Homeless man's beating shakes up hippie haven
Story Highlights
Bolinas, in northern California's Marin County, is known as 1960s hippie enclave
Ricky Green dropped out, moved to Bolinas, was known for "Jimi Hendrix vibe"
Green attacked June 23, allegedly by 6 youths, and stabbed on beach
Violence rattles small town that views itself as different
BOLINAS, California (AP) -- Ricky Green wandered into this town some months ago, a stranger just a bit stranger than most.
A sign describing Bolinas as a peaceful, loving town greets visitors along the main road.
He had shed his middle-class respectability -- a job as a graphic artist in the 'burbs -- strapped a guitar over his shoulder and landed on what he told people was "a spiritual journey."
Bolinas seemed like a good fit.
The unincorporated town of 1,600 on the Pacific coast is Marin County's most blatant throwback to the Summer of Love, a hippie haven that is bent on stopping tourists from spoiling its laid-back groove.
The 33-year-old, prone to age of Aquarius-speak about the moon and the stars, already looked sort of like a local.
As one resident, Bill Boman, put it, "he had this Jimi Hendrix vibe."
But Green never quite meshed with the Bolinas social fabric. The night of June 23 proved how much he remained an outsider in a liberal enclave stubbornly averse to strangers.
Six young people, including two juveniles, are said to have attacked and stabbed Green with a viciousness that is forcing Bolinas to search its soul for meaning.
The other day, fresh out of the hospital, Green was spotted back in town. (He proved elusive, always a step ahead of visitors trying to find him.) Many folks weren't happy to see him.
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Showing posts with label homeless. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homeless. Show all posts
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Program puts emphasis on housing to treat substance abuse
July 14, 2008
Program puts emphasis on housing to treat substance abuse
By DEBORAH CIRCELLI
Staff writer
DAYTONA BEACH -- Some nights, Diana Hettmansperger would close her eyes and fall asleep on the beach. Other times, she'd curl up behind a building or find shelter in abandoned structures by the river.
"I was just be-bopping all over the place. If people let me stay with them I would," said the 27-year-old who grew up in Daytona Beach.
Prescription drug abuse and, later, cocaine caused her to become estranged from her four children, three who live with an ex-husband and a 4-year-old who is with relatives after her problems led to him being taken by the state.
She was living a dangerous life until she got into a new Housing First program that targets chronically homeless people who have substance abuse and mental health problems.
Four months ago, she moved into Serenity House's permanent housing program at My Place Apartments on North and Segrave streets.
"I had nowhere to go. No money. No job. I was starving," Hettmansperger said.
The concept, based on a model piloted in cities nationwide, is to first get homeless people off the street and surround them with services as opposed to trying to get them into a substance abuse treatment program. Under the traditional model, when patients complete residential treatment, they often don't have a place to live, and the cycle starts again, according to local and national officials.
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Program puts emphasis on housing to treat substance abuse
By DEBORAH CIRCELLI
Staff writer
DAYTONA BEACH -- Some nights, Diana Hettmansperger would close her eyes and fall asleep on the beach. Other times, she'd curl up behind a building or find shelter in abandoned structures by the river.
"I was just be-bopping all over the place. If people let me stay with them I would," said the 27-year-old who grew up in Daytona Beach.
Prescription drug abuse and, later, cocaine caused her to become estranged from her four children, three who live with an ex-husband and a 4-year-old who is with relatives after her problems led to him being taken by the state.
She was living a dangerous life until she got into a new Housing First program that targets chronically homeless people who have substance abuse and mental health problems.
Four months ago, she moved into Serenity House's permanent housing program at My Place Apartments on North and Segrave streets.
"I had nowhere to go. No money. No job. I was starving," Hettmansperger said.
The concept, based on a model piloted in cities nationwide, is to first get homeless people off the street and surround them with services as opposed to trying to get them into a substance abuse treatment program. Under the traditional model, when patients complete residential treatment, they often don't have a place to live, and the cycle starts again, according to local and national officials.
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Thursday, July 10, 2008
Homeless man found dead near where girlfriend died
Homeless man found dead near where girlfriend died
By Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff
In print: Thursday, July 10, 2008
TAMPA — The man started coming around about six weeks ago.
He was an unemployed electrician. Fifty-two years old. A nice guy, though given to drink.
Pastor Jarvis Ball liked the man. An electrician himself, Ball fed him, clothed him, invited him to attend services at Covenant of God Ministries here in Sulphur Springs.
And the man did.
At some point in his life, through what Ball calls "circumstances," this former electrician became homeless and turned to alcohol. But he refused to sleep under someone else's roof, slumbering instead in his car.
Most mornings, Ball would look out from his church near N Nebraska Avenue and E Juneau Street and see the man's white Ford Explorer parked in the tree-lined lot across the street.
The pastor and the electrician would talk about life and God and the man's girlfriend, who'd died.
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By Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff
In print: Thursday, July 10, 2008
TAMPA — The man started coming around about six weeks ago.
He was an unemployed electrician. Fifty-two years old. A nice guy, though given to drink.
Pastor Jarvis Ball liked the man. An electrician himself, Ball fed him, clothed him, invited him to attend services at Covenant of God Ministries here in Sulphur Springs.
And the man did.
At some point in his life, through what Ball calls "circumstances," this former electrician became homeless and turned to alcohol. But he refused to sleep under someone else's roof, slumbering instead in his car.
Most mornings, Ball would look out from his church near N Nebraska Avenue and E Juneau Street and see the man's white Ford Explorer parked in the tree-lined lot across the street.
The pastor and the electrician would talk about life and God and the man's girlfriend, who'd died.
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Sunday, June 29, 2008
Orlando's Pathways mental-health center is crumbling, needs a hand
Orlando's Pathways mental-health center is crumbling, needs a hand
Kate Santich Sentinel Staff Writer
June 29, 2008
Edwin Hernandez spent a year and a half living in a tent in the woods, battling clinical depression.Then he found a place where he could eat, wash his clothes, take a shower and connect with people who became like family.It also helped him get on medication, move into an apartment and earn his GED. Hernandez, 24, recently started taking interior-design courses.Pathways, an Orlando drop-in center for the mentally ill, has helped hundreds of people like Hernandez get their lives turned around.
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Kate Santich Sentinel Staff Writer
June 29, 2008
Edwin Hernandez spent a year and a half living in a tent in the woods, battling clinical depression.Then he found a place where he could eat, wash his clothes, take a shower and connect with people who became like family.It also helped him get on medication, move into an apartment and earn his GED. Hernandez, 24, recently started taking interior-design courses.Pathways, an Orlando drop-in center for the mentally ill, has helped hundreds of people like Hernandez get their lives turned around.
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Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Homeless woman killed by hit and run driver in Vegas
“The next time you see a homeless person,” she said, “I'd like for you to remember me and know that person probably has a family member somewhere who loves them.”
Dead Vegas homeless woman's family tells sad tale
LAS VEGAS – When Karin Solomonson saw the 702 area code on her telephone, the North Carolina resident assumed it was her beloved Aunt BeBe calling from the streets of Las Vegas.
Instead, it was the Clark County coroner's office, calling to notify Solomonson about the death of her 65-year-old aunt, Cora Angie Law.
Police said they were still looking for the large gray or burgundy sport utility vehicle with chrome rims and large tires that hit Law, who investigators think was in a crosswalk.
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If anyone saw this or knows who did it, remember, this woman had people who loved her, but she didn't have a place to call her home. Call the police and let them know what you know. Her life had meaning and her death should not be seen as "no big deal" just because she was homeless.
Monday, June 23, 2008
LA needs to find a place for homeless to park
L.A. seeing more people living out of their cars
By CHRISTINA HOAG, Associated Press Writer
Monday, June 23, 2008
(06-23) 12:24 PDT LOS ANGELES, (AP) --
Having lost her job and her three-bedroom house, Darlene Knoll has joined the legions of downwardly mobile who are four wheels away from homelessness.
She is living out of her shabby 1978 RV, and every night she has to look for a place to park where she won't get hassled by the cops or insulted by residents.
"I'm not a piece of trash," the former home health care aide said as she stroked one of five dogs in her cramped quarters parked in the waterfront community of Marina del Rey.
Amid the foreclosure crisis and the shaky economy, some California cities are seeing an increase in the number of people living out of their cars, vans or RVs.
Acting on complaints from homeowners, the Los Angeles City Council got tough earlier this year by forbidding nearly all overnight parking in residential neighborhoods such as South Brentwood.
But some people are just crowding into other parts of the city, including the seaside community of Venice, where dozens of rusty, dilapidated campers can be seen lined up outside neat single-family homes. The stench of urine emanates from a few of the vehicles, and some residents say they have seen human waste left behind.
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They can complain all they want but it won't solve the problem as long as people keep losing their homes and have no place else to go. The residents have a right to be upset but if they were unlucky enough to lose their house, it's very doubtful they would have the same opinion on the homeless.
There has to be some empty parking lots these people can go to at night with some facilities to take care of their personal needs. What's so hard about doing something like that? It would cost the city a lot less time and money having them park on a lot than in front of someone's house who is likely to complain. How about a little human kindness and a whole lot of common sense on this one?
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Mystery deepens about homeless man
Mystery deepens about homeless man on bench at Friendly Center
Sunday, Jun. 15, 2008 3:00 am
To thousands of motorists passing by him daily at Friendly Center, he was a street person on a bench, a man who appeared one day in 2001 and left just as abruptly in mid-May.
To Kimberly Bono, however, Mark Hoffmann is more than that. He is her father, and the last time she saw him was in 1989. She was 8.
"He was taking us back to my mom's house, and he was crying," Bono, 27, recalled of Hoffmann's last joint-custody visit with her and two younger sisters. "I don't know if he left for noble reasons, or if he realized the mental illness was taking over. I never saw him again, and all this time, I wondered what happened to him."
Bono, a technical writer who lives in Stroudsburg, Pa., with a husband and newborn daughter, said she was therefore "flabbergasted" when a relative back in North Carolina recently sent her a News & Record story.
The details matched what she knew about her father, now 51 — his date of birth, the spelling of his name, the fact that he graduated from Lehigh University and had been an accountant at Duke. All doubt was removed when Bono sent family photographs.
Though the man in the pictures looks more than 20 years younger — especially without the raw, weathered look of seven winters and summers outdoors — he has the same strawberry-blond hair and bright blue eyes.
The revelation that her father had been in plain sight for so many years, just an hour from where she grew up, held mixed emotions for Bono.
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http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20080615/NRSTAFF/817984475/-1/news1802
Sunday, Jun. 15, 2008 3:00 am
To thousands of motorists passing by him daily at Friendly Center, he was a street person on a bench, a man who appeared one day in 2001 and left just as abruptly in mid-May.
To Kimberly Bono, however, Mark Hoffmann is more than that. He is her father, and the last time she saw him was in 1989. She was 8.
"He was taking us back to my mom's house, and he was crying," Bono, 27, recalled of Hoffmann's last joint-custody visit with her and two younger sisters. "I don't know if he left for noble reasons, or if he realized the mental illness was taking over. I never saw him again, and all this time, I wondered what happened to him."
Bono, a technical writer who lives in Stroudsburg, Pa., with a husband and newborn daughter, said she was therefore "flabbergasted" when a relative back in North Carolina recently sent her a News & Record story.
The details matched what she knew about her father, now 51 — his date of birth, the spelling of his name, the fact that he graduated from Lehigh University and had been an accountant at Duke. All doubt was removed when Bono sent family photographs.
Though the man in the pictures looks more than 20 years younger — especially without the raw, weathered look of seven winters and summers outdoors — he has the same strawberry-blond hair and bright blue eyes.
The revelation that her father had been in plain sight for so many years, just an hour from where she grew up, held mixed emotions for Bono.
Was he, then, homeless "by choice"?
"Choice denotes rational thought," said McGee, who shares Haworth's concern for the potential danger and the physical toll chronic homelessness has taken on Hoffmann. "It's already telling. Look how old he looks already."
go here for more
http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20080615/NRSTAFF/817984475/-1/news1802
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
"Shame on you" and "May God forgive you." Yarmouth MA
Ruling may force hundreds out of Cape Cod motels
Panel suspends owner's license
By David Abel
Globe Staff / May 20, 2008
YARMOUTH - At the back of the motel room where Kerri Blackwell, her husband, and four young daughters have lived for more than a year, behind the mounds of laundry, the cans sorted for recycling, and the crib where the 10-month-old baby sleeps, the family has posted a handwritten sign.
It says: "Blackwell's Palace."
"It's not much, but it's the best we could find," said Kerri Blackwell, 37, who works at a nearby Dunkin' Donuts shop and says she cannot find a more affordable apartment in the area. "There should be a better place for us to live, but we can't afford the first month, last month, and security deposit to get in. Or the utilities. The rents we've seen are up to 2,000 a month."
The Blackwells don't want to leave the Cavalier Motel, but they may have no choice. Yesterday, the Board of Health in Yarmouth, citing a year-old law that prohibits motel owners from renting units beyond 30 consecutive days to customers without a permanent address, voted to suspend the motel's license, potentially forcing the Blackwells and 250 other low-income people from the Cavalier and two other motels in town.
Board officials have rejected pleas from community members, some of whom shouted from the audience yesterday, "Shame on you" and "May God forgive you." They said they had no choice and were just following laws passed by the town's selectmen, some of whom defended the board's vote after the meeting.
"We're not pushing anyone out to the curb; we're just not going to issue motel licenses to those who aren't acting as motels," said Suzanne McAuliffe, chairwoman of Yarmouth's Board of Selectmen. "The living conditions of some of the people in these motels are horrendous. We want them to live in adequate places. This is about shutting down dangerous, substandard, health-hazard-inducing housing."
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Panel suspends owner's license
By David Abel
Globe Staff / May 20, 2008
YARMOUTH - At the back of the motel room where Kerri Blackwell, her husband, and four young daughters have lived for more than a year, behind the mounds of laundry, the cans sorted for recycling, and the crib where the 10-month-old baby sleeps, the family has posted a handwritten sign.
It says: "Blackwell's Palace."
"It's not much, but it's the best we could find," said Kerri Blackwell, 37, who works at a nearby Dunkin' Donuts shop and says she cannot find a more affordable apartment in the area. "There should be a better place for us to live, but we can't afford the first month, last month, and security deposit to get in. Or the utilities. The rents we've seen are up to 2,000 a month."
The Blackwells don't want to leave the Cavalier Motel, but they may have no choice. Yesterday, the Board of Health in Yarmouth, citing a year-old law that prohibits motel owners from renting units beyond 30 consecutive days to customers without a permanent address, voted to suspend the motel's license, potentially forcing the Blackwells and 250 other low-income people from the Cavalier and two other motels in town.
Board officials have rejected pleas from community members, some of whom shouted from the audience yesterday, "Shame on you" and "May God forgive you." They said they had no choice and were just following laws passed by the town's selectmen, some of whom defended the board's vote after the meeting.
"We're not pushing anyone out to the curb; we're just not going to issue motel licenses to those who aren't acting as motels," said Suzanne McAuliffe, chairwoman of Yarmouth's Board of Selectmen. "The living conditions of some of the people in these motels are horrendous. We want them to live in adequate places. This is about shutting down dangerous, substandard, health-hazard-inducing housing."
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Monday, May 19, 2008
Kissimmee doctors prove, it's not always about money
Kissimmee free clinic helps working poor, homeless
Kissimmee doctors care for uninsured, homeless
Mari Robyn Jones Special To The Sentinel
May 18, 2008
KISSIMMEE - They're called the working poor.
They have jobs but lack medical insurance. It's either too expensive to purchase through their company, or their jobs don't offer coverage.
Just a doctor's visit without insurance could cost them at least $100.
At the Osceola Christian Ministry Center, residents can step through the doors of its medical clinic and find four doctors and about a half-dozen nurses waiting to help them.
For free.
With just one doctor, the medical clinic began in a small room at the center at 700 Union St. Since then, three more doctors have volunteered their time, and two years ago the center added about a 1,000 square feet to its building, giving the clinic three exam rooms and a dispensary.
"It's a big benefit to everyone here in town," said John Cimermancic, who needed to use the clinic after feeling intense stomach pains. "If I hadn't gone in there, it might have been very severe. I would have ended up [needing] surgery."
Last year, more than 600 visits were made to the clinic, which the center's assistant director said is equivalent to $120,000 in medical care.
To qualify for help, patients cannot have insurance and must earn less than double the poverty line, or $41,300 for a family of four, assistant director Richard Burton said.
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Kissimmee doctors care for uninsured, homeless
Mari Robyn Jones Special To The Sentinel
May 18, 2008
KISSIMMEE - They're called the working poor.
They have jobs but lack medical insurance. It's either too expensive to purchase through their company, or their jobs don't offer coverage.
Just a doctor's visit without insurance could cost them at least $100.
At the Osceola Christian Ministry Center, residents can step through the doors of its medical clinic and find four doctors and about a half-dozen nurses waiting to help them.
For free.
With just one doctor, the medical clinic began in a small room at the center at 700 Union St. Since then, three more doctors have volunteered their time, and two years ago the center added about a 1,000 square feet to its building, giving the clinic three exam rooms and a dispensary.
"It's a big benefit to everyone here in town," said John Cimermancic, who needed to use the clinic after feeling intense stomach pains. "If I hadn't gone in there, it might have been very severe. I would have ended up [needing] surgery."
Last year, more than 600 visits were made to the clinic, which the center's assistant director said is equivalent to $120,000 in medical care.
To qualify for help, patients cannot have insurance and must earn less than double the poverty line, or $41,300 for a family of four, assistant director Richard Burton said.
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Homeless man harassed in Orlando?
You all know I get a lot of emails. This one came in today about a homeless person being confronted by two Orlando Police Officers. While I was aware of how the homeless are being pushed out of the city and they are trying to stop the feeding stations at Lake Eola, I did not think they had taken up harassing the homeless. I hope this is not what is acceptable behavior of the police officers. While I do not know any police officers personally down here, I've met quite a few in my travels and they have all been very nice. I'm scratching my head over this one. Is it true? Is there more to the story? What about the people in the store? Did something happen in the past that caused all of this?
Strike up brownie points by belittling homeless!
Re: Officer Cody Jackson, Officer Gillespe
To whom it may concern on Tuesday evening around 11:00 pm I got off of work and went to the 7-11 across from the Wild Side restaurant near Lake Eola. "I believe that to be Summerlin" though not 100% as I am not very familiar with that area. While in 7-11 I was getting food, and over heard the workers there making fun of a gentleman outside who was homeless, and laughing about how the police officers in question told them (the workers) that this guy had a masters degree but was homeless. They then stated that the officers had run into this guy a few times and stated that the homeless person was one of Orlando's finest citizens. (Wow, way to go OPD.)
Any how I then proceeded to tell the gentleman provoking the conversation that he needed to put himself into this guys shoes before they were to sit there and bash the guy. He proceeded to curse me out, telling me I'm the f@#%ing reason that these "bums" were all over Orlando etc... Now, I am one to be civil - but I did exchange some words back and fourth, never as colorful as what you see above here. I the extent was pretty much telling the guy he deserve to be in the hell the homeless person was.
Now, as I walked outside you had a Gillespie sitting next to the homeless individual and speaking to him in a rather condescending fashion. While I did not fully hear all of the conversation at first, when people started coming outside (including the inside 7-11 guy to tell me to never return to his @#$%ing store) Office Gillespie started getting louder and louder asking him why he was at the 7-11, why he didn't have a place to go, why he was bothering people. He was not conducting an interview per say, he was making an example if this gentleman (homeless person) or trying to at least to make it look like he was doing his job but at the expense of this guys place in life at this time. As I had stated the kid inside decided to come out and scream vulgarities and to never come back into his store. Officer Gillespie asked me (from his sitting position) all comfortable, looking very UNPROFESSIONAL, what was going on. I began to tell him, and Cody Jackson who had his car parked (to the left 3 spaces) from where we were, tells me to get the hell out of here and that I don't know what I'm getting my self into. My words at the immediate time were telling the guy from 7-11 (worker) to go back inside - and I then focused on Jackson who was now walking towards me pulling his collar out, vest to vent, etc... trying to assert his position as a "cop". Jackson still sitting there telling me "to get the hell off the property." (NICE WORDS FROM ORLANDOS FINEST.) I was located in my car at this point, window down, and Jackson is still making statements like this, telling me "You don't know what world he came from" I guess he meant the homeless person or what not.
Maybe Orlando condones all of this action from these poor examples of public servants, but I think it's rather sad. I know several of your officers old and new. Some I grew up with, which has pushed me to pursue going to the Sheriffs Office as a Deputy. I can honestly say, as many times as I have ridden as a 10-12 I have NEVER seen a Deputy Sheriff act in the manner that your "boys in black" did. I am by no means saying it never happens, any municipality has it's issues, I am just saying the S.O. seems to have a different caliber of individuals on the road, and not some cocky kid (e.g. Jackson).
Finally I make a call to your com center (911) as I did not have the non-emergency readily avail. I asked for a Sgt. or LT. to please give me a call, as I wanted to discuss the issue that was outstanding. He calls me back, already very standoffish. I am aware you're to protect your soldiers so to speak, but if you're officers are making you look bad then you would think you would be interested in hearing about it. Clearly from the Sergeant's tone and demeanor you can tell where Jackson gets his professionalism from. I tried to explain the story to this gentleman only to keep getting (I don't see where they were unprofessional.) (I don't see where they were unprofessional.) Are you serious? While Gillespie didn't say too much, and was trying to find out what was going on, he was by no means in the right here either.
While I do not doubt the jobs of everyone there at the PD, I am sure this probably wont make it further than all the people I will email it to. I can only hope something is done about it. Maybe OPD needs to get Jackson out with an FTO for some more training! And maybe have him work for a homeless shelter for some community service and sensitivity training. I am not saying the homeless should be put on a pedistool, but they are human beings. I dont like being begged for money like any one else, but I can be a human being and not belittle them in front of everyone at a store. (Just to add to this.) Before I walked into the store the two OPD officers were inside. The gentleman outside (as I passed and another patron passed) never asked for anything. He was just sitting there. While we both could argue it was because of the officers inside, we could find that he wasnt actually bothering anyone. Maybe just asking him to leave vs. patronizing the guy in front of everyone and trying to make an example by being very loud would have been easier....
Thanks for listening,
Damon
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Orlando Sentinel common sense on homeless problem
Our position: The relocation of homeless from encampment in woods offers a how-to
May 5, 2008
How do you relocate 60 people who have been living in the woods, some of them as long as 14 years, in a couple of weeks?
The Homeless Services Network found a way. Hopefully, the regional commission on homelessness was taking notes.
This is a blueprint on how to deal in crisis management. Better yet, it shows how a proactive approach will get homeless people the services they need, many of which they're entitled to have.
One person was a veteran who had gone seven years without a caseworker -- who could have told him he was eligible for a pension and medical services.
Others moved into a permanent supportive housing program, which assigns them a case manager and includes a rental subsidy as long as they follow rules.
It's a good example of what's a critical first-step for many homeless people: housing, followed by help for those who need mental-health treatment. Once stable, they are able to make better choices, and stay off the streets.
This particular group was part of a homeless camp off John Young Parkway that had been living on private property.
There's always going to be a few people who prefer to stay out of society's reach, but they aren't the bulk of as many as 9,000 homeless people living in this region. Some of them live in one of the estimated 180 homeless camps in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.
Ignoring them solves nothing. But here's a thought: By reaching out, you keep them from dropping off the radar in the first place.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-ed05208may05,0,1189885.story
There are 1,400 of the 9,000 homeless right here in Central Florida who happen to be veterans. The Dom, out of the VA clinic can only take care of 60 at a time. If you really want to help the veterans, donate to the Dom and show the forgotten you care. If you want to help the other homeless people in the area, support programs for them and talk about the issue. Don't let them be forgotten either.
May 5, 2008
How do you relocate 60 people who have been living in the woods, some of them as long as 14 years, in a couple of weeks?
The Homeless Services Network found a way. Hopefully, the regional commission on homelessness was taking notes.
This is a blueprint on how to deal in crisis management. Better yet, it shows how a proactive approach will get homeless people the services they need, many of which they're entitled to have.
One person was a veteran who had gone seven years without a caseworker -- who could have told him he was eligible for a pension and medical services.
Others moved into a permanent supportive housing program, which assigns them a case manager and includes a rental subsidy as long as they follow rules.
It's a good example of what's a critical first-step for many homeless people: housing, followed by help for those who need mental-health treatment. Once stable, they are able to make better choices, and stay off the streets.
This particular group was part of a homeless camp off John Young Parkway that had been living on private property.
There's always going to be a few people who prefer to stay out of society's reach, but they aren't the bulk of as many as 9,000 homeless people living in this region. Some of them live in one of the estimated 180 homeless camps in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.
Ignoring them solves nothing. But here's a thought: By reaching out, you keep them from dropping off the radar in the first place.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-ed05208may05,0,1189885.story
There are 1,400 of the 9,000 homeless right here in Central Florida who happen to be veterans. The Dom, out of the VA clinic can only take care of 60 at a time. If you really want to help the veterans, donate to the Dom and show the forgotten you care. If you want to help the other homeless people in the area, support programs for them and talk about the issue. Don't let them be forgotten either.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Florida leads nation in attacks on homeless
Florida leads nation in attacks on homeless
Kate Santich Sentinel Staff Writer
April 30, 2008
Florida leads the nation in the number of violent attacks against the homeless -- a trend called "bum bashing" fueled largely by teenage boys targeting homeless men for sport -- according to a new study.
The increase nationwide in violent attacks, including a 40 percent rise last year in the number of homeless people killed by such violence, was detailed in a report released Tuesday by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty.
"If these brutal attacks were committed against any other religious or minority group to the same degree, there would be a national outcry," said Michael Stoops, acting executive director of the national coalition.
He and other advocates for the homeless urged federal and state lawmakers to classify violence against the homeless as a hate crime, which would carry stiffer penalties and help keep better track of the problem.
The report's authors say their numbers likely underestimate the problem because they had to rely on tracking down the details of individual news accounts of attacks against the homeless. Yet in recent years, those numbers dramatically outpaced all categories of hate crimes combined.
Last year alone, there were 29 attacks on homeless people in Florida -- six of them fatal, the report said. Only attacks perpetrated by people who were not homeless themselves were counted.
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Yes but, this is such a "Christian" state the legislators think we should all drive around with the cross on the ass end of our cars!
No it's not a joke.
Florida's 'I Believe' plates hit roadblock
Story Highlights
Religious license plates not in legislation passed Tuesday in Florida
Proposed "I Believe" plate would feature cross, stained-glass window
Similar plate being considered in South Carolina, recently won state Senate approval
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/30/license.plate.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
There was a time when being a Christian was something so sacred that it lived within us, in what we did and what we said as well as how we treated each other. No one needed to slap a fish on our cars or a bumper sticker to prove we were "Christians" at the same time we flipped someone off on the road, ran a red light because we were in a hurry or refused to stop and help someone who was unfortunate enough to break down in our lane.
There was a time when we really noticed the fact that Christ said out of his own mouth that he was the new covenant between God and man and he was dying for our sins because no one sin was worse than another but yet again Florida legislators would rather take the easy way out and appease fraudulent advertisers wanting to make a buck off a "show of faith" instead of actually supporting things that Christ stood for.
They should all be ashamed of themselves. I guess it wasn't bad enough the police were ordered to get the homeless off the streets and out of sight so that the tourist wouldn't have to see how little this state takes care of the most needy among us. Now we have one more sign of just how low these people are willing to sink.
Maybe they figure that homeless people cannot donate to their campaigns and the probability they would vote is far fetched but what they don't understand is the rest of us are paying attention and we're tired of being humiliated on the national news. This may be the land of Disney and amusement parks but this is not fantasy land. It's about time they started to act like the good Christians they pretend to be and actually live up to what Christ taught. Drive down any main street in Florida and you'll see more churches than you can count. Don't they understand that most of those churches have real Christians in them who actually do care about the homeless, the poor and the needy? Isn't that what being a Christian is supposed to be?
Chaplain Kathie Costos
Monday, April 28, 2008
Orlando heartless "evicting" already homeless
Eviction from shanties leaves homeless looking for new spots
Kate Santich Sentinel Staff Writer
April 27, 2008
Darlene and Michael Downs might sound like a lot of struggling couples.
He is chronically ill; she doesn't work so she can take care of him. And now they're faced with losing their home -- a four-room place where they hang their wedding photos and snapshots of the grandkids and snuggle up before their 27-inch color TV.
Except home in this case is a shanty in the woods off John Young Parkway. And the Downses, like their neighbors amid these vine-covered oaks, have just gotten notice that they're about to be evicted.
"We're not bothering anybody," Michael Downs said. "And the doctors told me I can't take no more stress."
These days, even the woods are no haven for the homeless.
Orlando police officers, who first handed out trespass warnings in mid-April, said the crackdown stems from a nearby neighborhood group that "bombarded" police with complaints about registered sex offenders living in the woods.
"There were probably two or three out there, but even one is too many," Orlando police Lt. Robert Anzueto said. "There's no way to regulate them if they're in the woods. . . . And there is trash and debris all over the place. If I were a neighbor, I would be concerned."
go here for more
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-homeless2708apr27,0,5378271.story
Kate Santich Sentinel Staff Writer
April 27, 2008
Darlene and Michael Downs might sound like a lot of struggling couples.
He is chronically ill; she doesn't work so she can take care of him. And now they're faced with losing their home -- a four-room place where they hang their wedding photos and snapshots of the grandkids and snuggle up before their 27-inch color TV.
Except home in this case is a shanty in the woods off John Young Parkway. And the Downses, like their neighbors amid these vine-covered oaks, have just gotten notice that they're about to be evicted.
"We're not bothering anybody," Michael Downs said. "And the doctors told me I can't take no more stress."
These days, even the woods are no haven for the homeless.
Orlando police officers, who first handed out trespass warnings in mid-April, said the crackdown stems from a nearby neighborhood group that "bombarded" police with complaints about registered sex offenders living in the woods.
"There were probably two or three out there, but even one is too many," Orlando police Lt. Robert Anzueto said. "There's no way to regulate them if they're in the woods. . . . And there is trash and debris all over the place. If I were a neighbor, I would be concerned."
go here for more
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-homeless2708apr27,0,5378271.story
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Back On My Feet, Woman gets homeless to run
Runner gets homeless on right track
Story Highlights
Philadelphia marathoner found herself running past homeless shelter every day
After contacting shelter, Anne Mahlum started running club "Back On My Feet"
Club now has teams in three city shelters with 54 homeless members
Job training partnership has helped members take classes, find employment
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- At 5 a.m. on any given day, Anne Mahlum could be found running the dark streets of Philadelphia -- with homeless men cheering her on as she passed their shelter. But one morning last spring, she stopped in her tracks.
"Running really is a metaphor for life," Anne Mahlum says. "You just have to take it one step at a time."
"Why am I running past these guys?" recalls Mahlum, 27. "I'm moving my life forward every day -- and these guys are standing in the same spot."
Instead of continuing to pass them by, the veteran marathoner sprang into action so they could join her.
She contacted the shelter, got donations of running gear, and in July 2007 the "Back On My Feet" running club hit the streets.
The first day, Mahlum led nine shelter residents in a mile-long run. Today, Back on My Feet has teams in three Philadelphia shelters, including 54 homeless members and more than 250 volunteers. The group has logged more than 5,000 miles.
Requirements for shelter residents to join are simple -- they must live in an affiliated facility and be clean and sober for 30 days. Members receive new shoes and running clothes, and teams run together three times a week between 5:30 and 6 a.m.
The runners are diverse -- doctors, janitors, students and shelter residents -- but such distinctions aren't apparent.
"All you can tell is who's the fastest," says Mahlum. "You can't tell who's homeless and who's not."
For Mahlum and others, Back On My Feet is more than a running club.
"We're a community of support, love, respect," she says.
Watch how the group hits the predawn streets of Philadelphia. »
Last year I post how I was in Philly for a conference of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators. It was a great conference and we were in the Marriott Convention Center. As a smoker, (yes I still do have the habit) I would go outside and take in the crisp winter air. I missed the winters in Massachusetts since moving down to Florida. The people would pass me by and most would look at me as if I lost my mind. Aside from the fact I would move from under the protection of the overhang so that the snow would hit me, I was also handing money out to panhandlers. Can't help it. I managed to make sure I had a few bucks in my pocket each time I wanted a cigarette. I wondered why so many people would just walk by these people without even offering a kind word. It was almost as if they thought they'd catch something from the homeless people on the streets. After reading this story, I know how small an act I did myself. Anne Mahlum not only gave them a kind word, she gave them a kind deed and let them know people do care about them. She also gave them a sense of hope. Great job she did!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
TORONTO:Reservists claimed right to kill 'bums,' court hears
Reservists claimed right to kill 'bums,' court hears
Shannon Kari , Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
TORONTO - The key prosecution witness in the trial of three Canadian Forces reservists accused of fatally beating a homeless man testified Wednesday that two of the defendants were enraged and claimed to have the right to kill "bums" and "drug addicts" while their colleague appeared to be a reluctant participant.
"I was told we were all useless pieces of skin," said Valerie Valen, who tried to intervene and stop the brutal attack against Paul Croutch, a 59-year-old homeless man who was killed on August 31, 2005 while trying to sleep on a park bench in downtown Toronto.
Jeffrey Hall, 24; Mountaz Ibrahim, 25 and Brian Deganis, 23, are all charged with second-degree murder and assault causing bodily harm for allegedly beating Valen.
The defendants, who were members of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada which has its headquarters in an armoury in the park where Croutch was beaten, have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Valen was returning to visit a friend at a nearby residential shelter when she saw the attack
click post title for the rest
Shannon Kari , Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
TORONTO - The key prosecution witness in the trial of three Canadian Forces reservists accused of fatally beating a homeless man testified Wednesday that two of the defendants were enraged and claimed to have the right to kill "bums" and "drug addicts" while their colleague appeared to be a reluctant participant.
"I was told we were all useless pieces of skin," said Valerie Valen, who tried to intervene and stop the brutal attack against Paul Croutch, a 59-year-old homeless man who was killed on August 31, 2005 while trying to sleep on a park bench in downtown Toronto.
Jeffrey Hall, 24; Mountaz Ibrahim, 25 and Brian Deganis, 23, are all charged with second-degree murder and assault causing bodily harm for allegedly beating Valen.
The defendants, who were members of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada which has its headquarters in an armoury in the park where Croutch was beaten, have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Valen was returning to visit a friend at a nearby residential shelter when she saw the attack
click post title for the rest
Friday, March 28, 2008
Tampa Homeless Survey Hits Streets
Homeless Survey Hits Streets
By KEITH MORELLI
The Tampa Tribune
Published: March 28, 2008
Updated: 12:14 am
TAMPA - Jayne Stelley, in the lime-green T-shirt of the survey team, chatted easily outside a day-labor office with Leslie Joseph, a 52-year-old homeless man, hoping to get a glimpse into what can be done to ease his misery.
Three teams made up of volunteers and homeless advocates spread out Thursday in Tampa and Brandon toting armloads of survey forms, each consisting of 19 pages of questions meant to help identify the real problems facing the nearly 10,000 homeless men, women and children in Hillsborough County.
Joseph was a willing interviewee, answering question after question - including some intensely personal - about his life, the help he gets and the help he doesn't get.
He said he gets work occasionally, but could work more. For some unknown reason, his teeth began falling out over the past few weeks. He spent last night in a halfway house nearby.
He's been homeless for about two months.
"I know I don't look homeless," he said. "But looks can be deceiving."
Nearby volunteers interviewed others.
Chap Cererin works with the Department of Veterans' Affairs and said he wants to help veterans who have found themselves without a home. He said he has an easy rapport with them.
"You have to treat them with respect," Cererin said.
go here for the rest
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/28/me-homeless-survey-hits-streets/
By KEITH MORELLI
The Tampa Tribune
Published: March 28, 2008
Updated: 12:14 am
TAMPA - Jayne Stelley, in the lime-green T-shirt of the survey team, chatted easily outside a day-labor office with Leslie Joseph, a 52-year-old homeless man, hoping to get a glimpse into what can be done to ease his misery.
Three teams made up of volunteers and homeless advocates spread out Thursday in Tampa and Brandon toting armloads of survey forms, each consisting of 19 pages of questions meant to help identify the real problems facing the nearly 10,000 homeless men, women and children in Hillsborough County.
Joseph was a willing interviewee, answering question after question - including some intensely personal - about his life, the help he gets and the help he doesn't get.
He said he gets work occasionally, but could work more. For some unknown reason, his teeth began falling out over the past few weeks. He spent last night in a halfway house nearby.
He's been homeless for about two months.
"I know I don't look homeless," he said. "But looks can be deceiving."
Nearby volunteers interviewed others.
Chap Cererin works with the Department of Veterans' Affairs and said he wants to help veterans who have found themselves without a home. He said he has an easy rapport with them.
"You have to treat them with respect," Cererin said.
go here for the rest
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/28/me-homeless-survey-hits-streets/
Thursday, March 6, 2008
VA claims there are less homeless veterans now?
There are fewer homeless vets, VA estimates
By Kimberly Hefling - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Mar 6, 2008 12:04:57 EST
WASHINGTON — The number of homeless veterans has declined to just over 150,000, the government says.
The Veterans Affairs Department estimates that on any given night last year, 154,000 veterans were homeless, about a 20 percent decrease from 195,827 in the agency’s 2006 estimate.
The decrease comes even as Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are trickling into shelters. VA has seen about 500 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in homeless-specific programs, and the number is increasing as the pool of troops who fought in the wars grows, said Pete Dougherty, VA’s director of homeless programs.
go here for the rest
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/03/ap_homelessvets_030608/
They can say what they want to say, but they'll have to actually prove it this time. We suddenly dropped from over 300,000 to less than 200,000. Now they are saying the numbers dropped again. If they have the data to prove this then there has to be data on where all the homeless veterans went. Show us the data! Then we may believe it.
By Kimberly Hefling - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Mar 6, 2008 12:04:57 EST
WASHINGTON — The number of homeless veterans has declined to just over 150,000, the government says.
The Veterans Affairs Department estimates that on any given night last year, 154,000 veterans were homeless, about a 20 percent decrease from 195,827 in the agency’s 2006 estimate.
The decrease comes even as Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are trickling into shelters. VA has seen about 500 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in homeless-specific programs, and the number is increasing as the pool of troops who fought in the wars grows, said Pete Dougherty, VA’s director of homeless programs.
go here for the rest
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/03/ap_homelessvets_030608/
They can say what they want to say, but they'll have to actually prove it this time. We suddenly dropped from over 300,000 to less than 200,000. Now they are saying the numbers dropped again. If they have the data to prove this then there has to be data on where all the homeless veterans went. Show us the data! Then we may believe it.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Mental Health Crisis hits New Orleans
Mental health crisis plagues New Orleans
By Rick Jervis, USA TODAY
NEW ORLEANS — Bernel Johnson showed all the signs.
He was diagnosed by a psychiatrist as aggressive, homeless and schizophrenic. He was kicked out of a Salvation Army homeless shelter late last year for holding a fork to a fellow resident's throat. On Jan. 4, Johnson was committed to a psychiatric facility for causing a disturbance at a bank. He was released and, a few weeks later, attacked New Orleans police Officer Nicola Cotton, 24, in a parking lot.
Johnson wrestled Cotton's service handgun from her and shot her 15 times, killing the officer, police said. Johnson remains in jail without bond, charged with first-degree murder.
New Orleans health and law enforcement officials say more cases such as this could unfold if the city's mental health crisis isn't resolved soon. Since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city 2½ years ago, the number of public mental health facilities and community outreach centers has decreased dramatically, leaving the mentally ill without medication and monitoring.
go here for the rest
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-03-04-katrina-health_N.htm
Linked from RawStory
This was one storm that caused days of trauma and suffering. Now think about what happened to these people. Now think about living with trauma everyday while deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Think about Vietnam veterans and all other veterans exposed to this kind of trauma. There is no need for anyone to ever question why so many are wounded by PTSD. We want to think the men and women who serve are different from us. In many ways, they are. We cannot forget that they are just humans and can experience the same wounds we do but they are exposed to more horrific traumatic events than we are.
By Rick Jervis, USA TODAY
NEW ORLEANS — Bernel Johnson showed all the signs.
He was diagnosed by a psychiatrist as aggressive, homeless and schizophrenic. He was kicked out of a Salvation Army homeless shelter late last year for holding a fork to a fellow resident's throat. On Jan. 4, Johnson was committed to a psychiatric facility for causing a disturbance at a bank. He was released and, a few weeks later, attacked New Orleans police Officer Nicola Cotton, 24, in a parking lot.
Johnson wrestled Cotton's service handgun from her and shot her 15 times, killing the officer, police said. Johnson remains in jail without bond, charged with first-degree murder.
New Orleans health and law enforcement officials say more cases such as this could unfold if the city's mental health crisis isn't resolved soon. Since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city 2½ years ago, the number of public mental health facilities and community outreach centers has decreased dramatically, leaving the mentally ill without medication and monitoring.
Mental illness also is rampant among the city's homeless, whose population has spiked since the storm from 6,200 to 12,000 today, says Sam Scaffidi of the New Orleans Police Homeless Assistance Unit. Under the Interstate 10 overpass at the corner of Claiborne Avenue and Canal Street downtown, homeless encampments have multiplied since Katrina into a sprawling colony of tents, soiled sleeping bags and cardboard caves.
go here for the rest
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-03-04-katrina-health_N.htm
Linked from RawStory
This was one storm that caused days of trauma and suffering. Now think about what happened to these people. Now think about living with trauma everyday while deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Think about Vietnam veterans and all other veterans exposed to this kind of trauma. There is no need for anyone to ever question why so many are wounded by PTSD. We want to think the men and women who serve are different from us. In many ways, they are. We cannot forget that they are just humans and can experience the same wounds we do but they are exposed to more horrific traumatic events than we are.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Homeless man committed suicide in hospital
Hospital cited in patient suicide
ER fell short in monitoring a homeless man who hanged himself in Douglasville, according to a federal report.
By ANDY MILLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/25/08
A Douglasville hospital failed to meet patient safety standards when a homeless man committed suicide in its emergency department, federal regulators have found.
The patient, evaluated as a suicide risk by WellStar Douglas Hospital staff, was not properly monitored for two hours and was then found hanging in his seclusion room, said a federal investigative report. The death occurred Oct. 31.
under the Freedom of Information Act.
Douglas Wayne Brown, 45, was in a seclusion room — typically used to manage a very agitated patient — a total of 22 hours, waiting for a transfer to another facility for treatment of alcohol and psychiatric problems, according to the report from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The report, based on an inspection by state surveyors in mid-November, does not describe whether the WellStar Douglas emergency room was crowded when the patient died.
A suicide in a hospital emergency department is extremely rare, health care officials said. Brown's death also renews questions about the capacity of general hospitals and psychiatric facilities in Georgia to handle the rising demand for mental health services.
go here for the rest
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/02/24/ersuicide_0225.html
ER fell short in monitoring a homeless man who hanged himself in Douglasville, according to a federal report.
By ANDY MILLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/25/08
A Douglasville hospital failed to meet patient safety standards when a homeless man committed suicide in its emergency department, federal regulators have found.
The patient, evaluated as a suicide risk by WellStar Douglas Hospital staff, was not properly monitored for two hours and was then found hanging in his seclusion room, said a federal investigative report. The death occurred Oct. 31.
under the Freedom of Information Act.
Douglas Wayne Brown, 45, was in a seclusion room — typically used to manage a very agitated patient — a total of 22 hours, waiting for a transfer to another facility for treatment of alcohol and psychiatric problems, according to the report from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The report, based on an inspection by state surveyors in mid-November, does not describe whether the WellStar Douglas emergency room was crowded when the patient died.
A suicide in a hospital emergency department is extremely rare, health care officials said. Brown's death also renews questions about the capacity of general hospitals and psychiatric facilities in Georgia to handle the rising demand for mental health services.
go here for the rest
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/02/24/ersuicide_0225.html
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Help for the homeless Tony finds his way home
Help for the homeless Tony finds his way home
An innovative program is getting many of the city’s mentally ill off the streets and into a new life
By DAWN HINSHAW - dhinshaw@thestate.com
When Jeremy McCleery took a job 1½ years ago doing outreach at the Homeless Recovery Center, his mission was to help Tony.
Among the hundreds of anonymous homeless people who wander Columbia’s streets, Tony was different.
A slight Vietnamese man with a broad brown face, Tony slumbered on benches along Devine Street or walked the streets downtown with his clothes bundled under his shirt, his long matted hair stuffed into a stocking cap.
Many people came to recognize Tony during his 15 years on the streets, but no one knew him.
He was calm and silent, never asking for anything, often refusing the money or food that well-meaning people held out to him, saying, “I’m OK, I’m OK.”
Because of his silence, stories grew up around Tony — legends, really — that he was royalty, that he fled his homeland in fear for his life.
As a social work student at USC, McCleery saw Tony around town and wondered about him, too.
“He’d been around for so long, and no one had helped him,” he said. “Our program was made for people like Tony.”
go here for the rest
http://www.thestate.com/local/story/326053.html
It's a heart warming story of what a difference one person can make.
An innovative program is getting many of the city’s mentally ill off the streets and into a new life
By DAWN HINSHAW - dhinshaw@thestate.com
When Jeremy McCleery took a job 1½ years ago doing outreach at the Homeless Recovery Center, his mission was to help Tony.
Among the hundreds of anonymous homeless people who wander Columbia’s streets, Tony was different.
A slight Vietnamese man with a broad brown face, Tony slumbered on benches along Devine Street or walked the streets downtown with his clothes bundled under his shirt, his long matted hair stuffed into a stocking cap.
Many people came to recognize Tony during his 15 years on the streets, but no one knew him.
He was calm and silent, never asking for anything, often refusing the money or food that well-meaning people held out to him, saying, “I’m OK, I’m OK.”
Because of his silence, stories grew up around Tony — legends, really — that he was royalty, that he fled his homeland in fear for his life.
As a social work student at USC, McCleery saw Tony around town and wondered about him, too.
“He’d been around for so long, and no one had helped him,” he said. “Our program was made for people like Tony.”
go here for the rest
http://www.thestate.com/local/story/326053.html
It's a heart warming story of what a difference one person can make.
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