tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25642737440024307432024-02-19T03:25:48.542-06:00Homeless In Ft WorthA running commentary of life on the streets of Fort WorthAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491485615337465971noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-55291856268766642772020-04-23T14:04:00.000-05:002020-04-23T14:04:39.279-05:00It's not great but not bad eitherOver the last few weeks or so there have been some interesting things happening in the homeless community. All of the happenings are a result of the pandemic that is affecting all of us either directly or indirectly. Several of the happenings in the homeless community look and are good. Some of the happenings are not so good or lacking in some areas.<div>Let's look at some of the good ones first. </div><div>Recommendations for social distancing within the shelters had to be addressed (see my post named "Stack em, pack em and rack em). To address the social distancing requirement the shelters had to reduce the number of people they normally house which caused many of the homeless people to need somewhere else to sleep. For those who were not able to get a bed in the shelters the city arranged for an overnight overflow shelter at the downtown convention center. In addition to that, arrangements were made to bring in RVs to isolate the homeless people who tested positive for the virus. Meals and other services are still available for most of the homeless people but are available in a somewhat limited fashion. </div><div>That's all well and good. In fact it is a great thing that the homeless community has not been forgotten what with all the changes in our lives to help eliminate the pandemics threat to our society.</div><div>I'll say this again. What about the unsheltered homeless people. The people who live on the street or in camps. All the changes I mentioned above concentrate on the homeless people who live in the shelters on or along East Lancaster as well as some of the homeless people who live in the same area. Most of the unsheltered homeless, people I know who for all kinds of reasons never go to that area. Meaning that those people are still not getting much help. In fact in some ways things actually got worse for them. There are a few outreach teams who work with those unsheltered homeless people by helping out with food and water but because of the pandemic those unsheltered homeless can't earn what little money they need whether by doing day jobs or picking up aluminum cans. In addition to that, many of the smaller local neighborhood food pantries are still closed forcing the unsheltered guys or campers to either not get the food they need or travel a long distance to get to the ones that are open. In my case alone the closest open food pantry is about 4 miles away and at 68 years of age carrying as much as 40 pounds of groceries is a real challenge.</div><div>Most of the true unsheltered homeless people or campers live quite a distance from the food pantries that are open as well as the shelter district on East Lancaster. With that in mind it's been reported by the local news outlets that the City of Ft Worth does not want people to give money, food, water or anything else directly to homeless people but instead give those things to the shelters and homeless service providers. Unfortunately when that happens the food and other supplies do not get to the homeless people who live unsheltered or camp out. The people who live or hang out on Lancaster do not need those supplies but the homeless people who live several miles away do need the money, food, water and other supplies. I understand why the city says what they do. There are plenty of homeless people who live in or near the shelter district who take advantage of the people trying to serve. The people who live away from the shelters are less predatory and less likely to take advantage of somebody's kindness.</div><div>If you do want to give directly to some of the homeless people who live unsheltered or are campers and in parts of the city not near the shelter district, use caution, but a bag of burgers, a box of chicken, bag of groceries or even a few dollars will be appreciated.</div><div><br></div><div>In the future I will write more about the outreach people who go and visit with the unsheltered homeless people. There are even things your church may be able to do to help.</div><div><br></div><div>Thank you to all of you who are helping the homeless community either through the shelters, through the outreach organizations or, with caution, directly to the homeless.</div>Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-25974836304756226652020-04-18T11:49:00.000-05:002020-04-18T11:49:05.613-05:00Coming togetherEarlier posts on this blog I spoke about how many of the unsheltered homeless people were really in need of assistance after the closing of so many food pantries, the disappearance of day jobs and other factors caused by the response to the virus pandemic. At that time things were in chaos for everyone. Nobody was sure what was going to happen from day to day.<div>Since then I've seen individuals, church groups and other outreach organizations step up to help those who are struggling. Even the City of Ft Worth has stepped up to help the homeless community in more ways than normal. I am pleased to say that I am surprised at the response. At first I thought that the unsheltered homeless as well as the homeless people in the shelters would be left out in the confusion. Boy was I wrong. </div><div>With that being said, to the people who are involved in this, Thank You.</div>Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-23728262946439112632020-03-30T19:39:00.000-05:002020-03-30T19:39:42.163-05:00A new way of getting alongNow that the various services available to the homeless are making changes while staying within the new rules, things are getting back to a new kind of normal. That's a good thing for the homeless people in the shelters. For the unsheltered homeless people it's a bit different. While there are few homeless / poverty level services available for the unsheltered, they are slowly getting back to their mission but with difficulty.<div>In prior posts I spoke about the difficulties getting food with many food pantries being closed and transportation to get to the food pantries that were open was difficult to use when several bus routes were not running. That's just the beginning of problems facing the unsheltered homeless and the campers.</div><div>In my neighborhood alone there are 6 people in 5 camps. One fellow has a regular if low paying job, one receives Social Security and the rest mostly do temp jobs or whatever they can to survive. The city is reminding everyone to not give us anything directly but to give money and donations to the shelters or other organizations that serve the homeless. Problem is that the unsheltered homeless fell through the cracks and seldom have ever received anything from those organizations. What the city says does make a certain amount of sense but there are many reasons why an unsheltered homeless person or a camper will not go to any shelter or any other place to find services. He or she has to get supplies from you directly. That's the only way. Unfortunately there are the people who do take advantage of those people that wish to give. Makes an honest unsheltered / camper look bad. Even so, giving directly to the people on the street in parts of town away from the shelters is the best way to help those who are struggling.</div><div>The other day I discovered, according to the homeless count done last January, that while the numbers of sheltered homeless people has risen by something like 3 or 4 percent, the numbers of unsheltered homeless has risen by more than 15 percent. I know for a fact that the reported increase in unsheltered homeless people is on the low side because not all of them are counted. In my 15 years in the area, I have only been counted once. The numbers of people I run into who are campers are far more numerous than the numbers reported. I'm not picking on the people who do the count in the field because it's harder to find someone camping in the woods after dark than it is counting someone in the shelter or on the sidewalk.</div><div>For those of you who do attempt to help those who are unsheltered or campers, please be careful that you don't get scammed and don't take everything at face value. One last thing, many of the people you see on street corners asking for money are basically professional panhandlers....</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-15113334553868468202020-03-25T11:07:00.001-05:002020-03-25T11:07:48.339-05:00Shelter in placeWell, here we go. Sounds like Ft Worth is going to do a shelter in place recommendation as have many other cities across the country. Actually it's a very good idea to prevent the spread of the virus. It does create some issues for the unsheltered homeless people.<div>In the last two posts here I was on my soap box about the difficulties getting food. That's still a big factor even during the best of times. In fact getting food now for the unsheltered homeless is probably the number one priority but there are other things that are important to.</div><div>Many campers but not all of them try to get work doing day jobs or whatever it takes to earn money. Sure, some of those people use the money for alcohol and drugs but almost all of them use the money they earn for food too. Now, temporary or day jobs have pretty much dried up meaning no money for groceries, transportation and other supplies needed around the camp to survive.</div><div>Transportation is another problem for the camper as well as many other people. Basically all of the homeless people rely on the bus system to get around. With the unsheltered and the campers buses are extremely important. Without the money for a bus you can't go get the supplies needed. On top of that it appears that here in Ft Worth the busses are running on a Sunday schedule for the duration, meaning that the busses don't go to places they normally do. That means that the bus probably doesn't go to the area where the unsheltered homeless people live. Added to the money issue, things start getting complicated.</div><div>In my situation I have a camp, but it is my home too with the same sort of comfort your house provides. My way is to be able to live in reasonable comfort. The supplies I mentioned earlier help me to survive without too much stress. It's not just the food but other things like batteries, fuel for my stove, coffee and a lot of other things. I'm not alone in this but with the shelter in place ordinances the acquisition of everything becomes almost impossible.</div><div>Now with all that being said, the scammers are out there making things difficult for the people who really need your help. Please be careful.</div>Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-28114834727510202152020-03-23T12:15:00.001-05:002020-03-23T12:15:46.810-05:00Unsheltered and the VirusIn the last post I wrote the other day I was really worried about the unsheltered guys....<div>I still am. </div><div>Food is a huge problem for us. There's no way to make any money for groceries, not all food pantries are open and the places we could go to for a hot meal such as the Beautiful Feet Ministry or Broadway Baptist Church are closed. Even getting to a food pantry that's open is problematic because they are too far away. Especially for me.</div><div>Last week I found a food pantry that was open. I was walking and I was wiped out when I got to camp. Unfortunately none of the other people camped nearby were having any luck so I shared what I had. Lucky for us even though the groceries only lasted for two days. Others are not that lucky though.</div><div>Until this emergency settles down the unsheltered guys, some senior citizens and poverty level people are really going to get hurt.</div><div>Thanks to all of you who have been doing something to help those less fortunate. God Bless you</div>Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-42888177748647809212020-03-21T10:50:00.001-05:002020-03-21T10:50:27.210-05:00EpidemicI know you have been wondering where I went. Well truth is that I needed time to decompress from the years that I spent far too deeply involved in parts of the homeless world that really affected me. So here goes...<div><br></div><div>Today we are all involved in the epidemic that's going around the whole world. Just last week Ft Worth has basically done many very smart things to prevent the spread of the virus causing all the problems. My real issue is that the services that most real unsheltered homeless people as well as the people who live on or below the poverty line are severely affected because of the rules about people gathering at one place and at the same time.</div><div>The one that affects me and many others the most is food pantries. Because of the new rules the food pantries only have a few options. Worse yet some are just closed. I did visit one food pantry that had people lined up in the parking lot and standing 6 feet apart. Then served each person with a prepackaged assortment of groceries. That's the good news. For that food pantry I have nothing but good things to say because they were really trying to serve their clients.</div><div>There were several food pantries I attempted to visit that were closed. Whether it was because of a lack of donations (which is a real problem these days) or lack of volunteers or just an over abundance of caution. I can't fault them at all. They are doing their best to help those who are struggling.</div><div>For many of us we have to travel by walking and if the closest open food pantry is 5 miles away, getting there and back is difficult. I know because I did it last week. I'm 68 years old and hauling what groceries they distributed took me several hours to get back to camp.</div><div>Younger people probably wouldn't have as much trouble but what about the elderly people who live unsheltered or who have a home but haven't got the means to travel longer distances just to be able to eat. </div><div>It's time for all of us to figure out how to help those people who are struggling to survive. In this instance I have used myself as an example because I really struggled that day so I know what others are going through as well. </div><div>There are probably many ways you can make a difference. Know of anyone who might be needing help with groceries? Maybe putting together a food box for them and delivering it to them. Stop an unsheltered homeless person and buy him a bag of burgers or give him a box of food. You don't have to violate the 6 foot rule. It sure would be appreciated.</div>Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-23904674299750811152019-02-24T10:38:00.001-06:002019-02-24T17:57:52.123-06:00Things are getting better<p dir="ltr">Or... Simple Works for Me</p>
<p dir="ltr">Over these last many years I have been told by many friends and people who are close to me that they do not understand why I live as I do or in other words, my lifestyle.<br>
During my time being homeless I discovered a much simpler and less stressed way to live. When I returned to working after my 10 + homeless years, I attempted to blend back into what I was before homelessness. It turns out I wasn't particularly happy trying to live a lifestyle I once had. Don't get me wrong. I really enjoyed the work I was doing but my personal life became too stressed and complicated.<br>
Now that I'm retired I find that I much prefer a simpler lifestyle. A tent, camper or efficiency apartment with basic necessities is more my speed these days. Unfortunately none of those things except the tent seem to be available to me at this point. Sure I can get an conventional apartment full of things, but the cost is way too much in terms of money and my own personal style.<br>
Over the last few years I have met quite a few people, both men and women, who are technically homeless. They work as needed. They live in tents, motels and with friends. These homeless people prefer a simpler lifestyle just like mine. Some of them are even of retirement age but like me can't find living arrangements that are affordable.<br>
Bottom line here is that I, as well as many unsheltered homeless people, prefer a simpler lifestyle. We still use technology. We just prefer life in a different way. We are comfortable with less.</p>
Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-60308593318061526622019-01-19T20:13:00.001-06:002019-01-19T20:13:24.487-06:00Another Year and another homeless count<p dir="ltr">In the past I've spoken about the yearly homeless count. In fact I've spoken about it many times. Mostly to say that the unsheltered homeless part of the count is on the low side, because I know it is.<br>
This time I'd like to encourage you to signup and participate...<br>
Don't be afraid of the people you are attempting to locate but do use reasonable caution. If your team is assigned a police officer, ask him or her if they know of or where to find the people to be counted in the area assigned to your team. Most of all listen to his advice.<br>
Once, I participated in a count as a guide with two other ladies and a police officer. The ladies were extremely uncomfortable just getting out of their car / comfort zone. After I found our first person underneath a bridge and the ladies met him they cautiously started following me or our police escort into the woods. <br>
I understand how uncomfortable it can be approaching a homeless person in the daytime much less at night, which is when the count takes place. Definitely use caution but at least try....<br>
I mention all this because I've been camping for well over 15 years and got counted once. Just one time. <br>
I'll be looking for a team this year. Who knows, I'll probably mention your team by name in my next posting.</p>
Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-51735204797950162022018-12-20T10:45:00.001-06:002018-12-20T10:45:47.510-06:00A New Year<p dir="ltr">Once again I'll say THANK YOU to all of the people who have reached out to the unsheltered homeless over this past year and especially during this holiday season...<br>
Now that's not to say that the sheltered homeless need your help and compassion too, it's just that with the shelters here running at or near capacity, the number of unsheltered folks is steadily increasing. In addition, the unsheltered people don't have access to the resources, for a number of reasons, that are available to those in the shelters.<br>
Thanks again to all of you who help all the homeless out there, both sheltered and unsheltered.</p>
<p dir="ltr">We are now beginning a new year. The need for assistance within the homeless community is greater than ever because of the steadily increasing homeless population. Housing is of greater and greater importance. This past year homeless assistance networks all over the country, even here in Fort Worth, are saying that they have all but eliminated or greatly reduced the numbers of homeless Veterans. It's now time to look at another goal. How about senior citizens? <br>
Technically I am homeless. I'm a retired senior and receive Social Security. Ever tried to find reasonable housing when your available income for housing is that limited? I'm not the only retired senior citizen with this dilemma. Social Security is a great thing don't get me wrong but affordable housing is just not available for many seniors on that sort of income. With that being said, the number of seniors going homeless is increasing too. <br>
Now that the homeless veteran problem is almost solved, why not start addressing the homeless senior citizen problem?<br>
I'm going to continue to discuss that dilemma in future posts as well as homelessness in general. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I hope all of you have a great holiday season. Let's continue this discussion.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Merry Christmas!!! and I hope you have a great New Year.</p>
Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-90739588884945178482018-11-21T17:23:00.001-06:002018-11-21T17:23:42.359-06:00Thank You...<p dir="ltr">While I'm going to stay home and scrounge up something for my Thanksgiving meal, I want to thank all the volunteers and organizations who will or are now providing a good Thanksgiving meal to the homeless and disadvantaged people in Ft Worth. I know it will be welcome 😀.<br>
THANK YOU!!!</p>
Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-14108385243337125662018-11-21T10:01:00.001-06:002018-11-21T10:01:03.745-06:00Just Rambling<p dir="ltr">Here it is the day before Thanksgiving. Ive got to see if I can get something from one of the food banks. Tomorrow I hope to visit and have a meal with another homeless person who is not going anywhere. <br>
Lately I've been looking at the housing situation here in Ft Worth. Homeless people, people on a small fixed income (like me) and many others just can't afford housing costs assuming you can find something suitable. My search alone looking for a room or small apt. have not worked out well. Mostly because the possibilities that I did look at were in unsafe areas (drugs, gangs, etc.) or were where there was no nearby public transportation and other problems. Those were just the places I could afford. I'd rather live in a tent. Homeless folks have the same problem not to mention folks who work but at low wages. <br>
Then I remembered a village just outside of Austin, Texas created by Mobile Loaves and Fishes. They have tiny homes, rv's and other structures for those who for one reason or another don't have housing. Recently they started on an expansion to almost double in size. That being said, when the expansion is complete they will be able to house up to 40% of the unsheltered homeless in the area. Search for them on your favorite search engine and take a look at their web site. There are quite a few published articles about them too.<br>
Could something like that be done in or very near Ft Worth????<br>
Many of you have probably noticed that I write mainly about the unsheltered homeless here. There are several reasons for not writing much about those who live in shelters. The biggest reason is that the shelters are full. I'm not knocking the shelters. They do an amazing job with limited resources.<br>
I am going to start writing here again concentrating on the folks living in tents, under bridges, abandoned buildings or just on the streets. They are the ones who always fall through the cracks.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Anyway, I'm winging it this Thanksgiving and need to get moving so I can cook a meal with my neighbor.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I hope all of you have a great Thanksgiving day 😃.</p>
Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-49178848716268338262018-11-17T13:28:00.001-06:002018-11-17T13:28:35.601-06:00Holidays<p dir="ltr">Here we are once again at the beginning of the holiday season. Thanksgiving is just a few days away and while I'm not sure what I'm going to be doing I do know that I have a lot to be thankful for.<br>
Near where I live are 3 other guys. 2 of them have plans and the fellow who doesn't have plans intends to stay at his camp. Sort of a shame but I'll probably hang out with him. <br>
There are far too many people who fall through the cracks in this fashion. I will do what I can but that is only a drop in the bucket. <br>
Know of a camper near you? Make him or her a plate and reach out to them. Many times they are stuck with no one around who cares or are just To Stinking Proud to ask. Even I'm that way sometimes. <br>
Just having someone reach out makes a difference.<br>
</p>
Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-42427653904575094232018-11-17T09:45:00.001-06:002018-11-17T09:45:11.577-06:00Still Here đ<p dir="ltr">It's been quite some time since my last post...<br>
The simple update is that I'm technically still homeless. I've been pretty busy since I retired and have been moving around a lot. The technically homeless part is because finding a room/apartment that fits my budget is very difficult.<br>
I've been watching the changes here in Ft Worth regarding homelessness and hope to learn more about all the improvements in homeless services. I'll report about these changes as time goes on.<br>
On the flip side the number of unsheltered homeless people is still on the rise. One example is in an area where I once camped that at that time had no more than 5 camps now probably has more than 35 or 40 camps... <br>
Bottom line is homelessness is still a real problem. The numbers of people who are homeless is still on the increase while certain services are lagging and other services are improving. It's a process.</p>
Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-40702784302332534472017-02-24T13:33:00.004-06:002017-02-24T13:33:41.309-06:00We all can help<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAWFsBQJtGKOfSfbhegOoeZuyxzZJlrSb_7NcDQn0BOnPLh7kTTfOeOBT-g9uUC1mfO1I3guhYabcHKvBNKz1tBWIFkQSvcwXDFOyFWgZ3KybAuzK8sqhSe2FnSJsc5nbNzMQANBcIxs/s1600/100_5246+%2528Small%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAWFsBQJtGKOfSfbhegOoeZuyxzZJlrSb_7NcDQn0BOnPLh7kTTfOeOBT-g9uUC1mfO1I3guhYabcHKvBNKz1tBWIFkQSvcwXDFOyFWgZ3KybAuzK8sqhSe2FnSJsc5nbNzMQANBcIxs/s320/100_5246+%2528Small%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Just this past week a
homeless encampment was told they have to leave the area in East Ft
Worth or be arrested for trespassing. The unfortunate part of this
particular scenario is that some of those in the encampment are just
trying to get along. Instead they wound up being caught up near other
homeless people who are just there for the drugs or to drink their
alcohol. Personally I never went into that particular encampment
because of safety issues.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Even though they are
offered information about homeless services nearby, getting those
services is another headache in and of itself. Why is that? Well for
starters the three main shelters here are operating at capacity which
is one of the reasons those folks are camping in the first place.
Even then the shelters themselves have their own issues. They are
much better today than they were during my homeless period but a
shelter is not a real happy place. Secondly, while it is possible to
find out about the other services available there is so much
competition to receive those services that many people simply give up
trying.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Now don't get me wrong,
there is nothing wrong with the available homeless services
themselves. They try hard. There is just not enough to go around.
Here is an example; the wait for a housing voucher can be as long as
a year and then that person has to find an apartment that will take
him. It's not the voucher that the landlord does not want to accept
it is the fact that a homeless person probably has no credit history,
bad credit, maybe a criminal background or has no work history. All
those and other barriers prevent a homeless person from ever getting
an apartment. There are few if any available housing units for those
who need them most.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">I too personally went
though much of this when I was homeless. I literally spend 10 years
camping and then hit all the barriers that prevent a homeless person
from ever rising up out of that pit. Sure it can be done but look how
it took me 10 years and much patience before I could get out of my
camp. In fact, while I was getting some homeless services from the
various service providers, not once did I rise to the top of any
housing list, assistance list or got into a position where I could
see a light at the end of the tunnel. What it took was a lady who
works for a large institution who wanted to hire me. She literally
paved the way with her superiors and I became employed again.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Those sorts of things are
rare.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Now let's get back to the
homeless service providers. They mean well and work extremely hard,
but there are not only not enough funding or services available to go
around, then there are all the other barriers ahead of the homeless
person. On top of that, the service providers themselves have a real
problem with following up on their clients to make sure they can make
the transition from homelessness. It's not their fault because they
only have enough resources to get the process started and the follow
through can sometimes be non-existent. There is a reason why the
homeless person became homeless in the first place.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">This is another
problem I ran into after I left my camp and went back to work. Just
getting a job was not enough for me to get my problems resolved. In
the end I ultimately got old enough to retire and did so. Then I
started therapy to work through the underlying reasons I became
homeless in the first place and were causing me some real problems
with working and adjusting to life in the world again. In fact I
might still be working and not retired right now if I had gotten the
therapy at the very beginning. I didn't think I needed it nor was it
really available. There aren't many therapists who have experience
with the homeless community.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">There is another side to
all of this. Homelessness has been on the rise since the mid to late
1980's. There are plenty of reason's for this and those very reason's
need to be addressed. Homeless prevention can be a lot cheaper for
everyone involved than paying for the homeless services themselves
after the damage is done. It's not just the homeless services costs
either, there is a health-care component, a law enforcement
component, a legal system and confinement component, not to mention
long term mental health-care cost that results just from being
homeless.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Today we are paying the
price for ignoring the rise in the homeless population that began
over 25 years ago. We could have prevented it or at least kept the
ultimate costs and damage down. Because of ignoring the problems then
letting them get out of control we now will have a huge cost just to
get the current homeless people back into the community then there
will be the longer term cost to resolve the damage done to the
individual both mentally and physically from being homeless in the
first place. Then on top of that, to actually prevent homelessness
from occurring in the first place there must be a safety net to
identify when a person is on his way to becoming homeless.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">In the end we have a two
part problem ahead of us if we are to make a dent in the homeless
problem. The first part of the problem we need to find a reasonable
way to get the people off the streets and reintegrated back into
society. Then deal with the after-care involved while the homeless
person goes through the reintegration process. That means affordable
housing, living expenses, long-term health-care and mental
health-care as well as a long-term plan of after-care to prevent a
relapse back into homelessness. The second part of the problem to
eliminate or at least drastically reduce the homeless population
permanently is to identify the reasons that force people into
becoming homeless in the first place. Prevention is the name of that
game and prevention has to happen at the same time as getting people
off the streets or the cycle will continue. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">It's up to all of us to
work on this. </span>
</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-9961707360357991892017-01-31T13:26:00.004-06:002017-01-31T13:26:55.986-06:00Step Up
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Well now that the
elections are over and there is a new group of people in the White
House and Congress the question is; how this will affect the homeless
crisis we have been facing and attempting to deal with for so long.
To be honest I don't expect much coming from Washington.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">We shall see I guess.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">In all honesty, while I am
not a very political person, I didn't have much faith in either of
the presidential candidates. Personally I don't expect any major
changes in the funding to assist the homeless services community to
change. In fact it wouldn't surprise me to see cuts in funding,
grants and other sources that originate within our governmental
system at all levels and no increases. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">What it really takes is
for the community as a whole to step up and assist those neighbors of
ours who could use a hand. No I'm not just talking about money, even
though money plays a part. It also takes the willingness to step up
and personally take on some part of the problem. Are you in the
position to employ a homeless person? Would you be willing to take
that chance? Most homeless people would be beside themselves if they
had a good job. Or how about befriending a homeless person? I've
spoken about this many times on this blog. Maybe identifying your
local unsheltered homeless person and providing them a âcare
packageâ from time. Things that they could use in their camps or
maybe food items. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">There are a lot of things
that you could do. If it's money then donate to the various shelters.
Don't forget the outreach groups such as Catholic Charities SOS team
or another favorite of mine The Hands of Hope of Tarrant County. Both
outreach groups live on donations. Another couple of groups who in
one way or another assist homeless people and rely on donations is the
1<sup>st</sup> Street Mission on 1<sup>st</sup> and Henderson in Ft
Worth and another is The Beautiful Feet Ministries on Hatie St in SE
Ft Worth just off of Riverside. I'm sure there are several others but
the ones I mention here have in one way or another helped me during
my homeless years and hold a special place in my heart.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Truly I feel that it is up
to us to step up and get it done. Far too much money, time and effort
is being lost when we have to rely on the âgovernmentâ to take
care of the problem. Let's directly support the people who actually
do the work with the sheltered and unsheltered homeless communities. If not,
why not get a group of people from church or neighbors and volunteer.
As you get to know the homeless people out there you may discover
that they are, for the most part, good people who have just hit a
bump in the road. Maybe even, once you know some of your homeless
neighbors, get yourself directly involved with them on an individual basis. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">We can solve this or at least reduce the problem if we all try. </span>
</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-15458341910603298182017-01-27T12:27:00.000-06:002017-01-27T12:28:50.451-06:00Future???<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">We've
just had the Homeless Point in Time count for Ft Worth last night. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Just
a heads up guys, since I retired I have been technically homeless
this past year. Just for fun I camped out last night in a relatively
open spot that was extremely easy to get to ( less than 200 feet off
of Riverside) and nobody showed up. I even stayed up to see if a team
even showed up nearby. But either I didn't see them or they missed
me. In fact during the 10+ years that I was homeless I was counted
only twice. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">I
do have to give the teams credit and a congratulations for finding
the people that they did find though. I know that it is extremely
uncomfortable for some people to go into an unknown patch of woods
looking for a camp. Even during the daylight hours some camps are
difficult to locate.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">In
the past I have commented about the ultimate numbers of unsheltered
homeless that are published for the Ft Worth area. About 5 or 6 years
ago the published number of unsheltered homeless was listed as 348.
Keep in mind that these are all the campers, the people who are
living under bridges and in abandoned buildings within Tarrant
County. I knew for a fact that there were over 150 unsheltered people
living withing a short walking distance of the camp I lived in at the
time. If I was to guess, the true number of unsheltered homeless at
that time was probably closer to 600 people county wide.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Today
with the increases in the numbers of homeless who are living in or
cycling through the homeless shelter system what do you think is
happening to the numbers of unsheltered homeless? Guesses anyone?
They certainly aren't getting smaller. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">The
numbers developed by the Point in Time count will be used to
determine such things as the funding provided to the shelters,
funding to provide housing for those who have risen to the top of the
waiting lists and other purposes. The unfortunate part in all of this
is that the unsheltered homeless people just fall through the cracks.
First because many of them are not noticed like the people living in
the shelters. Then they don't get counted. Finally the outreach teams
such as Tarrant County Hands of Hope, who in many ways are the only
people even trying to help those homeless people, are extremely
limited in the resources they have available to assist those homeless
people they serve. Not to mention that the outreach teams are
constantly finding new people to help and haven't found them all. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Today
I would estimate that there are over 700 unsheltered homeless people
in the Ft Worth and Tarrant County area. Most of whom do not get
counted. On top of that, the bulk of any funding available is awarded
to the homeless shelters with little or nothing made available to the
outreach teams to assist those they serve. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">I
realize that total funding from all sources both public and private
is limited. Just keep in mind that the unsheltered homeless are out
there too and the outreach teams need financial assistance to help
them.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-26831520567096557332017-01-09T12:43:00.001-06:002017-01-09T12:48:27.257-06:00We are part of the problem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4YePgz_yzDQbiK7iNhkbT3b_BLg6qDMa1Rx_Le159k9WL2tBA4OcBH1GAVPg7D9SqH1iireFDTkOuPUaZybx_HO58RBdqQ_t1rnnIMiTz5-_wGukG75r_bsL3PdfgfEB12Q2PnbV73s/s1600/WP_20140714_003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4YePgz_yzDQbiK7iNhkbT3b_BLg6qDMa1Rx_Le159k9WL2tBA4OcBH1GAVPg7D9SqH1iireFDTkOuPUaZybx_HO58RBdqQ_t1rnnIMiTz5-_wGukG75r_bsL3PdfgfEB12Q2PnbV73s/s320/WP_20140714_003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Itâs very
common for homeless service providers to say âThey donât want our help. Theyâd
rather sleep outdoors and be homeless. They donât want people telling them what
to do. Itâs not my fault that they would rather live that wayâ.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Now ask
yourself this. Would you like to have someone tell you what to do? We are
supposed to live in a country that gives us freedom of choice but here we are
making decisions for those we are supposed to be helping to get back on their
feet. They are told when to eat, where to sleep, when to take a shower and then
there are the faith based organizations who will require them to attend church
services or church activities.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Itâs a
pretty serious problem when a person would prefer to sleep outdoors, as did I
by sleeping in a tent for over 10 years, instead of receiving support from the
homeless service providers at the shelters. More often than not, it is all about
our dignity and our freedom of choice.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">One solution
that I see is to take the support services to the unsheltered homeless people
by funding and supporting the outreach teams who go into the bushes to visit
with and assist those who live unsheltered in tents, abandoned buildings and
under bridges. Maybe establish new outreach teams or help existing outreach
teams to expand their numbers and programs. As it stands now here in Ft Worth
most, if not all, city, state and federal funding goes to the shelters with the
outreach teams having to find alternate funding just to do the few things they
can. What that means is that as many as 30% of all homeless people donât have
access to the support they need because they decided to use their freedom of
choice to live where they do instead of where they are told to live.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><b><u>Freedom of
Choice and Dignity belongs to all of us</u></b> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike><br /></strike></div>
Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-4637082291771044652017-01-07T12:02:00.001-06:002017-01-07T12:02:06.195-06:00Homeless In Ft Worth: Winter...<a href="http://homelessinftworth.blogspot.com/2017/01/winter.html?spref=bl">Homeless In Ft Worth: Winter...</a>: For the last few days the temperature hasnât been above 35 degrees and has been as low as 10 degrees at night. Now thatâs what I say is p...Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-84275126216796763812017-01-07T12:01:00.000-06:002017-01-07T12:01:39.640-06:00Winter...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzHDXGY7EVA0oXdghpOa_Dtl9piZGqfwK22qQ1GZm1uPzAVT-daTVzB1ti6XfxlWfyRAZLu8KpKIp_LWrya4wVLM8IcQdUMz6G4_Thj4sZuE22R20oxYISM9bsc6KSsJvZsj-s5_kGr4/s1600/100_5372+%2528Mobile%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzHDXGY7EVA0oXdghpOa_Dtl9piZGqfwK22qQ1GZm1uPzAVT-daTVzB1ti6XfxlWfyRAZLu8KpKIp_LWrya4wVLM8IcQdUMz6G4_Thj4sZuE22R20oxYISM9bsc6KSsJvZsj-s5_kGr4/s320/100_5372+%2528Mobile%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">For the last
few days the temperature hasnât been above 35 degrees and has been as low as 10
degrees at night. Now thatâs what I say is pretty cold. Especially when you are
homeless and living unsheltered or in a tent, abandoned building or under a
bridge. I realize that many of you really feel sorry for them and wish to help.
Keep in mind that the homeless people who live in the shelters along Lancaster
already have many of the resources available to remain warm, fed and
comfortable. There are many of those same homeless people who live in the shelters
who will take what you have to give whether they really need it or not.
Sometimes they will sell their excess for cash, drugs or whatever. The homeless
people who really need the assistance are the unsheltered people. These are the
folks who have fallen through the cracks and for their own reasons refuse to go
into the shelters.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">In my own
case, I spent a couple of months in the shelters when I first became homeless
and discovered that it wasnât for me. In those days (around late 2002 to early 2003)
Lancaster was not a very safe place at times. I personally had been robbed of things
I had with any value, saw drug transactions in the open and blatant prostitution.
I just was not comfortable. These days things are much safer and while the
theft, drugs and prostitution is still there it is no longer as obvious nor
does it make me feel unsafe as I did all those years ago. I still would not go
to a shelter. The main reason is that I know how to camp. I can be far more
relaxed and comfortable without having several hundred other people around all
the time. Nuff said.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">The real
reason for this particular post is that all those unsheltered homeless, who
number around 500 here in Ft Worth, tend not to receive any sort of assistance
from donations like the folks in the shelters. In many cases the only times an
unsheltered homeless person can find a warm coat, for example, he or she would
have to either walk to the homeless district on Lancaster, which could be a
matter of miles or he may get lucky and one of the few homeless outreach
workers may find something for him or her. All that is assuming they have any
luck in finding someone or someplace where coats are being provided.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Now thatâs
not to say that the unsheltered or camping homeless people just need clothes.
Many of them have all sorts of needs. But first you have to locate them which
may or may not be simple. Keep your eyes open when you are travelling through
the city and its outskirts. Ask your friends or neighbors if they have seen any
homeless people in your area. Is there a secluded patch of woods nearby? Take a
walk and see what you find there but if you do run up on a camp please announce
yourself when you approach.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Now once you
have located an unsheltered homeless person or persons, ask them what they can
use. In my case I always had a need for propane fuel for my camp stove. Sometimes
shoes or boots that were in good repair were nice to have. Even food items
either already prepared, easily cooked or just eaten as is are always acceptable.
Other items that are nice to have are hygiene items, maybe some sweets, socks,
gloves and scarves are good too. The important thing here is to ask them what
they can use. Many times they may say they donât need anything but his or her
clothes, coat and shoes are in poor repair thatâs a clue. Use good judgement. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Now with all
that being said. Donât just give to an unsheltered homeless person just the one
time and feel good about yourself. Keep in touch with them. Make sure that they
are OK in extremely bad weather. I have spoken in past postings about the
family who adopted me the last couple of years before I finally left my camp.
They made sure that I was OK and basically checked on me to make sure I had
fuel, food and other supplies on a regular basis. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Who knows,
you may develop a friendship and in the end help someone rise up out of what
has brought him or her to homelessness.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-18054608491450567652017-01-03T13:52:00.000-06:002017-01-03T14:25:53.491-06:00Beginning another New Year<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAI1YbAuiiHXGpD3pxHgzC_WatqUos46t1AYnUylxRhyphenhyphensjv1n0VzL6Z4YJfbX5fm6EPtGuP2z-WTqiKREWTxfWu9XytWYc9CzHHg9FRs4DFFK25WGr7eCJBYYyE9BZ8okc0XR0lS4NpU/s1600/photo+me+%2528Mobile%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAI1YbAuiiHXGpD3pxHgzC_WatqUos46t1AYnUylxRhyphenhyphensjv1n0VzL6Z4YJfbX5fm6EPtGuP2z-WTqiKREWTxfWu9XytWYc9CzHHg9FRs4DFFK25WGr7eCJBYYyE9BZ8okc0XR0lS4NpU/s320/photo+me+%2528Mobile%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Beginning
another New Year</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">I hope all
of you had a great holiday season.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">For the past
several months I have been getting emails from people who want to know how they
can help, where to go, assistance with locating a missing loved one and what to
do about a loved one who is an addict and on the street. I have heard back from
a couple of those people and in every case they told me that the information I
gave them was a big help. Last month I even helped several battered women into
safe homes where they could get away from their abuser, drugs or just get their
heads straightened out.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Thatâs only
a drop in the bucket and as fast as one is gotten off the street then another
takes his or her place. There are many areas where you and I can continue to
help the homeless. There are many ideas we can promote to assist our homeless
neighbors. Iâm going to run through a few that Iâve spoken about in the past
and may spark something in you.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Many of the
things I will talk about cover the unsheltered homeless. The people who live in
camps, abandoned building and under the bridges. They are all over the city and
while sometimes not easy to find, if you keep an eye out you will start noticing
them. They tend to hide in plain sight.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Adopt a
homeless person. Now this one takes some thinking about and a certain amount of
caution on your part. In my case a family adopted me after getting to know each
other. In the end they made sure I had fuel for my stove (I was camping).
Brought me food. Invited me to their home for meals, clean up and laundry. Plus
a lot of love. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Organize
some people in your church to help out some of your local homeless neighbors. I
know of a couple of churches who put together care packages that they then
deliver to their homeless friends. The care packages can be just a box of
things or placed in a backpack. Popular items are hygiene products like soap,
razors, tooth paste, tooth brush, gloves, socks, small food items like Vienna sausages,
crackers, even candy. Be creative, ask you homeless friends what they would
like to be included in a care package.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Hereâs a
project that is long term and could easily be expanded upon here in Ft Worth.
Take a look at the Mobile Loaves and Fishes web site. They have developed a
housing community for the homeless in Austin, TX. Their web site is <a href="http://mlf.org/">http://mlf.org/</a> . Might this be something you or your church could
promote here in Ft Worth?</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">A similar
project. How about building âTiny Homesâ for the homeless and then locate safe
places to put them. Just do a search for âtiny housesâ and you will find all
sorts of ideas, articles and information about them. In some cities there are
people who build them just for homeless to give them a secure roof over their
heads. Check it out.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
One other way to help is to donate to those to go out into
the bushes. One organization I am proud to know is The Hands of Hope, <a href="http://hohtx.com/"><span style="color: blue; margin: 0px;">hohtx.com</span></a>. Take a
look at their web site. See the sort of work they are doing. I met the
founder John Ramsey and his wife during their very first days of starting this
very special outreach team. There are other groups and organizations other than
the shelters who work with the homeless. Especially the unsheltered homeless. I
intend to talk about them as things progress.</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">These are
only some ideas. The most important part of helping the homeless is to remember
that each one of these people is an individual so no one solution will be right
for everyone. Love is another part of helping. I probably would still be in the woods
if it hadnât been for the love I received from several people. Just reach out
to them and see what happens. Donât get discouraged if you donât get the response
you are looking for. Be patient and get to know them. They will surprise you.</span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-3211348628326827072016-12-13T12:57:00.000-06:002016-12-13T12:57:30.908-06:00A Short Christmas Post<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQeXZOYvUEgJftyFILVM41GfOlFMn2Mi5S8L6gLj9wOA6sgDYUtcTFdgQBiFq-4nt_wOrBoStGOVAjbUQoVEStCaLSf4RKK183E6pBkKjwPxpGHCwv09H8aURFo34YVX33GqXhfSCMZk/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQeXZOYvUEgJftyFILVM41GfOlFMn2Mi5S8L6gLj9wOA6sgDYUtcTFdgQBiFq-4nt_wOrBoStGOVAjbUQoVEStCaLSf4RKK183E6pBkKjwPxpGHCwv09H8aURFo34YVX33GqXhfSCMZk/s200/3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Well here we are, itâs almost Christmas and there is giving
in the air. I know of several groups of people who are putting together
packages for their local homeless neighbors. I too am in the process of putting
together 5 care packages to deliver to some campers in my area. For some reason
this has become a regular project for me although l would truly like to and try
to do this all year round. Nuff said.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Iâve not written much these past couple of years but I felt
that I needed to post at least something before the end of this year. There is
much good and not so good that has happened in the homeless community this
year. There has been the passing of several people I have known for many years
or how about the new resource facility be completed soon over near PNS. There
are many things happening and many things in the works for the future to assist
the local homeless people in becoming not homeless. Yet I still hear from others,
such as some of the unsheltered homeless people, that things are not going
quite so well. Unfortunately they are still slipping through the cracks in the âsystemâ.
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Personally I had to back away from being a homeless advocate
or working with my sheltered and unsheltered homeless friends. Mostly it was personal
problem I was having adjusting from being unsheltered myself for so long to becoming
a productive citizen again. Iâve been receiving counselling because I wasnât
doing the adjustment very well which is one reason that I retired as early as I
did.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After a year of retirement and counselling I am now ready to
jump back into the fire (I hope </span><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">).
I intend to get myself reconnected with some other homeless advocates and case
managers in the upcoming year. I still have many of my contacts and I still see
many of the unsheltered homeless folks I used to work with before I retired.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Iâm also putting together some notes and hope to write a
book or at least publish something regarding the 10+ years I spent homeless. In
the mean time I am getting ready to settle down. I have been moving around at
lot lately and havenât found a place to live permanently yet. Anyone know of
someone who may have a room to rent or maybe a converted garage here in Fort
Worth near a bus line they wish to rent to an older gentleman who is quiet and
lives on a semi-fixed income? Contact me at my email address </span><a href="mailto:homelessinftw@live.com"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "calibri";">homelessinftw@live.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">. My leaving the old
apartment is also part of my upcoming auto-biography / story.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">With all that being said I hope all of you, your family and loved ones have a.......</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: calibri; font-size: large;"><b>Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!</b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvUvoVh5lPiJjvPckaWziN7r7_V-yDDhuXArCflJhMftIw7ZIOhtCfG9OJDrVjFIN_k1Xnz-TCcxJx00LC_NTpDac69qdicAD8kwB_YC83o7dQBEg5HpXpkNjE2RYFa6CQ6HPWmmTAwI/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-63685606934551662232016-08-04T13:45:00.001-05:002016-08-04T13:45:20.318-05:00Homeless In Ft Worth: I am OK but...<a href="http://homelessinftworth.blogspot.com/2016/08/i-am-ok-but.html?spref=bl">Homeless In Ft Worth: I am OK but...</a>: If you noticed the title of this post there was a "but" there. Well the fact is that I was employed to be a Community Health Wor...Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-54656901089479673662016-08-04T13:20:00.000-05:002016-08-04T13:27:45.270-05:00I am OK but...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittv9M7JkpcWDQGyIy5OZn4euU9hWuXBFkpZgFvtkIiHUsY84yHTuJPGIZxVMYyz_S_HBQCS0SSaFUUE4ZDQipCs-NgPM2gbpf9PA6Wwrz93xClJc7Z-ZaluUgn0aN-W81Qy1k4Nn1STI/s1600/photo+me.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittv9M7JkpcWDQGyIy5OZn4euU9hWuXBFkpZgFvtkIiHUsY84yHTuJPGIZxVMYyz_S_HBQCS0SSaFUUE4ZDQipCs-NgPM2gbpf9PA6Wwrz93xClJc7Z-ZaluUgn0aN-W81Qy1k4Nn1STI/s320/photo+me.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
If you noticed the title of this post there was a "but" there. Well the fact is that I was employed to be a Community Health Worker by a local hospital specifically to do homeless outreach. That was in 2013. Today I am retired....<br />
<br />
Now with all that said, I was doing work I had never done before (I am an electronics technician), coming off a 10+ year stint of homelessness and camping in the woods. I had 10 years of habits that were not necessarily appropriate for returning to "normal" life as well as addictions to alcohol and drugs that I was battling before leaving the woods.<br />
<br />
So here I was going back to school to learn a new trade, working hard to stay drug and alcohol free (I had been 5 years clean by that time) adjusting to apartment living and best of all, trying to adjust to living again with money in my pocket.<br />
<br />
When you have been in survival mode, as are all homeless people, for over 10 years and that was my whole focus with small side trips along the way that sort of creates habits that not only are hard to break but are in fact automatic reactions you later don't even think about, I had a real challenge ahead of me.<br />
<br />
The first year of working I was doing fairly well making the adjustment but I still saw myself reacting as if I were in the woods more often than I cared to see. At that time my focus was more on my job than it was on myself. After 2 years of working it was still an adventure just going to the store for groceries! But I was not spending enough personal thought and time breaking those habits I had developed being homeless. There are many reasons why I was not spending more time working through my homeless issues but I did discover one really important thing that is absolutely necessary when attempting to return a chronically homeless person back to society. Counselling, a good person to talk to who knows the ropes or problems adjusting. Unfortunately, I did not have that. Oh sure, I had friends who let me rant and rave about the problems and barriers I was running into but friends do not have the answers. In fact good friends, true friends can't help because of their love for you.<br />
<br />
What happened to me was I threw myself into the deep end of the pool to sink or swim and IT WAS ALL MY FAULT! I should have looked for a mentor who could guide me though the mental pitfalls that were ahead of me. I should not have immersed myself in the new job as I did. I was working hard to do my job and spent no time on myself.<br />
<br />
Then to add insult to injury, I moved into an apartment complex that was in the beginning quite nice but towards the end after 2 years had started taking in people whom I had once know from the street, people who were my old drug dealers, people I had used drugs with and they started to knock on my door. It was most temping and most disturbing. So I spent more time at work and less time working on me just to avoid those temptations. I was becoming a mess and didn't know what to do about it. I tried, belatedly, to get counseling but they did not have a clue about the homeless mindset. A mindset that I still had not eliminated.<br />
<br />
My personal solution was to retire from the work a day world. I was old enough to retire and start receiving Social Security. Soon a pension I had established way back in the 70's and contributed to for almost 20 years will start up too. I'm not without money nor am I back on the streets. I'm doing a little travelling and looking for a place to settle down. Probably a room somewhere here in town. What I will not do is return to the streets!!!!<br />
<br />
It's been 8 months since I retired. I now have a better idea of all the areas where I went wrong. The one extremely important thing I discovered was that most homeless people are never homeless for more than a single year and usually less, nor do they have the adjustment issues that chronically homeless people have. For us long term or chronically homeless people another path has to be taken. There are less than 10% of the homeless population who are chronically homeless and I was one of them. For us the transition is much more difficult. Other means to assist us back into "normal" life have to be taken.<br />
<br />
I've used these past 8 months to work on myself. I found a mentor who was willing to talk to me and in fact he really has. I've also used these 8 months to look within myself to determine where I want to go. I had deliberately divorced myself from the homeless world even though I thought I could help there. I don't go near the shelters and although I have run into a few homeless campers along the way I tend to refer them to an outreach team. I have some of the tools to be a homeless camper mentor now and I may start doing that. I've thought of working with some of the local homeless outreach teams but I'm still not sure if that is where I wish to go in the future. One friend once told me I should start writing a book about my 10+ years as a homeless person. Another friend said that I should start doing homeless outreach again. One friend even said that I should just travel around and continue to work on become sane and "normal" again.<br />
<br />
Which ever way I go in the future, my homeless experience will forever be with me. I don't intend to quit on this blog even though I haven't posted much these last few years. My only excuse is that I have been too busy :-).<br />
<br />
I can be contacted through my blogging email address. <a href="mailto:homelessinftw@live.com">homelessinftw@live.com</a>Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-62343234460539045002016-05-28T13:50:00.000-05:002016-05-28T13:53:42.502-05:00Under Their Wing<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A few years
ago I spoke of and promoted this particular idea. The idea was to âadoptâ or
mentor a homeless person. In my case I was very lucky. During the 10 years of
my own personal homelessness there were 3 or 4 people who did just that along
with several others who touched my life in many ways. In my early years of
homelessness I ran into a Christian Menâs group who met every week. The 2
leaders of the group not only helped me to recover my faith, helped me through
my addictions, made sure that I had what I needed and most important, listened
to me. In this case they helped me with basic equipment for my camp such as a
tent, a cot and other assorted items. After some time of getting to know each
other they even helped me with cash and supplies. They encouraged me to find
something to do with myself. If I couldnât find a good job I at least could do
some day work or failing that I could go to some of the places where the
homeless people in my area went during the day. This is how I discovered the </span><a href="http://thefeet.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">BeautifulFeet Ministries</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. For
a time I talked to my peers there at the Beautiful Feet and towards the end of
my homelessness I was actively working and advising other homeless people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Now back to
the people who helped me. With the menâs group I would be picked up on the
night of the meeting and while in the beginning we trod very carefully
developing the trust needed to be successful in good communications. They did
more than help me with my lack of knowledge regarding my faith but let me talk
about myself. In other words, they listened to me. Over time as our mutual
level of trust grew I became more honest and forthcoming with them as they did
with me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The other
two people I have to mention arrived in my life about the time I started this
blog almost 5 years ago. They are a simple family with the usual family issues.
They started simply by emailing me and we started a conversation. This went on
for a couple of months. Because I had developed a cautious but honest method of
talking to people and the fact that they were very easy to talk to we went to
the next stage. They came to my camp one Christmas day. From that point on we
developed a relationship that just grew. They saw to it I had food, stove fuel
and other items to make life easier if I needed them. I was even invited to
their home on a regular basis for a meal and companionship. I met the rest of
their family and became an unofficial member of their household, welcome at any
time. I still, to this day, get together with these people and their family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So far I
have discussed how these 4 people and assorted others provided material goods,
food, tents, fuel, and other things to make my camping lifestyle more
comfortable. Many people think this is all that is needed to help homeless
people to recover from homelessness. But the truth is it wasnât the material
goods but the honest and open conversations I had with all of them over the
years. In every case I talked to them about the barriers that homeless people
run into. They helped me become a real person again with real appreciation of
me as an individual. This is not something that happens overnight. As Iâve said
in past posts, homelessness is a lifestyle. As with all lifestyles there are
specific thoughts and ways of functioning that are part of the lifestyle.
Homelessness in some of its forms are not appropriate in other settings. Even
myself after 10 years of living in a camp I had a difficult time readjusting to
something more ânormalâ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">On a daily
basis a homeless person is in a mad scramble of survival. As many as 60% of
homeless people have a mental health issue, some more severe than others. As
many as 50% of homeless people have a substance abuse problem usually because
they are self-medicating themselves to survive or ignore their problems. A
fairly large number of homeless people have a criminal record or are hiding
from the legal system. Some have been rejected by family and have no place to
go. There are all kinds of reasons that people become homeless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The topic
here is to âadoptâ or mentor a homeless person. To do this is not going to be
easy and depending on the homeless individual and the mentor, can be easy or
difficult. One thing to remember is never disparage or talk down to a homeless
person. But most importantly, in order to learn what a homeless person really
needs is to get to know him or her. That is not going to be easy either and may
take several visits before they even begin opening up to you. Trust is a big
issue here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is an
organization I discovered that is based in Dallas. They are called </span><a href="http://www.sponsorthelost.org/home.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sponsor the Lost</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Their purpose is to mentor homeless people and assist them
as needed. Take a look. They have some good ideas. There are other
organizations around as well who do similar things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">With that
being said there is no reason a church group or a small group of concerned
people canât do this sort of work here in Ft. Worth. Of course sponsoring a
homeless person is more than just providing them with material goods or
counselling them. In almost every case you will run into a homeless individual
who needs something that you canât help with. This is where you develop a list
of local resources who can do some of the things you or your group canât. This
is something I developed while I was working as a homeless outreach worker.
Even my resource book is not complete but knowing others in the homeless
service or mentoring field can be a great help in solving those issues every
homeless person faces. Just relying on the homeless services community, most of
whom are located in the homeless shelters or nearby the shelters, to help
homeless people is unrealistic as they are overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of
homeless people and a lack of resources. Small local groups can help.
Especially with the homeless person who does not wish to have anything to do
with the homeless district along East Lancaster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Got some
homeless people in your neighborhood or nearby? Stop by, say hello and maybe you can really
help. It just takes patience and the desire to help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lastly, Iâm
going to sort of stick my neck out. If you have any questions or need
information on some of the resources I spoke about, send me an email. My
address is </span><a href="mailto:Homelessinftw@live.com"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Homelessinftw@live.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2564273744002430743.post-30195981355710948972016-04-11T11:39:00.001-05:002016-04-11T11:39:33.438-05:00Homeless In Ft Worth: Rack em, Stack em and Pack em...<a href="http://homelessinftworth.blogspot.com/2016/04/rack-em-stack-em-and-pack-em.html?spref=bl">Homeless In Ft Worth: Rack em, Stack em and Pack em...</a>: Rack em, stack em and pack em is pretty much where our local emergency homeless shelters are these days. Notice how I call them Emergency ...Gkirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13583786662875100727noreply@blogger.com0