Knitting Group Knocks Down Stereotypes

by Noah Jennings

categories: Advocacy, healthcare, People doing good things, service providers

Published December 28, 2009 @ 07:19AM PT

A recent story in the Boston Globe intended to be a saccharine human interest gloss on homelessness might actually, and quite indirectly, do something more than warm hearts. Reporter Milton Valencia covered the experiences of the homeless members of a  knitting group at a medical respite shelter in South Boston. It's a nice story, complete with sweet quotes from down-and-out mothers who've found a kind of "therapeutic community" in this unexpected fellowship.

But forget the sentimentality for the moment. What's absolutely wonderful about this story isn't so much the human interest and pathos, though I certainly hope the emotional story turned the heads of those otherwise indifferent to the homeless. What's great about this piece is its prominent, full-color picture of a homeless, black man knitting together with an elderly, white woman. I don't know about you, but I find the juxtaposition of multiple broken stereotypes in the image to be startling and not a little bit refreshing. You'll excuse me if I'm making a mountain of the proverbial mole hole, but this small gesture to the unexpected does heaps to fight stigma against the homeless. Kudos to the Globe for the perhaps unintentional boon to homeless advocacy in the Boston area.

But let's not forget about the group itself. Secondary to the picture, this really is a story worth considering for all those knitters and crafters anxious to get involved in their community. From the Globe, "At the Barbara McInnis House in the South End, where people dealing with homelessness also suffer the pains of medical illnesses, a surprising sort of therapy has brought them together with volunteers in what has become a curative social group. Young and old, men and women, a grandmother and a young pregnant woman all use arts and crafts to ease their minds of struggles ranging from disabilities to kidney disease to drug addiction." Not many shelters out there have the capacity to care for both the body and the heart.

And that's a shame. There should be more shelters like the Barbara McInnis House. Respite medical care for the homeless is a deplorable service gap in most communities. Scraping together enough resources for the creation and maintenance of a strong shelter system is hard enough. For many areas, providing staffed medical care for those who remain sick and without shelter during the day-- it's impossible. When the average chronically homeless individual dies more than 20 years earlier than the general population, that's criminal public neglect.

Yet another reason why we should keep our eyes trained on the current wrangling over health care reform on the  hill.

Waiting for Section 8

by Mark Horvath

categories: Housing, Stories from the Streets

Published December 27, 2009 @ 08:33PM PT

Karen is waiting for a Section 8 inspection to move into a new residence. Unfortunately, in the mean time, she's staying on the streets. And it's been three weeks so far.

She's feeling the pain and frustration of living amongst drug-users and drug-dealers as she tries to enter into a new phase of her life.

Karen wishes only for some money, peace of mind and getting into her new residence. It's a shame that we can't provide solutions for people like Karen who are simply transitioning and trying to make the right choices.

Currently in Los Angeles I'm trying to find help for a homeless single mom with two kids waiting on a Section 8 inspection. It makes no sense that a program to help low income people with housing would not expedite an inspection.

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The Story of American Heartbreak

by Shannon Moriarty

Published December 25, 2009 @ 06:13AM PT

From $90,000 a year to the streets, James is a story of American heartbreak.

Working in the auto industry and as an electrician, he seemed on top of the world. He accepted an early buyout, took the chance to go back to college, and graduated to find no opportunities.

Shelters and abandoned buildings became home to James until he connected with a band of local churches who opened their doors to the homeless and provided a daily allowance of two bus passes.

Most recently, a program has provided James with clothing, shelter and a checking account. And even more, a light at the end of the tunnel. Asked what he would do with three wishes, he humbly acknowledges that he has everything he needs.

Imagine how many more stories could end with hope and promise like James' if we each devoted ourselves to truly solving the issue of homelessness.

Special thanks to Solid Ground

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Family Downsizing

by Mark Horvath

categories: family homelessness, recession, shelter

Published December 24, 2009 @ 06:01AM PT

The first time I ever heard the term "families downsizing" was this past July during an interview with the Nevada Partnership Of Homeless Youth (watch the interview here). Larry Lovelett, Homeless Youth Transition Specialist, said this was currently their biggest challenge. He explained that since Nevada has been hit hard by the failing economy, families are selling their large homes and moving into smaller, more affordable apartments. But to fit into these apartments? Well, many families have no choice but to make their older children move out.

The idea of downsizing families boggled my mind - I just didn't see how it was possible for a family to kick out one of their kids. But then I met Dawn and her son Ryle at a rotating shelter near Detroit, Michigan. Just two days before this interview, Dawn's mom dropped her off at the shelter.

Nevada isn't the only community grappling with downsizing families. Last week, I interviewed Jack Gonzalez at the Los Angeles Youth Network, who also talked about how these families are affecting his organization. (That interview can be found here)

It's incredibly sad the lengths some families must go to in order to survive during these rough economic times. Maybe your family will never be forced to "downsize" in order to stay housed, but I hope that Dawn's story puts a face to this unfortunate phenomenon.

Dawn and Ryle from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.

Church Sells Window to Keep Shelter Doors Open

by Shannon Moriarty

categories: church, People doing good things, recession, shelter

Published December 23, 2009 @ 08:30PM PT

A small church in Brattleboro, Vermont is learning the hard way that desperate times call for desperate measures. With fledgling funds, the congregation faced a difficult decision: cut off services to the homeless, or sell an invaluable piece of church history?

ABC News reported last night that members of the church have chosen to part with a valuable Tiffany's stained glass window that has been displayed in the church for over 100 years. They believe selling the artwork will raise $75,000, all of which will support keeping the doors to the church's shelter to open to the area's homeless population.

The need for their community homeless shelter is greater than ever; in the past year, the number of families and individuals at the shelter have more than quadrupled, according to church officials. Though the money is supporting an important cause, it does not make parting with such an important piece of church history any easier.

In many ways, the church's difficult decision is not unlike the those faced by families and individuals who exhaust every possible option before ending up on the streets. It's heartbreaking and it's wrong and no person - or church - should ever have to experience it.

This story is enormously frustrating. Why must a small Vermont church struggle to hold its community's safety net together -- even selling its most valuable possession -- while there seem to be endless streams of money for Wall Street execs? If there is any ray of light in this story, it is the good, decent people who made the difficult decision to sell the church's window. Their selfless actions valued people over possessions; something we can all gain a lesson or two from.

Still - $75,000 won't sustain an emergency shelter forever. And this isn't the only shelter operating on a shoestring budget. When we ring in the new year, let us also renew our commitment to eliminating the need for safety nets by supporting policies that tackle the root causes of homelessness.

Image: Vermont Public Radio

NYC Charity Fraud Ordered Off Streets

by SlumJack

categories: Government, News, nonprofit, panhandling, Policy, service providers

Published December 23, 2009 @ 07:08PM PT

Following months of "investigation," and years of expose', United Homeless Organization has finally been ordered to remove its sidewalk donation tables from the streets of New York City. State Supreme Court justice in Manhattan, Hon. Barbara R. Kapnick, granted the injunction at behest of state’s attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, which remains in effect until January, 2010, when the next court hearing in a prosecution case is scheduled.

Dubbed "The Lowest of the Low" by outraged critics, despite a "nonprofit" organizational status, founder Stephen Riley and UHO director  Myra Walker are alleged to have misappropriated almost all donated monies for their own personal use, allowing the individuals operating the tables to personally keep $15 each per shift. These donation stations have often been operated by actual homeless persons. Annual cash revenues of between about $50K+ to over $70K have allegedly gone to Mr. Riley's and Ms. Walker's personal and even lavish use in the meantime, with suspect record-keeping, reporting and organizational irresponsibilities.

We often see dialogues, discussions and scrutiny` toward what individual panhandlers or beggars might be actually doing with the relative pittances they're collecting, yet scams like this have gone on at magnitudes so many times larger -- and all too often, for quite some time. In recent years we've also seen similar large-scale exploitations of the homeless and public such as the collusion fraud cases in Los Angeles, in which major hospitals and medical institutions and their executives conspired with even police officers and others to use homeless people for fraudulent billings to public welfare funds.

Yet, a blatant scam that's been going on for years right out in the open, is being pursued as a civil case, not criminal. Others, such as a similar fraud and embezzling by Jubilee Restoration, a non-profit housing organization, in Berkeley, CA, received a relative slap on the sleight-of-hand, too.

Meanwhile, substantial amounts of money given in good faith by countless numbers of well-meaning people have been despicably diverted in these ways -- away from those they would help. These crooks are truly among the Lowest of the Low on the streets.

Image: NY Times Blog

Scrooge Award Goes to Goldman Sachs Subsidiary

by Noah Jennings

categories: foreclosure, recession

Published December 23, 2009 @ 10:14AM PT

'Tis the season for lambasting companies that choose profit over relieving this country's housing crisis. This time around, the Scrooge Award goes to Goldman Sachs, whose loan collection subsidiary Litton Loan Servicing blocks attempts to modify loans while its parent company doles out massive bonuses to company executives.

According to ABC News, "With the exception of maybe AIG, no firm has come to symbolize Main Street's disgust with Wall Street practices more than Goldman. In a move that caused a global backlash, Goldman has said it expects to set aside more than $20 billion for bonuses and other forms of employee compensation and benefits at the end of the year."

Looks like a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past is in order. Goldman Sachs was a major beneficiary of the taxpayer bailout TARP. While they've paid back the $10 billion we loaned them in this agreement, they've apparently turned a blind eye to the importance of social capital, choosing growth at the narrow bottom line and top-level incentive over the creation of sustainable communities.

Meanwhile, Litton makes it harder for families to keep their homes. "Loan servicers [like Litton] make their money on late fees, so there is a perverse incentive for them not to work out solutions," said Julia Gordon, senior policy counsel at the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Responsible Lending. "Meanwhile, there is zero incentive for them to help a family stay in their home." To date, Litton has assisted in the modification of only 12 percent of qualified client home loans. This is the worst variety of stinginess.

This holiday season, let's send a message to Goldman Sachs and other Scrooges who profit from an unhealthy and broken housing system: no more.

Image from Yahoo!