If even white guys are coming here.....

"Things must be getting bad out here," Jackie said, "if even white working guys are coming here for help."

Jackie was commenting on a guy who was working, but only part-time, who was looking for a room to rent-- under $400 a month, please-- because he's being put out of the room he's been renting in someone's house. 

She should have been here a few minutes ago, when a white guy in a suit came in to get one of our food pantry brochures.

The first couple of hours of today were relatively quiet but of course by 11 am., it was pretty non-stop.

We talked to three families today who have been determined to be not eligible for emergency shelter-- not, of course, that that makes them any less homeless.
-- A single dad with a 16 month old daughter who left shelter on January 31st, and won't be eligible until a year has passed. (White.)
-- A single mom with a 3 year old boy who left shelter 5 months ago after being assaulted by another resident.  Not eligible.  (White.)
-- A single dad with three kids who is working fulltime but lost his apartment after an illness.  He's sleeping in his car while the kids stay with his ex-girlfriend, who keeps saying, "When are you getting these kids out of here?" He's over-income for shelter.

We tell them what we can.....one of our members took the woman with the 3 year old home for the night.

Carl came in.  He was hit with a brick two days ago when out on the street and his assailant stole $9, all that he had.  He had a concussion but no money for the prescriptions given him.

So what is to be done?  I've been working on the Freedom of Information Request to the state to get information about how many people have been banned by Friends of the Homeless who may be out on the street.  And huge numbers of families have no place to go.  But nobody wants to help them, because they can't get paid by the state to do it.

Got a few other things done.  Members and volunteers made more copies of our Homeless Survival Guide. We made outreach calls for Ayyub's next court appearance on Friday.  I'm going to the Indian Orchard Citizens Council meeting to talk about Solutia and air pollution.

The photo is from our demonstration at the Econolodge last Friday.