Hope Mill has recently made available a new resource entitled “San Fernando Valley Street Sheet.” This free resource is for those who are homeless in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California.
The Street Sheet provides information such as locations, days and times for meal sites, food pantries, showers, shelters, clothing, and more. Also included are lists of hot-lines and other important phone numbers available for people seeking help or information.
The Street Sheets will be included in each CarePack distributed in the San Fernando Valley, and will be made available to various non-profits providing homeless services.
In addition, a free download of this resource is available on the Hope Mill website at www.hopemill.com.
photo credit: compujeramey
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When is the last time you forgot your cell phone at home? When you were out pursuing the day, did you experience a minute or two (or more) of anxiety, knowing that you were ‘out of touch’ or ‘disconnected’? I know I have experienced that on more than occasion! With today’s technology, it’s easy to take for granted the ability of always being able to communicate, take care of business, and keep in touch. We have a lifeline in case of emergency.
Now, think what it would be like if you had no phone at all – not just a cell phone, but no phone. Not only that – but you have no permanent address to call your own. How will you get a job, if your prospective employer has no phone number to call to schedule an interview? With no permanent address, no one – not even your family – is likely to be able to reach you. Your options just became incredibly limited. How do you get yourself out of this and into a better, healthier situation?
Over the past couple of years, time and time again I have heard people express outrage after witnessing someone who they believed to be homeless talking on a cell phone. The general feeling seems to be that if the person really is homeless and really in need of help, they would not have a “luxury item” such as a cell phone at hand.
But … is a cell phone necessarily a luxury item … or could it indeed be a “lifeline” as the name of an existing program suggests?
There are currently programs available in some states under which qualifying individuals can receive a free cell phone and a set amount of free minutes per month. For instance, TracFone’s Safelink program provides a free phone, and around 68 minutes of free call time per month to those who qualify. To qualify, the recipients generally fall well below the poverty level. Verification of status is required annually. Other companies such as AT&T and Sprint also provide lifeline services.
The outcry against these programs seems to be in part due to misinformation circulating around the web. According to FactCheck.org, SafeLink Wireless “is not funded by the government or taxpayer money.” Indeed, on their site, TracFone states that TracFone Wireless pays for the phones, as well as for promoting the SafeLink program.
In a recent article from The Philadelphia Inquirer by Alfred Lubrano, it seems much of the outcry stems from the fact that the costs for SafeLink are partially paid for by charges on phone bills the federal government allows carriers to levy.
Is this a redistribution of wealth – or is it a creative and effective way to offer hope and opportunity?
Tags: cell phones, creativity, hope, lifeline, Making a Difference, opportunity
Sandy from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
In a recent interview, Mark Horvath of InvisiblePeople.tv spoke with Sandy. An articulate, pleasant woman, Sandy tells her story. It is not legal to sleep in her car, so though the streets are not safe, she sleeps on the street in a sleeping bag. The shelters are constantly full, she has been unable to find employment, and she received a $400 trespassing ticket for sleeping in a church.
When asked what she would wish if she had three wishes, she says she would wish for hope. I hope someone in the Berkeley area sees her interview and can offer her some options – thereby some hope.
photo credit: ktylerconk
Most everyone has had the experience of being approached by a panhandler requesting money. You want to help, but at the same time, you don’t want the money you offer to go toward drugs, alcohol, or other destructive habits. If there is a coffee shop or grocery store nearby, you can offer a sandwich or meal, but this is not always an option.
In 2007, Denver’s Road Home began an innovative and creative Donation Meter Program. Designed to increase the awareness of Denver’s Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness, this program gives people the opportunity to “redirect the money given to panhandlers into initiatives that provide meals, job training, substance abuse counseling, housing, and other programs for those in need.”
It works like this. Refurbished parking meters are prepared with information decals. Local businesses sponsor a meter for $1,000 per year for an individual meter. These donation meters are installed in locations around town that experience significant panhandling problems. The pedestrians are made aware of the Plan to End Homelessness, and they are provided a way to donate. All money collected is to be used for homeless services. Not only has awareness of the homeless issue increased significantly, but the panhandling population in the areas around the meters has dropped dramatically. Denver now has 86 meters scattered throughout the city, bringing in more than $100,000 in donations on an annual basis.
In a nod to the success of Denver’s Donation Meter Program, the city of Nashville, Tennessee has unveiled a similar program in their city. Businesses that sponsor a meter in Nashville will have their company logo placed on the meter – a nice advertising perk.
I applaud the cities of Denver and Nashville – for thinking outside the box, and for taking another step forward in the fight against homelessness.
Tags: Adopt-a-Meter, creativity, Homelessness, Making a Difference, solutions
It’s almost here. I’ve been seeing posters, reading ads in the paper and watching commercials on tv. The buzz is about the 2010 U.S. Census, which will take place beginning the end of March.
Accurate numbers are crucial, as those results determine where and how local, State and Federal resources will be directed.
It’s no secret that Los Angeles County has one of the highest (actually, I believe it has the highest) number of homeless men, women and children in the nation. Services for persons who find themselves homeless are drastically needed here. The current economic crisis has created a homeless population which seems to have a rapidly growing percentage of families with children – living on the streets, in cars, in parks.
Added to the already difficult task of counting a mobile population, are factors such as those who do not wish to talk to strangers about their situation – whether from a lack of trust, embarrassment, or merely a desire for privacy and a wish to remain “under the radar” and be left alone. How is it possible to be sure that this population is accurately represented?
To address this issue, the U.S. Census Bureau will be conducting a “Service-Based Enumeration.” Working with local providers of homeless services to identify areas where persons who are homeless can be found, the Census Bureau has set March 29, 30 and 31 as days which will concentrate on specific locations focusing on the transitory population.
March 29 will focus on shelters for persons who are homeless;
March 30 will focus on soup kitchens and mobile food vans;
March 31 will focus on various identified outdoor locations where the transitory population tends to congregate.
Other areas, such as parks, campgrounds, and motels (people who do not have a “usual residence”) will be included in the general census dates.
Please … get the word out. This count is so important! Resources are badly needed.
For more information on the 2010 Census, or to find out how you can help:
Tags: Census, Making a Difference, Take Action
Pearl from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Mark Horvath of InvisiblePeople.tv recently posted this video. He met Pearl outside a shelter in St. Paul, Minnesota. Pearl has no money, and no place to live. She spends her nights inside the shelter and her days outside the shelter. She has been unable to get a case worker.
Mark travels the country, telling the stories of real people. Each person’s story is unique. It is tragic that each of these people find themselves homeless. As Mark says on his vblog, his intent is to “make the invisible visible.”
Mark, I applaud your efforts. You are doing a great service. Let’s get beyond the numbers and charts. Let’s look at the very real people — their faces, their circumstances, their thoughts, their needs, their hopes … and their three wishes.
Tags: editorial, InvisiblePeople.tv
Take just a minute…
As we enter this holiday season, many of us will be spending time with family and friends, sharing special holiday meals, planning get-togethers and shopping for gifts. Homes will be decorated inside and out, and all kinds of wonderful aromas permeate the air as we prepare traditional mouthwatering goodies.
We have been blessed, no doubt about it!
As we prepare to enjoy the festivities, this might be a good time to slow down for just a minute or two and look around. Times are tough for just about everyone right now, but you have it within your power to brighten someone’s day. It doesn’t have to cost a bundle to reach out to someone who needs help. Is there someone in your path who could use a kind word … a smile … a hot meal? Once you start looking around to find creative ways to help, some interesting things happen:
- You begin to realize that there are many ways to lend a hand;
- You may well discover that your situation is a lot better than you thought;
- You discover that reaching out to others has a rebound effect: When you help someone else, you feel happier too!
- You never know … you may find a new friend!
Hope Mill is a non-profit corporation dedicated to helping the homeless men, women and children on the streets of Southern California. We fill and distribute CarePacks containing essential personal care items such as shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, washcloth, scarves, socks, brushes, food, water, and much more.
When you consider ways to reach out to help those in need, please consider a donation to Hope Mill, Inc. Your tax-deductible gift will go directly toward supplying CarePacks to the tens of thousands of homeless men, women and children on the streets here in Southern California.
Your donation, whether in-kind or monetary would be greatly appreciated. Please check out our website to learn more about us: www.hopemill.com
Help us help others. Click here to make a donation. Your care and encouragement will touch the lives of many in need.
You may contact me at pearl@hopemill.com.
Have a wonderful holiday season!
Theresa Tese
I think everyone has enjoyed the feeling of pulling on a brand new pair of socks, and relishing the way the soft, clean knit fabric cushions and comforts the feet. While most of us acknowledge this with a passing “ahhh,” or a happy wriggle of the toes, Theresa Tese has taken this much further and, indeed, has made it into a mission.
Theresa is a woman with a dream. That dream is to provide new socks to homeless people nationwide. Comfort Socks strives to achieve this by providing the socks to nonprofit agencies who serve the homeless.
Praying for a way to help others, about two years ago Theresa felt called to begin Comfort Socks. Thus began her adventure. She states, “This small act of giving socks to comfort the feet of homeless people is testimony of His compassion to comfort those that are hurting.”
Comfort Socks was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and in fact celebrates its one year anniversary as such this month! During this time, Comfort Socks has been busily getting the word out via the Internet, contacting shelters, conducting sock drives, and reaching out to the media as well as to merchants, schools, churches, various associations and bingo halls. As Theresa says, “I am all about socks, and constantly look for creative ways to spread the word about the Comfort Socks mission.”
Once a requesting agency has been confirmed to be a nonprofit serving the homeless population, they are asked to sign an agreement stating they will not sell or trade the socks, and that the socks will be used for the purpose stated. All of the socks are provided free of charge. The only cost to the requesting agency is the transport cost from the Comfort Socks warehouse in North Carolina.
There are many ways you can help Comfort Socks achieve its mission. Theresa offered just a few suggestions to get those creative juices flowing:
- Collect new socks
- Have a car wash for socks, or charge a sock ticket to a basketball game.
- Purchase socks online (either on your own or through the merchants on our website) and have the socks shipped to Comfort Socks.
- Donate funds to be used for purchasing socks to keep up the inventory.
- Donate monthly through your bank’s bill pay service, or donate your Amex points (we receive $10.00 for every 1,000 points you donate).
- Become a sock box drop off location
- Spread the news about the Comfort Socks mission
- Pray for us and for those that are hurting in the world.
For more information about this organization, check out their website at www.comfortsocksonline.org
Thank you, Theresa Tese – and Comfort Socks – for Making a Difference!
Tags: Making a Difference, Resources
photo credit: Tony the Misfit
Recently Shannon Moriarty, in a column on change.org, provided a forum for Holly Case to speak out. As explained in the article, Holly is the niece of Daniel Case, a veteran of the Vietnam war, a son, a brother, a husband, a father, an uncle – and a homeless person who was violently attacked and killed on the streets of Bradenton, Florida in February of this year.
In the wake of this horrific hate crime, Holly’s family has been repeatedly asked why her uncle was living on the streets, how the family allowed that to happen, and why they didn’t offer help to get him off the streets. Holly was writing to respond to these questions. My heart goes out to Holly and her family, and to the families of all the other victims in this situation. Trying to deal with the loss of a family member is bad enough without being put in a position of feeling defensive.
More to the point, shouldn’t the focus be on the perpetrators of these violent crimes? Why do these people have no apparent value for human life? Why do they seek out those less fortunate, or weaker, or easy targets, and find some kind of entertainment or satisfaction in attacking them?
Over the last decade, a study was conducted by the National Coalition for the Homeless documenting the rise in crimes committed against the homeless population in the United States. They found that within the last year, at least 774 violent crimes were committed against the homeless, resulting in 217 deaths. Although those accused of committing such acts of violence range in age, most perpetrators are between the ages of 17 and 20. In fact, according to the NCH’s study, during the year of 2007 this age group was responsible for 49 such crimes. (National Coalition of the Homeless report)
Why would anyone, let alone children, want to act violently towards the homeless? While many crimes are motivated by pure malice, the fact that many of these crimes are committed by teenagers suggests that an undeveloped moral code could be involved. Did they find some sort of thrill from attacking those who were marginalized even more than them? Yet, the violence against the homeless is often overlooked by both the media and the very people who consider themselves model citizens.
Each person finding themself homeless has a unique situation or reason why they are homeless in the first place: whether it be a limited job market, domestic violence, familial troubles, they are in need of help from anyone who is able to do so. We cannot allow for the homeless to be marginalized. They have a right to a life free from violent acts others may subject them to. Turning a blind eye to the plight of the homeless has helped contribute to the lack of knowledge and understanding of these issues. There is no magic button to push to solve the problems of the homeless, but acquiring knowledge on their situations, talking to them, and just acknowledging that they exist could be very enlightening and help in astounding ways.
I think pretty much everyone would agree that homelessness is on the rise here in the U.S. (indeed, around the world). The causes for this trend are too numerous to mention. With the current economic situation, the high unemployment rate, and the evaporation of affordable housing, the ranks joining the homeless are growing at an alarming rate. All across the nation, communities are grappling with this problem, trying to identify the causes, and more importantly, working to find solutions.
This is a job of overwhelming magnitude. How can we get the tens (or hundreds) of thousands of men, women and children off the streets and into safe and reliable housing? What programs can be developed to offer training in marketable skills to those who are looking for employment? What about rehab programs for those who have ended up on the streets due to drug or alcohol addiction?
The list goes on. All of these problems need to be addressed. We need to keep brainstorming and testing possible solutions. By building on our successes and learning from our failures, each step forward – no matter how small – brings us that much closer to the solutions we seek.
By now you’re probably wondering what all this has to do with the title of this post. Band-Aids?
Increasingly it seems, I am coming across those who feel that if you don’t have “the” solution to the problem, then any attempt is just a band-aid, and so is pointless.
Maybe this school of thought has come about because we hear the term “homeless” so often, that we have ceased thinking about the individuals who make up this segment of our population? I don’t know. But I do know this:
- That warm meal that someone offers a resident of the streets is not pointless. It will nourish and encourage.
- The opportunity to have a spot in a shelter is not pointless. It means, to that person, a safe place indoors to sleep tonight.
- The pair of sneakers or the warm jacket donated by a family is not pointless. It means protection from the cold and relief from the pain of shoes worn through.
- Even that smile, nod and “hello,” sincerely given, is not pointless. To the person on the receiving end, it can be a brief moment of warmth, affirmation and encouragement.
Are these things the solution? No.
Are they band-aids? Yes.
But even band-aids have their place, and can make thousands and thousands of lives just a little bit better.
…That is not pointless.