Before born

One of the projects I've been involved with since December 2004 has been the Medical Home for Homeless Children's Project. Through it, many expecting mothers received prenatal vitamins that otherwise wouldn't have.

While Jacksonville is touted as providing some of the best of care, many people fall through the cracks 'trying' to get through the nightmare of weeks until just the first financial appointment.

There's then the weeks of attempting to get confirmation they're not working as well as paperwork from case managers where they stay...'if' they stay somewhere.

I talked to Tamara Patton from the Jacksonville Homeless Speakers' Bureau yesterday. Seems she's hearing the same thing from others trying to do just that at the moment...get help when proactively trying.

Yes, there 'are' services. But no, they're 'not' able to provide such to everyone as believed. The common thing I see constantly are armchair quarterbacks ranting online in local forums.

It's a good glimpse into someone's character.

No wonder they like using cute monickers rather than their own name in public.

Things we wouldn't need if not for Eve

I'm a guy, and being a guy I'm egotistical. My belief system including God, it fits me to know in my heart of hearts that God made man before woman.

God also having made her from a part of man, realized the difference. Being English wasn't probably the language at the time, I've got two considerations of how the first reacted to the second.

First: Man sees the product and says "Whoa". Hadn't seen a chest built like that before, let alone nether regions. Sees it's good, cause it's God's work. Realizes she's a part of him, so calls her 'Woman' to differentiate and not seem like he's talking to himself, since he's perfect without mental disorder...yet.

Second: Man sees the product and takes a second in a more halting matter, out of respect again to the maker's work. "Whoa" used again, same principal.

Course, none of them were concerned yet with such as modern medicine or the need for a later anti aging product. After the 'fruit' incident, hard to say.

What's this have to do with homelessness? Lots.

Homeless people have a sense of humor too.

Deal with it.

Lose weight while homeless

If you're living in a home you can find things online to achieve quick weight loss easily. If you're experiencing homelessness, things are easier.

1. While standing in long food lines outside service providers, flap your arms like a chicken. Don't worry, they won't put you in a mental ward because they can't afford such. If you're lucky you might be identified as medicaid billable and can fake being a drug addict, garnering three meals and a cot if you play your cards right.

2. Pass the potatoes. Pass the grits too. In fact, after a week of service providers unable to consistently schedule 'volunteer' agencies to serve meals as scheduled, you won't want to eat as much. Guaranteed weight loss program!

3. Get on food stamps, subsisting only on such. The given rate in Florida is about $100.00. That's an average of a bit over $3.00 a day. Enough for an apple, pint of milk, and a few pastries from the local grocer...IF you don't forget your EBT card in your backpack that gets stolen left at the front door while shopping.

4. Dumpsters are a no-no. The most recommended site that's 'homeless friendly' has been found to be La Jerry's, located next to the eye doctor a block south of the library on Laura Street. Don't worry, non-disclosure statements aren't necessary for your picture to be used to promote yourself. No ask, no tell is the policy there.

If you've got any tips, feel free to send them.

Will JEA cause people to experience homelessness shortly?

Some people online have interests other than my own, such as hair loss for men. Currently I'm having issue with Jacksonville Electrical Authority. My bald spot being larger today than yesterday.

With the recent hike in electric cost as well as the two weeks of recent cold weather this month, my electric bill went from December's $233.00 to January's $390.00.

And they wonder why people have issues between paying rent, food, or utility bills.

I talked to my neighbor who gets her bill by mail, rather than electronically like me online. The discussion came down to the same thing...it's not a difference of 'flow'...it's what JEA is 'doing' with money they suck out of people for intended projects.

While many people argue about homeless transitioning into 'affordable housing', there are only two developments in this county that include electricity.

The rest of the people on limited or fixed incomes are all getting money sucked by JEA.

And that sucks, in my opinion.

A few days in the life

Tomorrow I'm attending a 'revamped' version of a national non-profit's local chapter for street outreach for youth. Upcoming projects include awareness engagements as well as a '48 hours' of people 'living' on the streets.

Will they bring their best night cream or smoking pipe?

I've seen and heard the rhetoric on this issue before, good intentioned people doing these 'camp outs'. Coordinated games like 'wake the bum', 'take their shoes while sleeping'. All BS to me.

And that's what I intend on telling the people wanting to be volunteers. They're wanting to engage kids that've had to do horrendous things to survive. Some of these men don't know what it's like for a young teen male to have to use his body. Some of the women don't know what it's like either.

A lot of kids I know coming from the LGBT arena aren't 'represented' to these self proclaiming 'good folk'. Myself, I'd rather see two people with the nerve to stand up for kids rather than ten people waste the time of the coordinator not paid for engaging wannabees.

Afterwards: The bills to maintain the cycle not repeating

Getting someone off the streets is one thing. Keeping them is another.

Last month a national endeavor from New York sent it's liason to speak to the General Membership of the Emergency Services & Homeless Coalition of Jacksonville, Inc (ESHC). A program designed to target certain demographics of people experiencing homelessness in smaller demographics relating potential risk for mortality.

Many programs promoting '10 year plans to end homelessness' actually cause pessimism amongst those who should be benefiting from such. Get in a home based on income, only having to face the costs of electricity...my own bill this last month jumped $100USD. No idea what this month's meter read will be based on the recent cold snap.

Getting a job is one matter. Maintaining a vehicle, payments, fuel, finding the cheapest car insurance possible...those along included a cost of over $600USD.

Job instability in the market caused a repossession within a year through no fault of my own trying to keep the budget going.

While pundits and armchair quarterbacks continue their rants and raves for such projects, the common factor remains: nobody wants to hear and implement what people having or currently experiencing homelessness have to say.

Because they're not doing what they're told needs to be done while adding staff, resources, and overhead that continue to justify paying a CEO six digit figures in some cases.