Employed but still homeless, working poor say "Homelessness can happen to anybody" - Houseless.org



Recession is over? You sure? Absolutely sure?

I pray that we all look deep into ourselves to know WHY it has become apparently so easy to not "be about it" when it comes to actually involving ourselves and our lives in the lives of those who are struggling.

Sure there have been OH so many 501(c)(3)'s spring up to help, but are they doing enough?
Are they not also helping themselves by creating a way of employment via the struggles of others?

Would it not be more righteous for each one of us to take it upon ourselves to "be about it" without putting it off onto others?
WELL?

We are human, watch us "be about it"! 
Michael Love, IIO


Below is an article which unfortunately still holds true to this date, 28 December 2012:

Employed but still homeless, working poor say "Homelessness can happen to anybody"


Wed Nov 28, 2012 6:08 AM EST


By Jessica Hopper, Tim Sandler and Cristina Boado
Rock Center

Before the sun rises, Cindy and Patrick Kennard wake their three daughters, fold their cots in a Sunday school classroom and pack their lives into suitcases.

“This is an every Sunday ritual,” said Cindy Kennard.  “It’s something that we do every week and so it just becomes natural.  We know the best thing is to get up and keep moving.”

The Kennard family of five from Johnson City, Tenn., is homeless. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Kennards is that despite their homelessness, they are still a working family.  For the last seven years, Patrick Kennard has worked a full-time job with benefits at a bank call center and until recently, Cindy Kennard worked as a director of a daycare facility.

Cindy and Patrick Kennard. Photo credit: Ann Curry
“When we fell, we fell hard and we fell fast,” Cindy Kennard told NBC News’ Ann Curry in an interview airing Thursday, Nov. 29 on NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams.

The Kennards are one of a growing number of working families who have become homeless. In the wake of the recession, experts say that families like the Kennards represent a historic juncture when it comes to homelessness in America.

“It’s hard sometimes for people to appreciate.  They’re so used to the stereotyped homeless populations, the visible homeless, if you will, who live outdoors in public locations and they’re not aware that there are literally hundreds of thousands of people, many of them working, who are homeless as well,” said Dennis Culhane, a University of Pennsylvania social policy professor whose research focuses on homelessness.

The Kennard family settling in at another church shelter. Each week, the family stays in a different Sunday school classroom. Photo credit: Ann Curry
The number of people in homeless families living in suburban and rural areas rose nearly 60 percent during the depths of the Great Recession, according to figures from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). More than one million school-aged children are now homeless, according to the Department of Education.

“There are more children homeless now than have ever been before,” Culhane said.

WATCH VIDEO: No Place Like Home: Working families increasingly homeless

For Patrick Kennard, the feeling that he’s failed his three daughters, 9-year-old Jillian, 14-year-old Melodie and 16-year-old Brianne, sends him into despair.

“I think I could have handled this whole situation better had it not been for the fact that I was taking my three children into it with me,” said Kennard. “They didn’t do anything to deserve this. They didn’t do anything. They’re totally innocent.”

How to help the families featured on our show

The Kennard family (clockwise starting on far left): 16-year-old Brianne Kennard, Cindy Kennard, 14-year-old Melodie Kennard, 9-year-old Jillian Kennard and Patrick Kennard. Photo credit: Ann Curry

Cindy and Patrick Kennard, married 19 years, worked hard to pursue the American dream. They have college degrees. Both tried to build their savings as they worked. Their dream began to crumble when Patrick Kennard suffered kidney problems that led to expensive hospital stays and mounting medical bills. Even with the health insurance he had from work, the family still owed around $5,000. Their car broke down repeatedly, costing them more than $3,000.  The couple's debt began to mount.

Combining their student loan debt and medical bills, they found themselves more than $35,000 in debt.

Unable to afford child care, Cindy Kennard was forced to quit her job leaving them with only her husband's income, around $35,000 a year. The family was living paycheck to paycheck and still did not have enough to cover their monthly expenses.  They became behind on their rent.  They downsized to a cramped two-bedroom apartment from their more spacious four-bedroom apartment. Again, they were unable to afford rent and were evicted.

“I wanted to dig a hole and let somebody cover me up,” said Cindy Kennard.

The youngest Kennard, 9-year-old Jillian, took the eviction news especially hard. “I was scared because I loved the house and I didn’t want to leave it,” she said.

The Kennards pondered living in their van or at a campground. They made heart-breaking decisions, including pawning their wedding rings for $100.

Cindy and Patrick Kennard holding hands. Photo credit: Ann Curry

“One of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to do was to sell my wedding band,” Patrick Kennard said. “That ring on my finger meant the world to me.”

For Cindy and Patrick Kennard’s daughters, being homeless means living a life of uncertainty and sometimes shame.

Through tears, 16-year-old Brianne described the hardest part about being a homeless kid: hoping no one finds out.

“Sometimes when we’re on our way to school, we have to ride up here in, like, a church van and people can probably see that and then they probably wonder why,” Brianne said. “But people finding out is probably one of the scariest things.”

Brianne has told a few of her close friends who have kept her secret. She was willing to speak publicly about it for the first time because she wants to help other kids like her.

“When we became homeless, we lost everything but our faith and that’s what I would say is don’t lose your faith,” said Brianne of her advice to other homeless families.

Nine-year-old Jillian also feared telling classmates about her family’s struggle.

Jillian Kennard built the bird house pictured and carries it with her from shelter to shelter because it reminds her of her old house. Photo credit: Ann Curry

“I didn’t want everybody to laugh at me,” she said.

When her friends left school and returned to their homes, she went to a shelter. Jillian said, “I felt happy for them because they had a house and I didn’t.”

The red-headed little girl clings to a pink bird house she built out of popsicle sticks, glitter and glue because it reminds her of the family’s old home.

She sometimes has nightmares and dreams of one day having a slumber party in her own room with a bed covered in Tinkerbell sheets.

The family has moved 15 times in the last four months. Through a church and community program sheltering homeless families called the Interfaith Hospitality Network, the family rotates to a different Sunday school classroom each week.

“I had the stereotypical man holding up the sign, ‘Will work for food, have family, need help’ and I never realized how close I was to being that person,” Patrick Kennard said.  “Homelessness can happen to anybody.  We’re proof of that.”

Brian Rosecrance runs the Interfaith Hospitality Network’s chapter in Johnson City, Tenn., that’s been helping the Kennards as they find their financial footing. He said he has seen a distinct change in the families seeking help.

Photo credit: Ann Curry
“In the past three, four years, we’ve seen higher-educated people.  We’ve seen people who are currently employed coming to us.  We’ve seen a lot of families with job layoff situations where they were laid off a month or two ago and now they’re homeless,” Rosecrance said.

Rosecrance said his waiting list of families needing help continues to grow. Part of what makes the Interfaith Hospitality Network unique is that it allows families to stay together.

“One thing that I've seen for as many years as I've been doing this is a real resilience with these families,” Rosecrance said. “And I think that's the whole secret.  That, you know, mom and dad don't have to go one place while the kids stay with other relatives or they don't have to be separated in a shelter between men and women.”

Advocates say there are not enough shelters for the nation’s new wave of homeless families and many shelters separate men and women because of security reasons.

Shaun Donovan, the secretary of HUD, said that shelters must begin to use their funding differently to accommodate the rise in homeless families. He acknowledged that family-friendly shelters are under-funded.

“I’m not satisfied that we have the full amount of resources that we need and we will continue to fight for more,” Donovan said.

Donovan said he is working on an ambitious plan to reach families before they become homeless.
“I absolutely believe and the president [President Barack Obama] has fought for greater investment in homelessness in making sure we have adequate shelter, but also in making sure we have new, innovative directions that we can go to prevent it,” Donovan said.

The Kennard couple outside what will be their new apartment. Photo credit: Ann Curry

Back in Tennessee, the Kennard sisters say that they are learning unexpected lessons from homelessness.

“I’ve learned to love more, to love more people, to love the family more and love the outside world,” said Brianne.

The family recently received some good news.  The church shelter they’ve been staying in offered them a grant to help them pay rent for up to five years.  The family is expecting to move into a four-bedroom apartment next week.

Perhaps Jillian will now be able to put down her bird house and decorate her own room with Tinkerbell décor.



To help the Kennard Family: Email kennardfamily5@gmail.com

To help Darlene Gaines and her sons: Email Darlenegaines2012@gmail.com

Editor's Note: Ann Curry's full report airs Thursday, Nov. 29, at 10pm/9CDT on NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams.

Additional Resources:

Organizations Featured in Our Report
Interfaith Hospitality Network
 Our House

Government Organizations
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Homeless Resource Exchange 
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness

Homeless Advocacy Groups
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Center on Family Homelessness
Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness



Lest we not forget!

15th St. and M St. in DC, "The Houseless" at http://Houseless.net

Houseless woman set on fire while sleeping on bus bench in Van Nuys - Houseless.org



2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of
Christ; that every one may
receive the things [done] in
[his] body, according to that he
hath done, whether [it be] good
or bad.


Human life is not garbage to clear out and even set ablaze as one sees fit.
Please pray and help in a practical manner all those who are victims, as well as,  those who bring harm.

Michael Love, IIO

Below are articles of how low humans can bring themselves to.
No human deserves to be treated as such!



The burned bench where Violet was resting. Dennis Petillo - photo insert - has been arrested in connection with this crime.




10:00 AM
by
Web Producer

24-year-old suspect Dennis Petillo is being held on $500,000 bail.

VAN NUYS, Calif. (KTLA) — A woman is fighting for her life and a suspect is in custody after she was set on fire while sleeping on a bus bench in Van Nuys.

It happened around 1 a.m. near the corner of Van Nuys Boulevard and Sherman Way.

The victim, a 67-year-old homeless woman who frequented the area, was sleeping on a bus bench outside a Walgreens store.

According to witnesses, the suspect went into the Walgreens and bought some rubbing alcohol, then walked out and doused the woman.

“He went inside to the Walgreens store, bought alcohol and then he just poured it all over the old lady,” said witness Erickson Ipina.

“Then he threw the match on her and started running,” he recalled.

Ipina chased after the suspect and called 911 from his cell phone. Ipina said he was threatened by the suspect with a knife, but police have yet to recover any weapon.

The suspect, said to be 28 years old, was arrested and booked for assault with a deadly weapon.

However, that is expected to be changed to attempted murder.

The victim is hospitalized in extremely critical condition, according to police. If she does not survive, the suspect will face murder charges.


&


CBS/AP/ December 27, 2012, 12:53 PM
Woman set on fire in L.A. as she sleeps on bus bench

A burned city bus bench seen in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles on Thursday Dec. 27,2012 after police arrested a man for allegedly setting a 67-year-old woman on fire who was sleeping on the bus stop bench.
A burned city bus bench seen in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles on Thursday Dec. 27,2012 after police arrested a man for allegedly setting a 67-year-old woman on fire who was sleeping on the bus stop bench. / Greg Risling


LOS ANGELES Los Angeles police have arrested a man for allegedly setting a 67-year-old woman on fire as she was sleeping on a bus bench.

Authorities say the man, who is in his 20s, was arrested early Thursday. His name was not immediately released.

Police say the attack occurred shortly after 1 a.m. outside a drug store. A witness said he saw a man come out of the store and pour something on the woman before striking a match and setting her ablaze.

The woman, who may be homeless, was taken to a hospital and listed in critical condition.

CBS Los Angeles reports that just before the attack, witness Erickson Ipina reported seeing the suspect, who was dressed in a security jacket, buy what appeared to be rubbing alcohol from a nearby Walgreens.

"He just poured it all over the old lady and then threw the match on her and started running," Ipina said.

Ipina then chased the suspect.

"I said, 'Hey stop right there! Stop right there!' He kept running and I pulled out my cell phone and called 911 and then he just turned back on me and pulled out a knife," he said.

CBS Los Angeles reports that Ipina continued to follow the man until he was arrested by Los Angeles police for attempted murder.

Last week, a 55-year-old man was set on fire as he slept outside a doughnut shop in southern Los Angeles County. No one has been arrested.




&




LOS ANGELES | Thu Dec 27, 2012 2:32pm EST

(Reuters) - A homeless woman was in critical condition in a Los Angeles hospital after a man doused her with liquid accelerant and set her on fire as she slept on a bus bench, police said on Thursday.

Officers arrested Dennis Petillo, 24, in connection with the early morning attack, and he has been booked in jail on suspicion of attempted murder, police said.

The woman, whose name has not been released, was being treated at a local hospital with burns all over her body, said Los Angeles police Lieutenant Damian Gutierrez.

Erickson Ipina, a witness to the attack, told local station ABC 7 that he often saw the homeless woman sleeping on the bus bench. Ipina said he chased after the attacker, and called for help on his cell phone.

"I called 911 and he just turned back on me and pulled out a knife, and he told me, 'Stop following me or I will cut you,'" Ipina told ABC 7.

The television station showed images of the bus bench set on fire, which had black burn marks along it.

(Reporting By Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Tim Gaynor and Claudia Parsons)



&




Thursday, December 27, 2012

By Darsha Philips and Sid Garcia

VAN NUYS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A homeless woman sleeping on a bus bench was set on fire in Van Nuys early Thursday morning, police said. She remains in extremely critical condition. 

The bus bench was her home, according to those who know her, and her name was Violet.

The incident happened around 1 a.m. on Van Nuys Boulevard and Sherman Way. Police said the suspect walked into a Walgreens store, bought alcohol, walked to the bus bench, poured the alcohol on the victim and set her on fire.

The suspect then ran from the scene, but a witness, Erickson Ipina, was able to chase him down.

"I was following him and then I pulled out my cellphone. I called 911 and he just turned back on me and pulled out a knife, and he told me, 'Stop following me or I will cut you,'" said Ipina.

But Ipina continued following the suspect until police arrived. Investigators said the suspect, whose identity has not been released, is not believed to be homeless.

Police say the 67-year-old victim was severely burned. She was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Robert Wyneken says she was a regular at the nearby Lutheran church.

"We've tried to get her off the bench for years, and she absolutely refuses. That was her home," he said.

Police continue to question the man they detained. It's unclear if he knew the victim.



Lest we not forget!

15th St. and M St. in DC, "The Houseless" at http://Houseless.net

Third Cold-Related Death Reported in Cook County - Houseless.org


Every year, the streets give up those no longer able to endure the hardships associated with what many class as a no longer useful member of society.
We are human, just to remind you.
We all have faults, don't you?
YES!

Michael Love, IIO


Via

Third Cold-Related Death Reported in Cook County
Saturday, Dec 22, 2012  |  Updated 4:58 PM CST

A homeless man is the third person in Cook County to die of cold exposure since November, according to an autopsy conducted Saturday afternoon.

Casimir Widarz died while lying on the ground in the 4300 block of South Ashland Avenue on the South Side on Friday, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. The primary cause of death for Widarz was heart disease with cold exposure listed as a factor, the autopsy determined.

Widarz, who is believed to be in 60s, is the second homeless man to die from cold exposure this season in Cook County. Thomas Grubb, 41, died from hypothermia and cold exposure on Dec. 9, according to county records. Grubb, a registered sex offender who was living on the street, was found dead near a University of Illinois at Chicago student center, the medical examiner’s office said.

Florence Hawkins, 83, was the first confirmed cold-related death of the season.She was found dead at her home in the 8200 block of South Chappel Avenue on Nov. 27, the medical examiner’s office said.

Lest we not forget!

15th St. and M St. in DC, "The Houseless" at http://Houseless.net

Patriotic Houseless Man Saves American Flag During Storm - "The Houseless"




Patriotic Houseless Man Saves American Flag During Storm

"The Houseless" are often regarded as not such good citizens, but wait till you watch the video of this "Houseless" man in El Paso, Texas who cared enough to do what some who have a place to live, would not.
The man who showed respect for the United States of America's flag was Gustus Bozarth.
 His patriotism occurred outside about the property of Meti Corporation.
If you care about the United States of America and for all of those who have served under and/or stood up for the U.S.A. flag, then this may just bring tears to your eyes.
It is not known if this patriot is a Veteran, yet you can tell from his care that he holds respect for those who have served.
See fellow U.S.A. citizens and humans, how about everyone stop the discriminating, defaming and/or derogatory thoughts of those who fall victim of being "The Houseless".
WELL?   
 
This man should be commended for caring enough to brave the weather to protect the red, white and blue colors the United States of America.
We all need to care enough for the United States of America and not just leave it up to our fine, brave men and women who put on the uniform of the United States of America military.

Michael Love, IIO




Lest we not forget!

15th St. and M St. in DC, "The Houseless" at http://Houseless.net

Pursuing the American Dream From a Brooklyn Homeless Shelter - "The Houseless"


Although success stories of those perusing "The American Dream" has been on the decline, it does still happen. Below is an article about Pamela Flood, a woman who stays the course seeking what she wants, even with being "Houseless".

Keep in mind though, the number of unhappy, unsuccessful and/or sad stories far out-weigh the success stories.

We can and must do better unto our fellow human beings.


Michael Love, IIO




From


New York City Council Member

Pursuing the American Dream From a Brooklyn Homeless Shelter 
Posted: 12/20/2012 3:12 pm

If you've been watching the news, you know that low-wage workers have been standing up to their employers and fighting back for their rights. These men and women, who work hard for low pay in airports, supermarkets, car washes, and fast food restaurants are taking to the streets and to the airwaves about the need for better wages, benefits, and respect.

One such worker is a young woman named Pamela Flood, who works at a Brooklyn Burger King, making $7.25 an hour. Ms. Flood also works at a Brooklyn CVS, where she makes $7.60 an hour. In addition to holding down two jobs, she's also maintaining a 4.0 average while studying to be a medical assistant. Ms. Flood sounds like an American success story in the making. She's working hard while going to school to better sharpen her skills and build a better future for herself and her three children. Day after day, she works, studies and cares for her family; and at night she tucks her three children, ages 5, 3, and, 1 into bed at a Fort Greene homeless shelter. 

It doesn't make much sense, does it? The American dream -- which President Obama perfectly articulated in his post-election press conference when he stated, "I've got a mandate... to help middle-class families and families that are working hard to try to get into the middle class" -- is that you work hard and your efforts are rewarded with a fair, honest wage. Why, then, is it that workers like Ms. Flood are forced to rely on public assistance? It's simple -- the corporations that own Burger King, Wendy's, KFC, Taco Bell and others would rather pay their CEOs millions of dollars a year while hard-working store employees are underpaid. This type of "trickle down" economics didn't work in the 1980s, and it has proven equally unsuccessful is 2012 as we see major companies actually cut-back employee hours in an effort to avoid providing health care.

Two weeks ago, I joined some of my colleagues in escorting fast food workers back to their jobs one day after they bravely stood up, and walked out to protest their low wages and working conditions. Together with local clergy, and community groups like UnitedNY, Make the Road NY, and New York Communities for Change, we stood to support workers because we knew that a strong show of support would be necessary to prevent retaliation against workers by store management. (Still, at least one Wendy's employee was fired for her participation, and later rehired after pressure from her council member).
We live in a political climate in which a narrative is being spread concerning low-income people, and those who depend on public assistance. It is important that we put a face on the 8.7 percent of New Yorkers who are unemployed, and the great number who are under-employed -- individuals who want to earn a sufficient income to provide for themselves and their families, but are offered only 
contingent or part-time work that doesn't offer any benefits, much less a livable wage. These multi-billion dollar fast food restaurants, many of which are located in low-to-middle-income communities throughout New York City, need to be held accountable for the way they treat their workers. For too long they have gotten away with paying their workers only slightly above minimum wage, offering no more than part-time work, and easily firing any employee who challenged the status quo. With new federal standards regarding mandated health care, this will only get worse.

The brave workers who walked off of the job did so because they know they cannot afford for the current working conditions and wages to remain the way they are. They know change is necessary, but it is up to us to help force that change. 

Let's face it -- we know that in situations like these, the eyes of the nation are on us. There is no other city quite like New York. This type of notoriety places us under a microscope when issues of economic inequality are raised. This is, after all, the city that has consistently rejected Walmart. But it is especially here that we see the gap between the rich and the lower and middle-class get increasingly wider. It is imperative that we set the national example and make it clear that companies seeking to do business in New York City cannot be allowed to treat their workers like second-class citizens. Workers like Ms. Flood should not have to take on two jobs, only to have to rely on public assistance to make up the difference for paychecks that always fall short. We as a city are better than this, and we must step up and raise our voices to help raise up low-wage workers.

Lest we not forget!

15th St. and M St. in DC, "The Houseless" at http://Houseless.net

Hunger and homelessness rise in U.S. cities: report - "The Houseless"


Come tourist to the good ole' United States of America and see it in its transformation stages - Change - of being ripped apart. We do not seem to want to learn from mistakes, nor history.

Boy, oh boy, the U.S.A. used to be a really fine place to call home and I want it back.
How about others?

Michael Love, IIO


A report via 
http://Houseless.net



http://Houseless.net

By Susan Heavey and Lisa Lambert and Lucia Mutikani
WASHINGTON | Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:28pm EST  

(Reuters) - Across the United States, the number of hungry and homeless people is growing, and budget fights at the federal level are threatening the aid many need to survive, the U.S. Conference of Mayors said on Thursday.

Amidst the holiday season of family feasts and corporate dinners, the mayors released a report that found requests for emergency food assistance rose in 21 out of the 25 cities it surveyed in 2012 and remained at the same level in three. More than half the cities said homelessness increased.

"This report is a stark reminder of the long-lasting impact the recession has had on many of our citizens," Greg Fischer, mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, said in a statement. "Families, who once lived in middle class homes, now find themselves without a roof over their heads, needing multiple social services for the first time in their lives."

The 25 cities are of varying size and wealth in all regions of the country. They included Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Nashville, Tennessee.

Among those seeking emergency food, 51 percent were in families and 37 percent were employed. Nearly 1 in 6 - 17 percent - were elderly and 8.5 percent were homeless, according to the survey.

Nearly all of the cities reported a rise in the number of people seeking emergency food for the first time.

"In Philadelphia, I see people who are hungry and in need of shelter on a daily basis and explaining to them that Congress is cutting funding for the help they need is not acceptable," said Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter in a statement.

The impending "fiscal cliff" has people with lower and middle incomes worried government funds for safety net programs will drop just as emergency unemployment benefits end. President Barack Obama and Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress are negotiating on how to avert tax increases and spending cuts due to take effect at the beginning of 2013.

Republicans in the House of Representatives are pressing to cut $16 billion from food stamps as they hammer out an overdue farm bill.

The 2007-2009 recession pushed up poverty and unemployment, while enrollment for food stamps, which help cover grocery costs, soared. As economic recovery takes hold, the unemployment rate has fallen to 7.7 percent from a peak of 10 percent. Still, the country's poverty rate remains at 15 percent and a record 47.7 million people use food stamps.

Meeting the demand has been hard, and many places had to portion out aid in 2012, the survey found.
In 95 percent of the cities surveyed, food pantries cut the amount of food each person received and soup kitchens reduced meal sizes. In almost all the cities, pantries capped people's monthly visits as well. More than half the cities said homeless families with children were denied shelter in 2012.
The hunger problem is likely to get worse next year. Three-fourths of the cities expect the need for food to rise. No city expects a decrease.

Sixty percent of the cities surveyed expect an increase in the number of families without shelter and 56 percent anticipate a rise in homeless individuals. More than half the cities say there will not be enough shelters available.

LIKE ADDING WATER TO A FLOOD
The survey confirms what many soup kitchens, pantries and other charities have been saying throughout 2012.

"We are always at capacity. If you are in a flood and someone says more water is coming you might not be able to tell because you are already in a flood," said George Jones, chief executive officer of Bread for the City in Washington, this fall about a rise in the number of people seeking help.

In the survey, Washington said the Capital Area Food Bank, an umbrella organization for assistance groups in Washington, is reaching two-thirds of those at risk of hunger.

Officials at the food bank said calls to its hotline jumped 25 percent last year and it also opened a new warehouse in June to double its capacity and keep up with rising hunger. For the first time they are coordinating help at a military base, sending a truck to serve about 250 families at Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

Michael Blue, a 62-year-old part-time bus driver in Washington, gets help from Bread for the City.

He says work is so sporadic that he has to scrounge for cash to pay rent and utilities. But his $13,300 annual income tops the government's poverty threshold, disqualifying him from some welfare programs. He receives about $200 a month in food stamps.

"They tell me that I don't qualify for help, but anybody who makes $13,000 or even $20,000 a year these days cannot survive," Blue said.

Between jobs he jots down telephone numbers from tour buses headed to Washington's monuments, then calls to see if they need drivers. He cannot recall the last time he had a full-time job.

"I am just being priced out of existence," he said.



http://Houseless.net


Lest we not forget!

15th St. and M St. in DC, "The Houseless" at http://Houseless.net

21 December, 2012, National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day - "The Houseless"



 Scripture's take on "The Houseless":

דברים






ישעיהו 
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 58: 6-7
6 [Is] not this the fast that I
have chosen? to loose the
bands of wickedness, to
undo the heavy burdens,
and to let the oppressed go
free, and that ye break every
yoke?

7 [Is it] not to deal thy bread
to the hungry, and that thou
bring the poor that are cast
out to thy house? when thou
seest the naked, that thou
cover him; and that thou
hide not thyself from thine
own flesh?


מָשָׁל
 Mishlei (Proverbs) 27:27
He that giveth unto the
poor shall not lack: but he
that hideth his eyes shall
have many a curse.



With absolutely no disrespect intended, I say this unto you:
This "Houseless" human would rather not to ever have an event to remember those who died due to others own unwillingness to be righteous under our Creators' Laws.
Right?

If humans were righteous under his Laws, then there would not be a day to memorialize those who have died due to not having a safe, habitable and clean place to reside.
Right?

Michael Love, IIO


Now more about "National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day"

Each year since 1990, on or near the first day of winter and the longest night of the year, the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) has sponsored National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day to bring attention to the tragedy of homelessness and to remember our homeless friends who have paid the ultimate price for our nation’s failure to end homelessness. Beginning in 2005, the National Health Care for the Homeless Council joined as a co-sponsor of this meaningful event. In an effort to maximize the impact of the day, we encourage local and statewide organizations to hold memorials for those who have died homeless in their communities. In 2006, more than sixty cities conducted Memorial Day events on or arohttp://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5185315364553105944#editor/target=post;postID=1912976283225334347und December 21st. (NCH)


From


National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day

written by Lisa Stand, 21 December 2012


The date December 21 has meanings both ancient and new. Communities in every era have paused in awareness of waning daylight and the promise of the sun’s return; in our era, some will pause to look for assurance that the world keeps turning. It is appropriate that National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day is December 21. For people living on the street, the darkest day of the calendar is especially dark; for a person to die on the street is an ending that should be unthinkable. Homeless advocates, today, will pause to honor the neighbors and fellow citizens who passed away in 2012 without a home.

On the Alliance blog today, we will pause from studying homeless populations, from reporting on aggregate signs of progress in ending homelessness. With communities across the country, we pause in remembrance of each person who died on the street without a home. Each person had a name, a story, hopes and dreams, and human needs that went unmet. Each person experienced isolation but nonetheless was born of a family somewhere, and likely still belonged in some way to a family – of origin or of affiliation. Each person is missed, each should remind us of social and political failures we are left behind to overcome.
 
And then, when we turn back to our larger goals of ending homelessness entirely, we carry this remembrance. We renew the commitment to reducing vulnerability of homelessness, as well as vulnerability to homelessness. As a member of a community of advocates, we speak for proven solutions – Housing First above all, then access to supports, family intervention for youth, treatments, and paths to independence.

Living and dying on the street need not be part of the human experience.

Image "Homeless and Cold" courtesy of Ed Yourdon's photostream.


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National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day

December 21, 2012
Co-Sponsored by the National Coalition for the Homeless, National Consumer Advisory Board, and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC)
Thank you to everyone who commmorated 2011's Homeless Persons' Memorial Day! Thousands of you remembered your friends, family members, and neighbors who passed away while homeless in the past year. At least 157 cities in 40 states and the District of Columbia took part.
See this list of local cities taking part, or let us know if your event is not listed.
Each year since 1990, on or near the first day of winter and the longest night of the year, National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), National Consumer Advisory Board (NCAB), and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) has co-sponsored National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day to bring attention to the tragedy of homelessness and to remember our homeless friends who have paid the ultimate price for our nation's failure to end homelessness.
In an effort to maximize the impact of the day, NCH, NCAB, and NHCHC have encouraged local and statewide organizations to hold memorials of their own.  Last year, more than 152 cities across the nation sponsored events to honor those who had died and to recommit to the task of ending homelessness.
This year, once again, we are encouraging groups to plan a special event on or around December 21, 2012.  Some groups may decide to hold their event a day or so before the date.
Want to know how to host a Memorial Day event?
View our organizing manual or Contact us
Here are some ways you and your community can support the National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day:
  • Tweet about your event with #HomelessMemorial
  • Work on getting a proclamation from your local and/or state governmental body. You will find sample proclamations in our Organizing Manual.
  • Let us know in advance the logistics for your local event. This allows us to alert the national media of events happening locally.
  • Once the event is over, let us know how it went, list of names read, how many attended and any media coverage.
  • As sponsors with twenty years of experience, please let us know if we can provide any additional information, help or advice.

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Homelessness can happen to anyone. Take a moment to remember those who have died while homeless and learn more about this public health concern for those who don't have a place called home.

People who are homeless are at greater risk of infectious and chronic illness, poor mental health, and substance abuse, as well as being victims of violence, compared to the general population. In addition, the mortality rate for those experiencing chronic homelessness is four to nine times higher than for the general population. In one literature review, the life expectancy for people who are homeless was reported to be approximately 45 years.1

 Since 1990, on or near the first day of winter, and the longest night of the year (12/21/12), the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), National Consumer Advisory Board (NCAB), and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) have co-sponsored the National Homeless Persons' Memorial DayExternal Web Site Icon to remember those who have died while homeless.

The lack of stable housing and access to supportive services are at the core of homelessness. The challenges that precipitate and often worsen during the course of homelessness can affect anyone.


Addressing the public health needs of the homeless population requires collaborative and integrated efforts with partners and communities. Federal agencies are working to identify ways we can improve Adobe PDF file [PDF - 3.2MB]External Web Site Icon the lives of people affected by homelessness.  CDC contributes by working to improve the spectrum of factors and environments that determine available choices for healthy living for everyone. There is much that we can do to improve the health of homeless individuals and families.

On December 21, 2012, take a moment to reflect and join others as they remember those who have lost their lives while they were homeless. We hope you will take time to learn more about this public health concern. Please check out the links below for more information.

More Information

National Organizations for the Homeless

Federal Resources on Homelessness

CDC Web Resources

Icon: Homeless Shelter

CDC Audio Podcasts on Homelessness

1O'Connell, J. (2005). Premature mortality in homeless populations: A review of the literature. Nashville: National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Inc.


& from


City Council Dedicates December 21 Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day
Published on December 14, 2012
 
In its final meeting of the year, the Baltimore City Council voted unanimously to dedicate December 21 as Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day in Baltimore.  The resolution, introduced by the Council President and co-sponsored by the full Council, notes that “it is clear that homelessness in Baltimore is on the rise as we approach the halfway point of the City’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.”

“On December 21 – the first day of winter and the longest night of the year – Baltimore City will join communities across the country to bring attention to the struggle of people experiencing homelessness, to mourn the passing of our neighbors who, in life lacked stable housing, and to rededicate ourselves to ending the conditions that create homelessness,” said Baltimore City Council President Jack Young.

“Life on the streets quickly can turn to death on the streets, said Kevin Lindamood, President & CEO of Health Care for the Homeless, Inc., who addressed the Council.  “Only by putting an end to homelessness itself can we stop the untimely deaths of our homeless neighbors.  We welcome the resolution of our elected officials to work for a future without homelessness.”

“Everyone deserves to go home,’ said Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, who moved to have the resolution immediately adopted by the Council.  “It’s painted on the side of Health Care for the Homeless.  As a fundamental matter of justice, everyone deserves to go home.”

The public memorial service will be held, beginning at 5pm with music, luminary lighting, and a period of quiet reflection, on December 21 at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor’s Amphitheater (the corner of Pratt and Light Streets) to remember those who died homeless in 2012.  The program will begin at 5:30pm.  The service is organized by members of SHARP, a coalition of homeless service providers and advocates working to Stop Homelessness And Reduce Poverty.  


For additional information on Baltimore City’s commemoration of Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day or to report the names of individuals who have died homeless, please contact us at memorialday@hchmd.org.




& from about the
District of Columbia:
Homeless Persons' Memorial Day

Date: 
Friday, December 21, 2012 12:00pm - 3:00pm

Location:
DC
1313 New York Ave. NW Washington, DC 20005

Event Details: Those who died homeless are remembered on the first day of winter each year in over 100 cities nationwide. The event has been attended by HUD (U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development) Secretary Shaun Donovan as well as other federal and city officials (all of whom are invited this year as well). The vigil will be followed by a meal.  



& from
National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day March

Schedule
December 
Thursday, Dec 20, 4:30 pm 

Venue
Oasis Day Care Center
243 W. Cerro Gordo St.
Decatur, IL



& from
Baltimore United Congregations

Click on image for more info


Lest we not forget!

15th St. and M St. in DC, "The Houseless" at http://Houseless.net
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