Top Ten Homelessness Videos of 2008

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I have experienced the misery of homelessness at several points in my life and, although there is a certain sense of freedom to it, it is a dangerous and miserable lifestyle that is hard to rise out of. I invite you to my website: www.FreetheGods.com. There you will find pictures I have taken of homeless people. I always give them a dollar or two for the privilege of photographing them. Usually, I am surprised by their cheerfulness and sense of pride. Often, they will show themselves to have some kind of talent. There is a fine line between genius and insanity.

Posted by david scott on 12/26/2008 @ 10:37PM PT
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The "How to feed the homeless" is a great idea! This guy is a saint! We all should try this and see that the homeless in our state and city can get the same treatment! Kudos, my man!!!

Posted by Jodee Borgerding on 12/30/2008 @ 05:39AM PT
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It seems to me that so many people are clueless about who the homeless are and how they *got that way*. So many suffered the double misfortunes of becoming disabled ( either via accident, illness or trauma ) and not having family support. What many Americans don't realize is that once you suffer ANY serious health mishap you are no longer considered EMPLOYABLE by Corporate America. ( The MIB - Medical Information Database is routinely accessed once a SSI # is provided- I am a Corp. emigre- I am aware of the P&P regarding this) Anyone who is regarded as a liability or who might drive up the cost of group health rates is discarded. I know at least 10 very bright, very talented, very eager to work ( get back on their feet) degreed individuals who now "couch surf". why? Housing is NOT affordable for the disabled and America has denied them accesss to what so many take for granted---employment. None of the laws on the books to advocate for the disabled are enforced. One woman that I know was told by the PO ( she has a Masters degree but would take ANY job) " we don't hire people who have had back surgeries". This out of the mouth of a Gov. Postmaster who is beholden to follow the ADA mandates. I am an advocate, however avocational, for the disabled. It breaks my heart and horrifies me that the door to America has been SHUT on this group who has by and large allready endured signficant suffering. Our returning Vets that have PTSD will find an America most unwilling to hire them. What then? We are defined as a country by how we regard those AMERICANS in need of our advocacy, our most vulnerable. To me? This hopelessness will exist for them until our President makes a committment to their plight in a meaningful way and ensures that business and corp. leaders follow suit. The Section 8 program is de-funded in most areas. People who cannot afford the stability which a home provides often become lost forever.
I'm so glad to see this originating thread.

Posted by Martha Cuthbert on 12/30/2008 @ 05:31PM PT
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that feeding the homeless video is crazy. it seems like it wouldn't work, but it did. i don't think many other business owners would be as gullible as that, but that would be great if it worked everywhere

Posted by Blair Naples on 12/30/2008 @ 10:23PM PT
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My brother was the director of a homeless shelter in our small town. I visited often. For the 8 yrs. he was a director, I watched him put several people back on thier feet. He went out finding jobs for them, helped them get an apt. and all of the assistance available. the majority of those who stayed at the shelter were so thankful for a job and a place to stay that they became good citizens of our town. A few just didn't want to work. Those few kept coming back to live at the shelter. These are the guys wanting a free ride, who were totally capable of working. But my point is, if you take a handful of people, give them options, they will flourish. However, there are others out there who just plain do not want to hold a job, and live off others. Those people were given several chances at jobs. Once found that they weren't going to work, out they went. If on disability and couldn't work, they would do everything to help get them where they needed to be. It takes compassion and love for your fellow man to help those in need. Most of us have that. If every person helped ONE homeless person , we would have alot less people freezing on the streets, going to bed hungry....After having a trauma happen and you end up homeless, thats a double whammy and people get lost in the crowd. If you could imagine having NO support except some strangers now and then after having a traumatic experience that left you homeless is almost too much to bear. We all need to do our part in helping the ones who are willing to help themselves. Our Government should be helping. I think, instead, there will be much more homelessness in our country soon. We the people need to ban together and help each other. It's the Christian thing to do. It's the right thing to do.

Posted by Jodee Borgerding on 12/31/2008 @ 02:49AM PT
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The US spends more in armaments than any other country in the world, by a large margin. This is while we still have human beings that don't have a place to live.

Posted by Mario Salazar on 12/31/2008 @ 07:21PM PT
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This homelessness in unexceptable in the USA! I laugh my butt off watching Mabe feed the homeless. Now thats a good man! Maybe we could all do something like that until we get the problem fixed! There should be NO homeless people in this country. We are the richest country in the world, yet so many are suffering in the elements with nobody to care for them. It makes me ashamed to be an American when I watch this. Never had I said that before! The good part is...we have great people with huge hearts that will help them. We just need more like him.

Posted by Jodee Borgerding on 01/01/2009 @ 05:56AM PT
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At a National Rally on Homelessness, in Washington, in 1989, I photographed a young girl with a majenta tee shirt-which said: "Our government houses its missles better than it houses its people." She posed on the National Mall, with the Capitol in the background....If Canada and Finland can eliminate homelessness, or at least make it a national policy to do it in ten years, what keeps us from undertaking such a national task.
New Hampshire was the first state to have a state-wide homeless outreach project, where we went under bridges, up logging trails, to abandoned sugar shacks, campgrounds-just before the start of the school year, abandoned buildings, along riverbanks. One police officer (who's mother had been homeless) vouched for homeless folks camped on the river in his town that wanted library cards/borrowing priviledges. Two County Sheriff's sent letters to Town Police departments asking local PD's to notify outreach of sitings, rather than immediately initiating trespass actions. Collaboration in Domestic Violence matters also improved-especially around substance abuse issues. One motel owner-a retired police officer, let DV victims park cars "out of sight" at his motel-and gave them aliases at sign in. One DV program visited mutual clients at a detox program until detoxed, and one woman's AA group "guaranteed" anonymity to DV folks using aliases. Fuel Assistance programs trained outreach to certify eligible "homeless" folks in summer housing, during the winter. Planned Parenthood offered General Primary Care/vaccinations for school/employment physicals to homeless families with school age kids/employable adults. School Principals used the State Education Homeless Resource Guides to prevent homeless kids from being stigmatized in schools. The DAV gave homeless vets rides to the VA for medical appointments. Taxis under contract would transport folks to a motel-also under contract, where the outreach worker would see them the next morning. Gas stations under contract would provide gas to stranded folks enroute to other states. Vets with PTSD would be connected to Vet Center resources..........It benefitted the local economy as much as the homeless folks served by it

Posted by Bob Olcott on 01/04/2009 @ 10:37AM PT
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I just came back home from the soup kitchen where I volunteer. BTW, it is located in a Catholic church and is part of an ecumenical effort by several different denomination churches in the Gaithersburg, MD area. This is what religion should be about, not building fortunes and monumental churches (I am an agnostic, BTW).

But back to my point. The number of people that we have been getting has doubled. We are having trouble keeping enough food. I am a bleeding heart liberal and support Obama, but I hope that they will donate the same amount that they are spending in the inauguration balls to charities.

Posted by Mario Salazar on 01/05/2009 @ 05:03PM PT
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I hate to say it, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Posted by Jodee Borgerding on 01/06/2009 @ 08:34AM PT
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You are probably correct; however, I went ahead and left a message in Obama's transition site to that effect. Who knows.

Mario

Posted by Mario Salazar on 01/06/2009 @ 02:43PM PT
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I hope he helps. It would be a great cause to be a part of. Like you said, who knows, it's always possible! Good luck!

Posted by Jodee Borgerding on 01/07/2009 @ 02:13AM PT
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Shannon has worked in homeless shelters and service organizations in San Francisco, the Triangle region of North Carolina, and currently in the greater Boston area. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.