Until my recent trip to Anchorage, Alaska, I had never heard the term “Chronic Public Inebriate,” yet in Alaska the word “inebriate” is spoken everywhere. It is so grafted in Anchorage’s culture that even the homeless call themselves inebriates. At first it bothered me, but I soon learned that Anchorage’s homeless problem is very complex, [...]
I met Michael on the streets of Denver, playing his guitar. After being a personal nurse for someone who kicked him out, he returned to the streets he’d been on for 20 years before.
Michael never panhandles; instead he plays his acoustic guitar on the streets. If you listen to him, it’s not hard to imagine [...]
Shawn moved to Colorado to be with someone, but then they broke up. As of March 2007, he was still working some, but also living in a shelter. He was frustrated at the way the shelter was treating the homeless of Boulder.
Shawn had plenty of wisdom to share and some challenges to the shelters in [...]
I first met Rico at the Glendale Winter Shelter, drawn to his large canvas of bright colors. We’ve had some rainy weather in Los Angeles this winter, and the National Guard allowed us to keep the armory open during the day. Rico didn’t mind the rain; it excited him because he could work on his [...]
Boston has been on the street for 15 years. He has mental health issues, and he consistently fights with depression and addiction. As a child, he lost both of his parents–his mother to murder. From there, it was to his grandparents, an alcoholic and dysfunctional household.
He left there for the streets, and in his own [...]
Brian has been without a home for the last 39-years. A Vietnam-era veteran who has recently discovered he is HIV-positive, he feels like he is still trying to find his way through life.
Now, he is experiencing homelessness and recovering from heroin addiction in Des Moines, Iowa, and he laments being 54-years old and trying to [...]
Gypsy is homeless on Iowa. The hardest part for her? Her children have been sleeping at a friend’s house for the past two months.
She gets to see her children during the day, but she wishes there were more to do. They can only stay in the public parks and attend free feedings. Some days, they [...]
Jody lives in her car, while her 19-year-old son Phillip lives in a shelter in St. Paul, Minnesota. After being unfairly evicted from her apartment, she sold all she had to buy a car to live in.
As I was giving out socks, Phillip approached me. His shoes have holes all the way through, so he [...]
I saw Pearl sleeping in front of a shelter in St. Paul, Minnesota.
She lives in fear of those she lives among. She laments those among the homeless that are strange, scary, and cold-hearted. It’s not all of them, and she knows some are “really kind.”
She spends her days on the lawn in front of the [...]
I love interesting people. In Washington, DC I observed ‘Nature Boy’ walking down the street. He was such a contrast to the neighborhood I had to find him. As luck would have it we met at a park across the street from the White House. While driving the Embarcadero in San Francisco I got [...]
There was so much noise on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue Bridge I didn’t notice Reggie was asleep. I felt bad. I should have remembered when I was homeless. Sleep came when I felt safe, or when I was so exhausted I collapsed. Rarely did sleep happen at night. Rarely did I rest away from people where [...]
I’m not a religious sort and I don’t subscribe to the “Christmas is Jesus and/or God’s birthday” malarkey (one and the same depending on who ya go to church with) perpetrated by a good many peeps. Frankly, Christmas has never been a very good time for me and I know I’m not alone.
When I was [...]
Karen is waiting for a Section 8 inspection to move into a new residence. Unfortunately, in the mean time, she’s staying on the streets. And it’s been three weeks so far.
She’s feeling the pain and frustration of living amongst drug-users and drug-dealers as she tries to enter into a new phase of her life.
Karen wishes [...]
Vicar tells needy to go
… shoplifting
When Is It Ethical To Break The Law?
[Wish I had all my old hard drives and such, I've covered this topic]
Firstly, I suspect this vicar was being deliberately controversial and anti-corporation. He was very clear on what limits he felt should be followed by those desperate enough [...]
Read full [...]
Highlighting the number of hours of darkness that someone, who is living on the streets, must survive, December 21st which is the longest night of the year, was chosen for National Homeless Person’s Memorial Day. This is an event, which is observed in the United States. We are commemorating those, who have lost their lives [...]
