bammy:
I never did see the 575,000 house.. I saw an apartment.. yes it was nice.. Why do people think the long term homeless do not deserve something other than 3 hots and a cot? Most of these people are not homeless by choice.. one was a Marine.. married and had what people would call a "normal" life... with the advent of "Managed Care" so long to most of the mental health funding that people NEED.. Their depressionhgets worse.. nothing they can do about it without help.. they lose a job.. can't afford their medicines.. then what? Toss them out like yesterday's fish? What would that accomplish?
Most families in America today are one crisis away from the streets.. if you aren't consider yourself very blessed. The mentally ill cannot have the normalcy that most people have. they have a life that few people understand.. the voices.. the black depths of depression.. the addiction that comes with just trying to make themselves feel better... what do we do with these folks?
My calling is to help them.. I have been in their shoes.. I have been the homeless addict on the streets.. I have been in the depths of depression so far that drowning would have been a relief... I now have a college degree.. a home <which I am buying myself> and a job far better than any job I have ever had before.. I am sure not in this for the money.. but.. My needs are met.. and my hope is.. that some of these people I work with.. will have theirs met too
:::sliding my soapbox back under the bed:::
Thank You.
I have never actually been homeless as an adult. I remember my family sleeping in the car for several days or so when I was growing up, but I was young (under 13) and I'm not sure if it was because my parents were looking for a house or what ... just that we didn't have a place to stay. It was not a vacation. My dad worked, and we went to school, but at night, we slept in the car.
But, about eight months ago, it looked as though I might join the homeless. I won't go into detail, just that suddenly I had no funds and was unable to pay rent and bills. My oldest son was out of the country and didn't know I had a problem. I maxed my cards out. My other kids live with their dad, and I wasn't telling them anything. You may think that is stupid, but until you are in a situation like that, you do not know how you will react. Okay ... now I know. I did not want to ask for help. I finally did ... asked for help from my church, found out about programs to help people in my situation ... the food bank, food stamps, low income unemployment ... they exist. I tried to use them, and the low income housing (you get on a list and wait for an opening) ... for me, the food bank and reduced utility have been the most help. I know that they need proof of low income, but I couldn't stand to show them my bank statement. I didn't mind my pay stubs and income tax forms ... I guess they look for other income. But if you are going to hide other income, you can simply have another account, right? Anyway, my son got back stateside and started paying my rent, I got help for bills and food, I started making and selling home-baked goodies at work ... and while I'm still not rich, I never had to get my very own shopping cart (I could have kept my cats in the basket <G>)...
Anyway, I now live in a house rent-free in exchange for helping an older lady, my electric and telephone bills are reduced, and I'm slowly crawling out of my hole. And I have started getting Social Security... reduced by my age, not making enough income to reduce it further. LOL!
So I am better off than I have been for a long time, and very lucky that I was not out on the streets ...
And yes, it was just one little crisis that nearly brought me to that state... thanks to my son and my church and other people that cared about me, I am doing okay, and trying to figure out how can we help people that really need help BUT they, like me, think that they can get through this ... how do you help someone that you don't know needs help?
Do you have any idea of how devastating it is to find that you CAN'T do it on your own?
Obviously bammy knows. But when you are used to being on your own and have always managed ... I wasn't going to tell anyone. Would you? I didn't realize how resistant I was to telling others I needed help until then.
I'm doing so well that I may be able to buy a car in just a few more months ...
Some people may be homeless by choice. I don't know. I just know that there are a lot of people that didn't have a choice. And I almost became one, too.
Yes, even in the United States, we are blessed if we have a roof over our head and food to eat (no table needed).
We are also blessed to be able to make our choices known in elections. Another part of life here many take for granted, and some even go so far as to claim that we really that it makes no difference. It does. ... In fact, another way I pick up a bit of extra income is by being a poll worker ... it all adds up. People that have been here for six or more months probably remember that the only way I was able to afford presents for my kids was by winning a $100 Amazon gift card here at WSS... I think I will be able to do a little more this Christmas ... I got the card in time for birthdays in March and April. It was fun to do. :-)
GOOD LUCK TO ALL!