Friday, December 30, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Occu-Pie for Peace Part 2
After a successful Saturday, we returned Sunday morning. A few Facebook friends had alerted me to the presence of snow (there was only a dusting where I live), and the drive out saw me routed around a rather nasty accident involving a semi and an SUV, but there was less than an inch by the time I got to Amarillo.
As we set up, though, the snow started falling. And falling. It would fall for seven straight hours, approaching whiteout conditions. But we had said we would be there, and we were.
Sunday's turnout was lighter than Saturday's (we served about six people in all), in all likelihood because of the weather. But we were encouraged by the fact that the people who came mentioned the news story. We had a visit from a Colombian sculptor who spoke halting English, and fortunately had the assistance of Daniel Ramos for translation.
As the day grew on, I was thankful to God for the weather. Shelter is one thing many of us take for granted, and spending 8 straight hours in the open wind and snow was a greater Christmas gift than I could have imagined. The zipper on my coat busted early on, so I was unable to close it against the cold, but we had FEMA blankets that had been donated to OA to help keep us warm. I was very grateful for those blankets.
We didn't see a police officer. At one point, we did see two cars parked by the Civic Center and one across the street at the Globe News Center, so I suspect there was some video footage shot. Cars drove by and occasionally honked there support, but for the most part, our interaction was limited to each other and the people who came by.
It did get amusing to watch the reaction of some of the drivers, though. Some switched lanes as they passed us, apparently afraid we carried some kind of "commie cooties" or something.
As the day dragged on, it got colder. My feet were wet, and at one point I was a bit concerned about the numbness, but between the van's heater and rubbing my feet, I was able to restore feeling. I sat in the van for a bit as a precaution, but again it bears noting that many of the people we are trying to help don't even have that as an option. Small wonder that many who are left with no home find a short term hail stay to be a preferable alternative.
One gentleman who came at the end of both days said he had been arrested for public intoxication 57 times.
As the day drew near to a close, I noticed that our last customer had no gloves. I gave him mine. I'll get new ones.
All in all, it was a beautiful weekend and a very good learning experience. I am blessed to have a family that understands that holidays can be celebrated on different days if need be (we celebrated on the 23rd), but that need has no days off.
As we set up, though, the snow started falling. And falling. It would fall for seven straight hours, approaching whiteout conditions. But we had said we would be there, and we were.
Sunday's turnout was lighter than Saturday's (we served about six people in all), in all likelihood because of the weather. But we were encouraged by the fact that the people who came mentioned the news story. We had a visit from a Colombian sculptor who spoke halting English, and fortunately had the assistance of Daniel Ramos for translation.
As the day grew on, I was thankful to God for the weather. Shelter is one thing many of us take for granted, and spending 8 straight hours in the open wind and snow was a greater Christmas gift than I could have imagined. The zipper on my coat busted early on, so I was unable to close it against the cold, but we had FEMA blankets that had been donated to OA to help keep us warm. I was very grateful for those blankets.
We didn't see a police officer. At one point, we did see two cars parked by the Civic Center and one across the street at the Globe News Center, so I suspect there was some video footage shot. Cars drove by and occasionally honked there support, but for the most part, our interaction was limited to each other and the people who came by.
It did get amusing to watch the reaction of some of the drivers, though. Some switched lanes as they passed us, apparently afraid we carried some kind of "commie cooties" or something.
As the day dragged on, it got colder. My feet were wet, and at one point I was a bit concerned about the numbness, but between the van's heater and rubbing my feet, I was able to restore feeling. I sat in the van for a bit as a precaution, but again it bears noting that many of the people we are trying to help don't even have that as an option. Small wonder that many who are left with no home find a short term hail stay to be a preferable alternative.
One gentleman who came at the end of both days said he had been arrested for public intoxication 57 times.
As the day drew near to a close, I noticed that our last customer had no gloves. I gave him mine. I'll get new ones.
All in all, it was a beautiful weekend and a very good learning experience. I am blessed to have a family that understands that holidays can be celebrated on different days if need be (we celebrated on the 23rd), but that need has no days off.
Occu-Pie for Peace Update -- Part 1
Well, this holiday weekend was a blessed one. Hobo's List participated in "Occu-Pie for Peace", an action designed to challenge the Amarillo city ordinance that forbids public feeding of groups without a permit.
We believe the law to be unjust and unConstitutional, as it infringes on our free exercise of religion. We are asking that the Amarillo ordinance be no less restrictive than the Texas state ordinance, which allows exemption for nonprofit organizations.
We were not sure what to expect when we set up in front of City Hall Saturday. It was a reasonably pleasant day, and se set up with shepherd's pie, beans, and cornbread. We also had water.
Joseph Hayes, Rusty Tomlinson and I set up on Saturday. Joseph's wife did the cooking, and a couple of the holdovers from the Occupy Amarillo encampment did the laborious job of peeling a mountain of potatoes. We had asked local grocers to contribute to the cause, and were pleased that United Food Stores offered a $100 gift card to help out.
Saturday was pretty uneventful. We did get local news coverage from channels 7 and 10. Joseph spoke to channel 10 and I spoke with channel 7.
The channel 7 news story can be found here: Occupy Amarillo speaks, acts out against Public Health Article I: Despite the lack of a permit, Occupy Amarillo served prepared food to the homeless on Christmas Eve.
The Channel 10 video is below:
I left about 3 PM Saturday for other engagements, but we served abut 12 people.
In Part 2, I will cover Sunday's feeding.
We believe the law to be unjust and unConstitutional, as it infringes on our free exercise of religion. We are asking that the Amarillo ordinance be no less restrictive than the Texas state ordinance, which allows exemption for nonprofit organizations.
We were not sure what to expect when we set up in front of City Hall Saturday. It was a reasonably pleasant day, and se set up with shepherd's pie, beans, and cornbread. We also had water.
Joseph Hayes, Rusty Tomlinson and I set up on Saturday. Joseph's wife did the cooking, and a couple of the holdovers from the Occupy Amarillo encampment did the laborious job of peeling a mountain of potatoes. We had asked local grocers to contribute to the cause, and were pleased that United Food Stores offered a $100 gift card to help out.
Saturday was pretty uneventful. We did get local news coverage from channels 7 and 10. Joseph spoke to channel 10 and I spoke with channel 7.
The channel 7 news story can be found here: Occupy Amarillo speaks, acts out against Public Health Article I: Despite the lack of a permit, Occupy Amarillo served prepared food to the homeless on Christmas Eve.
The Channel 10 video is below:
I left about 3 PM Saturday for other engagements, but we served abut 12 people.
In Part 2, I will cover Sunday's feeding.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
#Occupieforpeace
We had good media response today, didn't feed a lot but we are hopeful to have more tomorrow:
Friday, December 23, 2011
How Twitter Taught This Cynic a Thing or Two
This past summer, I sat around a table visiting with friends from high school. I made the offhand comment that I was becoming a cynic, and they chuckled. The general consensus was that I had pretty much always been a cynic, I was just no longer in denial.
I can't say that has changed completely, but I have to say I have a different perspective. The Occupy mvement has had a lot to do with it; as the movement has gone forward, a lot of activists have gotten together to work on addressing a lot of their social concerns directly. Many of the laws broken in the various Occupy camps were laws specifically written to punish the homeless. And with Christmas coming on, a lot of the resources donated to the movement are being used to help the homeless in the communities.
But more to the point, I have connected with the Twitter feeds of various groups to help the homeless, and I am overwhelmed by what I am seeing. Twitter is causing a greater connectedness between groups, and giving supporters a firsthand look at what is going on. Not only that, but news articles are tweeted, giving even more information and opportunity to get involved.
I imagine I will always be a cynic. But Twitter has done a good job helping to connect me with a larger community, of people who DO care, who are actively trying to make a difference in the world around them.
And while that's not the best gift anyone could give, it certainly ranks up there.
I can't say that has changed completely, but I have to say I have a different perspective. The Occupy mvement has had a lot to do with it; as the movement has gone forward, a lot of activists have gotten together to work on addressing a lot of their social concerns directly. Many of the laws broken in the various Occupy camps were laws specifically written to punish the homeless. And with Christmas coming on, a lot of the resources donated to the movement are being used to help the homeless in the communities.
But more to the point, I have connected with the Twitter feeds of various groups to help the homeless, and I am overwhelmed by what I am seeing. Twitter is causing a greater connectedness between groups, and giving supporters a firsthand look at what is going on. Not only that, but news articles are tweeted, giving even more information and opportunity to get involved.
I imagine I will always be a cynic. But Twitter has done a good job helping to connect me with a larger community, of people who DO care, who are actively trying to make a difference in the world around them.
And while that's not the best gift anyone could give, it certainly ranks up there.
Friday, December 16, 2011
No Place Like Home(less) for the Holidays
"...there's a world outside your window
and it's a world of dreaded fear"
Do They Know It's Christmas, Band-Aid
The economy has wreaked a heavy toll on Americans this year, a toll we should soberly consider as we set about our holiday preparations. A survey of 29 cities shows that in 86% of the surveyed cities (25), requests for emergency food had increased; only two cities reported a decrease.
51% of those requesting help were families. 11% were homeless.
In 23 of the cities, pantries had to decrease the amount of food available to families. 19 cities had to reduce the number of times recipients could use their services.
Homelessness increased 6% among surveyed cities. Among families, homelessness increased 16%.
This Christmas, be thankful for what you have. And if you can, consider donating to your local food bank or shelter.
You can read the entire survey here:
Do They Know It's Christmas, Band-Aid
The economy has wreaked a heavy toll on Americans this year, a toll we should soberly consider as we set about our holiday preparations. A survey of 29 cities shows that in 86% of the surveyed cities (25), requests for emergency food had increased; only two cities reported a decrease.
51% of those requesting help were families. 11% were homeless.
In 23 of the cities, pantries had to decrease the amount of food available to families. 19 cities had to reduce the number of times recipients could use their services.
Homelessness increased 6% among surveyed cities. Among families, homelessness increased 16%.
This Christmas, be thankful for what you have. And if you can, consider donating to your local food bank or shelter.
You can read the entire survey here:
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Occu-Pie for Peace
Tim Justice 806-662-5366
Rusty Tomlinson 765-722-1113
HfTomlinson@riseup.net
For Immediate Release: 12/13/2011
Who: Occupy Amarillo
What: “Occu-Pie for Peace” We will be serving vegetarian Sheppard's Pie to the needy and homeless.
Where: City Hall Plaza 7th & Buchannan
When: Christmas Eve & Christmas Day 11AM-7PM
Why: To feed the poor in the spirit of Christmas and to challenge city ordinance Public Health Article I. Sec. 8-5-1
Rusty Tomlinson 765-722-1113
HfTomlinson@riseup.net
For Immediate Release: 12/13/2011
Who: Occupy Amarillo
What: “Occu-Pie for Peace” We will be serving vegetarian Sheppard's Pie to the needy and homeless.
Where: City Hall Plaza 7th & Buchannan
When: Christmas Eve & Christmas Day 11AM-7PM
Why: To feed the poor in the spirit of Christmas and to challenge city ordinance Public Health Article I. Sec. 8-5-1
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Engaging in Civil Disobedience
If... the machine of government... is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law.~Henry David Thoreau, On the Duty of Civil Disobediance, 1849
In an earlier post, We at Hobo's List expressed our support for the Occupy movement. Our commitment to the movement remains strong. As we have discussed actions moving forward, one of the telling results of the Occupy movement is that it has brought to light the criminalization of homelessness in our society. Indeed, it would be fair to ask why a pepper spraying police officer is considered a patriot while a homeless individual sleeping on the park bench is considered a criminal.
It is our contention that these laws are unjust, and we will be engaging in a series of actions of civil disobedience in coordination with the 2012 "unCampaign". We are working with Occupy Amarillo and Food not bombs in our first action, which will be to feed the homeless without obtaining the required permits, as we believe permits should not be necesary to feed the poor. We will keep you updated as events progress.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Story the Homeless Studies Don't Tell
Over the years, I've frequently heard the term "there but for the grace of God go I" tossed about. It's become a rather pithy saying.
But in my case, it's true.
One of the reasons I have a passion and a desire to work with the homeless is because I honestly understand some of the problems facing them. Not al of them, mind you (nobody can truly know everyone's story), but enough to know the stories the homeless studies aren't telling.
It's easy to comprehend mental illness when we see someone talking to themselves or shouting at some imaginary enemy. It becomes a bit more problematic when te disabilities you can't see crop up. For instance, when days of interacting with people overloads you so much that your chest tightens and simply walking out of the house produces a sense of anxiety. When the bills pile up and a manageable situation suddenly becomes unmanageable because you shut off all communication with the outside world for weeks at a time. In those moments, it's easy to place blame, easier still to judge, if you are standing outside.
And it is in those moments that those who suffer these moments of anxiety are forced into a fight-or-flight state that often leaves them homeless and jobless, with references that will not help them in finding future employment.
Finding competent help in those situations is not easy. Many insurance plans do not cover mental health treatment, and many individuals are a good distance from treatment. And in my 23 years as a Christian, I have found only a handful of pastors who were even willing to invest the time and effort in understanding and helping their congregants through these difficult times. They're far more concerned with the latest church building project, or, worse, with feeding the homeless, while sadly neglecting their souls.
How do I know this? Because I've lived it. When I graduated high school, I ran as far and as fast as I could from my hometown. I have a lousy credit rating from bills that remain unmanaged not because I can't manage them, but because panic takes over. I've walked a long and rather crooked trail because I simply couldn't bring myself to manage in the face of adversity.
And worst of all, when you seek any kind of assistance, you are quickly surrounded by naysayers who feel it is their right to condemn you to a second class status. When they see a food stamp card come out of your wallet, they're quick to scrutinize your purchase. Lest you think this is just paranoia, think of every "welfare cadillac" story you have ever heard. The fact that they can give you such a detailed list of what tese food stamp recipients are buying is ample evidence that they are closely scrutinizing the purchases. And when you pull out a medical assistance card, you are similarly scrutinized.
The problem is, the Bible does not give us latitude to judge. We're called to minister to the poor and the needy, not to question how they got there. And to call assisting the homeless "enabling" them is to treat them in a way that is not at all Christlike.
So the next time you see a homeless person on the street, don't just THINK "there but for the grace of God go I". Realize that only a small set of circumstances beyond your control makes the difference between where you are and walking in their shoes.
But in my case, it's true.
One of the reasons I have a passion and a desire to work with the homeless is because I honestly understand some of the problems facing them. Not al of them, mind you (nobody can truly know everyone's story), but enough to know the stories the homeless studies aren't telling.
It's easy to comprehend mental illness when we see someone talking to themselves or shouting at some imaginary enemy. It becomes a bit more problematic when te disabilities you can't see crop up. For instance, when days of interacting with people overloads you so much that your chest tightens and simply walking out of the house produces a sense of anxiety. When the bills pile up and a manageable situation suddenly becomes unmanageable because you shut off all communication with the outside world for weeks at a time. In those moments, it's easy to place blame, easier still to judge, if you are standing outside.
And it is in those moments that those who suffer these moments of anxiety are forced into a fight-or-flight state that often leaves them homeless and jobless, with references that will not help them in finding future employment.
Finding competent help in those situations is not easy. Many insurance plans do not cover mental health treatment, and many individuals are a good distance from treatment. And in my 23 years as a Christian, I have found only a handful of pastors who were even willing to invest the time and effort in understanding and helping their congregants through these difficult times. They're far more concerned with the latest church building project, or, worse, with feeding the homeless, while sadly neglecting their souls.
How do I know this? Because I've lived it. When I graduated high school, I ran as far and as fast as I could from my hometown. I have a lousy credit rating from bills that remain unmanaged not because I can't manage them, but because panic takes over. I've walked a long and rather crooked trail because I simply couldn't bring myself to manage in the face of adversity.
And worst of all, when you seek any kind of assistance, you are quickly surrounded by naysayers who feel it is their right to condemn you to a second class status. When they see a food stamp card come out of your wallet, they're quick to scrutinize your purchase. Lest you think this is just paranoia, think of every "welfare cadillac" story you have ever heard. The fact that they can give you such a detailed list of what tese food stamp recipients are buying is ample evidence that they are closely scrutinizing the purchases. And when you pull out a medical assistance card, you are similarly scrutinized.
The problem is, the Bible does not give us latitude to judge. We're called to minister to the poor and the needy, not to question how they got there. And to call assisting the homeless "enabling" them is to treat them in a way that is not at all Christlike.
So the next time you see a homeless person on the street, don't just THINK "there but for the grace of God go I". Realize that only a small set of circumstances beyond your control makes the difference between where you are and walking in their shoes.
Monday, November 21, 2011
The Meanest Cities to the Homeless in the US
This is some information I want you to have. But I do not want to steal the magnificent thunder of the National Coalition for the Homeless. The following is a list of the top 5 "meanest cities in the US" for the homeless. The NCH article has the top twenty, so for more information, you can read the whole article here:
Narratives of the Meanest Cities
#1 Sarasota, FL
In February 2005, the City Commission unanimously approved an ordinance prohibiting “lodging out of doors.” The previous “no-camping” rule was ruled unconstitutional by a state court last year because it was too vague and punished innocent conduct. The new rule prohibited using any public or private property for “lodging” outdoors without permission from the property owner. While not completely mitigating the negative impact of the law, the city took a more positive approach to the issue in this law by including a requirement that police officers, once a year, offer people who violate the law a ride to the shelter, instead of jail. The commissioners said that the ordinance would protect public safety and property while helping homeless people find shelter. Although the city was confident that this ordinance would stand up in court, critics said that it was still too vague. It was not clear how many “lodging” activities, such as making a fire, laying down blankets or a sleeping bag, and putting up a tent, would have to be happening in order for a person to be arrested. Moreover, the police were not required to give a person a ride to the shelter if the person was intoxicated, using drugs, or did not have proper identification.
Like its predecessor, this ordinance was short-lived. In June 2005, a state court found the “no lodging law” unconstitutional. County Judge David L. Denkin said the ordinance gave police officers too much discretion in deciding who is a threat to public health and safety, and who is just taking a nap on the beach. The judge, however, recognized the “good intention” of the city commissioners. The city claims it is important to the city’s residents. City commissioners have long insisted that the ordinances are about protecting people, but the ordinance has been used to arrest homeless persons. Assistant Public Defender Chris Cosden believes the city should give up: “The city has tried twice, and failed twice [with its ordinances]. The city has to step back and realize there are some things you just can’t do.” On a positive note, Fredd Atkins, a Sarasota City Commissioner, agreed that the city has “spent enough money trying to do the wrong thing right,” suggesting the money be committed to solving the root causes of homelessness.
Nonetheless, in August 2005, the city commissioners passed yet another ordinance, strangely similar to the previous two that were ruled unconstitutional. The new ordinance makes it a crime to sleep without permission on city or private property, either in a tent or makeshift shelter, or while “atop or covered by materials.” The city commissioners invented a list of criteria to determine if a person violates the new law. One or more of the following five features must be observed in order to make an arrest: “numerous items of personal belongings are present; the person is engaged in cooking activities, the person has built or is maintaining a fire, the person has engaged in digging or earth-breaking activities, or the person is asleep and when awakened states that he or she has no other place to live.”
Advocates are shocked that the ordinance actually includes being homeless, or having “no other place to live” as itself a criterion for arrest. Advocates argue that this ordinance, like its predecessors, targets homeless people.
The new law has been challenged in state court by defendants who were charged under the law. The court upheld the law, finding it constitutional.
#2 Lawrence, KS
Downtown street merchants complained to city officials in December 2004 that homeless people were intimidating customers with “aggressive panhandling,” and that groups of people regularly spent the night camping on the rooftops of their businesses. Downtown Lawrence, Inc. members gave city officials copies of many ordinances used in other communities against homeless people to encourage similar measures in Lawrence. Some of the proposed ordinances make sitting on the sidewalk from 7 A.M. to 9 P.M., and closely following someone to solicit money illegal. In addition to these suggested ordinances, a few businesses proposed cutting social services, arguing “We didn’t have this problem until we had a handout on every corner.” Shelters were viewed as hurting downtown Lawrence’s image rather than providing invaluable and scarce services to homeless people. Loring Henderson, Open Shelter’s director, disagrees, stating that “it doesn’t seem logical to me that when you have a place where there are 21 people who have a place to stay for the night, rather than being on the streets, that you’re contributing to the problem.”
According to Phil Hemphill, a downtown business owner who addressed a meeting of the City Task Force on Homeless Services, efforts to help homeless people are useless without sanctions imposed on the ill-behaved individuals among them. He described how he regularly saw homeless men and women urinate, defecate, and fornicate in public. Hemphill said it was wrong to expect the public and private sectors to finance services for homeless people when such behavior is tolerated. Hemphill later complained that the Task Force balked at imposing sanctions on trespassing, panhandling, and public drunkenness. Several Task Force members replied that Hemphill was misinterpreting their deliberations.
At a January 2005 meeting of the Task Force on Homeless Services, downtown business owners proposed that homeless service providers require people who want to use shelters, soup kitchens, and other services to obtain an official identification badge. The badges would require people to go through an application process and a police background check. This would give police and service providers a way to punish people by denying certain services over a specific period of time. Moreover, business owners argued, the badges would help ensure that homeless services are not enabling people to remain homeless.
In July 2005, city commissioners approved three “civility” ordinances, responding to concerns from downtown patrons about aggressive panhandlers. However, in a more positive step, they rejected an anti-camping law in spite of neighbors’ concerns about homeless camps along the Kansas River. Commissioners approved ordinances that would prohibit panhandlers from asking for money in an aggressive way, make it illegal for people to trespass on rooftops, and limit how people could sleep or sit on city sidewalks. Yet, Kalila Dalton, a member of Kansas Mutual Aid, views panhandling as a logical response to a basic need: “If it is cold outside and if you have no warm place, it seems reasonable to build a fire. If you have no money, it seems reasonable to ask someone who appears well off for money.”
The anti-panhandling ordinance will ban aggressive panhandling by prohibiting repeated attempts to solicit money from the same individual, blocking someone’s path or touching them, or soliciting within 20 feet of an automatic teller machine or a bus stop or from anyone in a vehicle. Another of the newly-passed ordinances makes it illegal to lay or sit on a sidewalk in a way that blocks the path of a pedestrian or requires pedestrians to reroute their course, with the exception of protests or other activities protected under the First Amendment. This ordinance was approved on a 3-2 vote, with Commissioner Mike Rundle and Councilman Highberger opposing. Highberger said he thought the ordinance simply addressed “things that people didn’t want to look at,” rather than genuine public safety concerns. Lastly, the council approved an ordinance that prohibits going onto the rooftop of a building without the permission of the building owner. The passage of this ordinance was motivated by complaints from several downtown merchants that homeless persons camp on their rooftops.
Fortunately, the Commissioners unanimously rejected the bulk of the proposed anti-camping ordinances because they said the city’s current criminal trespass ordinance allowed them to address the issues when problems arose. The main difference between the trespass ordinance and the proposed anti-camping ordinance was that under the trespass ordinance, campers have to first be given a warning to leave before they could be ticketed. However, the Commissioners did agree to approve a portion of the ordinance that would make it illegal for people to camp on private property without the express permission of the property owner.
#3 Little Rock, AR
In March 2005, Saint Francis House, a daytime homeless center, was forced to reduce its hours for the second time in one month due to decreased funding. The cutback in hours came as police began cracking down on “professional” panhandling in the downtown area. An undercover task force arrested 41 people.
The city’s agenda with regard to homeless people has become more aggressive and blatant in the following incidents. The only day shelter, and only place where homeless people could wash their clothes, Saint Francis House, closed in 2005 after a long history of police harassment of homeless people using that facility, as well as a withdrawal of funds for its operation. When asked to comment upon the closing of Saint Francis House, Sharon Priest, a spokesperson for the Downtown Partnership, said that she was "glad" it was gone, but was still not satisfied, because of “that soup kitchen [Stewpot] which is right there.”
Other reports compiled by Hunger-Free Arkansas indicate the criminalization of homeless men and women throughout the city. In a case of illegal search and seizure, a state trooper illegally searched and detained a homeless man, by claiming he suspected the homeless man was dealing drugs. The state trooper arrested the individual, who spent the night in jail and missed work the next day. The homeless man had no record of any drug-related offenses. Upon release from prison, only his driver’s license was returned. He did not receive his wallet or other property before he was told to leave. Due to the arrest, the homeless man was suspended from work for 30 days and taunted by employees for having to spend the night in jail.
In another incident, two homeless men reported officers of the Little Rock Police Department, in separate incidents, had kicked them out of the Little Rock Bus Station. Both men were holding valid tickets and transfers. Despite showing the police their tickets, both men were told that although the buses they were awaiting would arrive within 30 minutes, they could not wait on the premises because they were loitering. The police subsequently evicted the men. In some instances, others have been told that they could not wait at the bus station "because you are homeless."
Over the summer in 2005, a free public event was held at Riverfront Park in Little Rock, at which various businesses and manufacturers of goods (including the Tyson Chicken Company) set up booths and tents to give away free samples of their merchandise to the public. Vendors encouraged homeless persons at the event to take free samples, which many homeless people gratefully did. However, officers of the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department told the homeless individuals, including a handicapped man at a picnic table, that they had to leave the event immediately or be subject to arrest for loitering in a park. Another homeless man was denied entrance by tour operators to the free and public tour of the Old Statehouse Museum.
#4 Atlanta, GA
Amid waves of public protest and testimony opposing the Atlanta City Council’s proposed comprehensive ban on panhandling, the city and mayor passed a bill in August 2005. The ban made panhandling illegal within the “tourist triangle” and anywhere after dark. The ordinance also prohibits panhandling within 15 feet of an ATM, bus stop, taxi stand, pay phone, public toilet, or train station anywhere in the city. Many opponents believe the ban outlaws panhandling virtually everywhere, rendering it unconstitutional. The new ordinance also states that anyone who asks for help, both monetary and non-monetary, can be detained until an outreach worker either evaluates the detainee or refers him/her to social services. State Senator Vincent Fort, said the 12-3 vote “was an unabashed rush for campaign support.”
Two days after the signing, the Atlanta Police Department announced in The Atlanta Journal Constitution that homeless people would be rounded up and identified for entry into the City's new facility called The Gateway, which provides 250 shelter beds and supportive housing. The Gateway, the recipient of $10 million in private and public funds, was developed to provide a constructive solution to coincide with the panhandling ban. Unfortunately, although The Gateway houses homeless people, there is an overall net loss of places to sleep in Atlanta; 125 emergency beds for women and children were closed by the Mayor at the end of May 2005. Up to eighty of those women and children now sit up all night, waiting for shelter at the Task Force for the Homeless.
The business community and the city administration claim that many homeless people are “service-resistant” and should be forced to receive the services they need. However, more than half the current requests for shelter and services in Atlanta go unmet because of insufficient resources. Most shelters and support service agencies report turning away dozens of desperate people daily. In addition, the Mayor's Commission is persuading service agencies to relocate into the Gateway, making formerly independent, voluntary services available only there.
“This ordinance affects a huge population of the poor and homeless who just ask for help to eat everyday. We do not need a blanket law for one person asking another person for help,” said Murphy Davis of the Open Door Community. According to Anita Beaty of the Task Force for the Homeless, “Atlanta planners seem to believe that if you remove people’s housing, eliminate emergency shelter that they will then need, and then make asking for help illegal, their necessary support services available only through an incarceration program, the poor people will go someplace else.”
Jason Gibbes, a resident of the Peachtree-Pine facility, testified before City Council, stating, “I work every day. In two weeks, I will have enough to rent my own apartment, and I have it all picked out. I'm sure not proud of it, but when I first got my job, I begged for MARTA fare to get to work -- a couple of times. If I hadn't been able to ask for help, I wouldn't be working today.” He also reported that the police stopped him and forced him to produce identification while merely walking down the street.
In the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Atlanta has stood firm in its resolve to criminalize panhandlers. James Scott was sleeping in his car with his brother, his sister, and her two young children after seeking refuge in Atlanta. After living in their car for several days, the family panhandled at a mall in the affluent Buckhead neighborhood.
Police arrested Scott for solicitation about a half hour later, even after he showed them his Louisiana driver’s license, car tag, and registration as proof that he was a Katrina evacuee. “It’s the most expensive mall in Atlanta, I thought I could get some help,” Scott said. According to Atlanta Police Department spokesman John Quigley, while soliciting on a public sidewalk is allowed, soliciting in traffic is prohibited. According to Kevin, a homeless man interviewed by the Task Force for the Homeless, “nobody has the right to expect people to help. It’s their money to decide what they want to do with it. I just think I have a right to tell somebody what I need, and let them decide.”
A homeless woman with children was arrested in Atlanta for “impersonating” a Katrina survivor in order to get help for her children. There was an outpouring of emergency assistance from churches that only offered help to hurricne evacuees, thereby creating a desperate competition for much needed shelter.
In addition, the American Civil Liberties Union plans to file a lawsuit against Atlanta once it finds a suitable plaintiff because of the ban’s potential violations of the First Amendment. Gerald Weber, the legal director of the ACLU’s Georgia branch, calls Atlanta’s ordinance “too broad,” likening it to a similar ban in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which was ruled unconstitutional in 1999. City Councilman C.T. Martin believes the threat of a potential lawsuit has caused the city to withhold aggressive enforcement of the panhandling ban.
#5 Las Vegas, NV
Although homeless advocates in Las Vegas stated that shelters are overcrowded, city officials have done little to increase resources for individuals experiencing homelessness. Due to a lack of funding, the city’s Crisis Intervention Center was recently closed. Similarly, charitable organizations scrambled – albeit unsuccessfully – to replace the services the Crisis Intervention Center provided.
The police conduct habitual sweeps of encampments, which lead to extended jail time for repeat misdemeanor offenders. Homeless inhabitants of a campsite on Owens Avenue were forced to vacate the area just before Christmas 2004. Las Vegas’s Department of Neighborhood Services gave the order to clear the lot, because the property owner was “in violation of Las Vegas Municipal Code…dealing with nuisances.” Many social service providers were caught off guard by the notice, wishing the city had informed them before the sweep to ensure they could find places for homeless men and women to stay. Former residents of the campsite worried about finding a bed in one of the shelters because most of them are reserved for older men and women.
Despite reports that city, county, and state agencies were working together to provide homeless persons displaced by a January 2005 sweep of a downtown bridge, only 45 people out of 150 residents of the camp were placed in temporary housing. The site was declared a health hazard in August 2005 because people were urinating and defecating in the area around the camp. Bob McKenzie, spokesman for the Department of Transportation, commented, “we need to do whatever we can to help the homeless, but we need to take care of public safety first.” Transportation crews threw away inhabitants’ possessions, including tents, blankets, and family photos.
City officials’ attempt to break up another homeless camp in February 2005 was met with criticism by local homeless advocates, who argued that breaking up the camp would only create another camp elsewhere. They also noted that homeless people need treatment, supportive services, and permanent housing, all of which are not available. Several homeless people were unable to receive help from local agencies, because they were already receiving money from the federal government.
An analysis of Las Vegas police records revealed that arrests for charges such as trespassing, jaywalking, and pedestrians failing to obey traffic signals increased after a recent cleanup of a homeless camp. When homeless people are ejected from the camps, they move to other public places where they interact more with members of the community. The ACLU of Nevada suggested that Las Vegas police went out of their way to cite and arrest homeless people as a part of the sweep. According to Gary Peck, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, “It will take political will to dedicate the resources needed to move this situation in a positive direction. I haven’t seen anything from any jurisdiction to indicate that exists.”
In April 2005, plans to clean up a homeless encampment that had previously been swept at Owens Avenue were postponed due to lack of organization. Officials attempted to avoid criticism by posting signs at the site in both English and Spanish, warning people that the authorities were going to clean the area. The Southern Nevada Homeless Coalition was not informed of the sweep. Linda Lera-Randle El, director of Straight from the Streets, believes the sweep was “like penalizing the homeless for the shortcomings of the city, county, and state.”
Frank Wright Plaza, a small park across from City Hall, was a favorite daytime spot for homeless people seeking a place to nap. Regular visitors to the park said that it is a safe and comfortable place to recover from a tough night on the streets. However, city officials saw the park as a public nuisance, and have assigned marshals to patrol the area several times daily. In order to keep homeless individuals out of future parks, the city considered privatizing the parks, enabling owners to kick out unwanted people. Mayor Oscar Goodman fervently supported the idea, saying, “I don’t want them there. They’re not going to be there. I’m not going to let it happen. They think I’m mean now; wait until the homeless try to go over there.”
In a more positive step, Metro Police are expected to begin seeking a liaison for homeless people, raising its level of commitment after being criticized for its handling of the homeless situation. The Metro Police have been at the center of the homelessness controversy on many occasions in recent years. In addition to their role in homeless camp sweeps, the Metro Police have faced allegations that officers were targeting homeless people for misdemeanor crimes, such as urinating in public. The new liaison would work with both public and private agencies to help homeless people, and will hopefully prevent future arrests and sweeps.
As part of the 2012 "unCampaign, Hobo's List will be working to decriminalize homelessness. If you live in any of the communities listed here or in the full article, please contact us at handofjustice42@hotmail.com and ask how you can help.
But the problem is not limited to these communities; if you want to know how your community is doing, please contact us and we will give you suggestions on how to get involved.
Narratives of the Meanest Cities
#1 Sarasota, FL
In February 2005, the City Commission unanimously approved an ordinance prohibiting “lodging out of doors.” The previous “no-camping” rule was ruled unconstitutional by a state court last year because it was too vague and punished innocent conduct. The new rule prohibited using any public or private property for “lodging” outdoors without permission from the property owner. While not completely mitigating the negative impact of the law, the city took a more positive approach to the issue in this law by including a requirement that police officers, once a year, offer people who violate the law a ride to the shelter, instead of jail. The commissioners said that the ordinance would protect public safety and property while helping homeless people find shelter. Although the city was confident that this ordinance would stand up in court, critics said that it was still too vague. It was not clear how many “lodging” activities, such as making a fire, laying down blankets or a sleeping bag, and putting up a tent, would have to be happening in order for a person to be arrested. Moreover, the police were not required to give a person a ride to the shelter if the person was intoxicated, using drugs, or did not have proper identification.
Like its predecessor, this ordinance was short-lived. In June 2005, a state court found the “no lodging law” unconstitutional. County Judge David L. Denkin said the ordinance gave police officers too much discretion in deciding who is a threat to public health and safety, and who is just taking a nap on the beach. The judge, however, recognized the “good intention” of the city commissioners. The city claims it is important to the city’s residents. City commissioners have long insisted that the ordinances are about protecting people, but the ordinance has been used to arrest homeless persons. Assistant Public Defender Chris Cosden believes the city should give up: “The city has tried twice, and failed twice [with its ordinances]. The city has to step back and realize there are some things you just can’t do.” On a positive note, Fredd Atkins, a Sarasota City Commissioner, agreed that the city has “spent enough money trying to do the wrong thing right,” suggesting the money be committed to solving the root causes of homelessness.
Nonetheless, in August 2005, the city commissioners passed yet another ordinance, strangely similar to the previous two that were ruled unconstitutional. The new ordinance makes it a crime to sleep without permission on city or private property, either in a tent or makeshift shelter, or while “atop or covered by materials.” The city commissioners invented a list of criteria to determine if a person violates the new law. One or more of the following five features must be observed in order to make an arrest: “numerous items of personal belongings are present; the person is engaged in cooking activities, the person has built or is maintaining a fire, the person has engaged in digging or earth-breaking activities, or the person is asleep and when awakened states that he or she has no other place to live.”
Advocates are shocked that the ordinance actually includes being homeless, or having “no other place to live” as itself a criterion for arrest. Advocates argue that this ordinance, like its predecessors, targets homeless people.
The new law has been challenged in state court by defendants who were charged under the law. The court upheld the law, finding it constitutional.
#2 Lawrence, KS
Downtown street merchants complained to city officials in December 2004 that homeless people were intimidating customers with “aggressive panhandling,” and that groups of people regularly spent the night camping on the rooftops of their businesses. Downtown Lawrence, Inc. members gave city officials copies of many ordinances used in other communities against homeless people to encourage similar measures in Lawrence. Some of the proposed ordinances make sitting on the sidewalk from 7 A.M. to 9 P.M., and closely following someone to solicit money illegal. In addition to these suggested ordinances, a few businesses proposed cutting social services, arguing “We didn’t have this problem until we had a handout on every corner.” Shelters were viewed as hurting downtown Lawrence’s image rather than providing invaluable and scarce services to homeless people. Loring Henderson, Open Shelter’s director, disagrees, stating that “it doesn’t seem logical to me that when you have a place where there are 21 people who have a place to stay for the night, rather than being on the streets, that you’re contributing to the problem.”
According to Phil Hemphill, a downtown business owner who addressed a meeting of the City Task Force on Homeless Services, efforts to help homeless people are useless without sanctions imposed on the ill-behaved individuals among them. He described how he regularly saw homeless men and women urinate, defecate, and fornicate in public. Hemphill said it was wrong to expect the public and private sectors to finance services for homeless people when such behavior is tolerated. Hemphill later complained that the Task Force balked at imposing sanctions on trespassing, panhandling, and public drunkenness. Several Task Force members replied that Hemphill was misinterpreting their deliberations.
At a January 2005 meeting of the Task Force on Homeless Services, downtown business owners proposed that homeless service providers require people who want to use shelters, soup kitchens, and other services to obtain an official identification badge. The badges would require people to go through an application process and a police background check. This would give police and service providers a way to punish people by denying certain services over a specific period of time. Moreover, business owners argued, the badges would help ensure that homeless services are not enabling people to remain homeless.
In July 2005, city commissioners approved three “civility” ordinances, responding to concerns from downtown patrons about aggressive panhandlers. However, in a more positive step, they rejected an anti-camping law in spite of neighbors’ concerns about homeless camps along the Kansas River. Commissioners approved ordinances that would prohibit panhandlers from asking for money in an aggressive way, make it illegal for people to trespass on rooftops, and limit how people could sleep or sit on city sidewalks. Yet, Kalila Dalton, a member of Kansas Mutual Aid, views panhandling as a logical response to a basic need: “If it is cold outside and if you have no warm place, it seems reasonable to build a fire. If you have no money, it seems reasonable to ask someone who appears well off for money.”
The anti-panhandling ordinance will ban aggressive panhandling by prohibiting repeated attempts to solicit money from the same individual, blocking someone’s path or touching them, or soliciting within 20 feet of an automatic teller machine or a bus stop or from anyone in a vehicle. Another of the newly-passed ordinances makes it illegal to lay or sit on a sidewalk in a way that blocks the path of a pedestrian or requires pedestrians to reroute their course, with the exception of protests or other activities protected under the First Amendment. This ordinance was approved on a 3-2 vote, with Commissioner Mike Rundle and Councilman Highberger opposing. Highberger said he thought the ordinance simply addressed “things that people didn’t want to look at,” rather than genuine public safety concerns. Lastly, the council approved an ordinance that prohibits going onto the rooftop of a building without the permission of the building owner. The passage of this ordinance was motivated by complaints from several downtown merchants that homeless persons camp on their rooftops.
Fortunately, the Commissioners unanimously rejected the bulk of the proposed anti-camping ordinances because they said the city’s current criminal trespass ordinance allowed them to address the issues when problems arose. The main difference between the trespass ordinance and the proposed anti-camping ordinance was that under the trespass ordinance, campers have to first be given a warning to leave before they could be ticketed. However, the Commissioners did agree to approve a portion of the ordinance that would make it illegal for people to camp on private property without the express permission of the property owner.
#3 Little Rock, AR
In March 2005, Saint Francis House, a daytime homeless center, was forced to reduce its hours for the second time in one month due to decreased funding. The cutback in hours came as police began cracking down on “professional” panhandling in the downtown area. An undercover task force arrested 41 people.
The city’s agenda with regard to homeless people has become more aggressive and blatant in the following incidents. The only day shelter, and only place where homeless people could wash their clothes, Saint Francis House, closed in 2005 after a long history of police harassment of homeless people using that facility, as well as a withdrawal of funds for its operation. When asked to comment upon the closing of Saint Francis House, Sharon Priest, a spokesperson for the Downtown Partnership, said that she was "glad" it was gone, but was still not satisfied, because of “that soup kitchen [Stewpot] which is right there.”
Other reports compiled by Hunger-Free Arkansas indicate the criminalization of homeless men and women throughout the city. In a case of illegal search and seizure, a state trooper illegally searched and detained a homeless man, by claiming he suspected the homeless man was dealing drugs. The state trooper arrested the individual, who spent the night in jail and missed work the next day. The homeless man had no record of any drug-related offenses. Upon release from prison, only his driver’s license was returned. He did not receive his wallet or other property before he was told to leave. Due to the arrest, the homeless man was suspended from work for 30 days and taunted by employees for having to spend the night in jail.
In another incident, two homeless men reported officers of the Little Rock Police Department, in separate incidents, had kicked them out of the Little Rock Bus Station. Both men were holding valid tickets and transfers. Despite showing the police their tickets, both men were told that although the buses they were awaiting would arrive within 30 minutes, they could not wait on the premises because they were loitering. The police subsequently evicted the men. In some instances, others have been told that they could not wait at the bus station "because you are homeless."
Over the summer in 2005, a free public event was held at Riverfront Park in Little Rock, at which various businesses and manufacturers of goods (including the Tyson Chicken Company) set up booths and tents to give away free samples of their merchandise to the public. Vendors encouraged homeless persons at the event to take free samples, which many homeless people gratefully did. However, officers of the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department told the homeless individuals, including a handicapped man at a picnic table, that they had to leave the event immediately or be subject to arrest for loitering in a park. Another homeless man was denied entrance by tour operators to the free and public tour of the Old Statehouse Museum.
#4 Atlanta, GA
Amid waves of public protest and testimony opposing the Atlanta City Council’s proposed comprehensive ban on panhandling, the city and mayor passed a bill in August 2005. The ban made panhandling illegal within the “tourist triangle” and anywhere after dark. The ordinance also prohibits panhandling within 15 feet of an ATM, bus stop, taxi stand, pay phone, public toilet, or train station anywhere in the city. Many opponents believe the ban outlaws panhandling virtually everywhere, rendering it unconstitutional. The new ordinance also states that anyone who asks for help, both monetary and non-monetary, can be detained until an outreach worker either evaluates the detainee or refers him/her to social services. State Senator Vincent Fort, said the 12-3 vote “was an unabashed rush for campaign support.”
Two days after the signing, the Atlanta Police Department announced in The Atlanta Journal Constitution that homeless people would be rounded up and identified for entry into the City's new facility called The Gateway, which provides 250 shelter beds and supportive housing. The Gateway, the recipient of $10 million in private and public funds, was developed to provide a constructive solution to coincide with the panhandling ban. Unfortunately, although The Gateway houses homeless people, there is an overall net loss of places to sleep in Atlanta; 125 emergency beds for women and children were closed by the Mayor at the end of May 2005. Up to eighty of those women and children now sit up all night, waiting for shelter at the Task Force for the Homeless.
The business community and the city administration claim that many homeless people are “service-resistant” and should be forced to receive the services they need. However, more than half the current requests for shelter and services in Atlanta go unmet because of insufficient resources. Most shelters and support service agencies report turning away dozens of desperate people daily. In addition, the Mayor's Commission is persuading service agencies to relocate into the Gateway, making formerly independent, voluntary services available only there.
“This ordinance affects a huge population of the poor and homeless who just ask for help to eat everyday. We do not need a blanket law for one person asking another person for help,” said Murphy Davis of the Open Door Community. According to Anita Beaty of the Task Force for the Homeless, “Atlanta planners seem to believe that if you remove people’s housing, eliminate emergency shelter that they will then need, and then make asking for help illegal, their necessary support services available only through an incarceration program, the poor people will go someplace else.”
Jason Gibbes, a resident of the Peachtree-Pine facility, testified before City Council, stating, “I work every day. In two weeks, I will have enough to rent my own apartment, and I have it all picked out. I'm sure not proud of it, but when I first got my job, I begged for MARTA fare to get to work -- a couple of times. If I hadn't been able to ask for help, I wouldn't be working today.” He also reported that the police stopped him and forced him to produce identification while merely walking down the street.
In the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Atlanta has stood firm in its resolve to criminalize panhandlers. James Scott was sleeping in his car with his brother, his sister, and her two young children after seeking refuge in Atlanta. After living in their car for several days, the family panhandled at a mall in the affluent Buckhead neighborhood.
Police arrested Scott for solicitation about a half hour later, even after he showed them his Louisiana driver’s license, car tag, and registration as proof that he was a Katrina evacuee. “It’s the most expensive mall in Atlanta, I thought I could get some help,” Scott said. According to Atlanta Police Department spokesman John Quigley, while soliciting on a public sidewalk is allowed, soliciting in traffic is prohibited. According to Kevin, a homeless man interviewed by the Task Force for the Homeless, “nobody has the right to expect people to help. It’s their money to decide what they want to do with it. I just think I have a right to tell somebody what I need, and let them decide.”
A homeless woman with children was arrested in Atlanta for “impersonating” a Katrina survivor in order to get help for her children. There was an outpouring of emergency assistance from churches that only offered help to hurricne evacuees, thereby creating a desperate competition for much needed shelter.
In addition, the American Civil Liberties Union plans to file a lawsuit against Atlanta once it finds a suitable plaintiff because of the ban’s potential violations of the First Amendment. Gerald Weber, the legal director of the ACLU’s Georgia branch, calls Atlanta’s ordinance “too broad,” likening it to a similar ban in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which was ruled unconstitutional in 1999. City Councilman C.T. Martin believes the threat of a potential lawsuit has caused the city to withhold aggressive enforcement of the panhandling ban.
#5 Las Vegas, NV
Although homeless advocates in Las Vegas stated that shelters are overcrowded, city officials have done little to increase resources for individuals experiencing homelessness. Due to a lack of funding, the city’s Crisis Intervention Center was recently closed. Similarly, charitable organizations scrambled – albeit unsuccessfully – to replace the services the Crisis Intervention Center provided.
The police conduct habitual sweeps of encampments, which lead to extended jail time for repeat misdemeanor offenders. Homeless inhabitants of a campsite on Owens Avenue were forced to vacate the area just before Christmas 2004. Las Vegas’s Department of Neighborhood Services gave the order to clear the lot, because the property owner was “in violation of Las Vegas Municipal Code…dealing with nuisances.” Many social service providers were caught off guard by the notice, wishing the city had informed them before the sweep to ensure they could find places for homeless men and women to stay. Former residents of the campsite worried about finding a bed in one of the shelters because most of them are reserved for older men and women.
Despite reports that city, county, and state agencies were working together to provide homeless persons displaced by a January 2005 sweep of a downtown bridge, only 45 people out of 150 residents of the camp were placed in temporary housing. The site was declared a health hazard in August 2005 because people were urinating and defecating in the area around the camp. Bob McKenzie, spokesman for the Department of Transportation, commented, “we need to do whatever we can to help the homeless, but we need to take care of public safety first.” Transportation crews threw away inhabitants’ possessions, including tents, blankets, and family photos.
City officials’ attempt to break up another homeless camp in February 2005 was met with criticism by local homeless advocates, who argued that breaking up the camp would only create another camp elsewhere. They also noted that homeless people need treatment, supportive services, and permanent housing, all of which are not available. Several homeless people were unable to receive help from local agencies, because they were already receiving money from the federal government.
An analysis of Las Vegas police records revealed that arrests for charges such as trespassing, jaywalking, and pedestrians failing to obey traffic signals increased after a recent cleanup of a homeless camp. When homeless people are ejected from the camps, they move to other public places where they interact more with members of the community. The ACLU of Nevada suggested that Las Vegas police went out of their way to cite and arrest homeless people as a part of the sweep. According to Gary Peck, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, “It will take political will to dedicate the resources needed to move this situation in a positive direction. I haven’t seen anything from any jurisdiction to indicate that exists.”
In April 2005, plans to clean up a homeless encampment that had previously been swept at Owens Avenue were postponed due to lack of organization. Officials attempted to avoid criticism by posting signs at the site in both English and Spanish, warning people that the authorities were going to clean the area. The Southern Nevada Homeless Coalition was not informed of the sweep. Linda Lera-Randle El, director of Straight from the Streets, believes the sweep was “like penalizing the homeless for the shortcomings of the city, county, and state.”
Frank Wright Plaza, a small park across from City Hall, was a favorite daytime spot for homeless people seeking a place to nap. Regular visitors to the park said that it is a safe and comfortable place to recover from a tough night on the streets. However, city officials saw the park as a public nuisance, and have assigned marshals to patrol the area several times daily. In order to keep homeless individuals out of future parks, the city considered privatizing the parks, enabling owners to kick out unwanted people. Mayor Oscar Goodman fervently supported the idea, saying, “I don’t want them there. They’re not going to be there. I’m not going to let it happen. They think I’m mean now; wait until the homeless try to go over there.”
In a more positive step, Metro Police are expected to begin seeking a liaison for homeless people, raising its level of commitment after being criticized for its handling of the homeless situation. The Metro Police have been at the center of the homelessness controversy on many occasions in recent years. In addition to their role in homeless camp sweeps, the Metro Police have faced allegations that officers were targeting homeless people for misdemeanor crimes, such as urinating in public. The new liaison would work with both public and private agencies to help homeless people, and will hopefully prevent future arrests and sweeps.
As part of the 2012 "unCampaign, Hobo's List will be working to decriminalize homelessness. If you live in any of the communities listed here or in the full article, please contact us at handofjustice42@hotmail.com and ask how you can help.
But the problem is not limited to these communities; if you want to know how your community is doing, please contact us and we will give you suggestions on how to get involved.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Hobo's List Endorses Plans to End Homelessness
This past weekend, Rusty Tomlinson, a fellow activist, made me aware of Dallas' five year plan to end homelessness. I felt that was a good idea and one that Hobo's List will be taking forward to candidates in the unCampaign. We are asking all candidates to decriminalize homelessness, support a comprehensive plan to end homelessness, and support the creation of "free use" zones for activists to create jungle camps for homeless individuals who cannot or will not be served by the shelters.
Here is the list of communities with ten year plans to end homelessness. See if yours is on the list. Lobby candidates to support the plans if they are there; lobby them to create them if not. Homelessness is an issue that can no longer be ignored.
Here is the list of communities with ten year plans to end homelessness. See if yours is on the list. Lobby candidates to support the plans if they are there; lobby them to create them if not. Homelessness is an issue that can no longer be ignored.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
The 2012 Hobo's List "unCampaign"
Today was the original opening day of the filing window for state candidates for the 2012 ballot. While that date has been changed (to the 28th), we are still using this day to make a major announcement.
In conjunction with the 2012 campaign season, we are announcing the Hobo's List 2012 "unCampaign" to bring attention to the plight of the homeless and the working poor in our communities. As the campaigns progress, we will be contacting and pressing candidates on their issues towards the homeless and working class.
Our slogan for this campaign is "we're not running for anything, we're standing for something". We will be working in conjunction with the Occupy movement, and will not endorse any political candidate, we will simply bring attention and awareness to the issues.
I you would like to contribute to the unCampaign, we have a Paypal link on our main page at www.hoboslist.org. We are hoping to attend the Democrat and Republican conventions and let the candidates know that we are here and we are paying attention to their responsiveness to the issues.
I will be giving further information on how you can help as the unCampaign progresses.
In conjunction with the 2012 campaign season, we are announcing the Hobo's List 2012 "unCampaign" to bring attention to the plight of the homeless and the working poor in our communities. As the campaigns progress, we will be contacting and pressing candidates on their issues towards the homeless and working class.
Our slogan for this campaign is "we're not running for anything, we're standing for something". We will be working in conjunction with the Occupy movement, and will not endorse any political candidate, we will simply bring attention and awareness to the issues.
I you would like to contribute to the unCampaign, we have a Paypal link on our main page at www.hoboslist.org. We are hoping to attend the Democrat and Republican conventions and let the candidates know that we are here and we are paying attention to their responsiveness to the issues.
I will be giving further information on how you can help as the unCampaign progresses.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT NOVEMBER 13
Things have been slow lately here and on the site.
But they're about to get busy, and we want to share our plans for the future.
On November 13, we will release an important announcement here and on the site that will detail our plans going forward. If you have "liked" us on Facebook, these plans will be released on the Facebook page as well.
We appreciate your support up to this point, and think you will find our future plans to be quite exciting. So watch this space; it's about to get busier!
But they're about to get busy, and we want to share our plans for the future.
On November 13, we will release an important announcement here and on the site that will detail our plans going forward. If you have "liked" us on Facebook, these plans will be released on the Facebook page as well.
We appreciate your support up to this point, and think you will find our future plans to be quite exciting. So watch this space; it's about to get busier!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
The Occupy Movement and the Homeless Community
As the Occupy movement is growing across America, there has been an interesting link between it and the homeless community. Many Occupiers are sympathetic to the plight of the homeless, and the allure of free food, free clothing, and a sympathetic ear just for marching would have to have appeal for most of this community, a community hard hit by unemployment and the housing and job crisis.
Many Occupy groups have been specifically attempting to reach out to the homeless community, not in hopes of swelling their ranks, but in hopes of continuing to give a voice to the voiceless. The biggest concern, of course, has been the fact that a large percentage of the homeless population suffers from mental illness. Different Occupy groups have had problems with violence from some of the homeless who come for free meals and clothing, and have instituted night watches to help mitigate their problems.
Still, these are problems that any community has, not just a temporary one. As the Occupy movement grows, they are discovering themselves subject to some of the same flaws of society in general. And, in my opinion, understanding the logistics of how to successfully run their own society is helping them to find some of the answers as they formulate plans on how to affect change. To put it simply, the Occupy movement consists largely of experimental communities who are succeeding despite the pressures around them, not because of them.
While there will always be a certain uneasiness between some within the Occupy movement and the homeless community, the homeless community also helps to remind them why they are there. After all, how can they claim to speak for the disenfranchised if they won't even invite them into their camp?
Many Occupy groups have been specifically attempting to reach out to the homeless community, not in hopes of swelling their ranks, but in hopes of continuing to give a voice to the voiceless. The biggest concern, of course, has been the fact that a large percentage of the homeless population suffers from mental illness. Different Occupy groups have had problems with violence from some of the homeless who come for free meals and clothing, and have instituted night watches to help mitigate their problems.
Still, these are problems that any community has, not just a temporary one. As the Occupy movement grows, they are discovering themselves subject to some of the same flaws of society in general. And, in my opinion, understanding the logistics of how to successfully run their own society is helping them to find some of the answers as they formulate plans on how to affect change. To put it simply, the Occupy movement consists largely of experimental communities who are succeeding despite the pressures around them, not because of them.
While there will always be a certain uneasiness between some within the Occupy movement and the homeless community, the homeless community also helps to remind them why they are there. After all, how can they claim to speak for the disenfranchised if they won't even invite them into their camp?
Friday, October 21, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
The Face of Hunger
I grew up pretty much on the poor side of things. We never had enough, always pushed and struggled for that last dime.
But in all my years of wandering, i've never gone hungry.I mean, there have been days when we didn't have enough. Weeks even. And if I had to count the number of times I ate ketchup sandwiches or ramen noodles as a kid, my counter would break. But the food was always there.
I have, however, SEEN hunger. It's something you see not in the protruding ribs, the lean look, but in the eyes. eyes that have lost hope. Eyes that have resigned themselves to their fate and plead for death to take them. While you can't see hope in someone's eyes, the absence of it is glaring, powerful, convicting.
Yesterday, when filling up with gas, I saw that look. Not in the eyes of a human, no, but in the eyes of a dog. A scrawny pit bull who approached, not with any sort of aggression, or even friendliness, but with just a little bit of hope that somehow we could offer something.Interestingly enough, we had just purchased dog food for our own little mutt. I don't believe in coincidences; what we call coincidence is often God's way of remaining incognito.
I sent Murron around to the back of the van with a small dish to dish out some food for the dog. It wasn't much, but it was something. I stayed put; the dog went to the back of the van. Somehow, she knew what we were doing; she walked to the back of the van and sat while her food was dished out.
That stirred me to thinking about that and the other things I do. While I am anything but a socialist, the fact that I believe powerfully in my responsibility as a Christian to others has caused me to be labelled as such. It's a label I hate, because it is anything but who I am. I could describe who I am, but I dont want to point to myself, I want to be, as Rich Mullins' biographer described him, "an arrow pointing to Heaven". I want, as Mullins so frequently urged his fans, to "be God's" (in the possessive).
I believe the reason many believe that God is not there in times of trouble is because we, as Christians, do not act.And that is not about any global economic system. It is not about the US, the state of Texas, the City of McLean, or even the people on my street. It is about how I respond to the call, how I respond to the pleading eyes of the hungry, the cries of the homeless, and the needs of the broken, the sick, and the lonely.
I am slowly realizing the reason that my ministry has never taken me to a pulpit is so that I do not need to sufer the politics of the pulpit. If I march as I marched Saturday, I am responsible to God alone, and not a church board who will be steered by their own agendas.So if you want to call me a socialist, so be it. Your labels do not define me. But if you are, indeed a Christian, I urge you to search the Scriptures and ask yourself if there is something you need to be doing that you are postponing.
.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Catching Up
I find it amazing how quickly time deteriorates when you let it. I am behind on page updates to this, the page and the forum, but will work on getting on track within the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, I have struggled with whether or not to "officially" support the #Occupy movement, as I don't want to get bogged down in politics. But the entire purpose and mission of Hobo's List is to support th very people that #Occupy supports.
With that in mind, we fully support and endorse the #Occupy movement.
Meanwhile, I have struggled with whether or not to "officially" support the #Occupy movement, as I don't want to get bogged down in politics. But the entire purpose and mission of Hobo's List is to support th very people that #Occupy supports.
With that in mind, we fully support and endorse the #Occupy movement.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
An Unexpected Speed Bump
I just finished the resource list for Denver, Colorado, and it brought up a very interesting dilemma I have come across, one that I frankly had not expected.
While I sometimes have to play with the formatting on some cities to fill the brochure, on others I find there are more resources than the page permits. At that point I have to make the decision as to which resources "make the list", and which I have to delete.
Because the people who make these places happen work so hard doing what they do, this is an agonizing choice.
My first elimination criteria is resources that are listed elsewhere. If, for instance, I have a resource listed in "clothing", I usually bump that off the list for "shelters". Similarly with food pantries, utilities, etc. My reason is that one listing means people will find the resource; the organization can then let them know what services they offer.
The next criteria is to select "umbrella agencies" over some of the more specialized organizations. There are some organizations (such as the United Way) that will usually point people to other available resources. Because they serve as referrals, these agencies get priority.
The incredible difficulty of compiling a nationwide list of resources is that I often do not know the agencies firsthand. So if you see a resource that is outdated, or that no longer serves the area...or if you see an important resource we have omitted, please let us know. It is our intention to provide te best available list of resources. It's not enough to simply provide the resources; we want to know that when we send someone to an organization that they will give them the assistance they need.
While I sometimes have to play with the formatting on some cities to fill the brochure, on others I find there are more resources than the page permits. At that point I have to make the decision as to which resources "make the list", and which I have to delete.
Because the people who make these places happen work so hard doing what they do, this is an agonizing choice.
My first elimination criteria is resources that are listed elsewhere. If, for instance, I have a resource listed in "clothing", I usually bump that off the list for "shelters". Similarly with food pantries, utilities, etc. My reason is that one listing means people will find the resource; the organization can then let them know what services they offer.
The next criteria is to select "umbrella agencies" over some of the more specialized organizations. There are some organizations (such as the United Way) that will usually point people to other available resources. Because they serve as referrals, these agencies get priority.
The incredible difficulty of compiling a nationwide list of resources is that I often do not know the agencies firsthand. So if you see a resource that is outdated, or that no longer serves the area...or if you see an important resource we have omitted, please let us know. It is our intention to provide te best available list of resources. It's not enough to simply provide the resources; we want to know that when we send someone to an organization that they will give them the assistance they need.
California Resource Brochures Uploaded
These last two weeks have seen pretty much just weekend work. I'm not getting to updates as frequently during the week as I would like, but we're making progress. We're now up to California on our brochure downloads going through the states alphabetically, with four cities in most states).
We have a lot of exciting plans in the works, but have to get through the work of building first. I am working on building a database with resources, as this is key to the longterm goal of building an app, but I'm not sure how to make the database usable though the website. If anyone has any experience with Godaddy's built in tools, give me a holler, otherwise I'll give Godaddy a call once I'm ready.
Keep watching the blog, website and forums. I will usually post updates on the Twitter and Facebook accounts, but you may want to keep checking back to be sure. Until then, I plan to intersperse updates with relevant news stories and interesting tidbits. Thanks for all of your support!
We have a lot of exciting plans in the works, but have to get through the work of building first. I am working on building a database with resources, as this is key to the longterm goal of building an app, but I'm not sure how to make the database usable though the website. If anyone has any experience with Godaddy's built in tools, give me a holler, otherwise I'll give Godaddy a call once I'm ready.
Keep watching the blog, website and forums. I will usually post updates on the Twitter and Facebook accounts, but you may want to keep checking back to be sure. Until then, I plan to intersperse updates with relevant news stories and interesting tidbits. Thanks for all of your support!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Twitter account setup
OK, folks, we now have the twitter account setup. Foolow @HobosList on Twitter.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Joplin: the Need is Still There...and elsewhere
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
This news article on MSNBC is a reminder that after the cameras leave, the need remains.One of the purposes of Hobo's List is to bring attention to all of the great resources out there to help those in need. While we aim to help the needy, we also aim to help those who want to help but don't know what to do.
The article does not say where to send donations, but Feeding America (formerly Second Harvest) is an always available resource to help people in Joplin and elsewhere. Second Harvest supplies many food banks, and hels to ensure that the resources get to those who heed them the most.
Monday, August 8, 2011
The Face of Homelessness in America
Homelessness in America is difficult to measure, since a number of people do not readily self identify. Through the years, I've known a number of people who've squatted vacant buildings, lived on someone's couch or consensually in an outbuilding on their property, lived out of their van or in other forms of temporary housing that do ot qualify as a "fixed address". So when we're taking about homelessness, it is almost self defeating to use a number, as even the best estimates would be just an educated guess and draw heavily on empirical evidence.
But there are some numbers that have been gathered from the known homeless in America. At first glance, some of these numbers might reinforce some of the stereotypes we have of homeless (eg, the percentage of homeless men in shelters, the number of mentally ill, etc). But take a hard look at the numbers and a different picture emerges. When you look at shelters, only 4% of the residents are families; but when you look at transitional housing, the number leaps to 56%. This is almost certainly because of the priority given to families (and rightly so) for the health and safety of minors in their care.
At this point, I feel it almost necessary to put in a plug for the National Coalition for the Homeless. They've done a lot of great work in advocating for the rights of homeless, and collecting information. Most of the information below comes directly or indirectly from their site at http://www.nationalhomeless.org/ . Direct quotations are noted. Please take a look at the facts below and boil them down for yourself:
"On an average night in the 23 cities surveyed, 94 percent of people living on the streets were single adults, 4 percent were part of families and 2 percent were unaccompanied minors. Seventy percent of those in emergency shelters were single adults, 29 percent were part of families and 1 percent were unaccompanied minors. Of those in transitional housing, 43 percent were single adults, 56 percent were part of families, and 1 percent were unaccompanied minors. Those who occupied permanent supportive housing were 60 percent single adults, 39.5 percent were part of families, and .5 percent were unaccompanied minors (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2008)."
(National Coalition for the Homeless, http://www.nationalhomeless.org/)
40% are families with children—the fastest growing segment.
41% are single males.
14% are single females.
5% are minors unaccompanied by adults.
1.37 million (or 39%) of the total homeless population are children under the age of 18.
49% are African American (over-represented compared to 11% of general population).
35% are Caucasian (under-represented compared to 75% of general population).
13% are Hispanic (compared to 10% of general population).
2% are Native American (compared to 1% of general population).
1% are Asian-American (under-represented compared to 4% of general population)
22% are considered to have serious mental illnesses, or are disabled.
30% have substance abuse problems.
3% report having HIV/AIDS.
26% report acute health problems other than HIV/AIDS such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, or sexually transmitted infections.
46% report chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or cancer.
55% report having no health insurance (compared to 27% of general population).
58% report having trouble getting enough food to eat.
23% are veterans (compared to 13% of general population).
25% were physically or sexually abused as children.
27% were in foster care or similar institutions as children.
21% were homeless at some point during their childhood.
54% were incarcerated at some point in their lives
38% have less than a High School diploma.
34% have a High School diploma or equivalent (G.E.D.).
28% have more than a High School education.
44% report having worked in the past week.
13% have regular jobs.
50% receive less than $300 per month as income.
70% work on street corners, pan-handling or prostituting themselves
71% reside in central cities.
21% are in suburbs.
9% are in rural areas.
80% of those who experience homelessness do so for less than 3 weeks. They typically have more personal, social, or economic resources to draw upon.
10% are homeless for up to two months. They cite lack of available or affordable housing as responsible for the delay.
10% are so called "chronic" and remain without housing for extended periods of time on a frequent basis. They typically struggle with mental illness, substance abuse, or both.
But there are some numbers that have been gathered from the known homeless in America. At first glance, some of these numbers might reinforce some of the stereotypes we have of homeless (eg, the percentage of homeless men in shelters, the number of mentally ill, etc). But take a hard look at the numbers and a different picture emerges. When you look at shelters, only 4% of the residents are families; but when you look at transitional housing, the number leaps to 56%. This is almost certainly because of the priority given to families (and rightly so) for the health and safety of minors in their care.
At this point, I feel it almost necessary to put in a plug for the National Coalition for the Homeless. They've done a lot of great work in advocating for the rights of homeless, and collecting information. Most of the information below comes directly or indirectly from their site at http://www.nationalhomeless.org/ . Direct quotations are noted. Please take a look at the facts below and boil them down for yourself:
"On an average night in the 23 cities surveyed, 94 percent of people living on the streets were single adults, 4 percent were part of families and 2 percent were unaccompanied minors. Seventy percent of those in emergency shelters were single adults, 29 percent were part of families and 1 percent were unaccompanied minors. Of those in transitional housing, 43 percent were single adults, 56 percent were part of families, and 1 percent were unaccompanied minors. Those who occupied permanent supportive housing were 60 percent single adults, 39.5 percent were part of families, and .5 percent were unaccompanied minors (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2008)."
(National Coalition for the Homeless, http://www.nationalhomeless.org/)
40% are families with children—the fastest growing segment.
41% are single males.
14% are single females.
5% are minors unaccompanied by adults.
1.37 million (or 39%) of the total homeless population are children under the age of 18.
49% are African American (over-represented compared to 11% of general population).
35% are Caucasian (under-represented compared to 75% of general population).
13% are Hispanic (compared to 10% of general population).
2% are Native American (compared to 1% of general population).
1% are Asian-American (under-represented compared to 4% of general population)
22% are considered to have serious mental illnesses, or are disabled.
30% have substance abuse problems.
3% report having HIV/AIDS.
26% report acute health problems other than HIV/AIDS such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, or sexually transmitted infections.
46% report chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or cancer.
55% report having no health insurance (compared to 27% of general population).
58% report having trouble getting enough food to eat.
23% are veterans (compared to 13% of general population).
25% were physically or sexually abused as children.
27% were in foster care or similar institutions as children.
21% were homeless at some point during their childhood.
54% were incarcerated at some point in their lives
38% have less than a High School diploma.
34% have a High School diploma or equivalent (G.E.D.).
28% have more than a High School education.
44% report having worked in the past week.
13% have regular jobs.
50% receive less than $300 per month as income.
70% work on street corners, pan-handling or prostituting themselves
71% reside in central cities.
21% are in suburbs.
9% are in rural areas.
80% of those who experience homelessness do so for less than 3 weeks. They typically have more personal, social, or economic resources to draw upon.
10% are homeless for up to two months. They cite lack of available or affordable housing as responsible for the delay.
10% are so called "chronic" and remain without housing for extended periods of time on a frequent basis. They typically struggle with mental illness, substance abuse, or both.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
More Alabama Resources Added
We are "finished" with Alabama at this point. Of course, as you may be aware, "finished" does not mean that we are even close to done; we're at the point where we will be constantly reviewing and adding resources. We have five Alabama cities; if you look at the resources we've published and find errors or resources that we have omitted, we would appreciate if you would bring it to our attention. Simply email us or let us know through our Facebook page.
As listed before, the brochures are in printable form at the main Hobo's List website, under the "resources" tab. Simply print the main PDF to side 1, then turn and copy the local list to side two. All resources are in three or six column formats, so they should format nicely to the trifold brochure.
If you have time and interest in helping, we'd appreciate knowing about it. Meanwhile, check this blog for current updates. Also, rmember to "like" us on the Facebook page, as well as the ministries that are doing such valuable work. In these trying times, we need to work together, and it is our hope that Hobo's List will provide the resources to do so.
As listed before, the brochures are in printable form at the main Hobo's List website, under the "resources" tab. Simply print the main PDF to side 1, then turn and copy the local list to side two. All resources are in three or six column formats, so they should format nicely to the trifold brochure.
If you have time and interest in helping, we'd appreciate knowing about it. Meanwhile, check this blog for current updates. Also, rmember to "like" us on the Facebook page, as well as the ministries that are doing such valuable work. In these trying times, we need to work together, and it is our hope that Hobo's List will provide the resources to do so.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Rediscovering the Basics
Ok, so I now have three brochures ready to be copied and printed. I'd like to do more, but after pulling in resources last week at a breakneck pace, I'm trying to space things out to a manageable level.
If you haven't seen the brochure downloads, they're on the "resources" tab of the homepage at hoboslist.org . The way it works is simple: you print out the PDF brochure for side one (the outside) of the brohure. Now you are ready to print out the local resources page on the inside, fold, and distribute to your heart's content. I suggest you keep several in your glove box; then when you encounter anyone who you feel can be helped with the information, you can hand it to them. Eventually, I'd like to add an app so that when you need it, you can instantly pull up the location of the nearest shelter, food bank, etc...but that's a way down the road. I need to get the resources list assembled, and do some things down the road, such as make a website that projects more of the "feel" I'm hoping for. I'm kind of hoping I'll meet the miraculous person with tons of free time, talent, and enthusiasm...but barring that, I'll have to pick it up myself.
Shameless promotion alert: have you "liked" the Facebook page yet? I'm normally above such plugs (ok, not really), but I need to get to 25 "likes" in order to have added features and functions on the page. It doesn't cost nothing, you get awesome blog posts, and I am growing the list of other resources I have "liked" through Hobo's List. Keep in mind, these are the folks in the trenches. They need our support (volunteer and financial support), our prayers, our encouragement. Without them, an awful lot more people would be struggling in this great nation.
I'm always looking for ideas, so if you've got 'em, send 'em.
One more thing, folks. Keep watching this blog. I've got some really cool ideas on the burner, and you'll see them here first. I'll post the link to the Facebook page, but this is the official news release site.
OK, I lied about the "one more thing" part. As I was writing the last paragraph, I realized I was leaving you hanging, with a massivedisconnect between the title and the content. Anyway, as I was assembling the brochures, I had a slight formatting problem when copying/pasting from the information I had gathered to OpenOffice (yes, I'm a cheapskate...and I LOVE Oo). So here I am trying to figure out a fancy way to strip the formatting, when suddenly it occurs to me to just copy and paste into notepad, then oer to the document. Voila, no code.
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best solutions.
If you haven't seen the brochure downloads, they're on the "resources" tab of the homepage at hoboslist.org . The way it works is simple: you print out the PDF brochure for side one (the outside) of the brohure. Now you are ready to print out the local resources page on the inside, fold, and distribute to your heart's content. I suggest you keep several in your glove box; then when you encounter anyone who you feel can be helped with the information, you can hand it to them. Eventually, I'd like to add an app so that when you need it, you can instantly pull up the location of the nearest shelter, food bank, etc...but that's a way down the road. I need to get the resources list assembled, and do some things down the road, such as make a website that projects more of the "feel" I'm hoping for. I'm kind of hoping I'll meet the miraculous person with tons of free time, talent, and enthusiasm...but barring that, I'll have to pick it up myself.
Shameless promotion alert: have you "liked" the Facebook page yet? I'm normally above such plugs (ok, not really), but I need to get to 25 "likes" in order to have added features and functions on the page. It doesn't cost nothing, you get awesome blog posts, and I am growing the list of other resources I have "liked" through Hobo's List. Keep in mind, these are the folks in the trenches. They need our support (volunteer and financial support), our prayers, our encouragement. Without them, an awful lot more people would be struggling in this great nation.
I'm always looking for ideas, so if you've got 'em, send 'em.
One more thing, folks. Keep watching this blog. I've got some really cool ideas on the burner, and you'll see them here first. I'll post the link to the Facebook page, but this is the official news release site.
OK, I lied about the "one more thing" part. As I was writing the last paragraph, I realized I was leaving you hanging, with a massivedisconnect between the title and the content. Anyway, as I was assembling the brochures, I had a slight formatting problem when copying/pasting from the information I had gathered to OpenOffice (yes, I'm a cheapskate...and I LOVE Oo). So here I am trying to figure out a fancy way to strip the formatting, when suddenly it occurs to me to just copy and paste into notepad, then oer to the document. Voila, no code.
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best solutions.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Downloadable resource lists for Pampa, Tx; Birmingham, AL
OK, folks, be patient with me as I am doing page updates. I am pleased to announce that we have added a "resource" list to the homepage. The resource list has a PDF download for the backside of the Hobo's List trifold brochure, and we are in the process of developing resource lists for various towns and cties. To date, we have Pampa, TX and Birmingham, AL. I plan on adding at least one a day, more as time permits. If anyone is willing to help with this part of the project, please let me know and I will assign cities to get started. This will be a very time consuming project, but we will get this done. Contact me if you have any information that might be useful, or if you are willing to help.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Phase One COMPLETE! 50 States Indexed
The Hobo's List forums now have resources in over 175 cities, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
But this is just the beginning. The objective of Phase One was to compile an initial nationwide list, so that when resources were requested, we have a place to refer people. Right now, to view a particular state, you need to go through the forums in reverse alphabetical order. It's there, but it can be tedious.
Now we begin with the refining part. My plan at this point is to have a downloadable template (initially, a trifold brochure, with Hoboslist.org information on it). The second side can be printed with local information, and as we begin filtering out state and city information, our plan is to compile that where it can be printed on the second side.
We will also begin compiling the website database. This will be searchable, and the long-range goal is to develop a Droid and iPhone app that can access the database. If any developers are interested in taking on this project (unfortunately, it will need to be on a volunteer basis at this point), please contact us; otherwise, it will be put on the shelf until the database is developed enough to make an app practical.
We welcome any volunteer help at hoboslist.org. If you have resources, feel free to register for the forums and add them, or email them to me and I will handle them when I have time to do so. Understand that the email option will be the slowest way, though.
Please ask any ministries interested in being featured in an "organization spotlight" article on the blog to contact me. I will fit them in as quiakly as time allows.
Thank you for your "likes" on Facebook, as well as your words of encouragement. I am excited at the momentum the project is building.
Also, don't forget to support your local organizations. They do a lot of work for the poor and needy, and it is a true blessing to have those resources at hand when they are needed.
But this is just the beginning. The objective of Phase One was to compile an initial nationwide list, so that when resources were requested, we have a place to refer people. Right now, to view a particular state, you need to go through the forums in reverse alphabetical order. It's there, but it can be tedious.
Now we begin with the refining part. My plan at this point is to have a downloadable template (initially, a trifold brochure, with Hoboslist.org information on it). The second side can be printed with local information, and as we begin filtering out state and city information, our plan is to compile that where it can be printed on the second side.
We will also begin compiling the website database. This will be searchable, and the long-range goal is to develop a Droid and iPhone app that can access the database. If any developers are interested in taking on this project (unfortunately, it will need to be on a volunteer basis at this point), please contact us; otherwise, it will be put on the shelf until the database is developed enough to make an app practical.
We welcome any volunteer help at hoboslist.org. If you have resources, feel free to register for the forums and add them, or email them to me and I will handle them when I have time to do so. Understand that the email option will be the slowest way, though.
Please ask any ministries interested in being featured in an "organization spotlight" article on the blog to contact me. I will fit them in as quiakly as time allows.
Thank you for your "likes" on Facebook, as well as your words of encouragement. I am excited at the momentum the project is building.
Also, don't forget to support your local organizations. They do a lot of work for the poor and needy, and it is a true blessing to have those resources at hand when they are needed.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
42 States; over 150 Cities
There are now 626 entries on the forums. We have indexed resources in 42 states and over 150 cities. We should be ready to launch into Phase 2 on schedule.
Please take a moment to look at some of the fantastic ministries that we have listed. These people are doing the hard work; providing housing, clothing, food, jobs, and medical care to people who desperately need it in these trying times. And don't forget to register and add your local ministries. If your church has a food pantry, clothing ministry, homeless shelter, job training program, or other resources, we want to know about it. Don't forget to "like" our Facebook page. And watch as we launch into Phase 2.
Please take a moment to look at some of the fantastic ministries that we have listed. These people are doing the hard work; providing housing, clothing, food, jobs, and medical care to people who desperately need it in these trying times. And don't forget to register and add your local ministries. If your church has a food pantry, clothing ministry, homeless shelter, job training program, or other resources, we want to know about it. Don't forget to "like" our Facebook page. And watch as we launch into Phase 2.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Over 300 Resources Indexed!
We now have over 300 resources indexed on the Hobo's List forums at http://hoboslist.freeforums.org/ . By the time we finish Phase One (projected finish: July 31), there should be over 700 resources in all 50 states. Our current listings cover over 20 states and over 50 cities!
Phase two is primarily the promotional phase, but we will not stop adding resources to the forums (eventually a searchable database). This will be an ongoing process that will include researching, reviewing, and providing more thorough infomation about the resources we do have on file.
Stay tuned, folks, it is about to get exciting! Whn we launch into Phase Two, I will be featuring various organizations here on the blog as well as the facebook page. If you haven't "liked" the Facebook page, I encourage you to do so.
Phase two is primarily the promotional phase, but we will not stop adding resources to the forums (eventually a searchable database). This will be an ongoing process that will include researching, reviewing, and providing more thorough infomation about the resources we do have on file.
Stay tuned, folks, it is about to get exciting! Whn we launch into Phase Two, I will be featuring various organizations here on the blog as well as the facebook page. If you haven't "liked" the Facebook page, I encourage you to do so.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
100 Forum Posts!
Just finished with the 100th post at the Hobo's List forums (http://hoboslist.freeforums.org/). More than 100 different resources total, in 8 different states and more than 25 different cities, plus national databases for free clinics and campgrounds.
Spread the word, folks. You can "like" us on Facebook, join the forums at the above link, and visit the website at http://www.hoboslist.org/. If resources in your area are not available on the forums, feel free to register and post them. As soon as we have resources in all fifty states, we will make downloadable flyers and cards.
Spread the word, folks. You can "like" us on Facebook, join the forums at the above link, and visit the website at http://www.hoboslist.org/. If resources in your area are not available on the forums, feel free to register and post them. As soon as we have resources in all fifty states, we will make downloadable flyers and cards.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Forum Update
Until we have enough usable data compiled to build a searchable database, the forums are basically where the information we are trying to provide is located. Because of the scope of this project, after populating the forums ith a few food banks we know, we are going through state by state, picking the three or four largest cities in each state to research for now. Once this data is compiled, we will have downloadable forms at the Hobo's List website so that you may print them and distribute them wherever homeless people gather.
The ultimate idea is simple: keep several cards in your glovebox and hand them out when you see a panhandler on the streetcorner. It's a grassroots approach, but one I personally feel is better than walking away hoping that you didn't accidentally abandon someone in need.
As always, if your church, group, or ministry is not listed on the forums, you may register and post it on there. It would certainly save me some time and effort, and if you simply email, it might be awhile until I get to it. I hope to have postings from all fifty states finished by next weekend, and once done with that, can ocus on expanding and improving.
If you look at the main website, you will note several changes in the wording. In the course of doing my research, I was reminded that: 1, there is a vast difference between homeless and hoboes; and 2, that hoboes are still an active culture in America, even if we often see them as remnants of the past.
I hope you will contribute constructive criticism trough the building process, and that you will help me to get the word out about the list. After all, in times like these, we need to help each other out.
The ultimate idea is simple: keep several cards in your glovebox and hand them out when you see a panhandler on the streetcorner. It's a grassroots approach, but one I personally feel is better than walking away hoping that you didn't accidentally abandon someone in need.
As always, if your church, group, or ministry is not listed on the forums, you may register and post it on there. It would certainly save me some time and effort, and if you simply email, it might be awhile until I get to it. I hope to have postings from all fifty states finished by next weekend, and once done with that, can ocus on expanding and improving.
If you look at the main website, you will note several changes in the wording. In the course of doing my research, I was reminded that: 1, there is a vast difference between homeless and hoboes; and 2, that hoboes are still an active culture in America, even if we often see them as remnants of the past.
I hope you will contribute constructive criticism trough the building process, and that you will help me to get the word out about the list. After all, in times like these, we need to help each other out.
Liberty Justice, hobo
Not sure if I'm related to this fellow, but wouldn't be disappointed to find out if I was:
Building the List
OK, from time to time this will be a journal of where I am at. Having posted the food banks that readily come to mind (spacing them out somewhat to cover more area), I am now working on the state-by state list. I had the girls assemble an alphabetical list of states, and they are compiling a list of four cities in each state. I know, many states need a lot more, but we're going to have to cast a broad net, and then tighten it as time goes by.
I admit I am an impatient soul, and was a little disheartened by the very low early responses. Yesterday saw a bit of a push, though, and our numbers have been climbing quickly as I have been posting. This is a pretty significant project, and will take a great deal of time to assemble, so the results are encouraging me to stay "on task".
In addition to learning more about the resources, I am learning more about the hobo community, which is still an active and vibrant community in America. This is information I will need to correct on the homepage, but it has been fun and educational to learn more about the hobo community as it was and is. Thanks to Fran at Fran's Hobo Page (http://www.worldpath.net/~minstrel/) for a great deal of valluable information
I admit I am an impatient soul, and was a little disheartened by the very low early responses. Yesterday saw a bit of a push, though, and our numbers have been climbing quickly as I have been posting. This is a pretty significant project, and will take a great deal of time to assemble, so the results are encouraging me to stay "on task".
In addition to learning more about the resources, I am learning more about the hobo community, which is still an active and vibrant community in America. This is information I will need to correct on the homepage, but it has been fun and educational to learn more about the hobo community as it was and is. Thanks to Fran at Fran's Hobo Page (http://www.worldpath.net/~minstrel/) for a great deal of valluable information
Saturday, July 23, 2011
24 Posts!
There are now 24 posts on the Hoboslist forums. They are not all resources, of course, there are a few entries on hobo lore and an FAQ, but most are entries from different areas. It will take me a LONG time to catalog this information solo, so if you don't see services in your area, if you could register and submit the information, it will gaat on quicker.
Stories from the Road: "He Had a Nice Voice"
I'm going to detract a bit from mission statements and explanations about what we are all about. This is, after all, a blog, and if you don't catch a little bit of me in it, well then, I haven't done a very good job communicating, have I?
This story comes from 3 years ago. I was driving in Pampa, when I saw a couple with packs on their backs leave the local Salvation Army and head around the corner. Now, we haven't had bus service in Pampa in a number of years, so to find travellers coming through is highly unusual. I headed towards them, and offered them a ride where they were headed.
They were ultimately headed to Albuquerque, had gotten to Amarillo, and had ended up in Pampa. As Albuquerque is the opposite way, this naturally invited questions. It turned out that they were hitching a ride in Amarillo, and a lady came up and picked them up. They didn't know much about where they were headed, so they didn't protest much when she took them to Pampa, offered them a good meal and a hotel room. It put them 60 miles behind on their journey, but that's part of travelling the road, really.
I was curious what they did for money, so I asked them if they played instruments. The young lady said she played guitar, and had set out on the road with one, but she was sitting around with some other kids and one of them had a nice voice, so she gave him the guitar.
Thyat's the kind of action, the kind of sharing that really restores one's faith in humanity. he whole way to Amarillo, I was wishing I had an extra guitar in my truck so that I could send her on her waay with a replacement.
This story comes from 3 years ago. I was driving in Pampa, when I saw a couple with packs on their backs leave the local Salvation Army and head around the corner. Now, we haven't had bus service in Pampa in a number of years, so to find travellers coming through is highly unusual. I headed towards them, and offered them a ride where they were headed.
They were ultimately headed to Albuquerque, had gotten to Amarillo, and had ended up in Pampa. As Albuquerque is the opposite way, this naturally invited questions. It turned out that they were hitching a ride in Amarillo, and a lady came up and picked them up. They didn't know much about where they were headed, so they didn't protest much when she took them to Pampa, offered them a good meal and a hotel room. It put them 60 miles behind on their journey, but that's part of travelling the road, really.
I was curious what they did for money, so I asked them if they played instruments. The young lady said she played guitar, and had set out on the road with one, but she was sitting around with some other kids and one of them had a nice voice, so she gave him the guitar.
Thyat's the kind of action, the kind of sharing that really restores one's faith in humanity. he whole way to Amarillo, I was wishing I had an extra guitar in my truck so that I could send her on her waay with a replacement.
Hoboes vs. Homeless
In seeking permission to use some material for the website, I was reminded of a very important distinction. while our culture tends to use the terms "tramps", "bums", and "hoboes" interchangeably (and often as synonyms for "Homeless"), they are NOT the same thing, and shouldn't be confused with each other.
Hoboes and tramps, as opposed to the other groups, work for a living. Although tramps are a little less inclined to do so and often use work as a last resort, hoboes are frequently migrant workers who simply move from place to place.
I've often thought of hoboes as being associated with trains, and although that may be true of some, it is not universally true. In fact, looking pretty closely at the hobo culture, I've pretty much been a hobo much of my life.
I don't want to detract from the larger point I am trying to make with the website, though. What I am hoping to eventually emulate is the hobo CULTURE, which can permeate just about any segment of society. The idea of taking care of one another, of warning folks of danger and telling them where they can get a good meal, well, that's just downright Christian hospitality. Although, as the hoboes have shown, you needn't be aa Christian to do it.
A large part of the inspiration for this site came from my growing familiarity with the busking community, and with tramps out on the road that I have picked up for the ride. I've often picked up tramps that were looking for a place to bed down, always afraid of the local police, and I've told them of places where they could rest their head for the night without worry from the police. And ever since I took a young couple into Amarillo looking for a place where they could score some food, I realized how desperately we need a place where all of that information is gathered at once.
The fact is, folks, we've come upon hard times, and are likely to see hard times for the foreseeable future, and all of us -- hoboes, tramps, bums, homeless and just plain ordinary folk...are going to have to learn to work together to stick it out. And who better to learn from than the hobo culture?
Hoboes and tramps, as opposed to the other groups, work for a living. Although tramps are a little less inclined to do so and often use work as a last resort, hoboes are frequently migrant workers who simply move from place to place.
I've often thought of hoboes as being associated with trains, and although that may be true of some, it is not universally true. In fact, looking pretty closely at the hobo culture, I've pretty much been a hobo much of my life.
I don't want to detract from the larger point I am trying to make with the website, though. What I am hoping to eventually emulate is the hobo CULTURE, which can permeate just about any segment of society. The idea of taking care of one another, of warning folks of danger and telling them where they can get a good meal, well, that's just downright Christian hospitality. Although, as the hoboes have shown, you needn't be aa Christian to do it.
A large part of the inspiration for this site came from my growing familiarity with the busking community, and with tramps out on the road that I have picked up for the ride. I've often picked up tramps that were looking for a place to bed down, always afraid of the local police, and I've told them of places where they could rest their head for the night without worry from the police. And ever since I took a young couple into Amarillo looking for a place where they could score some food, I realized how desperately we need a place where all of that information is gathered at once.
The fact is, folks, we've come upon hard times, and are likely to see hard times for the foreseeable future, and all of us -- hoboes, tramps, bums, homeless and just plain ordinary folk...are going to have to learn to work together to stick it out. And who better to learn from than the hobo culture?
To AdSense or Not to Adsense?
OK, I know I don't have a heck of a lot of viewers right now, hopefully that will change over time. But in perusing costs to promote the http://www.hoboslist.org/ websit, as well as the forums (the blog is just a little extra -- to provide current info without a lot of page edits), I've decided that I need to figure out some sort of revenue stream, no matter how small. I can't help the ads on the forums (unless I can afford to upgrade the site), but I am determined to keep ads off of the main site.
What I want to know, though, for any who are reading: what do you think of AdSense ads on the blog? As mentioned earlier, it's not a critical part of the website, but I also want to do my part to be as noncommercial as possible with this project. I balked at the Paypal link on the page, but decided I could live with it as it is entirely voluntary.
So, thoughts? Let mme know! I want this page to be as useful as possible, so any thooughts are encouraged.
What I want to know, though, for any who are reading: what do you think of AdSense ads on the blog? As mentioned earlier, it's not a critical part of the website, but I also want to do my part to be as noncommercial as possible with this project. I balked at the Paypal link on the page, but decided I could live with it as it is entirely voluntary.
So, thoughts? Let mme know! I want this page to be as useful as possible, so any thooughts are encouraged.
Portrait of an American Dream
A song I wrote and sung at Okemah, 2011. The audio is less than optimal, but hope you enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKf0rkg2XoI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKf0rkg2XoI
Welcome to the Hobo's List Blog
This blog was created specifically for page updates to Hobo's List. I will post news, featured items and commentary here from time to time, and will use your comments for input. Please visit our website at http://www.hoboslist.org/, or check our forums at http://hoboslist.freeforums.org/.
Hobo's List was created out of aa pressing need I have seen. As the economy has deteriorated, I have seen more and more people hitting the road, and ending up in strange cities with no idea of where to go for help. In addition, I have seen middle class families who suddenly find themselves needy because of layoff, foreclosure, health care costs, and other circumstances beyond their control. These people have no idea where to turn.
In the 1930's, the hobo community devised a complex communication system to inform other hobos about the availability of assistance, as well as warn them of danger and help them learn where they could catch trains. In this era, we have the Internet, which can be used for the same purpose.
I hope you will peruse this site and others and spread the word so that others can get the information they need.
Hobo's List was created out of aa pressing need I have seen. As the economy has deteriorated, I have seen more and more people hitting the road, and ending up in strange cities with no idea of where to go for help. In addition, I have seen middle class families who suddenly find themselves needy because of layoff, foreclosure, health care costs, and other circumstances beyond their control. These people have no idea where to turn.
In the 1930's, the hobo community devised a complex communication system to inform other hobos about the availability of assistance, as well as warn them of danger and help them learn where they could catch trains. In this era, we have the Internet, which can be used for the same purpose.
I hope you will peruse this site and others and spread the word so that others can get the information they need.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)