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Tag: homeless

  • Homeless People Read Mean Tweets in Heartbreaking PSA

    A Canadian organization is taking a popular viral concept and turning it on its head.

    You’ve probably laughed along as musicians, actors, politicians, athletes, and other celebrities read mean tweets about themselves. The popular bit is the work of Jimmy Kimmel Live, but the concept has spread and other groups and organizations have made their own “mean tweets” videos.

    So has Raising the Roof – but its video is anything but funny.

    As part of its “Humans for Humans” campaign to “encourage every person to take part in changing the conversation to give people experiencing homelessness the compassion and assistance they need”, Raising the Roof has put out a heartbreaking PSA where the homeless read mean tweets.

    Check it out:

    Raising the Roof has recorded individual responses to the tweets, and you can see them all here.

    Image via Raising the Roof, YouTube

  • Sleeping Bags Can Save A Life During The Winter Months

    Sleeping bags aren’t just for camping. They can literally save a life during the cold winter months. That’s why it’s so gratifying to see one non-profit doing something about it.

    TWC News reports that King’s Kitchen – a non-profit restaurant in Charlotte – has begun handing out 500 sleeping bags to the city’s homeless. This is just the latest effort the non-profit makes to help the homeless as it uses the funds it makes from the restaurant to prepare food for the homeless. In fact, King’s Kitchen delivers sandwiches and coffee to those living on the streets every night.

    If you live in the area, King’s Kitchen is still accepting sleeping bag donations. It can’t be stressed enough how important sleeping bags, hand warmers and other goods are to the homeless during the winter months. According to Think Progress, a third of over the half-million homeless in the United States are threatened by cold this Winter. While there are shelters that service the homeless during Winter, many of those shelters don’t open until it’s already too cold. It’s not helping that many cities are making it harder for the homeless to survive because they’re worried more about appearances and property values than their fellow man.

    If you don’t live in Charlotte, there are still many ways to help homeless locally and around the nation. For starters, you can donate to the National Coalition for the Homeless. The organization is dedicated to eradicating homelessness through changes in public policy and helping the homeless find affordable housing. If you want to help on the local level, you can find one of many local charities that serve the homeless over at Great Nonprofits.

    I realize it’s easy to ignore the homeless. I’m guilty of it as well. People will go out of their way to not recognize those less fortunate than us, even when it’s their own family.

    With that being said, please do what you can to help those less fortunate than you this holiday season. A Christmas Carol isn’t just a nice story we read to make ourselves feel good during the holidays. It’s a warning.

  • Jennifer Connelly and Husband to Be Honored for Helping Homeless

    Jennifer Connelly and her husband Paul Bettany will be honored on October 30th at the 20th Artwalk NY to benefit the Coalition for the Homeless. The couple is recognized for raising awareness about homelessness with for their upcoming film Shelter. The Metropolitan Pavilion event includes an auction of works by artists including Chuck Close, Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, Roxy Paine and others.

    Connelly’s husband directed her in Shelter, in which she portrayed an addicted homeless woman. Jennifer Connelly had to lose 26 pounds to play the role. The actress–who has always been known for her slim build–must be incredibly gaunt after losing that much weight.

    She spoke recently with ContactMusic about preparing for her role.

    “There was so much work to do about her (Hannah) and the circumstances of her life that I knew nothing about. I had a lot of practical research to do. Slowly, over months, I lost a lot of weight and ultimately lost about 25 pounds. I wanted to be quite comfortable with her and I had no experience of using needles, so I spent a lot of time working on that so I could be quite at ease; practicing using the paraphernalia,” she said.

    “Also, my character is an intravenous drug user, so I spent a lot of time with people who are currently struggling with addiction, with doctors who are experts on addiction and some recovered addicts who shared their stories with me and worked with me closely on the script,” she said.

    Jennifer Connelly says the Coalition for the Homeless in New York City and Lower East Side Home Reduction Center were very helpful in helping her prepare for her role. Despite her preparation, however, she was in no way prepared with the actual plight of the homeless.

    “The sheer numbers are quite striking. For me it was quite revelatory to realize how many children are homeless in New York–56,000 people each night in New York City are in shelters alone. So those numbers are quite staggering and that doesn’t count for people who are sleeping rough, sleeping in the streets and not in shelters,” she said.

    Kudos to Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany on raising homelessness awareness with their film Shelter. May it raise even more once it hits theaters.

    Hopefully Jennifer Connelly has gained some–if not all–of the weight back she lost for the role. In light of her normal, very thin frame she could stand to gain back even more than that.

  • Homeless Sign Contest: Two Texas Cops Suspended

    Two Midland, Texas police officers were suspended for three days after the police department learned of a panhandling game.

    According to the Associated Press, Derek Hester, 25, and 26-year-old Daniel Zoelzer, were suspended without pay for competing in a game to see who could steal the most cardboard signs from the homeless.

    The news agency also reported how:

    …eight signs were found in the trunk of Hester’s patrol car on Nov. 20 and Zoelzer had thrown about 10 signs he had confiscated into a city trash container after Hester called him to warn him he had been reprimanded by his superior for having the signs.

    Although there isn’t a city ordinance that forbids the homeless from panhandling, both officers claimed that they were issuing trespass warnings. However, there were no records to prove this.

    Public scrutiny has now prompted the department to take action against the officers who have only been with the Midland police division for two years.

    Police Chief Price Robinson reportedly said that the officers didn’t deserve a harsher punishment since their actions concerned another department.

    However, homeless advocacy groups believe otherwise. One attorney in the Odessa Office of the Texas Civil Rights Project described how she felt about the officers’ immature game.

    “The fact that they are making sport out of collecting the personal property of homeless individuals could be seen as them targeting these individuals for discriminatory harassment,” Cassandra Champion told the AP.

    In addition to their suspension, Hester and Zoelzer are being investigated for failing to report evidence received during a November 18 patrol stop.

    Robinson said that officers were recently reminded of the appropriate behavior expected of them, which is outlined in the department’s professional standards of conduct.

    “We want to respect people, no matter who they are — homeless, whatever,” Robinson said. “That situation’s been dealt with. Those officers understand.”

    A message posted on the department’s website may also be in connection to what has occurred recently:

    The members of the Midland Police Department are committed to working with the public to provide law enforcement services to all. We will provide these services in an effective, efficient, and professional manner to insure that Midland is a quality community in which to live, work, visit and play

    The department greatly appreciates the positive relationship that exists between the citizens of our community and our police force. Our officers are highly professional in their skills and are very sensitive to the concerns of our community.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Tiny Houses Shelter the Homeless in the U.S.

    Tiny portable houses are being built all across the U.S.

    These tiny structures were originally used for downsizing or environmental purposes, but now homeless activists are taking advantage of the security it could provide to someone living on the streets.

    Typically built with a bed, kitchen, and toilet, similar replicas have served well for poverty-stricken individuals in states including Wisconsin, Oregon, California, Florida, New York, and Texas.

    Occupy Madison Build (OM Build) of Wisconsin built its first 98-square-foot structure for $5,000 last month without government assistance. Now, one homeless man is helping to build his mini home.

    “You’re out of the elements, you’ve got your own bed, you’ve got your own place to call your own,” Harold “Hap” Morgan said. “It gives you a little bit of self-pride: This is my own house.”

    Plumbing and electricity are unavailable. However, the houses are well insulated and have propane heaters.

    One California carpenter told NBC News that his tiny homes, which he refers to as micro-pods, has helped with issues faced by the homeless in the city of Oakland.

    Artist Gregory Kloehn, 43, hopes his custom designed structures will help to alleviate the number of homeless people who are jailed for breaking public safety laws.

    “I was sleeping outside on the freeway for two or three years,” 39-year-old Cathryn Estelle Copeland told NBC News. “Now, I can roll my house down the street. Now the police don’t give me a hard time. I keep my house clean and I have no problems.”

    Unlike OM Build, Kloehn’s quirky-like structures are built on a $100 budget. He saves money by reusing wood found out on the streets or in the local trash. His tiny houses, however, usually only come with a bed, a storage area, and insulation.

    Additionally, other nonprofit organizations and ministries in the country are taking this idea just a little further.(image)

    In Eugene, Oregon, homeless activists are hoping to establish small interpersonal communities filled with mini mobile homes.

    Opportunity Village Eugene, Community Supported Shelters (CSS), and The Village Collaborative are just a few that plan to offer affordable and sustainable permanent housing to people living without shelter or who wish to live resourcefully.

     

    Here is the story about Harold “Hap” Morgan of Wisconsin:

    Image via Blog, Gregory Kloehn

    Image via YouTube

  • Tiny Houses Efficient Way to House Homeless

    Tiny Houses have been steadily growing in popularity among people who want to downsize, simplify their lives, or just want cheaper housing. Now they are helping society with a more serious issue. Homelessness.

    There are several benefits to using tiny houses to fill the need of communities across the nation, according to CBS. The tiny houses are much cheaper to build than traditional shelters.

    For this purpose they are being built without plumbing for kitchen or bathroom, making the cost only about $5,000 per unit. In addition, many are built with donated materials as well as volunteer labor, sometimes from those that will eventually live in them.

    Another benefit is the community atmosphere that these tiny houses provide. Since there are no bathrooms or kitchens, there will be facilities provided in shared buildings. Those who are not that social will have a chance to get used to getting along with others in a controlled environment where cooperation is a necessity.

    Having your own tiny house also provides those that are looking for a fresh start something to call their own.

    “You’re out of the elements, you’ve got your own bed, you’ve got your own place to call your own,” said Harold “Hap” Morgan, who has suffered injury, depression and alcohol addiction. “It gives you a little bit of self-pride: This is my own house.” He added, “My goal is to go back to that and get my own place, but it’s really nice to have this to fall back on.”

    The tiny housing for homeless movement sprang out of the Occupy movement in Eugene, Oregon. What was once an Occupy camp slowly became a tent city for the homeless, which became an idea. Andrew Heben and some others worked with the city, which donated land for a tiny house community, to create a solution.

    That solution was Opportunity Village Eugene, which opened up in September. Most of the units, nine huts of 60 square feet and 21 bungalows of 64 and 80 square feet, are already built and ready for tenants.

    “It’s an American success story. … Now we see in different cities people coming up with citizen driven solutions,” Heben said.

    Image via YouTube

  • Kelly Thomas: Cops Acquitted Of Beating To Death Homeless Man

    A jury acquitted two former Fullerton police officers Monday in the death of Kelly Thomas. Charges against a third officer, Joseph Wolfe, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter, were also dropped.

    Kelly Thomas was a homeless, schizophrenic man who died after a violent confrontation with law enforcement officers in Fullerton, California in 2011. Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli had been charged with excessive use of force and involuntary manslaughter.

    Family, friends and supporters of Thomas have reacted angrily to the verdict and are now hoping that federal authorities will step in. Kelly Thomas’ father Ron Thomas who is a former sheriff’s deputy said he hoped that the U.S. Justice Department would charge the officers as he was dumbfounded that they were able to get away with such a crime.

    (image)

    The FBI has said the agency has been investigating the case since 2011. Now that the state trial has ended they will examine the evidence to determine whether further charges can be brought against the trio at the federal level. A total of 25 witnesses testified during the hearing and a 33-minute surveillance video, synced with audio recording was also presented to the court.

    Disturbing footage of Kelly Thomas’ beating

    http://youtu.be/e6yaeD-E_MY

    Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas prosecuted the case himself and has defended the outcome of the trial saying it was a fair trial. He said if given another chance, he “would do the same thing again.”

    Outrage and protests have been reported in Fullerton where Kelly Thomas was beaten to death by the police.  Curtis Gamble, a homeless friend of Thomas, said there are many other friends who witnessed the beating but they did not get the chance to testify during the trial. More than 100 people gathered at the site (known as Kelly’s corner) with some leaving candles and flowers. Thomas’ mother stood among the crowd, visibly heartbroken.

    Watch Kelly Thomas Trial Verdict

    Image via copblock.org

  • Fukushima Radiation – Homeless To Clean Up?

    Fukushima Radiation – Homeless To Clean Up?

    A man named Seiji Sasa is on a mission – recruiting homeless people from the Sendai Train Station for labor on the worst job in the world, cleaning up the nuclear waste of Fukushima.

    According to Sasa – the homeless people in the train station are potential laborers that he can dispatch to contractors in Japan’s nuclear disaster zone for a bounty of $100 a head.

    “This is how labor recruiters like me come in every day,” Sasa says, as he strides past men sleeping on cardboard and clutching at their coats against the early winter cold.

    Cleaning up industrial radioactive fallout is the most undesirable job in the world, and it seems the only way to find people willing to work for minimum wage is to go out and recruit the homeless. After all, they don’t have much else to do.

    When the March 2011 earthquake hit, followed by a massive tsunami that leveled villages across Japan’s northeast coast – it began the next hazardous disaster – the multiple meltdowns at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. The disaster is still prevalent today, and causing immense damage to humans, fish, and all other life.

    Now, three years later, the crucial clean up of the Fukushima disaster is behind schedule. The slow effort has been blamed on a lack of oversight and a shortage of workers, according to a Reuters analysis of contracts and interviews with dozens of those involved.

    In October, homeless men were rounded up at Sendai’s train station by Sasa, then put to work clearing radioactive soil and debris in Fukushima City for less than minimum wage, according to police and accounts of those involved. The men reported up through a chain of three other companies to Obayashi, Japan’s second-largest construction company.

    Now the Japanese mob is being charged with illegally accessing the construction giant Obayashi Corp’s network of decontamination subcontractors and illegally sending workers to the government-funded project.

    Obayashi, however, has not been accused of any wrongdoing. But the series of arrests has shown that members of Japan’s three largest mob syndicates – Yamaguchi-gumi, Sumiyoshi-kai and Inagawa-kai – were setting up a “black market” recruit of laborers under their company name.

    “We are taking it very seriously that these incidents keep happening one after another,” said Junichi Ichikawa, a spokesman for Obayashi. He said the company tightened its scrutiny of its lower-tier subcontractors in order to shut out gangsters, known as the yakuza. “There were elements of what we had been doing that did not go far enough.”

    Sadly, a large number of these homeless people recruited are not being paid even the minimum wage and end up with next to nothing after fees are taken out of their checks to pay for food and lodging.

    The biggest problem is where to put the radioactive debris. Apparently Japan’s budget has a provision for an intermediate storage facility designed to hold up to 28 million cubic meters for about 30 years, but that isn’t going into effect until next year. For now though, being so behind schedule is a major issue to the local residents, who haven’t been able to move back into their homes since the onset of this tragedy.

    Image via YouTube

  • Winter Coats Can Save A Homeless Person’s Life

    When winter hits the country, with freezing rain, snow, ice and below zero temps, most Americans are at home snuggled up by a fire or in a heated home. It can be difficult to venture out into the snow and ice when required – but most people have a warm place to return.

    Not the homeless. They are the hundreds of thousand people who live on the streets in every city, town and suburb in the U.S. In New York alone the numbers have been estimated: Each night as many as 60,000 people — including more than 22,000 children — experience homelessness.

    Measured annually – more than 111,000 different homeless New Yorkers, including more than 40,000 children, sleep in New York’s shelters.

    The total number of people in New York that are homeless, as of September 2013 is 52,351. Numbers get higher in warmer places like Los Angeles County – their numbers are closer to the 250,000 mark – of men, women and children who experience homelessness at some point in the year.

    That is a lot of homeless people – but who keeps them warm? There are organizations that help – such as “One Warm Coat.”

    One Warm Coat and organizations like them help the estimated 671,850 Americans that experience homelessness on any given night, in our country. They organize coat drives, blanket drives, and more.

    From their website: Health experts report that even a 2-degree drop in body temperature results in reduced heart rate, loss of coordination, and confusion. Adults cannot work effectively and children find it difficult to learn. For most, a warm coat solves the problem. But, for the now nearly 15% of Americans living in poverty, a warm winter coat is a budget “extra.”

    One Warm Coat helps other organizations organize drives in an effort to gather enough coats to help the homeless through winter.

    Other groups, such as The Empowerment Plan is not just helping the homeless get warm coats for the frigid winters, but is also employing them, enabling them to earn incomes and restart their lives.

    Their mission” We’re a Detroit-based nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the homeless community. We hire homeless women from local shelters to become full time seamstresses. These women manufacture a coat that transforms into a sleeping bag, which is then given out to homeless individuals living on the streets at no cost to them.

    ​We believe in giving second chances to those who want it, and providing warmth to those who need it.

    Why not find a local organization or group that is dedicated to helping the homeless stay warm this winter – and give. Give your coats, sweaters, blankets, donations or your time. This is a time when our country needs to care about those who cannot even stay warm.

    Image via YouTube

  • Down Jackets Encourage Animal Cruelty Towards Birds

    Down jackets’ warmth and comfort are very popular during the winter and mainly for those who enjoy the outdoors during the colder season.

    What are down jackets you ask? Well, they consist of feathers plucked from the softest point on a duck or goose.

    According to a report by Salon, the term “down” is described as:

    “A single piece…of “plumule,” basically a multidirectional puff. These plumules interlock and trap tiny pockets of air — it’s actually this layer of air that keeps the cold out and the warmth in. Down provides about three times more warmth per ounce than synthetics; that is, it’s warmer and lighter and doesn’t mat down over time as synthetics will do.”

    Other down products also include: furniture, blankets, comforters, pillows, and other sorts of clothing. Thus, down is generally used in coats and jackets.

    Due to the fact that down jackets last longer and provide undeniable warmth, many are being donated to help the needy.

    However, these jackets come at a great price for those birds that are stripped of their God-given, natural warmth, which is used to benefit the fashion industry.

    PETA.org describes in an article how a bird’s feathers are typically pulled while they are alive, leaving open and bloody wounds:

    “Live plucking causes birds considerable pain and distress. Once their feathers are ripped out, many of the birds, paralyzed with fear, are left with gaping wounds—some even die as a result of the procedure. Workers often sew the birds’ skin back together without using any anesthetics.”

    The cruelty-free organization believes that the buying of down products also continues to support the meat industry because they too make a profit from having their chickens plucked before killing them.

    Down is seldom produced in the U.S. but is still one of the most trendy for big-time jacket company North Face.

    It doesn’t seem like the popularity and usage of down jackets will be depleting anytime soon among the fashion or charitable industry.

    So, what do you think is more important: continuing the donation of down jackets to keep the homeless warm or refusing to invest in down products to ensure the safety of birds?

    I know it’s a hard decision to make.

    Here is a short video on how to find cruelty-free down clothing.

    Image via Youtube, GeoBeats News

  • Pajamas Provided For Homeless Children

    Pajamas Provided For Homeless Children

    Did you know that something as small as a pair of pajamas could change a child’s life? Genevieve Piturro, 52, realized this while she was volunteering to read to children at a homeless shelter, in New York, fourteen years ago. After reading to the children, she noticed that they would get into their beds fully clothed, and it made her wonder what kind of difference it would make if they had a clean pair of pajamas to put on before bed.

    “When I finished reading to them, they’d simply get into bed with their clothes on,” Piturro said. “The police had brought them in wearing nothing but the clothes on their back, clothes that were often dirty, sometimes covered in blood. They were alone and frightened, and given nothing but food,” she continued. “As I turned to leave one night, a little girl in a Chicago shelter whispered in my ear, ‘Please, don’t forget me.’ People come in and out of their lives, and they’re forgotten.”

    After that night, Piturro made it her own personal mission to provide the children some sort of hope by showing that, at least one person, cared about them. She started asking people around her for donations of pajamas and books. Over the past fourteen years, through her non-profit organization the Pajama Program, Piturro has provided children in 32 states with over 2 million pairs of pajamas and books.

    “This is the first stop for children before they’re placed in foster care, and having warm beautiful pajamas makes their transition a little bit less traumatic,” says Ronald E. Richter, Commissioner of the New York City Administration for Children’s Services. “It’s hard to say whether the fear goes away when the volunteers are here, but, in those moments, it helps them know that there are caring people out there. Having another adult comfort them makes them feel as though they’re okay.”

    Piturro says they are always in need of donation and urges people not to forget about the older children and teenagers. “Children are losing hope, and we have to step up to the plate. We always need more pajamas, especially because the kids who are traumatized are wetting and soiling themselves, not even just the little ones, but teenagers, too,” said Piturro. “They’re afraid, there’s a lot of anxiety. They’re so nervous about being in a new place, where they’re going to be, what’s happening.”

    “People forget about the bigger kids. When they’re 10 or 11, they know the score: adoption won’t happen, and they’d be lucky to find a foster family,” Piturro continued. “They’re so lonely and defeated, and when a box arrives at a shelter and it’s only filled with stuff for the little kids, that’s a double heartbreak for them. We beg for sizes 12, 14 in kids, and adult small and medium for teenagers so they’re remembered, too.”

    To find out how you can help click here.

    Image via Twitter

  • Homeless Man Returns $42,000 Found in Backpack

    In a day where stories on the tragic Navy Yard shooting in Washington, D.C. has been the bulk of the headlines, the story of one man who returned a large sum of money should make your day a little brighter. A homeless man in Boston, Glen James, found $42,000 in cash and traveler’s checks in a backpack and made sure the money made it back to its rightful owner.

    After finding and returning the backpack on Saturday, James received a special citation from Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis on Monday. James issued a handwritten statement on the situation, saying he doesn’t like to talk much because he stutters.

    “Even if I were desperate for money, I would not have kept even a…penny of the money I found. I am extremely religious–God has always very well looked after me,” James said in the statement. James also used the statement to give thanks to the people who have given him spare change over the years. “I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone–every pedestrian stranger–who has given me spare change. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

    It’s hard to fathom someone returning any amount of money, especially such a large sum. It says a lot that James, a man who has been homeless since 2005 and could certainly use the money, didn’t hesitate for a moment to flag down a police officer and turn over the backpack. Police were able to get the backpack, which contained travel documents in addition to the cash and traveler’s check, to the right person.

    A man in Virginia, Ethan Whittington, started an online campaign to raise money for James. Using a website called gofundme.com, Whittington has raised just over $3,000 so far, with a goal of eventually raising $50,000 for the homeless man. “I read the article about it, and…it seemed like a great opportunity to help someone out,” said Whittington. “I thought what [James] did was very honorable.”

    What would you do if you were in the same position and found a large sum of money? Add your comments below.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQS3IKv9LYI

    Image via YouTube

  • Rickie Lawrence Gardner: Bank Robber Says, “Arrest Me, Please”

    Lyndon McWhorter, Police Chief of Moulton, Ala., has announced the capture of bank robber Rickie Lawrence Gardner.

    Don’t care?

    That’s because Rickie Lawrence Gardner wasn’t really a bank robber. Gardner, age 49, was worried that he’d suffered a career-ending leg injury and was destined for the streets. “Three hots and a cot” sounded pretty good to a guy who was about to be out of hearth and home.

    So he pulled up to the Bank Independent branch in Moulton, walked in, and offered up a note that said he had a weapon and wanted money. The clerk handed over roughly $4000 and Gardner walked out, put the cash in his car, locked the vehicle, and sat down on a bench to wait for the cops to arrive.

    McWhorter said Gardner told authorities that he robbed the bank because he had hurt his leg and wasn’t able to take care of himself. “So,” said McWhorter, “he decided to get arrested to have a place to live and someone to take care of him.”

    Arresting authorities report that he had no weapon on him other than a pocketknife but he believed that threatening the clerk with a hypothetical weapon would increase his jail time, hence a longer-term stay in the clink.

    “When the officers got there, he was just sitting on the bench, waiting on them,” McWhorter said. “The money was locked up inside his truck, which was parked in the handicapped spot in front of the bank.”

    For what it’s worth, his leg injury had warranted a handicap parking sticker, which probably won’t help him at sentencing if he’s looking for a long stay. “He had a handicap sticker on his vehicle so he even parked legal,” according to McWhorter.

    Some family members are speculating that the pain medication that went along with the leg injury may have influenced Gardner’s actions.

  • Chad Johnson, Homeless Man Go Out On The Town

    Chad Johnson made quite a few headlines last year after being arrested for a domestic violence dispute–in which he was accused of headbutting his wife, sending her to the hospital–and subsequently being released from his contract with the Miami Dolphins. He went on Twitter around that time to vent about being unemployed, and it looks like things haven’t changed much on the job front…but he’s making the most of it.

    Johnson recently met a homeless man named “Pork Chop” and decided to buy him more than just the beer he asked for. The two hit the town, going on a shopping trip and then out to some clubs, with Johnson tweeting updates about it the entire time. When asked later if he had a long-term plan to help his new friend, Johnson said he’s doing everything in his power to change things for Pork Chop.

  • Philadelphia Bans Outdoor Feeding of Homeless

    Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has just announced enacted a ban on the feeding of homeless people around the Benjamin Franklin Parkway area. This includes Love Park, where outreach groups commonly offer free food to large numbers of the indigent. Nutter states that the feedings are both unsanitary and undignified, adding that “providing to those who are hungry must not be about opening the car trunk, handing out a bunch of sandwiches, and then driving off into the dark and rainy night.”

    Project Home’s leading homeless advocate, Sister Mary Scullion, supports the measure, stating that the mayor is “between a rock and a hard place” concerning the issue of outdoor feeding. Scullion adds, “I really want to thank the mayor for this courageous… this is not an easy position. But I do think it’s a great opportunity.”

    Though, Brian Jenkins of Chosen 300 Ministries, a homeless outreach group that does both indoor and outdoor feedings opposes the ban, and states “the fact that city of Philadelphia is saying now that the homeless don’t have the right to eat on the Ben Franklin Parkway or eat around Center City is a clear violation of civil rights. It says that people that have… can eat in a certain place. But people that have not, can’t.”

    Nutter’s office will try to work with advocate groups to promote more indoor feedings, and for now, food can be offered on the north apron of City Hall. The ban on park feedings takes place in 30 days, and groups in violation face 2 warnings, and then a $150 fine. Also, family gatherings in the park aren’t affected by the ban.

    Charity measures regarding the homeless have recently been in the news regarding the Homeless Hotspots controversy at the SXSW Festival in Austin, TX. Marketing agency BBH labs was sending homeless people out with wifi devices, in attempts to get people to give them tips for free internet service. Some have said that this was an affront to the dignity of the homeless.

  • Homeless Hotspots Could Result in Numerous Public Health and Safety Risks

    Marketing agency BBH Labs was been inspired to turn local homeless people into hotspots while attending the South by South West conference in Austin, Texas. Each homeless representative will be given a sign and a 4G connection to alert people of their location while they walk around and make connections for people in exchange for donations.

    This idea is sheer madness, the general public does not even want to share public facilities with the homeless (think about how many homeless people are kicked out of libraries) and they certainly aren’t going to initiate an interaction with a vagrant but according to The Inquirer BBH thinks that it will work: “They’re carrying MiFi devices. Introduce yourself, then log on to their 4G network via your phone or tablet for a quick high-quality connection. You pay what you want (ideally via the PayPal link on the site so we can track finances), and whatever you give goes directly to the person that just sold you access.”

    Some people have reacted to the idea by saying that BBH is exploiting the homeless and not paying them enough — that they are corrupt because the homeless representatives will be independent contractors meaning that they might not even make minimum wage.

    The homeless 4G vendor in the following YouTube thinks that this will be a wonderful experience and opportunity for him to get his life back on track:

    Commenters either vilified BBH on the blog for their Homeless Hotspot idea while others thought that it helped economically challenged people rise above:

    “Calling it “charitable” is a pretty crappy way to get around federal minimum wage laws. Luck for you the US Attorney in Texas is a Bush appointee.”

    “The critics have it all wrong. The homeless are not being exploited. They get paid, get a chance to meet and talk to people for a relatively minor chore of carrying a wireless hot spot. It’s safer than being a day laborer, pleasanter than standing on the street waving a sign directing drivers to a real-estate development, and offers more real contact than selling newspaper. Those who criticize the radiation exposure should ask whether a hot spot manned by paid staff, which is common at many conferences, is not just as risky. BBH labs deserves praise for an innovative idea to offer homeless a chance to make money and mingle with people.”

    “Plan A – homeless receive money for doing a job they agreed to. Plan B – homeless get nothing. And you think Plan B is more moral than Plan A??? lol. What a joke! This confirms my suspicions that the homeless are people the rest of you are ‘voting off the island’… and your wolf pack morality then views doing anything for them to be wrong. BBH if you read this, please don’t abandon this project because you’ve been besieged by evil – you are in the right here, and the homeless will be better off as a result of your efforts.”

    “I definitely see the merit in the arguments of those defending the program and of those who are outraged by it. I think it’s important, however, to consider that (from what I gather in the article) no one is being forced to do this. If an individual is fully aware of the risks/implications of participating in this program, shouldn’t they have the option to take part? it could, of course, be argued that the often extremely desperate situation that much of the homeless population face could take away this notion of agency. The moral integrity of this program, in my opinion, relies on the unlikely assumption that no deception or wrongful coercion of a participant would take place. My biggest issue with this program is actually the safety concerns associated with being able to track the hotspots, and with that, the individual. For a group that is already at huge risk for violence and other horrific assaults, this just doesn’t seem wise…”

    Safety might be the biggest issue that BBH needs to consider. The homeless contractors are under very little supervision. While there are many homeless that are clean cut hard working people capable of interacting with the community, there are also many homeless individuals suffering from mental and physical diseases that could lead to public health and safety risks for the people who elect to make exchanges with this specific group of representatives. We also need to protect these representatives from becoming targets of violent crimes.

  • Street Treats Puts The Homeless To Work At SXSW

    Mobile Loaves & Fishes started an initiative for SXSW, which put homeless people to work selling ice cream to attendees. It’s called Street Treats, and the vendors, reportedly, get to keep all of the revenue.

    There was a brief mention of it on a local Austin news program:

    Here’s how the Street Treats site describes the project:

    Street Treats is a chance for homeless and formerly homeless individuals to earn legal, dignified living on the streets of Austin.

    When you buy a treat for yourself, you’re also making it possible for someone else to pull themselves up off the streets.

    Founded as a part of Mobile Loaves & Fishes ReWork Project, our ice cream vendors offer delicious, wholesome Blue Bell ice cream treats for $1.00 a piece.

    Doing good never tasted so sweet!

    Here’s what they’ve actually been selling:

    Chooclate Fudge Bar
    Strawberry Fruit Bar
    Rainbow Freeze
    Ice Cream Sandwich
    Vanilla Country Cone (topped with chocolate and nuts)

    They also gave out free t-shirts to their first 100 customers.

    They’re supposed to be tweeting out vendor locations throughout SXSW, but interestingly, when I try to go to the official Twitter account for the initiative, it’s telling me the account is suspended.

    According to the announcement for the project, they sold until midnight on Friday. It’s unclear if it will continue throughout the event.