How It Happens: The Downward Spiral

by G. Anne Bassett

It happens quickly.

One day you’re coasting through life. You have a steady job with a strong income, a comfortable home, friends and opportunities at every turn. You have nothing to complain about, and yet you do because dissatisfaction and unrest in life is part of the human experience, right?

Then comes the sucker punch.

You’re called into a “staff” meeting, only to find you’re the only staff member attending. It will be the last meeting you attend. They hand you your walking papers and escort you out the door. You can schedule a time to come back and pack your things.

Four years of faithful service and they’re afraid you’ll spend the last few minutes on the job sabotaging the internet they’ve already locked you out of? The cell phone they’ve already taken back? Oh, wait! It’s probably that file drawer they’re concerned about. You know, the one that…

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Have Any General Questions About Homelessness?

http://money.howstuffworks.com/homeless.htm

What is Homelessness? Who does it affect?

Homelessness in America

(image taken from New York times)

As we approach Father’s Day, we hope that all of the homeless men, women, and children are close to your heart. So we ask the simple question, What is homelessness?  Who does it affect? Does it have a certain appearance, race, sex, or upbringing?

There are an estimated 3.5 million homeless people in America as of this post. This number includes an estimated 1.5 million children.

The Shocking Truth

1/3 of Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless. Two percent of all homeless are unaccompanied minors. Of course, these statistics stood out the most to me, but this organizations webpage is full of statistics that might help us with our campaign.

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/How_Many.html

Some additional sobering facts:

EconoMonitor : EconoMonitor » One Third of Americans One Paycheck Away From Homelessness. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.economonitor.com/blog/2011/10/one-third-of-americans-one-paycheck-away-from-homelessness/

Facts and Figures: The Homeless . NOW on…

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If homeless people looked like this, would we still ignore them

Down Not Out

From Upworthy by Brandon Weber

Rosie Holtom is a volunteer at a homeless shelter and a photographer. She decided to take shots of some of the homeless people she knew that would present them to the world as they actually are rather than how people think they are when they imagine the homeless.

See the photos by here

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Homeless man raises baby girl he found in a bin

Down Not Out

By Jessica Best published in The Mirror:

Xiong Jianguo found adopted daughter Yanyan seven years ago, and is teaching her to read and write with the help of other homeless friends

See more here

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Lifestyles of the Poor and Invisible

Just a few quick notes about some things that have been going on recently:

A friend told me that a former VA doctor he knows has become homeless. The man resigned because of the horrible policies that we might have all seen in the paper recently. Unable to pay his student loans and get any UI (our state does not allow anyone to quit a job because of the employers lack of ethics), he has ended up on the street.

One study has said that one of the traits of people who are always broke is that they may be too sympathetic and get taken advantage of easily, due to low self-esteem. I know a number of people like that. It’s a shame to see someone with a good heart sink into homelessness.

Well, out of time.

Sorry, Folks. Been busy.

You know, helping to end homelessness (my own) takes a lot of my free time. Hope you all understand.

Empathy – Is it something we have, can it be developed or do you learn it?

This Transformation we call Life

I volunteered at the Sydney Homeless Connect 2014 event yesterday as I genuinely have a desire to help those in less fortunate positions than myself. At this event I met so many people who are without a home, without an income, without personal belongings other than what they had with them at that exact moment. Sydney Homeless Connect hosts an event once a year where they gather of a multitude of services into the one place where those in need of these services can come and seek assistance or simply be in a caring and safe atmosphere for the day. Not only do those in need gain access to services, such as mental health care, housing services, nurses, centrelink, dental hygienists and soo much more they are treated as guests at the event. They are served gourmet meals at dressed tables, treated to donated clothing and shoes, are given personal…

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New national initiative to help Honolulu’s homeless veterans

Tony Zapata’s patriotism is working for veterans

California Youth Media Network

Tony Zapata, a 69-year-old Vietnam veteran and Boyle Heights resident, found his calling working with and advocating for veterans. He works with soldiers struggling with addictions and other mental health issues like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Finding housing and services for vets is a priority for Zapata in his work. “The system right now is flooded with young men coming back, and it’s hard to get into some of these programs. I always try to get the guys that need their medical [benefits] at the head of the line. And jobs are hard to find right now.”  Read the full interview from Memorial Day on Boyle Heights Beat.

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