Homeless go militant

It's not often, but when it does it's a beautiful thing to see someone seeing change is possible.

Kevin's been blogging since before I was.  Recently he made a decision some homeless bloggers fear doing. 

Going militant isn't an easy choice, usually it comes about when a person doesn't accept what was acceptable for years.  While there's a phase of knowing and seeing something's wrong…it's a different thing to actually do something about it to effect change.

 

Pretty is as pretty does

On October 31st, 2005 I took my children for a stroll just around sunset. Not a place was found for them to knock on a door. For kids experiencing homelessness and like mothers putting their Dapper Dans into baby halloween costumes, it requires a bus journey...unless you know the neighborhoods in the suburbs, hang it up.

The homeless lifestyle lived by thousands may have varying levels and directions, but there's also the the underground accepted community. Things disappear in the homeless community and businesses, just like any other business for profit or not. People will take advantage of situations if given the chance. The stereotypical example of grifting employees walking donations out a back door...course it never happens.

And of course agencies have policies regarding how someone can report such wrongdoing, and of course the agency will treat each and every lead confidentially.

That's all well and good 'if' the links in the chain at such agencies doesn't enable inappropriate activity, not necessarily by choice but by default of their own inaction or ignorance.

When an employee steals something, it's theft. When coworkers witness it, even without directly supporting or profitting from such, and do nothing...they've enabled. When clients see this they don't just lose trust in the thief...they lose trust in the coworkers and the system totally.

When a client becomes pregnant during her stay...and years later the child is brought proudly to the work site by the father who's been a staff member all it's life...ya gotta ask...which is worse?

The person doing wrong...the people blatantly letting it continue...or maybe it's the homeless person's fault for creating the situation.

End justifying the means?

Link picked up off of Twitter a few hours ago. The guy did 13 of a 25 year sentence for attempting to break in and steal food from a church geared for food/meal delivery services.

His two prior noted ones were stealing a purse from a lady with $10 in it and trying to rob a man in public. Both times without a gun.

On one hand, yes I think the sentence did NOT fit the crime. But on the other...sorry...homeless on homeless violence is something that doesn't get talked about.

He may be changed after 13 years in prison, but he had the same choices we all did of standing patiently in line for a plate of food...or causing harm to someone by robbing them.

I'm all for rehabilitation, I'm all for mental health, but at the same time I'm 'for' the safety of myself, my children, and my community.

Been there, done that, got lots of t-shirts.

Where to put it all

When I served on the Board of Directors for two separate non-profits there was discussion and forward looking statements regarding design and delivery of a location that would provide Lockers for individuals experiencing homelessness in Jacksonville.  Unfortunately that never came to pass, but recently I was contacted by a third party regarding a possible option that hadn't been brainstormed.

 

The original problem and issue I had was in recycling older school gym lockers, which would result in costs for initial or later maintenance.  I was more interested in a 'pay and go' model while my peers were looking at what amounted to job security for maintenance people to fix something…that regularly has a pattern of 'not' getting things done.  It's a commonly accepted issue, non-profits constantly get into models in a 'rob Peter/pay Paul' scenario.

 

My concept was to purchase new School Lockers or Gym Lockers that would be under warranty brand new.  Doing so would ensure consumers wouldn't come up against damage to clothing or personal effects by common rust.  Another brainstormed concept was to use a model that was a treated Wood Locker. 

 

Unfortunately, things didn't come to pass.  To date I haven't heard further of it since leaving, let alone the Drop In Center that was later discussed…that of course at a time that one of the CEOs was announcing her running for Mayor.  But maybe…just maybe…if they read this entry, they 'might' get the message and have the opportunity of clicking a link and getting the information.

 

Whether at their office or in their underwear at home, I don't care…it's getting the word out that matters.  Having a safe place to stow items allows a person dignity to be able to feel some form of freedom of the burden they carry constantly that can be seen.

 

Maybe just a little hand can let them lift the burdens they can do otherwise on their own, such as day to day existance or appearing for a job interview…without carrying their possessions with them.  Ask yourself this…would you want to go to a job interview with a dufflebag having to lean against an interviewers desk?

 

Ask yourself that before saying "get a job" next time.

Link: No ID on the streets

Mark Horvath interviews Jacquie Dowd at Huffington Post at a site providing assistance for Florida residents unable to get proper papers needed for State Identification. Question is how do you get this going in Jacksonville?

Jacqueline Dowd has been involved with homeless advocacy and rights since before we originally became homeless here. Check her blog at this link.

Covering the homeless isn't happening

If you get sick in Jacksonville without health, medical, or disability insurance you've got narrow choices...more so if you've got mental health needs for maintenance medication.

Top choice and most accessable for many people is to go with what's known locally as a "Shands Card", which provides access to medical services through a local learning hospital. For many single consumers, this is the quickest means.

Although there are a number of medical clinics throughout Jacksonville, most have limited resources requiring individuals either meet certain income levels, work schedules, and either require prior appointments or standing in line beginning at dawn at times.

Most people I've talked to over the years don't see President Obama's dream coming true of medical reform...at least the ones that need it most. Maybe in two decades it'll happen, but until all people receive medical care when necessary for both physical and mental needs will I be convinced.

If it makes me happy...

...I like it.

Are you cheap?

Chances are if you're reading this you are...or should be. I was asked by someone to take a gander at a site and give my opinion. People do that sometimes, since I've a reputation of being right...no matter if it's raining or shinging.

They've got GREAT WESTERN FORUM TICKETS, HOLLYWOOD BOWL TICKETS, and even Lambeau Field Tickets for those individuals needing to get their tickets for that specific venue with it's wide array of interests. Interesting, no?

All fun aside, I found the site visually pleasing. A rotating banner greeted me and after a few twirls I was graced with Sheryl Crow on my screen, the type that guys dig that has nothing to do with 'we-she musician' shows. Had it been the only static image, I'd have been pleased and just stayed on that one page...but since it did, I didn't stay. But if it had, I'd have stayed for at least another sixty seconds. It's a guy thing.

Visually, the site was checked in Opera. One thing I've been noticing is the amount of websites that AREN'T Opera friendly lately. I'm not talking Opera on USB or iPod, I'm talking fully installed on Win7 Opera. The site had no problems operationally, all things worked where they needed to.

Except Sheryl. Every time I asked her for her phone number, she just ignored me.

Maybe...they've got more work to do over there at aCheapSeat.com.