Real time advocacy

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness - (0 Comments)

When you hear the word advocacy, what pops into your mind? Anybody can sit behind a desk and make phone calls, send out emails and attend endless meetings but while time and money is being spent on that, what exactly goes on with the homeless people living and dying on the streets TODAY? Are you in or out of touch with today’s reality of homelessness? The biggest way to tell if you’re out of touch is if you actually believe there’s enough resources for homeless people to go to even though you’ve never checked to see if your belief is true.

One of the biggest mistakes anyone can make is to hand a homeless person a list of “resources” that the giver didn’t check out for themselves to see if they still exist or if they are so overwhelmed with waiting lists, they may as well be non-existent. Feeding people in parks is a good deed but homeless people need housing now, be it a parking lot for car dwellers to sleep in at night, a safe place to camp if you’re a rough sleeper or immediate housing for families with children. I can’t tell you how many empty church parking lots I’ve driven past that had plenty of space to host tent cities or car dwellers yet these same churches might allow a single homeless person to sleep behind the building outside.

Here’s another pet peeve of mine, if you want to help make sure you are giving appropriate help according to the individual’s need. Don’t send civilians to programs designed to help homeless vets or families to organizations that only help single adults and vice versa. Don’t assume all shelters serve everyone because…they don’t! Imagine how you’d feel if someone just callously handed you a sheet of paper they ran off their computer because they didn’t want to get any more involved than that. For mental health clients, understanding that they cannot be fixed with a pill and a referral will go a long way in helping them gain stability and lead productive lives. If police officers were actually trained in crisis intervention to avoid escalations with severely mentally ill homeless people, it would save tax payers money by not sending them to jail just to get them out of sight. Remember Kelly Thomas?

Here’s another tip, although it is tempting to donate cheap foods like Top Ramen and canned vegetables to your local food bank, before you buy ask yourself if you would eat the food you’re donating. Most food banks are filled with high sodium starchy foods that aren’t that nutritious and for an elderly person or someone with health problems, a prolonged diet on high sodium, fat and cholesterol will kill them. Also keep in mind that many homeless people go to food banks so giving them food that requires refrigeration or prolonged cooking methods doesn’t help them. They need items with pop tops of foods ready to eat or can be made in the park and cooked over a grill. Also, for the ladies, please donate items like feminine products and for families, diapers are a real help!

If you’re an organization looking for a way to provide real-time help, you may want to see what you can do to provide regular showers, laundry services, hygiene packs that include small first aid kits, bus tickets or monthly bus passes for homeless folks with jobs and gas vouchers for car dwellers if you can’t provide housing. Speaking from personal experience though, housing should be first, wrap around support services second. For struggling families, access to childcare so they can go to work without having to sacrifice all their monies to pay for childcare is the only way they can get ahead financially. What good does it do if both parents work low paying jobs and one of them has to spend all their wages on childcare alone? It’s worse if you’re a single parent…..

The best thing you can do above all is LISTEN. That’s the only way you’re going to be in touch with right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Troll of Twitter feeds

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness - (8 Comments)

Definition of TROLL

: a lure or a line
with its lure and hook used in trolling

(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troll)

Once again it would seem that Greg Staffa, a.k.a. @HomelessDefend , @staffaroadtrip has nothing better to do but lead otherwise well-meaning friends down the path of misinformation on his eternal quest to feed his need to troll but when does trolling cross over to outright harassment and libel? What I present here is the full context of what I’ve been watching for several months now and copies of Greg’s behavior as it has been for quite a while. What’s interesting about Greg’s behavior is that he construes any kind of criticism of his own behavior as personal attacks rather than finding better things to do with his life, like real activism. A true activist doesn’t waste all their time making up fake accounts on the internet then sending friend requests to people under aliases so he can phish through their accounts.

Is deliberately following someone around to try to get them fired from jobs and cancelled from speaking gigs harassment? If so, Staffa is guilty. Let’s take a look at an example of one of the kinds of letters Staffa sends to people once he finds out Mark Horvath might be associated with. Keep in mind comments in parenthesis are mine!

From: Greg Staffa [mailto:greg.staffa@hotmail.com]

Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2011 12:47 AM

Subject: harassing the homeless

This is a email I wish I did not have to write.  I had written a similar email several months ago with no luck in fact it got worse.

If a nurse in a nursing home constantly harasses a patient there would be outrage.

If a person working with the homeless constantly harasses homeless it goes ignored……. why?

(Because Greg, sane people already figured out you’re not telling the truth.)

For my protection I have Bcc’d Politicians of the Glendale area as well as other members of the community and people who might have a vested interest.  I’ve also included the Glendale Chief of Police as well as the California Attorney Generals office. (I’d like a follow up with Glendale’s Chief of Plice and the California Attorney General’s office to find out if in fact Greg’s claims have any truth in them or if they just threw is allegations into a oval file cabinet)

I have done so because as a homeless person the Harassment must stop.  It is bad enough when it is some chucklehead who does not know better but its another thing when it is done by someone in the Homeless services.

Since 2009, while homeless I have been exploited and harassed by Mark Horvath of Glendale’s Ascencia.

(Where’s the proof Greg was harassed? This statement is an allegation only)

It has reached a point where I no longer feel safe even though im a 1000 miles away.

I had written the Ascencia Executive Director begging for the harassment by one of her employees to stop but that simply made it worse.

(Executive Director is sharp enough not to pay attention to allegations with no real proof)

The tough part is Mark is a king on social media like Twitter.  With his 16,000 plus followers he has been able to say whatever he wants and get away with it.

Mark Horvath has tried to bribe me, use lawyers to silence me.  lied about police investigating me (Ha ha ha! Where’s the part where Greg shows responsibility in admitting it was his slanderous claims that got him into trouble in the first place?) in order to get my silence from speaking out about his exploiting of me.

(Where’s the proof of a bribe? As I remember it, Mark tried to show he was willing to support you regardless of your behavior and since when does Greg’s WILLINGNESS to have his pictures used grounds for claiming exploitation? If donating money to somebody to help them out is a bribe then Greg needs to start saying all donations Greg gets are in fact, bribes! Following his line of reasoning then, Greg needs to tell ALL the people he willingly let interview him and take his photos that they exploited him for personal gain but notice how he doesn’t do that with anybody else but Mark Horvath!)

Two weeks ago it reached a whole new level  where for 5 days almost 200 tweets Mark lashed out at me on twitter.

(Mark didn’t lash out at Greg, he simply stated the facts Greg was twisting out of context.)

It reached a point when Mark tweeted dozens of time that I hurt children and focused on a child he claimed I attacked online named Zach.   Never mind Zach came forward saying he had no clue what Mark was talking about.

(This is an outright lie on Greg’s part regarding what Zach said and is completely out of context.  What kind of adult drags innocent kids into
his perverse dramas? I invite anyone who see’s Greg’s tweets to go back and find the original tweets, blogs and comments that were actually said by other people and compare them to how he spins them in his own posts.)

Im not the first person to come forward saying Mark exploited them.   Marks outed homeless people who dont want their name or location given out over twitter but mark has done it.

(Name who all the people were that came forward to say they were exploited and let’s see their proof that Mark personally made money off them without their permission. If you can’t, you’re a liar, pure and simple.)

In my opinion, Mark Horvath should not be left alone with homeless people let alone working in a shelter.

(Greg, this is just YOUR opinion and nothing more than that! Mark helps homeless people on a daily basis. Many of the people Mark helps no one else will, and you want him to stop helping homeless people?!!)

The sad thing is groups like Blog World embrace him.  And the Pierce Family foundation are set to give him a $10,000 grant.  Why so Mark Horvath can exploit more of us?

(Where’s your proof that the grant is from exploitation, Greg? Again, you make allegations with no sound evidence. In case you forgot, hearsay is not court  evidence as you try to make it seem.)

Brianna Karp was a homeless woman who wrote about Marks abuse. But nobody listens to us homeless people.

(Brianna Karp wrote a lot of things that were exaggerated and she failed to admit she gave Mark permission to talk to her otherwise, wouldn’t she have just simply chosen not to talk to him at all? How hard is it to say “no”? Fyi to Brianna, I write too but I don’t need to exaggerate the truth just to sell a story)

I WANT THE HARASSMENT TO STOP. Mark Horvath is a NATIONALLY KNOWN PUBLIC FIGURE yet to me he is a bully.

(Greg seems to think his hijacking conference tags isn’t a form of bullying or poor judgment on his part which leads the rest of us wondering when Greg’s lunacy will stop!)

Mark claims my first letter tried to get him fired.  I don’t believe that was the case, but now given the level of his actions and the nature of his job I am asking for Mark Horvath to be let go.

(Greg, you did and continue to try to get Mark fired but then, what else would you do with your time? If you want credibility, stop your obsessing with Mark and get to work filling up your time with helping people which by the way, would be the main theme in your blogs and tweets. In case youhaven’t figured it out yet, you are the one making a fool out of yourself every time you make claims you can’t substantiate. Taking Mark’s words out of context and lying on videos are not evidence.)

The sad part is I doubt anyone I bcc’d will speak up meaning that I am 100% certain Mark Horvath will retaliate against me in some very public way

(Again, Greg shows us he can’t handle criticisms on his own behavior so he lashes out by calling criticisms “attacks”. )

I invite you to check out my blog which outlines some of Marks actions and flat out lies

http://www.gregstaffa.com/Greg_Staffa_Road_Trip.Com/Blog/Entries/2011/10/30_How_many_do_you_help_before_your_allowed_to_hurt.html

Im disappointed that the people of Ascencia sat back and watched even after I raised concerns

Im disappointed that Delta Hotels and Murphy followed his tweets and said nothing

Im disappointed the Pierce family foundation is about to give him a $10,000 grant.

(The above statements just proved that Greg admitted he harasses Mark’s sponsors. How did he know about grants and who sponsors Mark unless Greg trolled for information to use on his smear campaign?)

Please make the bullying by Mark Horvath stop.  Will someone help me please?  Picking on a homeless person???

Who stands up for the homeless when the homeless are bullied by the people suppose to be helping them

And when you read what Mark did/said about Zach you will be outraged

(Actually, reading your pathetic attempt to drag an innocent boy into your warped reality is enough to enrage anybody, Greg.)

Why was this allowed to continue??????

Please help

Greg Staffa

This is only one of the several poorly written letters Greg wastes his time sending out to people. If Mark has been exploiting and harassing people, why are legit organizations behind him?

 

Another example of Greg’s behavior is brought out in a case where he made all kinds of allegations against one Carolyn Sampson. Needless to say, the judge dismissed Greg’s allegations:

http://www.oah.state.mn.us/aljBase/032017434.DISM.OR.htm

Here is one of several letters that Mark has gotten, do you see any claims of feeling like Mark was harassing the homeless?

 

Anne Marie Batten
Community Outreach Street Nurse
4 Flowers Crescent
Ajax, Ontario L1S 4C1

October 4, 2011

Sean French
Community Liason
Community Action Committee
c/o 925 7th Ave. SW
Ste. 308
Calgary, Alberta T2P 4E8

Dear Sean:

I wish to extend my appreciation for the opportunity to be involved in Mark Horvath’s recent visit to Canada and his invisiblepeople.tv roadtrip. It is difficult for me to describe my work these days without including the impact that Mark’s visit had on my outreach work.

When Mark arrived in Toronto, I was in the process of attempting to expand our outreach services as the needs are changing demographically in our part of the city.  In preparing for Mark’s visit I had travelled around to other areas of Toronto and met with other service providers as well.  Many of our clients are marginally housed but I knew that there were many experiencing absolute homelessness as well.  I had the opportunity to travel outside of my area and discovered a tent city as well as two girls living on the roof of a church.  During Mark’s visit, he met one of these girls, Terra.  I have been able to follow up and may not have found her if not for this tour.  My outreach rounds have now expanded and I am also doing some volunteer work in a different area as well.

On a personal level, working with Mark reminded me of the importance of really listening directly to the voices of our clients. Traveling with Mark and experiencing his interviews with those who are homeless and vulnerable was an inspiration to me.  I was impacted by the realization of how we often make program decisions based on what we feel is best for people without getting their opinions.   I have always been involved with advocacy in my work. However, I have been reminded to communicate what I am hearing directly from my clients as well as my own impressions.

We have several challenges in Toronto right now and one is the suggestion of criminalizing panhandling.  During Mark’s visit, he met Billy who is dealing with this issue everyday. Our local City TV has also done a short series on this issue.  When asked my opinion, I refer to Billy’s story as it is genuine and told by someone who is actually experiencing this.

I have recently had the honor of being interviewed by the College Of Nurses of Ontario for an article about my work.  Of course, Mark Horvath’s tour has been mentioned as this experience has impacted my career.   I have signed up with the Canadian Alliance To End Homelessness.  I am very grateful to be involved and to be connecting with other service providers and agencies all across Canada raising awareness and working toward finding a solution for homelessness.

Sincerely,

Anne Marie Batten

 

Need more? Here you go!

https://docs.google.com/open?id=1iZ8XRQO56gNVhCMz03O72o_yNl8zwJfKAcn1E7-0h77twgIA8BqvLbN39gdX

Here is a reference letter from State of Utah:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=1lvnBGpbEGtHKCjSc_MW1fF0dBbaOeSVhKVZ21iJ_2Tpg8to8nBxTtgdHBi1Q

Here are the reference listed by some very important nonprofit executives and others on Great Nonprofits

http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/invisible-people

Would an organization like The Salvation Army work with Mark if he were truly exploiting the homeless? Judge for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLYXEqUE7cM

 

The above are only  a few examples of organizations  that know Mark Horvath is a legitimate advocate. Any reasonable person can plainly see that Mr. Horvath is not engaged in exploitation because if he was, all these organizations wouldn’t be working with him now would they? But hey, the key word here is REASONABLE. I could go on and on with examples of how Greg lies to feed his victimization fantasies but quite frankly, I got better things to do than waste my time on internet trolls. I made this blog post simply because as a homeless person myself who has worked with Mark, not once have I felt like I’ve been “exploited, harassed or bullied.” How sad it is then, when people who are presented the facts, choose to ignore them.

P.S ….It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Greg uses my words out of context like he does with Mark and anybody else he makes up reasons to have a beef with. After all, when Greg came up to Seattle and told me he wanted to meet me for coffee, he got awful snotty when I told him I couldn’t because the transmission on my mini van was being worked on. His attitude told me then and there what kind of guy he is. I feel Greg only wanted to “exploit” meeting with me to give his little road trip more validity.

, , , , ,

A New Year, A New Beginning

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness - (4 Comments)
Gandalf and Michelle meet

For many, the New Year brings new resolutions and new beginnings. For the homeless, it’s a time of anxiety. For one thing, many wonder if their health will hold out another year while others wonder how long it will take to find permanent housing, a living wage job or enough food to eat for their kids. Then there are the bittersweet “feel good” stories we read about. Many of you have seen my posts about a homeless vet known in the city of Kent as Gandalf. Gandalf has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and knows his time is limited. During Christmas, folks who read about him donated funds to put him into a hotel room for over a week. Within that time, he looked healthier and smiled more often because he had a place to sleep and rest for awhile. I often wondered if Gandalf had any family members to take him in but as I listened to his stories about his life, it became increasingly clear that he had nowhere to be but on the street. I saw a woman on Facebook with the same last name as his so I took a chance and sent her a message. To my surprise she replied saying she had been looking for him. I wanted Gandalf to have a good holiday so I arranged a surprise visit for Michelle to meet her father. She was anxious because she had no idea if he would accept her or what his reaction would be. All in all it turned out to be a good reunion and Michelle was and still is determined to make the most of the time her father has left. A little while ago, she sent me a message saying that Gandalf had called from the hospital and she was on her way to pick him up since he agreed to stay with her for awhile. For these two, it would seem that the New Year means a new beginning to their father and daughter relationship and although it may turn out to be brief, they have a chance to talk and be together before it’s too late.

For the homeless youth in the city, things are just as bad as they ever were and steadily getting worse. Homeless teen Angel became sick with the flu because she lives in a tent with her boyfriend Matt. Once again, donations from readers and supporters got these two into a hotel room for the night and a friend of mine dropped off orange juice, crackers, sandwiches and cold medicine to help them feel better. Angel’s Christmas wish was for a camera so I gave her one. With it, she managed to show what the “campground” looks like on the way to their tent:

 

Here is a picture of the water under the bridge many homeless walk under to get to their tents:

 

And here is what the ground is like for many homeless campers:

 

Hopefully, the homeless youth will get the help they need to lead productive lives but that all depends on whether or not they get the services they need when they need them along with housing. Many programs for homeless youth have been eliminated and youth are finding it exteremely difficult to get jobs especially if they have any kind of record which usually happens when they get desperate for food or money. Add to this the danger of being attacked and robbed for whatever little you do have and it becomes clear why so many youth turn to drugs or violence just to survive.

While I continue to seek better opportunities for myself, I will continue to do what I can to help local homeless youth and well, the homeless population in general.  I never was one for New Year’s resolutions because every day I resolve to do better than the last. I pray good thoughts for you and yours as you travel on a path of self discovery and should you find real happiness along the way, hold on to it for as long as you can. The only things we truly own are the memories we create both good and bad. May the ones you create in the new year be good, may the bad ones be lessons learned but above all, remember how to love.

, , , , ,

Keeps crying down…a poem

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness | Poetry - (2 Comments)
wet asphalt

 

 

Asphalt brown, muddy slick

Rain keeps crying down, crying down

Desperate voice outside my window

Talking ‘bout will he see tomorrow

 

She sees little girls destitute

Sell their bodies to predators

On the loose

 

Gotta do something, she says to herself

Instead of being like everyone else

Tired of watching pretenders

Pretending that they care

 

Behind the driver’s side again

Little boys dancing up ahead

Candy man came and went

Gave them all poison

Locking them up

Inside their heads

 

Pimps of poverty go driving by

Hiding behind city badges

Benevolent incarceration

To

Hide criminalization

Of you

 

And the rain

Keeps

Crying

Down

, , , , , ,

What today was like in Kent

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness | Uncategorized - (2 Comments)
Maggie reading book to Gandalf

Today started out as it normally does, me fighting with Maggie to get dressed and off to school but because Maggie’s been sick for the last 3 days, she didn’t go today and together we went to pick up Gandalf. When we got him into the van, the first thing I noticed was the greenish tinge in his face and his shaking hands. I asked him what was wrong and he told me he ran out of the painkillers the hospital gave him and he was in a world of hurt. He tried to take a bite of mashed potatoes and a sip of water and it sent his pancreas into a world of hell. He’s pretty much on an all liquid diet but every now and then, he gives in to his cravings for food.

I ran him up to Catholic Community Services for bus tickets because he has to go to a hospital in downtown Seattle known as Harborview tomorrow but that’s if he isn’t hurting so bad or has a seizure and gets taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital. He had a prescription that needed to be filled and since he has no insurance, I told him I would pay to get it filled. We drove up the hill to Walgreen’s and dropped it off and had to wait until 2 pm to pick it up. Once it was ready, we returned to the library and the first thing I saw were several homeless youth standing together and a police officer putting Lucas into cuffs. Lucas saw my van and called out to me: “Carey! They’re arresting me for trespassing but I never got a warrant or any citation that I was trespassed!” I recorded the arrest because this isn’t the first time Kent police officers have arrested youth and then nothing show up on record.

I dropped Gandalf off at the library for awhile knowing he had a few errands to do and “Kid” had agreed to tune up my van so we drove back up the hill to an auto supply store and got what we needed. “Kid” wasted no time getting to work eplacing spark plugs, wires, etc. When we got back down the hill to the library just before it closed, “Kid” traded places in the passenger seat with Gandalf. My 8 year daughter helped him get into the van and put the seatbelt around Gandalf. Just prior to getting in, Gandalf went on camera for me and I warn you now, what he says may pull at your heart strings. He asks the viewer to please forgive him for crying….

Isn’t what it looks like

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness | Poetry - (1 Comments)

A roll of toilet paper sits

On my dash

Along with a toothbrush, a book

And some petty cash

 

But this isn’t what it looks like

 

Dirty laundry hidden in a sack

Stuffed behind the driver’s side

Waits for the laundromat

Next time

 

Sleeping bags rolled up tight

Are neatly on the back seat

Vying for space next to

My daughter’s favorite toy

 

But this isn’t what it looks like

 

Cooler and a cooker

Wrapped in plastic bags

Serve as a makeshift kitchen

When the weather’s just right

 

And while we’re living

On four wheels

We’re doing the best we can

Especially since everybody knows

 

This isn’t what it looks like

, , , ,

27 Degrees

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness | Poetry - (0 Comments)
Frost

As some of you know, I often write poems behind the steering wheel of my mini van and last night I wrote another while staring rather absent minded at the car parked next to me as frost quickly spread across the hood and roof, looking like tiny diamonds in the street light. Sometimes I never know where my next source of inspiration comes from but this poem came to me like an old Muddy Waters blues number. Enjoy!

 

27 Degrees

 

It’s 27 degrees out baby

But you wouldn’t know that

Less you were out here

Shackled

To the cold blooded night

 

I’m runnin’ like a fire

Right before it dies

Ain’t that what poor folks do

Once the light dies in their eyes

 

27 degrees out baby

But you wouldn’t know that

Less you were out here

Shackled

To the cold blooded night

 

Golden handcuffs you’re wearin’

They shine so bright

Tell me,  tell me, can you feel it

When they’re on too tight?

 

I’m watching the frost sparkle up

Like tiny diamonds might

Cuz

It’s 27 degrees out baby

But you wouldn’t know that

, , , , , , ,

Gandalf, Lord of the Barely Living

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness - (0 Comments)
Gandolf

This is “Gandalf”, also known as “The Colonel” depending on which homeless community you happen to be in out here. I first saw “Gandalf” sitting alone on a park bench at Kent’s Water Park across from the Kent Regional Library this summer. The homeless youth out here dubbed him “Gandalf” because of the long flowing beard and hair he used to have prior to this photo I took of him. Every morning “Gandalf” comes in to the McDonald’s on Auburn Way South to get in out of the rain or freezing cold. Patrons here offer him coffee or a few bucks for a hot sandwich or two. Other patrons mock him and turn their noses up at him as they walk past him, choosing seats as far from him as they can.

Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, I decided to get to know more about “Gandalf” and said hello to him one rainy morning. I listened as he told me about just getting out of the hospital and how he lost his raincoat in the backpack he had that someone stole when he went into the hospital. He had all his worldly possessions in that pack, a well worn bible, his rain coat and some prescriptions given to him while at the hospital. Someone had offered to buy the old timer a cup of coffee which he graciously turned down due to the fact he was sipping on a liter of water to rehydrate his body. He pointed to the i.d. bracelet from the hospital still on his wrist and said he was just released the night before and how the hospital had cut his hair and beard down to its current length.

That’s how coffee with “Gandalf” started. I started meeting him at McDonald’s after dropping my daughter off at school every morning. Sometimes I’d give him a couple of bucks to ride the buses to keep warm at night even though I knew sometimes he’d buy a beer or two with it. I would sit and listen to “Gandalf” tell me about his panhandling adventures and his experiences as a salesman, a marine in Vietnam and the loss of his first wife who died by drunk driver. Then he casually mentioned he had pancreatic cancer and a tumor in his brain and how doctors gave him six days to live yet somehow he managed to live ten days past their expectations. He told me how he never owed a dime to anybody in his life until medical bills for cancer started piling up. Now he owes more than he can ever hope to pay back.

While “Gandalf” spoke, I was thinking about the green backpack in the back of my van that had a bunch of “survival” items in it. I walked outside and rummaged around in the van until I found it and dumped the contents into a plastic grocery sack and put a pair of clean socks in it and gave the pack to “Gandalf” who was so surprised he was speechless. To my way of thinking, what’s a backpack compared to a man who knows he may not be here tomorrow? I asked Gandalf if I could take his picture and again he was surprised. “Why on earth would you want to take a picture of me?” he asked. I told him it was because I could not walk past another human being and not acknowledge them while they were still here. ”Gandalf” scratched his head and smiled. He lowered the hood on his jacket, ran his fingers through his hair
then posed for me.

When Thanksgiving morning arrived, I found “Gandalf” sitting at his usual place near a window in McDonald’s. I asked him if he had someplace to go and he said he just needed bus fare to go to the Calvary church in Federal Way for their Thanksgiving meal. I gave him bus fare and told him I would see him the next day. Friday came and “Gandalf” was nowhere to be seen. Saturday came and went, still no “Gandalf”. I drove behind the Thai restaurant he told me he sometimes slept behind, couldn’t find him. I drove down Auburn Way all the way down to Kent, checking bus stops along the way in case he happened to be sitting on a bench waiting for a bus. Sunday found me driving around looking for him and asking around about him. This is not like “Gandalf” to not show up…

This morning after I dropped my daughter off at school, I went to McDonald’s and spoke to the manager. She told me she knew “Gandalf” as “The Colonel” and she hadn’t seen him since Thanksgiving either. She makes a point to keep an eye on him because of the frequency of his seizures caused by the tumor growing inside his brain. The last time he had a seizure, he was taken to Auburn General Hospital. I called the hospital but they couldn’t look up anyone without a date of birth so I called 911 to file a missing persons report. Officer Christiansen of the Auburn Police Department met me in the parking lot and I showed him a picture of “Gandalf” from my cell phone and he said he recognized “Gandalf”. The officer ran a check on his computer but no one fitting “Gandalf” has been brought in but he would put the word out to the bike cops in the area who know many of the local homeless folks “Gandalf” knows. They might have seen “Gandalf” in the last few days. Officer Christiansen gave me a possible last name and date of birth so I called the hospital back and a very helpful operator said no one by the name I had or date of birth was brought in, nor any John Does by that description.

I called the King County Medical Examiner’s office and they had no unidentified’s from the last week at their facilities. I called Harborview Medical Center and had no luck with them either, so where is “Gandalf”? If anyone has seen him, please let me know via email at indy.inn@hotmail.com. No one deserves to die out on the street.

Please help!

, , , , , ,

Meet Jay, homeless disabled man

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness - (8 Comments)

I first met Jay at a church feed in Kent. I was stunned to see a wheelchair bound man with nowhere to go. I finally caught up with him today at the library. His story is heartbreaking to hear but he was kind enough to agree to share with me on video a small glimpse of what his daily life has been like ever since he lost housing. I called local shelters today after he told me a woman at a shelter ran by Catholic Community Services told him he couldn’t stay there because he is in a wheelchair and they didn’t want to be liable if anything happened to him. No surprises then, when I called around to shelters for the disabled and got told that I would have to call some numbers tomorrow morning. In the meantime, Jay doesn’t know where he’ll be sleeping tonight or if he’ll get picked up by the police. Jay is only one face out of many here in Kent with no place to go. The city of Kent does not have a drop-in center downtown so homeless folks like Jay must travel to Pierce County or all the way to Seattle if they have the bus fare or a ride out of town.

I’ll be making calls to see what can be done for Jay but even he knows there’s no getting around being put on a waiting list to get into a shelter….if the shelter will take him.

, , , , , ,

Is your criticism based on reality?

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness - (7 Comments)

Many homeless folks face criticisms from people who think their perspectives apply to the reality homeless people actually live in. I find this to be true everytime I get an email or comment from someone who accuses me of being selfish for not going to a shelter system I can’t even get into and believe me, I have tried. See the video attached to this blog for a small example of what I’ve been dealing with for several years now. I’ve heard everything from suggestions to dump my kids off to Foster care to turning custody over to other family members. Interestingly enough, these comments tend to come from people who THINK they know my situation and others like mine. First of all, if relatives WANTED to take custody of my kids when they knew I was going to be homeless, I imagine they would’ve have done so by now. Secondly, many of my relatives can barely afford a roof over their heads so taking on more mouths to feed is out of the question.

I find criticisms to be interesting insights into other people’s ignorance about homeless parenting. That being said, I can understand why some people think the way they do. For instance, there are parents out there who shouldn’t be. With the homeless youth I’ve ran into in the city of Kent, I have seen first hand examples of bad parenting or the sheer lack of it. If people took the time to talk with these homeless kids, they’d see that they are much more than stereotypes and they are very much living reasons as to why I can’t just send my kids to Foster care as if that was going to solve the real problem behind our homelessness…..we can’t get out of it! Even if I were to dump my kids into the Foster care system, will that alone put a roof over my head? I talked to my kids about going to Foster care and they refused to. My teen made it clear she would always feel like I gave up on keeping us together as a family. My previous blog was about the shelter system and my experiences in dealing with them so as far as I’m concerned, if a reader still doesn’t get it after that blog, they never will.

There will always be those who presume the worst about what they don’t know, but that’s their problem. For you homeless parents out there doing the best you can to survive, ignore negative people because the only thing they’ll do is invalidate you as a human being. We already know Section 8 is closed to apply for. We already know shelters are closing due to lack of funding. We already know “emergency funds” have been slashed. We already know that many of us don’t get support from family members. We know that jobs are hard to come by and if we do get that job, who can afford childcare if you don’t qualify for childcare assistance? What happens when your expenses to go to work cost more than what the job pays?

Before you jump to conclusions on what you don’t know, get the facts first then ask yourself if it’s worth criticizing.

, , , , , , ,