TresSugar

Internet Keeps Homeless Population Connected

TresSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0700

"You don't need a TV. You don't need a radio. You don't even need a newspaper. But you need the Internet."

A 37-year-old homeless man in San Francisco says he stays connected through Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and the forum he runs on Yahoo. Shelter attendants report that more and more overnight visitors are showing up with laptops and New York City is putting computers in shelters it operates. Perhaps keeping homeless people wired to the Internet will help them escape from the margins of society.

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Friday Feel-Good: Homeless Couple Marries After Nine Years

TresSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:00:00 -0700

If you need your heart warmed before the weekend, get a load of this wedding story. A Washington DC couple, who started dating nine years ago while they were both living on the streets, just got married in a ceremony organized by the parishioners at Grace Episcopal Church.

Both White, 28, and his new bride, Nhiahni Chestnut, 39, attend Bible studies and a meal program at the church. When White mentioned to a fellow churchgoer how much he wished he could afford a wedding, everyone decided to pitch in.

"In good Grace church congregation fashion, everyone got behind the idea: one person managed flowers, I helped with the wedding rings, one woman made the cake, someone helped with the tux, and someone else with the bride's gown," [parishioner Margaret Davis] said.

Another churchgoer paid for a two-night honeymoon stay at the Key Bridge Marriott Hotel across the Potomac River in Virginia.

Until White went to pick out his suit, he had never even seen the inside of a shopping mall, and when the couple met, both were living on the streets. Chestnut said, "I was basically living from day to day, trying to survive, and I wound up meeting him."

Sadly, the couple remains unemployed and homeless, but their love story kinda puts things in perspective, doesn't it?
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Librarians to Patrons: Shhhower!

CitizenSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:01:40 -0700

Have any of you Bay Area readers ever been to the Berkeley Public Library? It's a beautiful historical building, but some days has an acquired smell that can't exactly be attributed to old books.

Well, Schaumburg Township District Library in Illinois has now added "offensive bodily odors" to the forbidden list, which already includes talking, running, and beverages! The library says it will kick people out if their stenches disrupt others' use of the facility.

While a pleasant smell would make for a more enjoyable library visit, you could argue that the ban discriminates against poor people. If people don't have access to showers, I'd bet that they don't have access to a computer either. . . unless they can go to the library.

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Unemployeds Find Spirituality and Low Rent at Yoga Ashrams

CitizenSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:00:54 -0700

Living off unemployment and scraping the bottom of your checking account each month? Well if you can stomach no meat, alcohol, and sex along with required meditation, tent cities may not be your worst-case scenario. A yoga "community" in the woods could be!

NPR reports that at least one yoga ashram has seen an uptick in newcomers since the economy nosedived last Fall. Yogaville, which rests in Virginia's Appalachian foothills, never intended to be a safe haven for the nouveau poor, but it welcomes new residents whether they've come for the unlimited yoga or the $300 rent.

While there's no credit check or competitive admission process, there are a few catches. To see where Yogaville gets you, read more.

In exchange for a dorm room, three vegetarian meals a day, and monthly rent, residents are expected to perform daily chores and practice the yogi lifestyle. What's that entail? Abstinence from meat, alcohol, and sex form the sacrificial trinity, and yoga classes and five meditation sessions per week meet the physical requirements.

One resident, who moved in after a layoff, found Yogaville's attitude toward unemployment as refreshing as a sun salutation. He said before people responded to his job loss with somber sympathy but not so in Yogaville. "That's so great!," people said, "All these doors are going to open up for you." Namaste!

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Tent City, USA - Homeless Populations on the Rise

CitizenSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:15:20 -0700

You can think of them as recession refugee camps, but they're called "tent cities" and their populations keep increasing as more Americans lose jobs and homes.

The chronically homeless have illegally lived in encampments before. But with a boom in people seeking out shelter, cities like Sacramento, CA, are thinking about legalizing the communities and providing services. Does that sound like a reasonable safety net to you?

To watch a recent segment on tent cities from Oprah and see more photos, read more.

View 10 Photos ›

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Picture It: Service With a Smile

CitizenSugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:00:54 -0800

Michelle Obama volunteered at Miriam's Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides case management, housing support, and meals to homeless people in DC. Yesterday's meal was donated by the White House in a new effort to highlight the work of local nonprofits. The first lady urged Americans to donate food and, if that's out of reach, time.

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Good News: Homeless Men Find Hope and Homes With Soccer

CitizenSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:30:03 -0800

Getting homeless people off the streets is a never-ending challenge for most cities. Who would have thought a game of soccer was the answer?

Yet it has been for hundreds of homeless people throughout the world, and now it's kicked off in the United States. Street Soccer USA organizes four national tournaments each year. It requires players to set three-, six-, and 12-month goals to get their lives back on track. Players who stick with it say the physical demands motivate - if not require - them to cut back on life's vices.

But it does more than improve physical health; it empowers them. They report feeling more positive and motivated to lead productive lives. One 20-year-old player said the physical, emotional, and mental demands prove to him that he can "achieve perfection in other areas of life."

The results are certainly palpable. Eight out of 25 men on one Chicago team have moved into apartments only months after they began playing. And 28 of the 36 men who play on the US's national team - there's a Homeless World Cup - have remained off the street.

Now if they could only start winning . . . not to be demanding!

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Briefing Book! Families Fill Up NYC Homeless Shelters

LibertySugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:00:38 -0800

Homeless: No home for the holidays? The number of homeless families in NYC shelters has hit an all-time high. - Gothamist
Law: How are you using Bush v. Gore in your daily life? Apparently the Supreme Court's decision did a whole lot more than just let Bush rule. - 23/6
Religion: Change you can believe in? Rick Warren scrubs anti-gay language from website. - Huffington Post
Condi: What a hilarious way to waste money: Arab leaders shower Condoleeza Rice with $300,000 in jewels that no one will get to keep. - Gawker

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Justice Served? Homeless Arsonist Ordered to Pay $101 Million

LibertySugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:01:00 -0800

Steven Emory Butcher sleeps in a tent, but the law seems to think he's a millionaire. After setting fires in 2002 and 2006 that destroyed 160,000 acres of national forest, the homeless man was sentenced to four years in prison and $101 million in fines.

While in prison, the arsonist will have to pay $100 each year toward his fine. Once he's out, he must contribute $50 a month for the rest of his life. Right now Steven lives on government disability insurance, but if he gets a job, his payments will be adjusted accordingly.

Since the law requires anyone who has damaged property repay the cost of the lost property to the victim, the judge ignored how much Steven could afford. While it's crucial to send a message to arsonists that such destructive and dangerous activity will be punished, do you think the punishment fit the crime in this case?

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Atlanta to Install "Donation Meters" to Ease Panhandling

CitizenSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:00:59 -0700

If the merit of an idea is predicated on its slogan, this one might be a winner. Atlanta is installing five meters in the downtown area that read "Give Change That Makes Sense." The meters, distinguished from those of the familiar parking variety by their yellow and black designs are part of a campaign to discourage aggressive panhandling.

In addition to funneling the funds from passers-by, the efforts include increased policing by cops and property owners. The Visitor's Bureau spokeswoman said of the plan, “We believe that this effort will help those in need more than any handout ever will." Denver already uses the donation meters and Atlanta is hoping it will help not only the homeless population, but the safety of its citizens as well. Two weeks ago a man was shot to death in an argument with a panhandler, and given the economy, the homeless population is rising.

The program cost $40,000 to implement, and there's no word as to how much money they think it will raise for the cause. What do you think - is this a brilliant idea - or will the donations be a drop in the bucket?

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