Homeless life is not pretty

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)
Images found on Toshiba flash drive 228

I want to thank everyone who follows me around on Twitter and Facebook because to me, it shows that others actually take an interest in what I do as a homeless person and as a homeless parent. Perhaps you learned something by seeing that I’m really not all that different than everybody else. Sure, I may get involved when others don’t, won’t or can’t. I might tell the truth even if it’s inconvenient for others to hear.

In turn I’ve learned a lot about people just from observation. For instance, when I first wrote a letter to change.org about what it’s like to be a homeless mother, it generated more hits than I thought was possible. To me, it seemed incredible that so many people were either astounded that homeless families were everywhere or didn’t want to believe what my experiences have been. So for those of you still “baffled” by us homeless parents, here’s a list for you to consider:

  1. How do you keep a roof over your head if child  costs more than your rent?
  2. Just because there’s a child support order in place, there’s no guarantee you’ll receive it and if dad can only find minimum wage jobs, just how much child support do you think will be received?
  3. Don’t assume there’s family help especially if relatives are barely making it themselves or choose not to get involved because it’s not “their problem”.
  4. Don’t tell people to “get on welfare” if you don’t know what the current welfare system is or the fact that programs are being cut…permanently. In case you didn’t know, there’s a “process” to see if
    you qualify and then you may be put on a waiting list. Section 8 for housing may not even be open to apply for in your state.
  5. Don’t assume someone can just show up at a shelter and get help. In case you haven’t been watching the news, many shelters are closing due to lack of financial support. If you have shelters still open, it’s possible there will be a waiting list after being seen by an intake specialist because not all shelters will take you. Not only that, the shelter in question may not be a safe place to be and you may get turned away due to not enough room.
  6. Don’t assume that just because your community has ample services available, things will be the same in other cities or states. Also, it may not be feasible for a homeless person to just pick up and move where you are.
  7. Get ready to have a family be split apart if local shelters take either men only, women only or women with kids up to a certain age only.
  8. There’s a time limit on how long folks can stay in a shelter so don’t assume that just because they’re in one, “they’ll be ok now”.
  9. Don’t assume that families are homeless because of drugs, alcohol, mental illness or being irresponsible with finances.
  10. Little things you take for granted that act as a “suspension system” for you simply don’t exist out here, like being able to shower every day or get to an indoor bathroom. Having a state id., driver’s license, mailing address, place to do laundry or a cell phone are things that can prevent a homeless person from being able to get work or have access to services.
  11. This is for educators: Homeless kids have to do their homework either at a public library (if there’s one nearby and they can get to it), a restaurant or in a car. If they’re too busy trying to survive, don’t assume they’re falling behind in school due to not trying hard enough. Also, it’s easier to get sick out here and it takes longer to recover without your own home so absences due to illness are common. When it comes to school functions, many times homeless families will opt out if they can’t afford nice clothes or uniforms for their kids, can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to deal with that even though schools were told we were homeless. My teen couldn’t join most sports because she couldn’t afford the costs involved with being on a team.
  12. For families living out of their cars, a minimum wage job will barely keep a vehicle maintained, insured and the tank full of gas. Gas is always a priority because there aren’t too many safe places to park for the night so sleep is a luxury that comes in naps or not at all.
  13. As far as food banks and public feeds are concerned, if you can get to them, they will help stretch a food budget especially if you’re a homeless youth who only gets $200 a month in foodstamps. By the way foodstamps won’t buy any hot foods from a grocery store deli so if you don’t have a kitchen or way to cook food, you’ll be eating cold items. The other thing is that even though you can buy groceries, if you don’t have a refrigerator to store anything so buying perishables is on a day to day basis. Also, if you’re in a heavy need area, public feeds can only bring so much food before having to turn folks away, the same is happening to local food banks. If you didn’t already know this, most food banks allow homeless folks to visit once a week and if you’re housed, once a month.
  14. Don’t assume homeless kids are necessarily anti-social because they don’t show up to birthday invitations or dances. They might be ashamed of their clothes or the fact that they can’t buy a gift. Homeless kids are acutely aware of the fact they can’t have sleepovers with their friends and some parents have a problem letting their kids visit their homeless friends at a shelter.

As for me, I will continue to post on Twitter and Facebook about what I deal with on a daily basis regardless of who might find it uncomfortable to watch. Homeless life is not pretty. It’s a day to day struggle that goes on whether you’re part of it or watching it from afar. Maybe you’ll get uncomfortable enough to go out and do something about it, maybe not. Either way, don’t say you weren’t informed….

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Meet some people in the neighborhood

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness - (2 Comments)

I’d like to introduce you to the people I meet in Kent that are doing different things in the community. Now what would happen if each of these groups joined together to solve homelessness in their own community? You business owners, don’t think homelessness does not affect you, it does and what you seem to forget is that many homeless people do work and spend money in your community. If you fail to help invest in the welfare of your own community, why should homeless folks patronize your businesses?Just because we don’t “look” homeless, doesn’t mean we aren’t.

By going directly into the community and talking to the people themselves about homelessness and who the homeless are, stereotypes can and will be broken. Every day I am amazed at how much people are afraid to face a growing reality in this country. Each of us must wake up and take a proactive stance in making the communities we live in a better place.

What’s amazing to me is that the city councils, police departments and agencies have a resource in homeless people they have not yet begun to tap into. Think about it, how many homeless people are on advising panels?How is it that within two weeks of hanging out in any given community, I figured out where and when the drug deals go down? Many of us who do not have addiction problems or mental health issues would gladly watch a property in exchange for a safe place to park at night. Vacant buildings sitting around on the taxpayer’s dime could be turned over to responsible community programs to be used as drop-in centers for the homeless especially for homeless youth. Many homeless would gladly volunteer to help maintain the building and keep it and the grounds clean. Oh and forget about that nimby attitude seing’s how the Regional Justice Center is right smack dab in the heart of downtown Kent with a jail attached to it…..

We can find all kinds of “reasons” for not doing the right thing. How about finding all the reasons to actually DO the right thing?

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Calling for help

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness - (19 Comments)

Ta daaaa! Here I am showing folks what it sounds like when calling for help. If you’ve never called around to get into a shelter, here’s your chance to see what it’s like. I am still amused whenever I see comments out there from people that still think getting out of homelessness must be as simple as just going to a shelter. The reality is, there aren’t enough of them and the shelter system needs to do more than be a revolving door. Thanks to budget cuts, loss of jobs and a overwhelming bureaucracy, it should be no surprise to anyone when individuals begin to give up hope.

On a recent visit to the Nickelsville tent city I visited a few days ago, a young mother told me she called 75 shelters and couldn’t get in because they had no room. She has only been homeless for about two weeks now. Imagine doing this year after year. Makes living out of a van while working to save money look a whole lot better, doesn’t it?

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Get ready….

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness | Uncategorized - (3 Comments)

One of the cool things about social media is being able to talk and “meet” people from around the world and from all kinds of walks of life. Not everyone I talk to is homeless. I am grateful for being able to talk with people from homeless services since they know firsthand that what I’m bringing to the public eye is true. Unfortunately, they are just as frustrated as the people who come to them for help. So if you really think there’s more to my story than what you’ve been reading or hearing, season your attitude well, you might just have to eat it!

It is because of the almost unbelievable disbelief in other people that I chose to document on video what it’s like to be a homeless family. Yes, for some of you who are oblivious to the growing number of homeless families in this country, seeing the reality every week will be uncomfortable for you. Good! It’s time we all opened our eyes to who the homeless really are and why “fixing” homelessness seems to be a problem for our society. Think there’s “more to the story” than what you’re being shown? Watch and see….

I will actually read to you the emails I get sent and if you have a question you feel haven’t been addressed, shoot me an email at indy.inn@hotmail.com. I do ask one thing however. Before asking me redundant questions, please take the time to read my blog at careyfuller.com as I have already addressed obvious questions as to why it takes so long to get out of homelessness here and why child support is a joke. I will address those questions on video while calling agencies that are supposed to be helping but for those of you who know what I’m talking about, know that you aren’t the only one having these experiences!

For the newly homeless and those about to become homeless because there is a lack of shelter and programs that prevent homelessness, please don’t give up. You did not fail your families or yourself. A broken system did. It is possible to fix but that will take a concerted effort by everyone. Stop by We Are Visible to learn how to get connected to social media. You never know what doors it will open for you. Yes, it won’t be easy but this is a community meant to support you on your journey to a better life. As for me, I will continue to show the world that homelessness doesn’t mean you are less of a human being. Don’t let negativity tell you what you can’t be. Just don’t give up!

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Hanging out in local parks

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness - (2 Comments)

It’s funny how while you’re on your journey through life, you end up meeting people that are willing to tell you their story. While in Auburn, I took my youngest daughter to a park and once there, Maggie befriended three red-headed children varying in ages and their mother. You mothers out there know that while your kid is playing with other kids, sooner or later conversations happen between you and other parents. Well one thing led to another and soon this now single mother told me that she was a young widow raising her kids alone. She lost her husband to cancer only a few months ago and they were just now going on outings again. She told me she’s having a rough time financially but she has a handful of relatives in the area to help her while she looks for work. If things don’t improve soon though, she has no idea what will happen to her and the kids.

I listened to her while the kids ran through giant water sprinklers because it seemed to me that it was no accident that we happened to be in the park that day. She said they do get her husband’s pension payments because he was a firefighter but they are one check away from homelessness. She told me that you really have to be grateful for every day you get because things can change on you faster than you could possibly imagine. I thanked this young mom and told her my kids and I would probably be in the area from time to time and I looked forward to meeting her again.

Not long after meeting this young family, I met another woman who was visiting Washington from Oregon. This woman was a grandmother with five beautiful grandchildren playing in a sandbox big enough for a group of adults to play in. She told me that she works for social services in Oregon and she realized first-hand how bad the homeless situation was getting there due to lack of affordable housing and not enough shelters to house everyone looking for help. She is also angry at the fact that when budget cuts come around, it seems to always be on the backs of the needy. I listened as she went down a list of all the programs being cut and laughed when she said she imagined this was happening nationally. I nodded in agreement. I told her to check out We Are Visible to see what Mark Horvath is doing to help the homeless connect via social media. I am hoping to hear from this Oregonian soon!

I managed to stop by a laundromat in Kent to see if an old friend still worked as an attendant there. I was pleased to see that she still does! “Margaret” asked if I was still homeless as it has been awhile since she saw us last. I told her I was and she shook her head. She remembered how I worked two jobs and even remembered when I couldn’t stop shaking after I had a bad igraine/seizure that put me in the emergency room one night. “Margaret” is 80 years old and social security is not enough for her to live on so she works for minimum wages at the laundromat to supplement her income. She took a liking to us and whenever she finds abandoned blankets, coats or hats, she lets us come by and pick them up.

While doing a load of laundry, I called my local DSHS office because they sent me a letter saying that although they received my paperwork for a review on food stamp and health benefits, it was denied because I missed my interview. I called 5 times to hear the automated phone systems say that all operators were busy and that I should try my call later. On the sixth try, I got to a case worker and asked why no one bothered to read the portion of paperwork I filled out that clearly says I asked for a phone interview. I have been doing phone interviews for the last several years because I don’t always have gas money to get to the local office. The case worker said they no longer look at that and I mentioned that every time I have to deal with this office there’s a problem. The last time I filled out paperwork to keep my benefits going, the woman I spoke too told me that my case was updated. A doctor’s bill came back to me as having been denied by my health coverage because we had no eligibility. After several attempts to get a live person on the phone, another caseworker pulled my file to discover the last one did not follow through on updating my file so we had the privilege of waiting a week to buy food. I can tell you worse experiences I’ve had with DSHS that I should’ve been able to sue for on grounds of gross negligence but guess what? You can’t sue them because it’s in their contract that they can’t be sued even if they cause a major impact on your life. I was able to get my file updated today but….I will be calling back July 2nd to double check. I have learned that high case loads and the state not hiring more workers has led to a “haste instead of accuracy” pace behind the scenes to make production numbers look good to upper management. Due to budget cuts, some benefits on our health coverage have been eliminated and the hours of operation have changed as well. Try getting a hold of someone on a Friday….

When lunch time rolled around, Maggie and I went to a local grocery store with a deli in it that had microwaves. Maggie chose a corn dog for lunch happened to only be $2.00. I picked out a cheap fried chicken entree that happened to be on sale for $1.00! Add to that two bottled drinks and we paid $6.00 total for the two of us!

 

 

 

I went on the internet here at the library to look at job postings….ha ha ha ha haaa! After I recovered, I moved more stuff from my storage unit to my friend’s place in Fremont as I plan on having a big yard sale starting on Friday. Advertising it on Craig’s list is a no-brainer since it’s free! I have until the end of the month to get rid of my storage unit as the manager of the property said I only need to give two day’s notice that I won’t be  needing it otherwise they’ll charge me $120.00.

I can honestly say that there hasn’t been a day yet where I haven’t met folks who weren’t affected by the recession this country is still stuck in. Even so, it doesn’t dampen my spirits much. Sometimes, having it rough can be a blessing in disguise. For one thing, it toughens you to hardship as long as you don’t give up. Yes, there are times when we cry because of our situation but my kids have amazed me more than once. Maggie told me last night that even though we live in a van, she’s glad that we are together. Even my testy teenager wonders how it is that I didn’t give them up at the first sign of trouble. Well, here’s my philosophy on that….Just because times get rough doesn’t mean I give up on keeping my family together. The “system” will tear families apart simply because the support structure is faulty in the first place and too often, I’ve seen it cause more problems that it solved. Gross mismanagement of funds for the needy at the federal level cause exponential hardships for many and because of that, all the public sees is a waste of money. Negative images fuel voters to support politicians who are in favor of stripping or eliminating social services. What would happen if the poor had powerful lobbyists of their own?

On the positive side of things, I am truly amazed at the emails I get from folks telling me how glad they are that I have shared my experiences with them. I figure by being public about a growing tragedy in this country that can be prevented (but isn’t), it will help others to see that homelessness isn’t some communicable terminal disease. If you land in it, don’t give up, there is a community out here to help you stay positive and connected.

It’s called We Are Visible and I hope to see you all there!

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What I did today….

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness - (0 Comments)

 

 

I’ve spent the last few days cleaning out the storage unit I’ve had ever since the day I moved into and RV back in 2004. I think it’s a good move for now since it is costing me $120.00 a month that I don’t have. I’d rather spend that money keeping the mini-van’s gas tank full. I want to thank all the folks sending me their good thoughts and energy but you have to remember that I haven’t had my own place for about 8 years now. All I did was downsize from a 1981 Minnie Winnebago to a Ford Aerostar mini-van! I’m still a busy person trying to do what I can to spread the word about We Are Visible and next Thursday I am going to Auburn Youth Resources to talk about what We Are Visible is about and of course tell them all I can about Mark Horvath. My plan is to print out some of We Are Visible’s flyers to give to the outreach team when I get there next week. I’m hoping to get in touch with other community groups working with the homeless in the Seattle-Tacoma area.

In the meantime, I’m still applying for jobs regardless if it’s part-time or full-time. In case you didn’t know, getting a job to get out of homelessness is a full time process in itself. First, how are you going to afford child care during the summer if you get hired at a part-time job at minimum wage? Not only that, did you know that welfare deducts from your food stamps (or cash if you get it) once you have a job? In many ways, I might as well wait until school starts in the fall just to be able to afford to go to work part-time to avoid paying any child care at all!

As I sit here behind the steering wheel writing this blog, I am watching a young cottontail rabbit watching me as I watch it. It hopped across the road to the grassy field next to where I am parked and made itself comfortable next to some bushes under a tree. Even when I got out to take my youngest to the restroom, it was not afraid of us and my daughter was so excited to see a rabbit so close to us. She is fast asleep in her sleeping bag and since it is almost 11:00 pm, I might as well join her.

Tomorrow is a new day and another start on the path to a different life!

 

 

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The gods were testing me…..

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness - (1 Comments)

While trying to down size my storage unit, I’ve been taking stuff to a friend’s house in Fremont to sell at weekend yard sales. On the way back from one of those trips, I noticed my front tires making funny wobbling sounds. At first I thought I was getting a flat but when I pulled over to check, I noticed they weren’t flat but the treads were looking really bad. I made it to Enumclaw to a friend’s house but it was after seven in the evening so I had to wait till morning to call around for replacement tires.

In the meantime, my thoughts were racing to how I was going to pay for all this. Although I keep applying for jobs, I still haven’t landed one yet. Child support only comes in for one of my daughters but that only amounts to $150.00 a month. I got an opportunity to help a vendor in August but that’s still a couple of months away. In the meantime, I’m selling off what I can out of my storage unit as it costs me $120.00 a month to keep and I need
all the money I can get at this point. The car gods, I thought, are testing me….

I decided to get on Twitter and mention that I needed two tires for the mini-van. Before I knew it, some kind folks donated towards the tire fund but I still had no idea how much it was all going to cost. At eight this morning, I called around and found a tire shop nearby that quoted over the phone that used tires will cost around $86.00-$88.00 each. I verified the address of his shop which, thank goodness, was only about a mile away. The donations I received came to $191.00. When I got to the tire shop, one of the guys there came out and said he was the one I spoke to over the phone. He took a look at my tires and said that he didn’t have any used ones but he had two new ones but they would cost $97.00 each. Crap! I only had the $191.00 plus the $20 dollar bill in my pocket that I was going to put in the gas tank.

While all kinds of thoughts were running through my head, my youngest daughter took a seat on the nearby curb. I told the guy that we live out of the van and without those tires, we were gonna be stuck. I could tell he was thinking hard. He said “I tell you what, I’ll do what I can to keep the bill from going over $200.00.” I asked the guy how long it would take to replace the wheels and he said about a half hour to forty-five minutes. While he worked on the tires, my daughter and I walked across the street to the grocery store for breakfast. There were fast food places nearby but they don’t take food stamps.

Homeless tip: If you are homeless or living out of your vehicle and have food stamps or a limited budget to buy food, look for grocery store chains with deli kitchens in them. Some of them have microwaves for public use near the seating areas. I clip coupons for frozen dinners or plan my budget around store sales on frozen meals. Also, many delis will mark the food in the cases down to 50% off about a half hour to an hour before they clean out their display cases for the night. When I had cash, I’d wait till 7:30 pm and grab a box of fried chicken for $4.00 compared to the $8.00 the store deli normally charged. You can’t buy hot foods on food stamps so I often peruse the “cold” deli items in nearby bins then head over to the microwaves after I paid for my items. Doing this stretches my food budget so I have enough left over by the time the EBT card resets the next month.

After my daughter and I finished our breakfasts, we walked back over to the tire shop. I met the guy who worked on the mini-van in the front office and was surprised to find out he was also the owner. He smiled at us and said “Hon, I got good news for you. I was able to keep the bill under $200.00.” The total charges for two new tires plus tax came to exactly $190.08!!! Thank you Enumclaw Tire Shop! I told the shop owner that I am telling all my friends about them! The owner chuckled and thanked us for the business.

I know the car gods aren’t done with me yet as the mini-van will need regular maintenance and repairs every now and then. All I can do right now though is keep trying to get a regular income to be able to head off major repairs that are expensive. Because summertime means no school, I can’t afford full time childcare for my youngest. Childcare always goes up in the summer for parents because even though they still have to work, when school’s out, the bill goes from part-time care to full-time care which devastates many household budgets. When I worked two jobs, one of those jobs was to pay for childcare only!

Whenever car troubles happen and I’m strapped for cash, I could very easily slip into an anxiety attack but I always have to remind myself to think with a clear head. Panicking only makes things worse. I’ve already gone through using up a car to the point that the only option left was to run it into the ground to keep my job but resulted in donating it later to the junkyard simply because I did not have enough money left over to pay for repairs. Single om’s without vehicles spend a lot of time on public transportation that they’d rather be spending with their kids. When I didn’t have a car, I spent two hours on buses to get to work, another hour getting to my childcare provider, and then another two hours riding the bus back home with  the kids. 5 hours every day on the bus because taxi’s are out of the question unless it’s an emergency and there was nobody for me to carpool with or get my   to daycare.  I ended up spending  more money on bus fare than I would have if I had had my own car. I can’t even afford to take light rail because here in Seattle, the system isn’t cost  efficient for my situation and without my mini-van, things for me and my girls  would be much, much worse.

Tomorrow begins a new day and a new set of trials I’m sure but I am waiting..and I’m ready to greet them head on!

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Rough draft

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness - (0 Comments)

Ever since I went to the 140 Conference, all kinds of ideas came to me but knowing what will work for me is a learning process. Every day I find other ways to make living out of a van a little easier for my kids. With that in mind, I got to thinking about a project I’ve always wanted to do but had no idea how to do it. I could ask Mark but let’s face it. He’s got his own life and own schedule to follow. He can’t be everywhere at once and I would feel wrong for relying too much on any one person outside of myself. That being said, I made this rough, rough draft of a video about me and the kids. It’s only a few minutes long but it was the best I could do with an old camera that only takes 2 minutes of video at a time. The sound quality isn’t all that great but I’m not a professional filmmaker. I just want to show people how they can survive out here while working towards a better future. Just because I’m homeless doesn’t mean I won’t contribute to whatever community I happen to be in. If everything goes according to plan, I hope to start posting my videos on YouTube every week.

The other thing about this project is to show how indigenous traditional knowledge helps to keep me sane. There are times when there isn’t enough money to get the things you need or want so what do you do? I am grateful that my ancestors taught me how to live without money. I am grateful that they told me how they survived an American holocaust that too many want to pretend wasn’t as horrific as it was. Because of that background, I won’t let a manufactured reality of consumerism rule my life. In my opinion, the people who crumble the hardest when hardships hit are those who allow their self esteem to be governed by how much money they make or how many things they can purchase to surround themselves with.

I hope to achieve many goals with this homemade project but the primary one is to give viewers and readers a glimpse into the realities of homelessness that don’t cater to the stereotypical “bum” in an alleyway. At the same time, those of you new to homelessness or are about to go homeless, I hope that what you read and see here helps you to survive with a clear head. The key is not letting your fears paralyze you. Yes, hearing the voices of my kids talking about homelessness will be hard to watch. It should be. We can’t keep pretending families going through economic hardships are simply because of irresponsibility nor can we excuse apathy with the fallacy of thinking morality is synonymous with intelligence as I’ve heard that warped argument as well. If intelligence and different perceptions on morality are one and the same, politicians would be squeaky clean, right? Church leaders wouldn’t be exposed for scandal either…..

As I said before, this video I made is pretty much a rough draft of an idea I want to further explore. Once I get cameras to film longer than 2 minute segments, it will be easier to show you more but I’m working on that. You will see how I reclaim wool from thrift store sweaters to knit warm gloves, hats and socks for the winter. Time willing, I can show you how to identify plants that are edible. All of these things I can do while being on the move since living out of your vehicle means not being visible in any one place for too long. It always helps to establish positive relationships with the community as well, something I’ve been able to do with many officers. Sure, you’ll get the occasional butt-head but you run into people like that everyday anyway.

As rough as we have it right now, we don’t spend our days dwelling on doom and gloom. I see despair the way I do termites; unless an infestation is exterminated right away, the damage done may be irreversible. The same can be said about false hopes. Unless I have something solid to offer towards my kids future, I have to keep trying to get us to a better life and I will do whatever it takes to get us there. You can’t force people to help even if they are related to you so the best thing to do is create your own foundations to build from. That way, you know what you’re working towards.

Since I’m still unemployed and still living out of our mini-van, I figure I might as well document what we do every week. You may find out that we aren’t so different from anybody else it’s just that we don’t have our own housing right now. To you proud single mothers out there, stay proud and stay strong! I know you because I’ve already walked miles in your shoes!

 

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There are days……

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness - (1 Comments)

There are days when you wonder when and if things will change for the better. Even when you’ve done everything you could think of to help yourself, sooner or later you come to the realization that it’s not enough. When the realization hits, questions inevitably pop into your head; questions like how long can I keep living like this? How long will I survive?

All the while you’re pondering questions about your ability to survive, if you have children, you wonder about how your situation will impact them in the future. Sometimes all you can do is hold on to each other the best you can and roll with whatever life throws at you, good and bad. And while you’re doing all that rolling around, pray you don’t get seasick…..

Most of the time, I figure I am in control of where my life goes, even if I got the rug pulled out from under me. One way I deal with life’s uncertainties, is to remind myself that nothing is a given, therefore I make it a practice not to expect too much out of other people or any given situation. Humans are funny that way. Some are just passing through, and others will be friends for life but there’s no way to tell unless they actually prove it to you. To my way of thinking, conduct will always speak louder than words.

To be honest, I dreaded what I would have to do if I failed to reach my Chipin goal of $2,500.00 by the end of today. I’m sure I would’ve come up with something even if it meant racing against time and moving the van around so it doesn’t get towed. Not having a home is bad enough but not having the mini-van would’ve been an even bigger nightmare. People take for granted that living out of your vehicle is an automatic guarantee in isolation, at least for me this has been true.

I was thinking all these things today when to my surprise, I got an email from Chipin that my targeted goal has been met! As of this morning, the grand total of donations received was at $1,170. Someone had made up the difference in one donation! I just spent thirty minutes staring at the screen in disbelief. In these tough economic times, who could afford to make such a donation? On top of that, it is a donation to someone they’ve never met yet there it was staring back at me from the Chipin page.

I don’t know what made all these individuals decide to help me, which makes it seem even more miraculous. I do know that I’m stunned. I am accustomed to thinking that in order to get to a better place in life; I’m pretty much on my own so I don’t expect anyone to do anything in my behalf. Maybe I’ll never meet all the generous people who donated but I can thank them. I don’t think they realize how much help they have given us and for that I hope that one day I’ll be able to return the favor.

Whoever and wherever you all may be…….thank you.

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Cutting it close

Posted by Carey Fuller in Homelessness - (0 Comments)

Whew! It’s April 6th already???? Time flies even when you’re not having fun but we all have to make the best of it, right? Anyway, as you can see, I’m on my own site now so have a look around! If you notice the widget on the side of the screen, you’ll see that so far, donations to get my transmission fixed are now at 46% towards the $2,500.o0 goal. I got until April 10th so yeah…it’s starting to cut close to the deadline! A big thank you to all you generous souls out there who took the time to help me out! Once the van is fixed, I can reschedule doctor visits for the kids!

Ok now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about what a homeless mother like me does from day to day. I’ll tell you….it’s not much different than what other parents do except…I don’t have a place of my own and so begins the adventure! One of the things I’m working on is finding ways to make a living that allow me NOT to spend one job’s worth of pay on childcare. People don’t seem to realize that one of the reasons that homeless families have a hard time getting out of homelessness is because they need childcare even if it’s to go work at a minimum wage job. Does it make sense to have childcare that costs more than what you make in a month?

I also do what I can to help other homeless folks if I can. When I had working transportation, I drove to places I knew they were hanging out in and I am long overdue in visiting them. One is a gentleman named Steve that is wheelchair bound and lives at a baseball field. The other is an older woman I found sleeping under blackberry bushes. There are young people I know who sleep in cardboard recycling dumpsters because the street is the only place they can go. For the folks that know me, I’m a knitting freak and I use knitting as a way to alleviate stress. I’m also an avid sewing nut that has been known to make receiving blankets and baby clothes for needy mothers. Right now I’m taking apart thrift store and donated wool sweaters to recycle the yarn into hats and gloves for those who sleep outside. Sometimes I even do socks.

Since spring is on the way and hopefully warmer weather, I’ve been thinking about making things that go with outdoor gear. If you’re permanently “camping” it helps to have items that serve more than one purpose and are light to carry. Women need items their male counterparts don’t have to worry about so that’s another project I’m working on and when I find I can’t sleep when I should, I write..and write….and write some more! If any of you have suggestions on things that could be made to go with camping gear, let me know!

Other than that I’ll keep doing what I’ve been doing, telling the stories of homelessness from my experience and through the eyes of the homeless folks I run across. Old stereotypes must die in my opinion.

Till tomorrow everybody!

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