Hisgirlonly
Posts: 47
Joined: 12/13/2007
Status: offline
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Kinda at odds on this one as a someone who was homeless. Now most don't know this but there are many levels of homelessness. i went from being upper middle class to homeless literally overnight. i found a shelter but had no food. i lost 40 pounds in two and half months...awesome but don't recommend the homeless diet.
i later used my experience and served a year as a Case Manager for a homeless program. Homelessness happens for a variety of reasons most of my clients were living paycheck to paycheck when something bad happened in most cases it split between A) one parent having a drug addiction and going to jail B) one parent getting hurt or getting sick, unable to go to work...they get laid off. Out of 20 families i helped in the year only two did not finish the program. One family liked being homeless and the other family wanted to abuse the system. So i had to kick them out after lengthy interviews and meetings with them and others in the community.
It sucks being homeless. Guard your social security card, your birth certificate, and your state I.D. or Driver's License with your lives! i was in a constant catch-22 with my clients. They couldn't get jobs because they couldn't prove who they were without their SS cards or ID. So then we'd have to go get them but no dice at Family Services or Human Services...no birth certificate, no ID, no SS card = you're not a citizen to us, so prove it. So then i would have to see if my clients remembered where they were born and buy them birth certificates. Some of my clients didn't get their birth ceritifcates because three found out that the father they knew to be their father wasn't the "father" on their birth certificates after i had to be on the phone with the those states and they wouldn't release the names even though i said, "i work for a church...they are homeless! they can't get a job without this birthcertificate". it was just ridiculous.
Due to 9/11 security measures have been tightened and after Katrina they got tighter due to people claiming to be Katrina victims and stealing money from FEMA. i actually have a piece of paper somewhere in my paperwork that says this. It is sad that churches have to do this but you would not believe how many people think that just because you are a church...we can scam you. i case managed 20 families...i had intakes for over 75 families including the 20. So 55 families didn't get into our program. (yes, i'm looking at my old paper work) 20 were just passing through and wanted gas money (hello, we're a shelter not a gas station). 10 wanted a house (again, we are a shelter not habitat for humanity) 5 just wanted food and we helped out via other churches, 9 families had either one parent or both parents who were junkies (meth-heads are fun), 3 families showed up drunk or high (big no no), and 8 didn't have children (main criteria for us...homeless shelter for families with one child under 18 or mom must be pregnant).
Most Salvation Army's i know...have switched to housing families but will allow single persons to eat for free and offer case managment but again with IDs. Anyway, just thought i'd share. have a blessed week!
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RE: there needs to be a subbie hotline - 
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