated 7,000 chronically homeless folks in the county and thousands more in danger of losing their homes. Caseworkers would determine their housing needs, physical and mental health, and qualifications for government, insurance or other financial assistance. The next step would be to help them apply for benefits and services.

2008-05-09T09:01:00.000-06:00

I've blogged about homeless sex offenders before, but I hadn't realized how accepting some counties are of returning people to the streets until I read this article from Washington State:

No easy fix to homeless sex offender problem, state corrections chief says
Herald Net, May 4, 2008

Corrections officials across the country confront daily the challenge of sex offenders without an apartment, shelter or motel room to bed down at night.

In Florida, when authorities ran out of places in Miami-Dade County in 2007, they set up an encampment for sex offenders under a bridge linking Miami to Miami Beach.

Say what? Aren't encampments usually technically illegal?

Q: I'm not sure if living under the Snohomish bridge is legal. So, if Torrence got arrested for illegal camping, he might have landed back behind bars and might have made the state liable for something.

A: I had not thought about that. I wasn't aware that it was illegal. If he got violated he would be back in custody. That would be an interesting situation. It is my understanding we chose that site in coordination with local law enforcement. It is not atypical of what we've done in other parts of the state.

I was floored by how naive the Secretary of Corrections in Washington, Eldon Vail, was about homelessness and how nonchalant he seemed in his answers. I actually thought that this paper was satire until I found another article from the Seattle times:

A Bridge as a Last Resort
Seattle Times, April 30, 2008

David J. Torrence, who assaulted a 16-year-old girl in 1995, had completed his latest prison term (for failing to register as a sex offender.) He had no place to go. So officials gave him a sleeping bag and a rain poncho, then told him to stay under this bridge, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., until further notice.

"We're not proud of it," says Mary Rehberg, parole officer for the state Department of Corrections. "We did it because this is what it has come to. Under a bridge is the best of the options we had left."

I trust that the Seattle Times isn't satire. This housing of sex offenders thing is a huge problem and we need to work to resolve it. Granted everyone deserves housing, not just the sex offenders and other ex-cons, but my concern lies with discharge planning from hospitals or foster care as well. How can we expect to have someone in care, often for extended periods of time, then be able to take care of themselves when they leave without support? Think of when the Mental Institutions closed, a lot of people blame homelessness today on that one event. Granted we know that homelessness is more complicated than that but poor discharge planning and case management leads many individuals to be discharged to the streets or unable to sustain themselves in the situations that they are discharged into.

There isn't much that we as individuals can do to help this one, it has to be a nationwide systematic change.

My Travels and GLBTQ youth

2008-04-18T15:42:00.000-06:00

It's been a while because it's been hectic. Last week I was in Walnut Creek CA delivering a training with my organization. We had roughly 130 homeless service providers play hokey from their daily routines to network and learn. They were the victims of my very first experience of a trainer ever!

On Monday, the 7th, I started the day co-training a session on outreach to persons experiencing homelessness. My co-trainer has been doing this for quite some time so he was cool and calm, though I think I may have come off as a bit nervous (thankfully only one evaluation confirmed this). I had some slides to present and I talked about some of the findings from a project that I worked on last year. I hadn't been able to put as much time into prepping as I would like because later that afternoon I was presenting a session on my own with content that I had developed... in less than a solid week.

My session, which I did twice, was on GLBTQ youth experiencing homelessness. While estimates in the general population range from 3-10% of the population identifying as GLBTQ, between 20-40% of homeless youth identify as GLBTQ. They experience more trauma, rejection, abuse, mental health issues, harassment, and stigma than their heterosexual peers. It's a topic that I've done some research on and I'm really interested in pursuing in my further work. The tough part is that the language is always changing and I'm not embedded in the GLBTQ "community" in my area (if there is one) so I don't know what I am and am not supposed to say some of the time.

Lucky for me I got some really talkative people in my sessions, five the first day (seven if you count my two cheerleader co-workers) and ten the second... out of 130 people total. There isn't a lot of interest around these issues, I even had someone tell me that they didn't have any of those kids. People forget that those who identify as GLBTQ aren't running around with a sign that announces their sexuality to the world. I'm hoping that I'll get to play a part in helping some people recognize this and start to think about how to make their programs more friendly.

The sessions went really well, the conversation was lively and I didn't even get to finish my slides! Now that I've done it once I am really excited to hopefully get to try it again sometime soon and maybe develop my training into some other products for my organization? But for now I need to shift gears and get back to data.

Making a Connection

2008-03-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

Recently, I went out in the outreach van with staff at the shelter where I volunteer. The night van operates more like a taxi service than an actual outreach service. They drive around and pick up people who are called in, either by themselves or by hospitals, police, and storekeepers. One of our pick-ups on this evening was at a local hospital. A 21-year-old man that had come in earlier that day was being discharged and since he didn't have anywhere to go they asked him if he wanted them to call us.

A common topic in homelessness literature is how difficult it is to engage people and get them to come into services. Not this guy. Speaking fast enough to impress the most talented speed talker, he was quick to tell us that this was his first shelter visit, even though he had been homeless before. This was the first time I had ever been a part of someone's first night, and the first night is often important to get people to come back for more services. I followed the lead of the program staff and kept quiet while the boy rapidly asked a string of questions. To me, the staff seemed distant and preoccupied with driving the van and filling out paperwork but every once in a while they would interject with the questions that I have read about but never really saw in action.

"What do you do? Do you drink..."

They created a nonjudgmental environment by normalizing substance use.

"I'm glad that you went to the hospital to get checked out"

They showed that they were concerned with his safety and that they recognized the importance of his decision to seek help.

"Do you know where you need to go to get benefits?"

They were knowledgeable and knew exactly where to send him to get an ID, section 8, and other benefits.

I have done so much reading about intakes and first time interactions with people but watching these two seasoned outreach workers was a unique experience. There was this flow to the conversation and it worked. I know it worked because before we got to the shelter the young man said "You guys are good people." I'll never know if he was trying to make a good impression or if he was being honest but it will be a while before I forget how seamless that that interaction was.

Black Man Guilty of Murder

2008-02-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

Homeless Man Guilty of Murder
The Gazette, 2/10/2008

A jury has found Joseph Roy Martin, a Montreal homeless man with a drug and alcohol problem, guilty of second degree murder.
On Sunday morning, the six men and six women, who had been deliberating since Friday, found Martin, 33, guilty of fatally stabbing 48-year-old Alain Lachapelle.

Homeless Man Arrested after Swinging at a Davenport Cop
Quad-City Times, 2/10/2008

The man attended a press conference at Davenport City Hall. Mayor Bill Gluba and representatives of local companies such as Alcoa had gathered to voice support for the federal government giving a $40 billion contract for new air refueling planes to Boeing because the Chicago-based aerospace manufacturer would outsource work to local companies.

After the meeting Daniel Robert Stromberg, 42, asked Gluba if he could speak with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who was not at the press conference.

Gluba said the man was obviously distraught and ranting, and city staff tried to calm him down.

According to police affidavits, Stromberg eventually left City Hall, but when he was approached by police at 3rd and Ripley streets, he tried to punch a detective.

It's not every day that you see stories like these... it's several times a day. Oftentimes the fact that someone is homeless is identified right in the headline of news articles, if not the very first word. Why is it so important to make sure that the housing status is front and center?

Then, when you actually read the article, you will oftentimes see that there is more going on than homelessness. In the cases above alcoholism and mental illness are noted to be at play. Why aren't these used as the adjective in the title? Is it because "alcoholic" and "mentally ill" are not PC? Why is "Homeless Man" PC?

Beyond the fact that the entire existence of these individuals is summed up in their homelessness, what about the fact that there is a very important word left out of the first title: Found. Even in typing the title out I accidentally wrote "... Man Found Guilty..." That's a key word in the court system today but apparently this man was so low that he didn't even deserve to have it in the title.

It's not just two random articles. Watch the news feeds, daily you will see at least two articles that highlight one's homelessness with one's bad behavior, rarely the other way around.

Your sentence is... to live as a homeless person for a whole 24 hours!

2008-01-31T08:03:00.000-07:00

Man Sentenced to Live as Homeless
United Press International, 1/26/2008

A judge in Ohio sentenced a man convicted of stealing a Salvation Army kettle to live 24 hours as a homeless person.

Painesville Municipal Judge Michael Cicconetti gave Nathen Smith a choice -- serve a 90-day jail sentence, or live 24 hours as a homeless man and serve only three days in jail, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported.

Personally, I think that this is completely ridiculous and degrading to those who do live on the streets. I understand that the judge is trying to give a sentence that applies to the crime but what does living as homeless for one night do? The man who is being sentenced knows that he's going back to his bed the next day. He doesn't have to deal with trying to figure out how he's going to get a job or how he's going to eat. Why not sentence him to volunteer with the salvation army or make a donation to the organization? Those options would connect the punishment to the crime and would actually give back to the community. I don't get what the whole frenzy is around "living as homeless," I don't think that doing this for 24 hours really teaches anyone anything except that homelessness is a joke and a game.

2008 Homeless Census

2008-01-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

To Aid Homeless, First Count Them
Boston Globe, 1/27/2008

Despite a forecast of freezing rain, dozens of volunteers with the Plymouth County Housing Alliance plan to canvass the region Wednesday night to count the number of people who are homeless.
They will act on tips from police, churches, and social workers. Focusing largely on Brockton and Plymouth, the census takers will seek out the buildings, dumpsters, abandoned cars, and camp sites that have in the past provided shelter for people living on the streets.
Last year's count indicated 500 homeless people in Plymouth County - more than 100 living on the street, and the rest in homeless shelters. The most, 39, were in Brockton, followed by Plymouth with 23, Wareham with 21, and Hull with 19. Other area communities recorded six or fewer. Because some communities last year reported no homelessness or refused to participate, 500 is seen as a minimum number for the county.

Tomorrow night, across the country, advocates, shelter workers, and average joes will be going out into their communities to literally count the number of persons who are homeless. This includes persons staying in shelters and those sleeping on the street.

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Fred Berman, who does the homeless counts in Cambridge MA. In order to prepare for the census we hiked through some wooded areas looking for signs of activity and checked the streets for new ATM locations and other tucked away spots. On Wednesday, nine volunteer teams will use the "maps" that we updated to travel specific routes and systematically look for persons sleeping on the street. They will take down as much information as they can for the people that they find and will deliver services at their request. Shelters will also be providing lists of the people that they serve during the same time period.

There are a lot of methodological issues with the count; unduplicating clients who are found on the street and later go in for services, figuring out the best and most comprehensive ways to search for people, gathering sensitive information such as name and social security number, and figuring in the influences of weather and available services. The count does not necessarily give an accurate number of persons that are homeless in any given area, but it does give us a start.

Teens for Jeans

2008-01-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

Teens, Jeans Team up to Help the Homeless
knoxnews.com 1/17/2008

Aeropostale wants to "Do Something" for homeless teens.

The youth-oriented clothing chain will sponsor the "Teens for Jeans" campaign with the not-for-profit organization Do Something, which encourages youth to become more involved in volunteer community work, Jan. 22-Feb. 10. The goal is to raise awareness of the rising number of homeless teens in the United States. According to statistics, a third of the nation's homeless are children under age 18.

I just wanted to male a note of Aeropostale's new campaign. It sounds like individuals who donate a pair of old jeans get 20% off a pair of new ones and that the jeans will be given to local homeless youth.

Homeless World Cup

2008-01-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

An Inspirational Story
UEFA.com, 12/20/2007

A documentary about the UEFA-backed Homeless World Cup, an international football tournament which changes lives, will enjoy its world premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, in Park City, Utah, in January.

The Homeless World Cup was this past fall. When I first read about it I thought it was an analogy or a joke but after seeing it pop up in my news feed a half dozen time I realized that it was literal, and real. Homeless players from Afghanistan, Kenya, Dublin, the US, Spain, and Russia (maybe more?) had the opportunity to represent their respective countries in a "world cup" to raise awareness about homelessness. I'm excited to see how the documentary turns out, Sundance usually has really neat films!

Homeless Youth Awareness Month

2007-11-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

November is Homeless Youth Awareness Month, and Virgin Mobile's re*generation campaign is turning out to be one of the big players in disseminating info about the month. The re*generation campaign is a campaign to get youth involved with helping other youth.

This month I'm going to focus on youth by sharing articles and statistics, hopefully on a daily basis.

Here's the link to an article about the campaign:

Stand Up For Kids is Calling for an End to Youth Homelessness
PR-USA, 11/06/2007

STANDUP FOR KIDS, a national volunteer organization whose work with homeless youth has been acknowledged by the White House, the Honorable U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg, and key Senators and House members, has teamed up with ReCelluar, Inc. - the world's largest recycler and reseller of used cellular phones and accessories - to create a nationwide fundraising campaign. The campaign, "Calling An End To Youth Homelessness," encourages individuals, schools, corporations, and organizations to collect old cell phones and cell phone accessories to raise money for STANDUP FOR KIDS' efforts in helping runaway, homeless and street-dependent youth.

Are Shelters the Newest Yelp Category?

2007-10-30T12:12:00.000-06:00

Homeless need Information about Where to go for Help
Currant.com, 10/21/2007

Brenda sits on a street corner while her partner, Noel, is off convincing South Green shopkeepers to let him wash windows for money. If he's successful, they'll live large tonight, maybe get some beer (for him) or soda (for her).

Recently, some members of the American Bar Association in Washington listened to University of Connecticut law professor Robert Whitman talk about people like Brenda. Whitman has never met Brenda, but as an advocate for therapeutic homes for mental health and addiction recovery, Whitman wants to start a national database of services for people who are homeless. Someone like Brenda could go to her local library, type in her zip code, and get up-to-date information on services, including phone numbers and hours.

People who are experiencing homelessness know how to use the internts just like you and I. Some have laptops that they charge and use in public spaces while others use the library computers to check email and surf the web. This innovative idea of creating a national database could help some of these individuals find the services that they need but my question is how much of an impact will the website have on service delivery? I haven't read any research and don't have hard numbers but I imagine that many people know where the services are, and if they don't know their friendly local outreach worker would be happy to tell them. My guess is that many people who are not accessing services have had bad experiences and may be hesitant to trust them again. So, while I think that this is an awesome effort, I think that it will end up being more of a tool for outreach workers and shelter staff than for those actually living on the streets. I'm curious to see how things develop.

Keeping it Real

2007-10-26T09:04:00.000-06:00

Chronilcing the Invisible: A Photo Essay about Ottawa's Homeless
The Charlatan, 10/25/2007 What it's Like to be Homeless in Wrexham
Evening Leader, 10/25/2007

WHEN James Graves collected his degree in electrical engineering, he didn't imagine that 10 years later he would be homeless, living rough on Wrexham's streets and having to get himself arrested to get a bed for the night.

The place he calls his bed is fraught with danger. If it isn't the fear of who might be lurking, it is the needles that litter the ground around where he lays his blanket. At night it is pitch black and damp, cold and noisy.

Even as someone who thinks about homelessness on a daily basis, I have never once thought about where I would sleep if I found myself homeless. I once had a conversation with a couple outreach workers about what time of day is best to sleep. While I said that I'd be more likely to sleep during the day, because there are more people around. They said that there more people means you're more likely to get robbed or harassed. While my heart goes out to those who face this decision every night, I'm certainly glad that it's one that I may never need to face.

Kids Can Help

2007-10-25T11:23:00.000-06:00

Winslow Students Working to Help Homeless
Morning Sentential, 10/23/2007

Last year Kendra Littlefield's community-based learning students at Winslow High School were one of 10 national winners of a USA Weekend magazine Make a Difference Day award.
This week they are up to another good deed.
"Raising the Roof Over the Homeless" is the theme for the chem-free dance students have been organizing for the last two months, Winslow High senior Melanie Gagnon said.

St Brenden School Students Prepare Packages for the Homeless
The Providence Journal 10/23/2007

Middle school students from the St. Brendan School, a pre-kindergarten to grade eight private school in Riverside, could say that after preparing 150 sandwiches and other snacks for the state’s homeless Friday afternoon. The bag lunch was paired with personal hygiene items and socks — which were collected by the school’s lower grade students — to make it an all-school project.

Principal Joseph Renzulli said the school got the idea from a St. Brendan parishioner, Anne Pari, of East Providence. She delivers food to the homeless every Friday and Renzulli agreed the school would take over her duties one Friday.

They titled the project “Bread Lines.”

Highschool Helps Homeless
Lakeshore Advance, 10/24/2007

South Huron District High School student, Taryn Anstett handed Trevor Johnson of the Youth Action Centre (YAC) in London $365 for the centre during a presentation on homeless youth at the high school last week.
The students were told to act as lobby groups for a law project and made their primary focus of the campaign, awareness of homelessness. They went above and beyond and started by collecting pocket change from students and teachers over two days, raising the money for homeless youth. “The response was incredible,” says Anstett.

Nine Year Old to Walk to Tally For Homeless
Tampa Bay's 10, 10/22/2007

In the past three years, Zach Bonner has collected supplies for Hurricane Charley victims, raised money for the “Teaching Tools Hillsborough Schools” program, organized a holiday party for kids displaced by Katrina and given away more than 750 backpacks for needy kids.
For his efforts, President Bush last year presented Zach with a volunteer service award. But the 9-year old is not slowing down, he’s just moving on to his next big project.

There is another article that I have saved and want to write about but the sudden flurry of youth and schools working to help people experiencing homelessness deserves some attention. Service learning is a valuable tool for all kinds of social issues and is a fantastic way to bring classroom subjects to real life. I wish that I had an opportunity to participate in projects like these when I was in school but alas, in the 90s it was all about HIV and DARE, subjects that would be a little more risque to develop service learning projects around.

Edit: A couple more...
Virginia Run Students walk for Homelessness
Students Collect Pennies for the Homeless

Hunters Helping the Hungry

2007-10-23T08:06:00.000-06:00

Hunters Helping the Hungry

Hunters Helping the Hungry is a program that enables hunters to donate venison, providing high quality protein to needy individuals throughout New Jersey. In its fifth year, will continue to operate with limited funding. Therefore hunters wishing to donate deer must also donate a minimum of $25 towards the $65 fee charged by participating butchers. Hunters Helping the Hungry is now a 501-C3 Corporation, and all donations are tax deductible.

Nighttime Rounds with Health Care for the Homeless: The Outreach Van

2007-10-18T17:38:00.000-06:00

After we met with several patients the Pine Street Inn outreach van arrived. Jim wrapped things up inside and grabbed our coats. It's currently a mild fall in Massachusetts and although it wasn't very cold the skies threatened to storm so I yanked my two sizes two big pullover on, just in case.

I've been out in an outreach van before but the van I'm used to is nothing like this. Inside there were several boxes, one full of blankets and one full of socks. When you opened the back doors there was a cooler filled with sandwiches, fruit, dry soup, hot chocolate, and two water dispensers, one hot and one cold. The van I'm used to plays more of a shuttle service role, is lucky to have socks to distribute, and giving out food is against program policy (because of health concerns, not because it's a cheap program).

We drove down Commonwealth Avenue, on the mall. I have walked the mall dozens of times, during the day and in the early evening hours, but I had never seen someone who presented as a homeless person there. That night I saw how many people really do call the Commonwealth Mall home. There was a variety of people, from an older men who needed to have an injured jaw taken care of to a young guy in a suit.

Outreach runs continue to be engaging, dare I use the word "fun", experiences for me. Everyone was appreciative of what we had to offer, even though it was only a light meal and some human contact. The staff that I talk with are interesting and passionate about their work and those who aren't are often burnt out and need a vacation that this field doesn't allow them to afford. The only thing that worries me is that the shock of seeing how people on the streets are forced to live is starting to wear off.

Nightime Rounds with Health Care for the Homeless: The Night Center

2007-10-15T18:55:00.000-06:00

This past Wednesday I had the opportunity to go out for rounds with Jim O'Connell, the founder and president of Boston Health Care for the Homeless. While Dr O'Connell is one of the most humble and down to earth people you could ever meet he's a big wig in the health care for the homeless world and an opportunity to shadow him for the evening was a big deal.

The evening began at The Boston Night Center, one of the many Pine Street Inn programs. The Night Center was a new concept for me, it's an overnight drop in center. The center serves meals, has a tv, and space hang out. An overnight drop in center is the lowest of low threshold services; residents are able to go in and out as they please, they're allowed to be inebriated, and they do not need to accept any services. Because it is not a shelter there are no beds but clients can sleep on the floor and, two nights a week, receive medical services.

Jim brought a backpack full of medical gadgets with him, which included a thermometer, a bracelet-type gadget that takes blood pressure, something that goes on your finger that does something too technical for me, and the classic stethoscope and prescription pad. We saw four different patients, wrote one prescription, scheduled two follow-up visits at the clinic, and gave one person a phone number to call for test results. This was in the span of about an hour in a bustling room full of people.

Somehow Dr O'Connell made the space his own as he listened about the fractured ankle that wouldn't heal because the client couldn't walk with a cast, "How am I supposed to get around? I'm homeless." Clients who are homeless aren't always the easiest people to get along with, often life has gotten the best of them and sometimes that leaves them bitter and snarky. But the snark didn't matter, Jim still listened carefully and examined his patients with the same care one would expect in a hospital room, not in a homeless shelter.

Health Care for the Homeless is not unique to Massachusetts, there is actually a National Health Care for the Homeless Council that stemmed out of a 19 site demonstration project that is now 95 organizations strong. Not all Health Care for the Homeless Services are delivered like what I witnessed tonight, or what I experienced with Jill earlier this fall. The shelter I volunteer in actually also has a health care for the homeless component; there is a clinic on site where health care services are delivered. This isn't quite as exciting as health care on the streets but it still is an important concept; clients are able to meet their health care providers where they already are. Wouldn't it be nice if our doctors held clinics in our workplaces? Homeless services are onto something!

Highlighted Blog

2007-10-08T13:49:00.000-06:00

I recently ran across Sans Houses on blogger. She's a photographer who photographs homeless individuals and posts the photos with audio clips. The photos are often haunting and the audio clips bring them to life. She's not a frequent poster but when she does post it is worth the wait!

Empathy vs Sympathy-- Do "Box Cities" Really Work?

2007-10-08T13:23:00.000-06:00

Overnight 'box city' will help homeless
Post Bulletin 10/06/07

Cardboard Box City -- the annual overnight event that raises money to help organizations serving Rochester's homeless families and individuals -- will be Oct. 19.
Participants will spend the night in cardboard boxes and tents in a temporary city that will be created at Soldier's Field.

Event helps kids empathize with homeless
Strauss News 10/04/07

Box City ’07 is an event for high schoolers that gives them a chance to experience an aspect of homelessness. The children who participate will sleep in a box on the Sussex County fairgrounds for a night to get a sense of what it’s like for people who sleep that way every night.

Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), a nonprofit program providing emergency shelter to homeless families, hosts the “experiential event” for high school youth to promote homelessness awareness. Participants are given a light supper, engage in learning activities and replicate the actual experience of being homeless by sleeping outside in a cardboard box.

Is there anyone else out there that thinks that this fundraising strategy makes a mockery of what individuals experiencing homelessness face every day? For starters, a lot of the homeless people I know or see don't have cardboard boxes, they have tents or nothing. They don't get cozy sleeping bags and footie pajamas.

I understand what these groups are tying to do, they are trying to be able to take the kids from "Wow, that sounds like it really stinks" to "I tried that for one night and it totally sucked. I feel your pain brother." But neither of the events above mention that there will be any "real live" homeless people there to answer questions and interact with the kids. To the participants, it is a giant sleepover. If you want to raise awareness take them to a soup kitchen just a couple at a time, not in a big pack, so they blend in with the regulars and feel what that first trip to the soup kitchen must feel like. Or, better yet, have them help work the soup kitchen for a few weeks. If you want people to even begin to comprehend what homeless individuals experience you need them to interact with homeless individuals. You can camp out in boxes all you want but you aren't going to change someone's view of homelessness until they meet that homeless individual who looks just like their grandfather or who has a heart wrenching story to tell.

"Hello, this is the Friendship Shelter for the Homeless, would you like to hire our client?"

2007-09-25T11:33:00.000-06:00

Voicemail to be used to assist homeless

Baltimore Sun, 9/25/07

Without telephone numbers to include on job applications, gaining employment can prove difficult. And without a job, finding a permanent home seems impossible.
"If they get a call from an employer, the phone is answered, 'Arundel House of Hope,'" said director of development Mary Alexander. "That opens up a whole bag of worms."

This is one of the many examples of things that those of us who are housed take for granted. When I was applying for work I wouldn't put down the number to my parents' house, for fear that one of my brothers would answer the phone with a belch, or, more realistically, that I would never get the message. A phone connection is key to job applications, medical appointments, keeping in touch with family and friends, and so much more.

At the shelter residents need to rely on staff to answer the phone, write down the message, and later (often after a shift change, maybe days later when the resident returns from detox or couch surfing) relay the message to them. Voice mailboxes not only eliminate the inevitable "outing" of the individual's status as a homeless person, put the person in control of when to receive messages, takes pressure off of the staff, and keeps personal business personal and not the knowledge of the entire shelter staff team and other residents. While many residents of such programs do have cell phones, not everyone has a cell phone and those who do may not always have minutes to use.

One program that I am familiar with uses their voicemail access as a fundraising plan, and asks possible donors to sponsor a voicemail box. This allows donors to know where their money is going and to have a set goal amount to keep on giving so the individuals can have continued voicemail access.

Innovation is Key

2007-09-15T14:10:00.000-06:00

Haven Bottle Drive will Feed Many Homeless in Need
Scabee.com 9/6/07

The Haven of Rest is continuing to collect cans and bottles with deposit to provide food for the homeless throughout the summer. Every 15 cans brought in will provide a meal to a homeless person. Whether you're having a family reunion or a small barbeque with your friends, The Haven is asking that you collect your cans and bottles to help us feed the homeless.
"We have been able to provide over 300 meals already with bottle money," said Executive Director Elaine Hunsicker. "This has been a great fundraiser for the Haven, so please continue to bring your bottles and cans in. Every little bit makes a difference, so whether you have a ton, or just a couple of bottles it all ads up to meals for the homeless."

I just want to point out that shelters oven have many innovative fundraising plans to help sustain themselves. One way to help homeless people, if you are willing to go beyond offering your smile, is to get involved with local shelters and help with the organizing and implementation of such events, which can be quite interesting!:

Volunteer Profile: Farytale Town Night Helps Homeless
Sacbee.com, 9/6/07

Outreach Van

2007-09-10T19:33:00.000-06:00

I've been volunteering at a shelter for roughly a month and a half and tonight was the first time I was allowed out in the outreach van. It was an excellent experience!

It was just me and two burly guys who are passionate about their jobs, both recovering addicts (I emphasize this because they can relate to clients in a way that I can't), who have a LOT to say about outreach, life on the streets, and interactions with shelter staff. I got an exclusive picture of the friction between the outreach team and floor staff, a relationship that is most likely not unique to this program (I'd be interested to hear what the shelter staff say about the outreach staff... maybe this is my dissertation?). Working with the outreach team was a whole different world.

While I do feel more useful inside (inside I help in the kitchen, check people in, and clean up after dinner, whereas outside I just ride around and maybe hold open the door or talk to some people) riding in the van was an experience not to be missed. I got to go to where people live and meet them in their environment, people who won't, or aren't allowed to, come into the shelter. A few weeks ago I did outreach rounds on foot during the day with Health Care for the Homeless, which was also a great experience, but this was especially interesting because I had already met most of these clients inside the shelter, I had a relationship with the staff, and I had an understanding of the program; when I went for daytime outreach I had never met any of the clients, I officially met the outreach worker for the first time minutes before we began her rounds, and I had little understanding of the program.

The one negative is that this shift made me continue to question the value of what I do, sitting in an office 9-5 M-F with three weeks of vacation (which will be spent in Europe), sick time, holidays, and weekends off. I'm thinking that, if I can handle it, I might want to seriously consider taking up a part-time job in a shelter or on an outreach team. I want to stay close to these people, they are what matters, not the white papers or the statistics that I compile. It is the human lives and faces behind those numbers that I care so much about.

Does it matter?

2007-09-10T07:05:00.000-06:00

Things have been hectic the past few weeks at work, as we pushed to complete all of our products by the end of the contract year. On Thursday, when I stayed until 10:30p doing "APA Checks," formatting, and printing, trying not to get too frustrated at the fact that the authors of the pieces didn't do all of this themselves, I began to wonder "what does it matter?" I come from a direct service background, only two and a half years, but I've done my time in the field (even if it wasn't homelessness, I feel that human services across all areas have a lot in common) and I wondered if the work that we do will affect the people who we aim to serve?

It's one thing to be at trainings, working directly with providers, but to be sitting in my cushy office checking to make sure that the appendix is in correct APA format? That's another story. We've written some interesting pieces and made some great "contributions to the field" as they say, but it is questionable when the pieces will get out and we don't really have a dissemination plan in place, yet.

I added volunteering to my regular routine because I wanted to be close to the people that I was writing about. I had considered going into direct services more permanently, but the reality is that I'm "too nice," and have a hard time being authoritative. While I did have a sense of accomplishment when we finally put all of the pieces from the year in binders, packed the binders in boxes, and sent my co-worker to the post office, there is a different sense of accomplishment that comes about when people who I've seen at the shelter begin to acknowledge me and engage in conversation. I hope that as I begin to embark on a full scale career that volunteering continues to be a big part of my week, it keeps me from forgetting why I'm in this job and doing this work in the first place.

It could be me, it could be you

2007-08-27T19:13:00.000-06:00

Homeless people to tell teens about life on the street
Orlando Centennial 8/27/07

David Pirtle thought the worst of homeless people. They were bums, derelicts, worthless.

They were lazy, crazy and smelly.

It was a notion he believed as a teen and a young adult.
"Right up until I became homeless," he said.

Expert on Homeless Issues to Speak
Herald-Dispatch 8/27/07

"It is one of those things where we are going to allow the community to hear about the policy and to educate folks on the cost-benefit analysis approach to homelessness," Mendez said. "It costs the community just as much to allow someone to be homeless as it does to provide them with permanent housing, which ends homelessness. That is the only way to end homelessness."
Mendez told the Neighborhood Institute members that it is costing communities more for police and emergency personnel to constantly respond to situations on the street involving the chronic homeless, than it is to build permanent housing for the chronic homeless and to offer them services to get them off the street.

Any of Us Could Be Homeless
TheDay.com 8/27/07

'What makes homeless?” My husband and I were passing out fruit in New London's homeless shelter last week when a resident asked us this question. That morning The Day had reported on a public hearing the night before where neighbors of the proposed new Jefferson Avenue homeless shelter had come out in force to voice their opposition. Their comments had ranged from suggesting that shelter residents were pedophiles to complaining that their property values might go down.

Advocacy is a big part of making change, in fact, it may the key to change, and anyone can be an advocate. From individuals who are experiencing homelessness or have experienced homelessness in the past, to the heads of government agencies, to casual volunteers who write for the local paper. Why not join the masses? You can easily be an advocate too, without it taking up too much time. Just post a news article or video from youtube on your blog every so often. Say hello to the panhandlers you meet on the street and ask them how their day is rather than looking down as you walk by and then feeling guilty later. When you see or hear your friends or family making uninformed comments fill them in, it could be them. It could be me. It could be you.

Take it to the Streets

2007-08-24T17:23:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday morning, I had the opportunity to shadow a Boston Health Care for the Homeless provider as she did her street rounds. Back in June, I attended a session of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council conference where my host had presented some of the nifty gadgets that she used on her rounds. The opportunity to see those gadgets in action was a memorable experience! At 9am I met Jill, and a student who was shadowing her for the week, across the street from a busy downtown Boston t-stop. She briefly told me what to expect and we were off!

Not even two blocks down the street we encountered three of her regular patients and by the end of the day we had seen over a half dozen people. Most were on the street but three had secured housing and we visited them in their apartments, two of the three had studio apartments on Beacon Hill (one of the richest parts of Boston) thanks to a housing first voucher program. I hate to admit that I was surprised by how clean the apartments, and their tenants, were but I was impressed. One's apartment was cleaner than my own!

The people on the streets were a different story. They were in rough shape. One had the opportunity to go to a shelter but was nervous that they wouldn't take him because he smelled bad and I'll admit, he did smell really bad. But who can blame him? I smell bad after a day in the park. I can't imagine not having the option to shower after spending an 85 degree day outside, never-mind weeks on end of those kinds of days.

Health Care For The Homeless is a particularly unique type of program, when these programs conduct outreach they often are actually practicing medicine on the streets. It is mainly basic medicine, but they use the relationship that they build to help the individual access specialized services when they are ready. I was impressed with the way that she asked what they wanted and gave them options. No one was forced to do anything that they didn't want to but we got two people off the streets that afternoon (though one was to the ER).

The experience also heightened my awareness of how severe many individuals' alcohol addictions are. As both men who agreed to be transported to services (BHCH has cab vouchers for this purpose) they discarded their bottles of mouthwash first, one handed his off to a friend, the other dropped to the ground with a hollow thud. Mouthwash is the easiest way for alcoholics to get their fix and is an indicator of exactly how bad the disease is.

It was a great experience, I hope to do something like it again!

Highlighted Blog

2007-08-24T17:17:00.000-06:00

I just want to highlight a blog that a co-worker recently pointed out. I'm sure that there are dozens of blogs out there but the regularity of this authors posts make this blog a worthwhile read:

The Homeless Guy
(Image from blog)

Homeless Services Fair: The Wave of the Future?

2007-08-24T17:05:00.000-06:00

Events Link Homeless, Service Providers
Forbes 8/22/2007

Some come for the haircuts and massages. Several want the free breakfast. Most need help finding housing.
But thousands of homeless people across the country are showing up at events designed like career fairs to help them tap into drug treatment, mental health and welfare programs, and navigate through the often confusing landscape of social services.

and:

Norfolk Project Homeless Connect: A Major Success
WAVY 8/24/2007

On Thursday, Norfolk's Project Homeless connect hosted a one day event to help homeless adults connect to resources and services. 609 area homeless attended the event and received various services including: medical and dental care, housing assistance and employment counseling, among others.

What an innovative idea! We have career fairs, college fairs and wedding expos, why not bring together services? Individuals who are experiencing homelessness often don't have the resources (no computer or caseworker), time (30 minute internet limits at libraries), or knowledge (systems are often extremely fragmented) to navigate the service system and access everything that they need.

If a 4-year-old can do it so can you

2007-08-17T18:21:00.000-06:00

4-year-old's lemonade stand helps Atlanta's homeless
Atlanta Journal- Constitution 8/17/07

While politicians and activists argue over the solution to homelessness, a 4-year-old Vinings girl has decided to take matters into her own hands.

Tori Dutkiewicz has raised at least $400 for the Atlanta Union Mission by selling cupcakes and drinks at her lemonade stand. Her mother said her daughter decided to raise money for the homeless after she saw a homeless man begging for money.

I only wish that I had been that socially conscious at 4. Or even at 14:

Teen Spends Birthday Helping the Homeless
Calgary Sun 8/13/07

The ice cream was abundant at Hayley Gorman's 14th birthday yesterday as she celebrated with about 1,200 people she didn't even know.
The teen spent her special evening serving dinner to Calgary's homeless at the Calgary Drop-In Centre rather than partying with friends.

But its never too late:

Woman helps feed the homeless with her knitting needles
Federal Way Mirror 8/14/07

Hatley, who once benefited from the free dinners and clothing offered through local churches, feels that this is her way of giving back to better the lives of the homeless.
Homeless people get cold, Hatley said, and her homemade afghans are the perfect remedy.
Each afghan typically takes about 12 spools of yarn and three months to complete. She relies completely on donations to create the large blankets, which could cover a queen-size bed.

We all can give back in ways other than just donating our own money. Granted we don't all have time for a lemonade stand, money to make a significant financial contribution, or the skills to knit an afghan but most of us have time to devote a couple hours a month to volunteering at a shelter or a soup kitchen. Most of us have enough money to buy a package of socks that we can keep in our car or bag and can hand out to someone in need. And all of us have the talent to stop and say "I'm sorry, I can't help you today" instead of walking by and not looking someone in the eye (I admit that I'm guilty of this too).

Here are just a couple cheap (even free) and simple suggestions:

Buy a package of socks, cereal bars, or bottled water to hand out
Offer your leftovers or, if you're going into a fast food joint or convenience store, ask them if you can get them a drink or a burger
Spend a holiday afternoon, or any day, at a shelter, soup kitchen, or food pantry
Just smile and engage in a conversation
Donate your old clothes to a shelter and your household items to a housing program or thrift store. Shelters are often in need of clothing for residents who are in disarray (I encountered this problem during my volunteer shift just last week). As for household goods, the shelter where I got my first taste of homeless services, The Salem Mission, will actually come and pick up unwanted furniture in good condition and also accepts donations of kitchen items for its thrift store and residents who are transitioning into housing. Look around for a similar program in your area.

You CAN help, you just have to take initiative, get out there, and do it!

You've Got to Fight, For Your Right, to Sleep

2007-08-12T08:02:00.000-06:00

Sacramento Sued Over Handling of Homeless
The Sacramento Aggie 8/9/07

Sacramento lawyer Mark Merin filed a lawsuit against Sacramento and Sacramento County on Apr. 2 for its treatment of the homeless. Its approach to the homeless, Merin said, is illegal and unconstitutional.

In the lawsuit, Merin calls for Sacramento to stop "enforcing the City and County ordinances which prohibit homeless persons from sleeping outside in the City and County." Merin claims that Sacramento peace officers are imposing on civil rights of homeless people who have no other option but to sleep on the streets.

While it's upsetting that the homeless in Sacramento are receiving such harsh treatment in the first place it is encouraging that there is pressure to change this treatment and recognition that many of these people really have nowhere else to go. It's like arresting someone because they can't afford to eat. Our bodies need us to sleep, there is no way around it!

A Downtown Where you Can Count the Homeless on your Fingers and Toes!

2007-08-10T11:18:00.000-06:00

Only 25 Homeless Live Downtown: City Census
Chicago Sun-Times 8/10/07

The downtown count was released on the same day Mayor Daley claimed homelessness across the city was down 12 percent -- from 6,715 in January 2005 to 5,922 at the same time this year -- marking progress in his 10-year Plan to End Homelessness.

So, apparently someone in Chicago thinks that there are just about as many homeless downtown as there were students in an average sized elementary school class. Maybe they did go downtown and count people but to say that there are only 25 people sleeping on the streets of Chicago in the middle of the summer completely trivializes the issue! 1) What about all of the people in shelters? Aren't they homeless too? Even if there really are only 25 people on the streets why not throw out the number of people in shelters for comparison? and 2) Are you sure you looked everywhere? Did you check under the couch and behind the fridge?

For more of this crazy statistic:
City Census: 24 Homeless People Live in Downtown Chicago
WQAD 8/10/07

EDIT: Thank goodness someone came to there senses!
Count of 24 homeless was based on just 12-block area
Chicago Sun Times 8/16/07

Laws laws laws

2007-08-10T09:39:00.000-06:00

City's Homeless Will Not be Disturbed
The Sydney Morning Herald 8/10/07

Police at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit have been ordered to allow the more than 100 homeless people living in the forum's security area to remain undisturbed unless they cause a disruption.
The Operation Contego handbook states: "When you encounter a person that is homeless or appears to be homeless, you should leave the person alone unless:
They require assistance
They appear to be distressed or in need of assistance
Their behaviour threatens their safety or the safety and security of people around them
Their behaviour is likely to result in damage to property or the environment"

This is the kind of rule I like to see. It is amazing to see the efforts that Sydney appears to be making to protect the homeless, they're even concerned that when the park is closed for a concert these individuals won't be able to access their belongings. Lets all up and move to Sydney! And not Ft Worth:

Council to Vote on Alcohol Free Zones Near Shelter
Star Telegram 8/9/07

The City Council will vote today on banning alcohol and open containers within 1,000 feet of homeless shelters. It's aimed at curbing public drinking near the shelters on East Lancaster Avenue, just south of downtown Fort Worth.
Fort Worth is the first city in the state to vote on the ban since the Legislature approved the measure this past session, according to a spokesman for state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, the law's sponsor.

Say what? You think that banning open containers is going to do something? Yes, it might make the business owners happy but my guess is that will be it. The consequence is a ticket, a ticket that they can't afford to pay anyway. And this part makes me laugh: "Don Shisler, president of the Union Gospel Mission, said the alcohol ban might help remove temptation from children and from people who are trying to quit drinking." Yes, not being around alcohol for a certain radius will help people quit drinking. And what about when they walk outside of that bubble of 1000ft? Maybe this could be a step towards something else but on its own I imagine this law is just going to be a disaster.

Homeless in the Media

2007-08-08T20:23:00.000-06:00

Cops: Homeless Man Tried to Rob McDonalds
Newsday.com 8/8/07

A homeless man who turned to robbing for food instead of begging for it was arrested after using a pair of scissors in an attempted holdup of a McDonald's in Uniondale, police said yesterday.

Good Samaritans End up Victims of Homeless Woman
Fond du Lac Reporter 8/8/07

Two people trying to do a good deed by helping a homeless woman ended up her victims, according to a Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department report.

The couple allowed the woman and her husband to stay at their house on Mallard Lane for free since the homeless couple was having financial problems, according to a Sheriff's Department report.

Its rare that I can go a day without my googlereader homeless feed pulling up some random story that details the wrongdoings of some homeless person. That isn't very productive. Articles like these do nothing but evoke fear in the readers. I imagine that the McDonalds article would have gotten printed even if the individual had a home but I'm not quite so sure about the home robbery article. I've watched Court TV, this kind of stuff (and worse) happens all of the time.

But, of course, not all articles talk about how terrible homeless people are. For an uplifting read check out this really neat little bit on Eureka Street, Remembering A Homeless Man Named Patrick

Patrick was sitting outside one of those tired buildings at the top of Spring Street. One of those buildings where the doors never open. He had his head in his hands. It was two in the morning. I was walking because I’d missed the last train home and I asked him if he was ok. He asked for a smoke and said he was waiting for the door to open.

Welcome home, thanks for your service, now pull yourself up by your bootstraps!

2007-08-07T19:36:00.000-06:00

Homeless Vets: A Hidden Crisis
Orlando Sentinel 8/6/07

Often, when Ryan Svolto manages to sleep, he finds himself back in Iraq preparing for triage, awash in blood and bodies. But he can't find his medical kit, and, helpless, he thrashes awake, damp with sweat.

As an infantry medic, he patched up soldiers wounded in combat in Iraq. Now, Svolto, 24, is trying to fix his own wounded life after a recent stint at a Daytona Beach homeless shelter.

Svolto is one of a growing number of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who joined the ranks of Florida's homeless after returning home. Experts say a system already buckling under one of the nation's largest homeless populations might collapse under the weight of a new wave of veterans, many saddled with mental-health issues and crippling brain injuries.

Homecoming should be a time of pride and honor for returning vets, and it often is. But for some it doesn't last. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans 23% of those experiencing homelesness are vets. To put this in perspective, according to a 2003 Census Bureau Report Alaska is the state with the highest percentage of veterans, a whopping 17%. Clearly, the percentage of individuals experiencing homelessness who are vets is not a reflection of the percentage of veterans in the whole population.

What's going on here? My first thought is that while I'm sure that PTSD and other mental health issues are playing a role we should be doing a regression analysis that takes into account in the individual's annual household income before they entered the military, their parents' education, and somehow scales the communities that they are returning to, but that's the statistician in me. Back on the National Coalition website they talk about PTSD, substance use problems, and lack of support (something else to throw into my hypothetical regression analysis). There are support systems there for the vets when they return but like all individuals experiencing homelessness sometimes it takes more than the availability to engage someone in services and sometimes the available services aren't sufficient to meet the individuals' needs.

It's not a crisis just in the US, the UK is experiencing similar problems:
Warning on Ex-Service Homeless
BBC News 8/6/07

A survey in 1997 by the Ex-Service Action Group on Homelessness suggested that 22% of people who were "street homeless" had a military background.
Veterans charity, the Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation, said that efforts by the government and the voluntary sector had brought that down to about 10%.

Clearly something is up and it seems to me that in finding a solution we are going to have to take a more global approach. While it's a relief to see the the numbers in the UK are remarkably similar it's also troubling that those who serve their country around the world may all face the same bleak outcomes.

*Image stolen from St Pete for Peace, the same city where some homeless individuals are suing city officials for destroying their tents and belongings

EDIT: Another article posted on 8/8/07
Homeless Vets: The Topic of Panel
The Colombian 8/8/07

Art: Something to Come Home To

2007-08-06T20:38:00.000-06:00

Homeless Works Look For New Digs
The Sydney Morning Herald 9/6/07

Beno, 43, is part of a group whose goal is to open a "homelessness art gallery" in the inner city where the homeless and people with mental health problems can exhibit their art. People such as themselves.

"Homelessness is about being alone, and us doing this gives us a sense of community," Beno says.

The group, called Escape Artists, is holding its first exhibition this week to raise awareness of its project during National Homeless Persons Week.

Art isn't just a venue for those with a shelter over our heads. While it isn't a regular practice there are enough shelters and drop in centers that offer art therapy or art studios to suggest that individuals who are experiencing homelessness can benefit from the opportunity to create art. Not only is art a great coping skill, and opportunity for self expression, and a channel for creativity but all of this combined can help lead to a better self worth, something that every individual experiencing homelessness will need in order to make the strides to be successful and get back on their feet (among many other factors of course).

Beyond the benefits for the individual are the benefits for society. One of my work projects has led me to ask several providers what they think the barriers to providing effective services are and for the providers I interviewed about youth the community understanding was frequently cited. People don't necessarily see people who are experiencing homelessness. They think of the pan handler, or the person asleep on the park bench. They forget about the men and women who are pulling 40-hour shifts but are still unable to meet ends meet and the men and women who struggle with addiction and lack the coping skills to help them transition out of homelessness. Artwork that presents homeless camps is incredibly moving. This morning I was on a run and saw a tent slightly off the trail that looked like it was where someone was living and I suddenly felt so selfish for taking that run and worrying about whether I would get to work on time. Seeing how these individuals are forced to live is eye opening and truly shocking and when confronted with these images one can no longer blame these individuals for their addictions and short comings. Artwork that is created by individuals who are experiencing homelessness has a similar affect, it makes one realize that these individuals are just as capable as the rest of us. It is very important that we be frequently reminded of this because it is true. Under the "right" circumstances "we" could easily become "them."

For more:
Understanding the Homeless: Exhibit Offers Local Perspective
Press and Sun-Bulletin 7/6/07

Because I Need to Spend Time in the Field if What I Say is Going to Have Any Credibility

2007-07-31T11:45:00.000-06:00

Last night was my first night volunteering at a wet shelter. I have experience at a dry shelter in a suburban town; I conducted a small survey to see what kinds of groups people would be interested in and helped to start up a reading group and a computer group (sadly both groups fell through shortly after their inception because both I and the other facilitator got new jobs) but a wet shelter is another story. Here clients regularly come in drunk, substance use problems are a prerequisite of being able to regularly access a bed at this shelter. I was quite nervous going in but the staff made me feel right at home. The clients were also great, even though one wasn't too happy with me for putting gravy on his potatoes. I didn't get to talk to too many people in great depth but the few that I did talk to were quite friendly, one updated me on the state of the Red Sox while another asked some deep questions (how am I supposed to answer "What's the most important thing in your life?" on the fly?). I'm looking forward to going back next week, I shouldn't have waited this long to get started!

Outreach: Only a First Step

2007-07-24T05:34:00.000-06:00

Sleuthing Needed to Track Homeless People
Star Telegram 7/23/07

Like a detective, Selena Sumner follows clues through Tarrant County's homeless community.
Today's case: Find a mentally ill homeless woman whose family is worried about her.
Because of the mental illness, the woman hates authority, so forget about the shelters, Sumner reasoned Friday, driving a white van past abandoned buildings on East Lancaster Drive.

Outreach is a huge component of combating homelessness. People who live on the streets know that there are services available and chances are that they know where to find them. The problem is that their trust in society has been broken. The job of the outreach worker isn't to hand out socks, it is to use those socks to build a relationship. A smile and some socks isn't going to convince everyone that it is time to return to the shelter, get sober, and begin to look for housing. Outreach workers need to be careful in that they must meet the individual where they are figuratively as well as literally, and allow the individual to make their own decision about whether to enter treatment.

The individuals who conduct outreach are some of the most driven, innovative, and dedicated people you will ever meet. Many have stories of that creative hook that they used to engage a client, who later entered services and stories about searching for that hard to reach individual who they had been following for months. This is not easy, outreach workers witness alcoholism, drug use, mental illness, profanity, trauma, filth, and much more in their work and they must look past it all and see the person underneath as a unique individual who needs their help. After all of that work to engage the individual and enroll them in services the outreach worker often does not follow them and become a part of a treatment team. But they may cross paths again, whether the outreach worker runs into the formerly homeless individual at the individual's new job or running into the individual while the outreach worker does his job. People aren't perfect and we're addressing individuals, not society, so chronic homelessness is a huge issue that outreach workers must witness first hand.

For more:
Homeless Care, Delivered
Chicago Tribune 7/23/07

Data Matters

2007-07-23T16:40:00.000-06:00

Fight Homelessness With Data
Boston Globe 7/2o/07

IN THE 1980S, volunteers fought homelessness with bread lines and soup kitchens. But as the lines got longer, it became clear that a meal and a cup of sympathy weren't enough.

Now public policy is getting smarter, and instead of managing homelessness, the federal government is seeking to end it. Rather than join sleep-outs, officials are relying on data. This change should transform lives and mesh well with state and local efforts.

As a researcher, and a fan of quant at that, articles like this one excite me. Not just because they are good job security (and who doesn't love job security?), but because I'm a big believer in research, we need to understand the intricacies of the problem if we are going to find a way to solve it. Understanding homelessness requires more than anecdotal evidence. We also need to know who these people are, what brought them to the streets, and what the barriers preventing them from getting/staying housed are.

Counts of the homeless are conducted annually, usually in January, as point in time samples; a group of volunteers hit shelters, soup kitchens, and the streets to literally count each and every homeless person that they can find. While they don't get everyone the counts are useful to compare changes from year-to-year, if the methodology doesn't change. And the fact that the department of Housing and Urban Development requires counts for funding is a bit of a motivator to get out and conduct one.

For some more info on counts and a great report:
New Homeless Count Shows Need For More Housing
NBC 30 7/20/07 [Homeless count in CT]-2007 Point In Time Result Full Report

MSU Students to Survey Area Homeless
News-Leader.com 7/67/07 [Three-day count as follow-up to one day count]

When Lying in Bed is Illegal

2007-07-22T08:13:00.000-06:00

Crackdown on Homeless Brings Results-Police Arrest 100 in 5 Weeks
Tennessean.com 7/22/07

In five weeks, Central Precinct officers have made 51 arrests, issued 31 citations and identified 76 Metro ordinance violations. In the West Precinct, which covers Broadway and West End west of Interstate 40, primarily in the Vanderbilt/Centennial Park area, there have been 49 arrests, two citations and three Metro ordinance violations reported.

I'm not quite sure where I heard it originally but someone once said something to the effect of the only reason that many of these behaviors are illegal is because the individuals engaging in them don't have four walls around their home. Public intoxication is a perfect example. I can drink as much as I want at home but until I walk out the door the behavior is perfectly legal. For individuals experiencing homelessness the park bench, cardboard box, or alleyway where they sleep is their home for all intensive purposes but they can be punished for just having an open container. They have no bathroom so they are forced to urinate in public. The bench is their bed yet they can be ticketed for lying there, and some cities us dividers so lying down isn't even possible.

Even if the crackdown does reduce the visible signs of homelessness it will not increase housing or create a livable wage. Cities that institute initiatives like this need to think long and hard about what their long-term goals are and how they can truly achieve them.

Edit: Here's an article about a similar initiative that isn't working:
Homeless Plan Needs Reality Check
ajc.com 7/23/07

Homeless Soccer

2007-07-20T16:13:00.000-06:00

Homeless soccer widens goal: Brothers teach life-changing outreach program to visitors from 11 other U.S. cities
The Charlotte Observer Fri, Jul. 20, 2007

Today, people from 11 U.S. cities are in Charlotte to learn how to start a homeless soccer program back home.
This weekend, six homeless teams will compete for the national street soccer championship at the Urban Ministry's recently built art park and street soccer field.

This is an amazing example of how innovative strategies can be used to engage individuals in services. Of former players 8 out of 9 secured housing, which may suggest that the skills needed for teamwork may be transferable skills that can help these individuals access and maintain services, the same reason that your 10th grade guidance counselor told you to include team sports and group activities on your resume.

For more:
Homeless in U.S. find solace in soccer
Guardian Observer July 20, 2007 (another source talking about the same thing)

Homeless Footballers to Play in World Cup
News.com.au July 18, 2007 (the Cambodian team)

Edit: And more...
Soccer Helping Homeless Improve Life
News 14 California 7/22/07

Edit: and more...
We Can Be Winners
Guardian Unlimited 7/24/07

Holeless Celebrities

2007-07-20T05:37:00.000-06:00

When A Homeless Person Dies and They're Not Mr. Butch
Allston-Brighton Tab Thu Jul 19, 2007, 07:54 AM EDT

Mr. Butch was a charismatic homeless man with a cult-like following, but he was an exception to the rule. When other homeless die in Boston, they’re not always met with the same outpouring of love and generosity.

As a Bostonian who has lived in Brighton for two years when the posts began that "Mr Butch" was rumored to be injured in a scooter accident I had to look him up to see who he was. Sure enough, I recognized him from Harvard Ave in Allston (where, according to urban knowledge, he was known as "The President of Allston"). Boston has it's share of local celebrity homeless individuals ( although one, Spare Change Guy, isn't even homeless), as I'm sure does any major city, and it has been interesting to see how the blog community has reacted to his death; it has been with respect and sorrow. If only every individual experiencing homelessness could have that kind of a send off.

The reality is that many of these individuals don't get a community send off like the one that Boston is giving Mr Butch this weekend. I did a little searching for cemeteries that will take individuals who died while homeless but google wasn't very much help. The Tab article notes that Boston has three cemeteries that have sections for those whose bodies are not claimed: Mount Hope, Fairview and Evergreen. But there have to be places in other communities too. If interested try contacting your local shelter, a funeral home, or cemetery and see if they can point you in the right direction.

Edit: And there's more:
Editorial: Remember Mr. Butch, Remember the Homeless
Allston/Brighton Tab Fri Jul 20, 2007, 03:27 PM EDT

Edit: The funeral was yesterday, here are photos by historgygradguy

Edit: Here's how another town remembers the homeless:
Paying Tribute to Marin's Homeless
Marin Independent Journal 7/22/07

Violence Against Homeless People

2007-07-19T05:31:00.000-06:00

4 Youths Arrested in Attacks on Homeless
Los Angeles Times 7/19/07

Four teenage boys were arrested for allegedly driving around Los Angeles and attacking homeless people while using a cellphone camera to capture some of the assaults, LAPD officials said Monday.

The youths allegedly attacked at least eight homeless people either by throwing smoke bombs or firing plastic pellets from an air pistol at them and in one case throwing a bike into a homeless person's tent as he slept.

Police said the suspects filmed some of the attacks with a cellphone camera, and the attackers intended to post the recordings on the Internet.

A horrific incident? Yes. Shocking? Sadly no. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless attacks on homeless people was up 65% from 2005 to 2006, and these are only the incidents that were reported and confirmed. This spring it was highly publicized that a Florida youngster was facing charges for his treatment of a homeless man, nearly beating him to death if I remember correctly.

What is wrong with these kids? It may not be what is wrong with them but rather what is wrong with society. In a conversation I had this spring with Vicki Wagner, Chief Executive Office for the National Network For Youth, she mentioned that in her thirty years of working to end youth homelessness one of the changes has been that society today views homelessness as a nuisance rather than a problem that we should work to solve. That may be what is wrong with these kids.

EDIT: One day later and already two more similar stories:
Homeless man slain-- teenager sought
San Francisco Chronicle 7/20/07

3 Statesville Teams Charged in Beating Death of Homeless Man
WRAL.com 7/20/07

EDIT: Another day, another article:
Belfast Court Appearance for Man Charged wit Death of Homeless Man
Belfast Telegraph 7/21/07

EDIT:
Arkno Duo Attack Two Elderly Homeless Men
Cleavland.com 7/23/07

The College years

2007-07-19T05:15:00.000-06:00

In the fall of 2000 I began my undergraduate degree as a communications major, but that didn't last for long. The program wasn't for me and I was in a very cool Sociology of Mass Media course so what the heck, I changed my major to sociology. It was an easy decision, sociology was me. It was how I thought about things, how I viewed the world, and it came so easily. In theory class we had many assignments where we looked for theory in unusual places and I embraced the assignments and found Marx, Weber, Durkheim and their contemporaries in nearly every situation.

In the beginning...

2007-07-18T19:57:00.000-06:00

In 1997 I was a junior in High School and there was a hole in my schedule. My guidance counselor suggested that I take a sociology course. I wish I could say that I jumped at the opportunity knew from that moment what I wanted to do with my life but it wasn't that easy. The reality? I asked "what's that?" and apprehensively signed up for the class. I don't remember much from that course. There was something about theories of deviance and watching "The Breakfast Club," a movie on serial killers, and a "Here's Johnny!" poster that was right behind my desk and freaked me out on a daily basis. The reality was that in the following year I would apply to communications programs, including at Emerson, with aspirations of work in broadcasting. Now I look back and wonder how I possibly could have been serious!