fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Life on the Street for a 16-Year-Old Hustler
By: James Finn
Tags: LGBTQ, Homeless, Equality, Youth, Sexual Abuse

I don’t wanna talk about it.

I don’t have to, right? I mean I gotta right to remain silent. I know that from Law and Order. Mom’s favorite one is SVU. She wouldn’t miss it for nuthin’. I ain’t old enough to watch it. That’s what she says.

I bet she never thought I’d be layin’ in a hospital talking to two lady detectives from Special Victims. I kinda wish I could call her and tell her. Only she don’t wanna know.

You kinda always think that a mom’s love is special, huh? Extra strong. Nuthin’ can break it. That’s what I used to think.

I ain’t surprised my step dad used to beat me up. He shouldn’t a done it so much, you know, but that’s what happens to kids like me in Texas. We get beat up if we don’t keep our secrets.

What surprised me is she didn’t stop him. Didn’t even try. Like, sometimes she seen him comin’ and she just walked outta the room?

Everything changed when she found out about me for sure. It’s like she was more afraid of what the people at church would say than she was afraid about what was gonna happen to me.

Bobby’s a faggot.

She couldn’t stand that. She couldn’t stand people knowing her own son was like that. When everybody started talking about it, she didn’t even nag me to go to church anymore. She was ashamed to have me there with her.

That’s what I think.

Or maybe it’s cause I told em to go fuck themselves.

Like for real. My sex life is none of my Sunday school teacher’s business. That’s what I told him too, right to his face. I got beat up pretty bad that night. I guess sometimes I ain’t too smart.

Then there was the time I was supposed to come straight home from school so I could go to this counseling thing at church where they were gonna help me not be gay anymore.

Supposed to. Didn’t. Got beat up again.

It’s when he knocked out a tooth that I finally said fuck and took off. I could tell he was starting to like it too much. It was too much like he was getting off on pounding the shit outta some teenage kid half his size.

I knew this one kid who ran away to Dallas for pretty much the same reason. Said Dallas was cool. He got caught in less than a week. Cops put him in this school that’s really a jail. So, I said fuck Dallas. Fuck Texas.

I had birthday and Christmas money saved up. I had summer job money. And the money I’d been getting outta mom’s purse she didn’t know about. I thought about San Francisco. Almost went, but then I’d a had to wait a day and half for a bus.

So, I went east instead.

Everybody says New York is the best place for a gay kid to …

You know.

Anyway, here I am. LT, he’s my friend. You gotta understand that. He ain’t never done nothing but help me. Everybody else? They want something from me.

Like, you know. Sex. Or money. But usually sex.

So, I go into this bar one night. Everybody says if you wear nice clothes and talk nice you can meet rich guys there. You can make a lotta money. I needed it. I was almost broke. I’d spent everything I brought. It was getting too cold to sleep outside at night.
A Little Update
By: Help The Homeless Coin
Tags: Homelessness, Cryptocurrency, Homeless, Cryptocurrency Investment, Nonprofit

Hello, it has been a long while since anyone has updated the HTH Worldwide Medium so I shall write to you today and tell you all about the happenings of HTH.

I will start here with the latest, as you may not know. The Help The Homeless Coin Blockchain has updated from the x16r algorithm to the x25x algorithm. We did this for a few reasons, one being ASICS and FPGAs, we are still a miners coin and the second reason is, well not a lot of coins on the x25x algorithm yet so letw capitalize where we can. Now we did this algorithm change because we decided it was best that HTH updates its entire blockchain codebase for several reasons, we wanted toower the Masternode Collateral from 2.5 in down to 1 million, we wanted Governance and Voting System, we lacked the new protocols to move forward correctly, but the main reason why we updated is because we had a security flaw within our own Founders. Once the issue was identified, we immediately made the necessary corrections to remove the Founder and notify the community. What this Founder did was remove the Developer Masternode Collateral and took some funds over time & in doing this, there was a payment error. Due to this error, those users who received this payout, we allowed them to keep it as that was the only fair thing to do at the time. We had to keep the current chain running because we have a community to keep alive. This was the only security issue and after it was resolved, we made the choice to update to the new Dash 0.14 codebase. After a few developers, we were able to successfully launch the HTH 0.14.08 blockchain. This new blockchain enables us to reach a greater audience and do new things such as the Governance and Voting System and gave us access to the Dashcore Library which allows us easier mobile access. This took a little over one year to accomplish and thankfully it is now over minis a few small applications to get put online. While all this was going on, HTH Worldwide had to be put on somewhat of a hold as the HTH Team had to focus on the technical part of our system. HTH Worldwide has the idea of HTH Chapters, this will be an umbrella of HTH Worldwide where organizations, charities and merchants will be housed under one platform, HTH World. Now that things are slowing down a bit to where we are able to post more articles and updates, I personally will tell you all about HTH World in the near future! Work needs to be done, things need to be finalized and an announcement drawn up, but most are aware of what the basic premise of HTH World already is, an ecosystem of Merchants, HTH Chapters, HTH Coin, Applications and Nonprofit Services. We have so much more to bring to you and in doing so, we are helping the homeless worldwide so stay tuned!!!

Please join us on our amazing journey with some amazing people

Michael H
Homeless sufferers with COVID-19 typically return to life on the streets after hospital care, however there’s a greater approach
By: Daily Health News
Tags: Care, Hospital, Covid-19, Homeless, Life

Homeless sufferers with COVID-19 typically return to life on the streets after hospital care, however there’s a greater approach DAILY HEALTH NEWS ·Nov 25, 2020

Union Sq. in Manhattan, the place a lot of New York Metropolis’s homeless dwell. Noam Galai by way of Getty Photographs In 2019, about 567,715 homeless folks have been dwelling in the US. Whereas this quantity had been steadily reducing since 2007, up to now two years it has began to extend. For New York […]
Have you heard about ‘Hanging coffees’?
By: Tom Falco
Tags: Charity, Homeless, City Living, Happy, Coffee

I give money to people who ask for it when I’m walking around New York and I have also bought meals for people who look like they need it, and this Hanging Coffee idea from Suspended Coffees on Facebook is a great idea, especially with winter coming on.

There is a little coffee shop, where two people arrive and approached the counter.

“Five coffees ☕️ please. Two for us and three hanging.”

They paid, they took their two coffees and left.

I asked the waiter. “What’s this about hanging coffees?”

“Wait and you’ll see.”

Some more people came in.

Two girls asked for a coffee each, they paid & left.

The following order was for seven coffees and it was made by three women — ‘three for them and four hanging coffees.’

I was left wondering…what is the meaning of the hanging coffees, they leave.

Then, a man dressed in worn clothes, who looks like he might be homeless, arrives at the counter and asks sincerely…

“Do you have a coffee hanging?”

“Yes we do, sir.”

They serve him a coffee…. I got my answer.

People pay in advance for a coffee that will be served to whoever can’t afford a hot drink.

This tradition started in Naples.

Amazingly, it has spread throughout the world’s cities and towns.

It’s also possible to order not only “hanging coffees” but also a sandwich or a full low cost meal.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could all start doing this in the cities and towns where we live?

Small kindnesses like this can impact so many lives, in ways we could never imagine.

Maybe we should all try it. 😊
Lost in the Masked Shuffle & Virtual Void: Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Amidst the Pandemic
By: Schoolhouse In Session
Tags: Students, Homelessness, Education, Youth Homelessness, Homeless

420,000.

Based on a new report from SchoolHouse Connection and Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, that’s how many fewer children and youth experiencing homelessness have been identified and enrolled by schools so far this school year — despite evidence of increasing homelessness and proactive, tenacious efforts by school district homeless liaisons.

Schools provide safety, stability, and services for children and youth experiencing homelessness, as well as the support and tools necessary for them to cope, succeed and thrive as adults. However, in order to benefit from support and services, children and youth must first be identified as homeless.

This decrease in homeless student enrollment, combined with previous estimates of under-identification, means that as many as 1.4 million children and youth experiencing homelessness may be un-identified and unsupported by their school during the pandemic. Survey responses also show significant unmet, basic needs like food and housing, as well as a failure of federal CARES Act dollars to reach children and youth experiencing homelessness at this unprecedented time of need.

Check out the full report — key findings, insights, liaison perspectives, and recommendations for taking action, including for: Congressional leaders, state and local educational agencies, homeless, housing, food, and other relief agencies, and philanthropic organizations.

We cannot fully recover from COVID-19 as a nation if we leave millions of children, youth, and families behind. We must increase outreach and expand support for children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness through public schools and early childhood programs, and prioritize their education and well-being in all public systems of care. This is how we will break generational cycles of homelessness.
Homeless LGBTQ Youth Reach For Hope
By: James Finn
Tags: Gay, LGBTQ, Transgender, Homeless, Youth

Luke shouts, “Fuck that, man. Fuck you! We’re out. Bobby, hurry up!”

Dan sighs. “Luke? Buddy? Remember me? I’m the guy who helped you get the meds you needed to get over that pneumonia. And hooked you up with the clinic for those other meds. I’m not one of the bad guys, OK? It’s my job to help people.”

Dan says that all calmly as Bobby starts pulling the blood-caked jeans up past his knees.

Luke’s obviously not buying anything. He spits out his next sentence in a cracking tone that has to be driven by visceral fear. “Oh, yeah? Helpin’ people like us means keepin’ the cops away from us. I ain’t going back to jail, man. And Bobby sure as fuck ain’t startin’!”

“Relax, buddy. Chill. For real. These guys aren’t here from Vice, I swear. They aren’t interested in some piddly solicitation bust. They wanna help Bobby. That’s it. I promise.”

“I know what kinda help that is! Fuck that shit, dude!”

“Luke, look at your friend. Slow down. Breathe. Deep. Let it out. Now look at Bobby. Really look at him… Please?”
Discovering oneself project. Poem#4
By: Nancy Nunez
Tags: Gratitude, Self Improvement, Give Back, Inspiration, Homeless

It’s Monday and cloudy here. Woke up unmotivated. I got a reminder on my phone about volunteering at a homeless shelter this week.Thanksgiving week. Sometimes you get small reminders from universe how truly blessed you are. There is always someone who is less fortunate than you. Someone who may be going through something so much worse than you and guess what? The wise choose to still rise and keep moving forward.

Photo by Zach Lucero on Unsplash

This poem is called: Keep moving forward
Jazuz!!! And that fecker fart is going to cause more death and destruction to make it worse for…
By: James G Brennan
Tags: Poetry, Politics, Homeless, Life, Coronavirus

Jazuz!!! And that fecker fart is going to cause more death and destruction to make it worse for Biden to take over. Put fart in prison!! He is a human rights abuser! I am shocked and stunned so many Americans back this behaviour.

Hitler would be proud of his aryan (no caps intended) protege. A fine disturbing piece Harper. J. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Great poem and idea Will Schmit
By: William J Spirdione
Tags: Poetry, Charity, Society, Earnings, Homeless

I will not be told what to think. It can be explained to me.
There’s No Turning Away From Yourself When You’re On Your Own
By: Aimée Gramblin
Tags: Kindness, Short Story, Society, Fiction, Homeless

There’s No Turning Away From Yourself When You’re On Your Own

Photo by Kym MacKinnon on Unsplash

Tara woke up and tried to reach her listless, emaciated arms towards the sky. Golden light shone through the canopy of a tree above. The pale blue sky created a perfect canvas — tufts of cotton candy pink and baby blue clouds drifted lazily, showing off without meaning to.

The aroma of her stale and strong body odor assaulted Tara’s nose. Embarrassed, she tried to turn away from herself.

There’s no turning away from yourself when you're on your own.

Homeless.

Homeless.

I am homeless. Tara thought to herself. She hadn’t always been homeless.

She rubbed her knobby ankles and turned her head towards the dumpster she’d slept by all night.

It had become her new resting spot. The pale, beige dumpster sat outside of a government-subsidized apartment complex. She slept on the side obscured from the pale, blue brick apartments. A law office was on the other side. As long as she lay down after 7pm each night, no one seemed to be in the office. She was also hidden from street view. She felt safer here.
Transgender Day of Awareness Is Not a Celebration
By: James Finn
Tags: LGBTQ, Sexual Assault, Homeless, Transgender, Equality

Warning: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of rape and sexual abuse. While these descriptions are necessary in the context of the broader story, some readers will find them traumatizing.

Tomas isn’t hurting Marissa, he’s killing her. The man has her pinned down, sprawled across the filthy sofa on her stomach. He’s ripped off her robe and he’s raping her, pounding and grunting with all the force his muscular, sweating body can muster.

That’s not what’s killing her, though. She’s used to this. No, she’s dying on the inside, and and he knows it. That’s why he’s doing it.

His hand is wrapped around the part of her that makes her sick just to think about, to remember, to know it’s there. Worse, he knows just how to work it. He’s pumping and squeezing, eliciting waves of pleasure that pull up nausea with every stroke.

“Yeah, boy. Papi make you cum, boy,” he’s grunting. “You friend, Luke? He a hot boy. But you hotter. You got a bigger dick, boy. Papi love that dick, boy!”

He spits each time after he says the word boy, spraying the nape of her neck.

Continue reading on Prism & Pen
Homesickness
By: Harper Thorpe
Tags: Poetry, Politics, Homeless, Life, Coronavirus

Homesickness

All deserve these things

A community that cares

A roof o’er their head

Walls that keep the cold out, and

Food on their table — A Home!

In the United States, the number of homeless people was well in excess of half million before COVID-19. Approximately two-thirds of those humans are individuals, and the remaining third are families.

Due to the pandemic, at least 12 million people are still without a job and, lacking a source of income, are unable to pay for their most basic needs. There is currently a federal moratorium on evictions through the end of 2020, but this protection ends on December 31. The moratorium did not relieve the renter or mortgage holder from the obligation to ultimately pay what they owe — just delayed it. So the size of the debt they owe continues to grow.

Homelessness has never been an easy problem to solve, but lacking government action to address the needs of those hardest hit by the economic fallout of the coronavirus, the homeless crisis is about to get significantly worse — a gross understatement!

The extraordinary pictures of “food lines” (in cars and on foot) that have been documented all over the country signal the desperate times so many people are already experiencing. If you can afford it, please donate to organizations that provide food to the members of our human community who are hurting.

This is not a crowded airport parking lot. These cars are in line at a food distribution center in San Antonio, TX. Some of these people seeking food today may be on the brink of homelessness tomorrow. (Image Credit)

©2020 HHThorpe. All rights reserved.

Inspired by Deborah Christensen’s poem, “Body and Soul” and prompt, “home.” Thanks also to the rest of the House of Haiku team!
I couldn’t read past Marissa running.
By: Skye Mo'Ipulelehua Kahoali'I
Tags: LGBTQ, Transgender Children, Survival, Homeless, Transgender Woman

I couldn’t read past Marissa running. I know she’s a composite, which makes her the sum of many truths. I couldn’t take the horror of my helplessness.

I am so far removed from their stories, I may as well be on another planet. I did not grow up with dysphoria or beatings or running away or a brutal pimp. I was a good boy for so long, and a competent and even hypermasculine man after that.

I transitioned when I could afford it.

I live in a place where transgender folk were revered by the host culture, even as Christianity and the western world tried to erase all of my people. I know there are those of my community who may be in similar straits as these waifs you have known, but I don’t know how to reach them.

They don’t attend Pride. They don’t attend Transgender Day of Remembrance. I doubt if they know it exists. Transgender is a term the ha’ole use. And upper class māhū, like me. The ones who can be kumu hula. Or made lives being someone false.

They used to be more visible in the “Personals” of craigslist, as many of the younger and prettier ones (going by their posted pics) resorted to sex work to live. I’m more than sure my company would have found a way to get rid of me had I come out while I was still working, and I’m not sure what I’d have done then. I do not know where any of the craigslist girls went.

Having attained the privileges of a middle-class life, I could become an author on Medium, I could be supportive online to others and feel as if I was actually doing something. I could use the excuses of my disability and my fragile marriage to not do more.

I know that we need more stories of them and less of me.

I am gratified that you are telling these stories that need to be told, James, and I think I can and should begin to share them as a small effort on my part to our larger community, and see if I can do more on my small island in the Pacific, to ensure these stories do not take hold here, any more than they already have.

Mahalo nui e malama pono.

Skye K.
Standing Room Only
By: Will Schmit
Tags: Poetry, Poverty, Homeless, Economics, Otherdoors

a poem about urban necessities

photo by Jon Tyson at Unsplash

After hours in the Bijou lot

a lady shakes her laundry

over the stuffed window of a grey van.

Gulls glides between Golden

Arch wrappers and asphalt lines

designed forever for automobiles.

Dog walkers dot around impromptu campsites,

wind whipping garbage bag tents

match huddling crows.

The wet descends in absconding light,

a few pumpkins rot while a bicycle

man measures a shopping cart for a dog.

Home is one less thing.

Finish my lunch break,

call in my route, promise

to leave all this poem’s royalties

in an old coke bottle

beneath the Marque.
Don’t Forget Your Why
By: Jonathan Kumar
Tags: Health, Entrepreneurship, Homeless, Healthcare, Nonprofit

Amid some pretty difficult work this fall, my 𝘄𝗵𝘆 was thrust back into my eyes the other day.

Samaritan is in Minneapolis for UnitedHealthcare Techstars this fall and so I’m grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s downtown.

I provide some food for a man I meet outside. In asking his story, he graciously lets me in…

With permission from Christopher

Chris served in the army, working on satellite/radio towers. When he returned to KY, his wife left him and took the kids to MN. He followed but was estranged. The loss led him into depression and addiction, which led to homelessness.

Since we’re here to learn how homelessness affects one’s health, I asked Chris how many times he’d been to the ER in 2020. He said, “four times”:
The Faces of Homelessness: Students
By: Jennifer Vickery
Tags: Students, Hunger, LGBTQ, Homeless

By Communicare

When you think of homelessness, do you picture older individuals living on the streets? The reality of homelessness is broader than you think. Even before the spread of the COVID-19 virus, America was experiencing an economic crisis that led many people, including students, to end up on the streets.

According to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001, a homeless child is any child who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. This means that any student who shares housing with others, is awaiting foster care placement or is living (with or without their parents) in motels, cars, campgrounds, shelters or bus stations is considered homeless.

According to recent studies, the number of homeless students in the U.S. is the highest in more than a decade. Most of the 1.5 million homeless students stay with other families or friends after they lose their homes. But a report by the National Centre for Homeless Education shows, seven percent live in abandoned cars and buildings.

The most recent data shows that less than a third of homeless students are able to read adequately, and the score is even lower for mathematics and science. Due to their circumstances, homeless students don’t have the opportunity to just focus on school, so they often fall behind. And their number keeps on growing.

Why Is This Demographic Growing?

The homelessness problem in the U.S. is linked to the national housing crisis. Millions of people spend more than half of their income on housing, and most of them can’t afford to buy a house. Increasing rents and housing shortages force tens of thousands of people to live in inadequate conditions. With the severe changes in the economy and the growth of permanent layoffs due to the ongoing pandemic, many parents don’t have the money to pay their rent.

The opioid crisis is another major reason for homelessness: More than two million people are addicted to prescription drugs, causing many families to break apart.

Also, a predominant number of homeless students are members of the LGBTQ+ community. The most common cause for this is their family’s rejection or abuse.

What Can Be Done?

Few individuals have needs as serious, complex and intense as homeless students. They struggle with such problems as hunger, unintentional injuries or illnesses, economic exclusion and other dangers that can happen while living on the streets.

Most experts agree that the solution lies in providing better housing options at affordable rates and providing support to those affected by trauma or addiction. The support should continue even after the crisis has ended.

It is as important to track students’ performance from such families over a longer period because the impact of having experienced homelessness can continue even if a child is in a stable housing situation.

If you or a loved one needs help with this or any other issue, Communicare is here for you. Take a look at our services and don’t hesitate to contact us!
Bless Someone.
By: Padraic Cyril Mc Freen
Tags: God, Veterans, Love, Homeless, Blessings

Dear Father GOD the plight of one is far too much when I have far more than I need.

Father GOD you’ve blessed me with so much. Thank you for this day that I am able to enjoy comfort, abundance, health and wholeness, family and friends. It is all because of you. Your blessings have allowed me to be blessings for others Father GOD.

Cheerfully I share your blessings with others. This is a season of seasons and there are so so many of your children in need of blessings today Father GOD. Order my steps today Father GOD. Guide my efforts. Lead me.

You’ve blessed me with favor, overflow, faithfulness and mercy. You’ve answered my prayers Father GOD and I will use your blessings to bless someone today.

“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and HE will reward them for what they have done.”

Proverbs 19:17

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen
Bleeding in an Alley, Searching for Family
By: James Finn
Tags: LGBTQ, Fiction, Transgender, Homeless, Youth

LT blinks sleep out of his eyes and tries to stop his coughing fit. “What’s Bobby want?” he asks Marissa. “Little bastard hooked up good last night. Rich dude. I seen him before but never went with him. I know he pays good, so I was kinda jealous. I need to get paid once or twice so I can get back in …”

“LT! Listen. Bobby’s hurt. He’s bleeding. He needs help.”

It takes a second for LT to process. The news doesn’t penetrate. So, the kid had a rough night. It happens, he’ll be OK.

Then he thinks again. It’s way too early for Bobby to be calling people. He’s gotta be seriously messed … “Quick. Can I talk to him? Lemme use your phone!”

It’s already ringing when Marissa hands it to him.

“Bobby? Bobby, you there? You OK? What up man? Where you at?”

The voice in Luke’s ear, unguarded and putting on no tough-guy shows, is obviously the voice of a scared teenager. If LT ever believed his stories about being 18, he stops now.

“LT, you gotta help. Please? I’m in the alley behind the D’Agostino’s by the bar. He dumped me here, man. I’m shivering bad! I can’t get warm. And … look, it’s embarrassing, OK?”

LT sighs. Maybe it’s not so bad. Maybe the kid just needs a pep talk. Maybe he can hop the subway down here for a coffee to get warm. No, fuck that. Tomas see’s him, he’ll be all over that round little ass.

Anyway. “What’s embarrassing, buddy? You can tell me. I got your back, man.”

“My jeans are all soaked. Like blood. And I think I’m still bleeding. It won’t stop.”

Fuck!

“Hang on, Bobby. I’m coming. Don’t move, OK? Don’t go nowhere.”

“Marissa, I gotta go. Now.”

He rapid-fire explains the situation while handing her phone back. “You got any money? Got any food?”

“Why you think Tomas he keeps beating my ass?” she deadpans, reaching into the lumber pile and pulling out a can of Cafe Bustelo. “He’s too stupid to look under the coffee.” She reaches in with pink painted nails and roots around. She shakes off a twenty and hands it over. Frowns. Hands him another one.

LT pulls her in for a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.

Continue reading on Prism & Pen
258000 Philadelphians Will Be Hungry This Holiday
By: Jawn Oliver
Tags: Pandemic, Hungry, Philadelphia, Homeless, Crisis

Philadelphia is currently experiencing several crises and everyone is extremely fatigued. I understand this feeling. We have been sensationalized by the media over the election. We have had major political officials threaten to invade us. We lost several thousand jobs recently with the PES plant explosion. We have a Pandemic raging right now and many of us have lost our loved ones. Right now most of our city is boarded up. We had 4 people killed by the city government since October 8th. Right now 258,000 Philadelphians are going to bed hungry tonight. The homeless population the city says is 5700, but last year the city engaged 17000 people over homelessness, and that number is likely higher since they count on the coldest night of the year to get low numbers. The city is full of crises and it is fair to ask right now when will it stop?

I believe in times like these, our attention should turn 100% on to crises we have, and offering ourselves to do community service and mutual aid if we are able. We owe it to all of our neighbors and our community. If don’t engage the crises at hand and help our neighbors in times like these, we won’t recover.

There is no reason 16% of people are hungry besides the strict measures in place that prevent people from accessing proper welfare. Philadelphians need to be demanding guaranteed access to food, shelter, healthcare, and medication in times like these. People are absolutely suffering and the city officials are trying to cover up the problem. Well people are now calling out this problem and demanding solutions. We can find solutions. Many of us have already been fighting for them.

We have more empty plots in the city than homeless people. We have more food being thrown out than we have hungry people. And we have enough medical professionals and prescription manufacturers in the reason that everyone should have healthcare. If the federal government isn’t doing the job for us, the local and state government should. I demand action or I demand resignation for lack of real action to solve these problems.

18 million dollars that Commissioner Danielle Outlaw is asking for the police is taking food from the hungry and homes from the homeless. We must stand against this. Especially after the violence the city officials have brought our community.

We need food. We need houses. We need healthcare. Everything else officials put their attention towards is absolutely bullshit right now.
HELPING HANDS
By: Mrz Bernal
Tags: Helping, Humanitarian, Community Engagement, Homeless, Volunteering

Helping hands is one of the many Nowknotl8r plans

Divided we fall together we shall always stand

Our community in Sacramento is made of precious land

We must protect one another with progressive plans

We won’t look back at the negative past

Those old memories will be at a rearview glance

Forward we shall look and connect with positive strands

We must make those proud who COVID has laid to sand

None of us were prepared for these tough tasks at hand

Protect the young and guard the elder while we still can

Time is of the essence and actions of bravery shall began

Everyone amongst us deserves a fighting chance

Soon time will come for us to retire our masks

But until then we will not hide behind glass

Socialize with distance while filling up donation vans

Those of us who have extra that’s just sitting at a stand

Can be used to help:

Every household with no food just pans

Every child with just one pair of pants

Every shoe with holes filled with sand

Every baby without enfamil cans

Every child without school supplies once again

Every disabled person without a healthcare plans

Now not later these necessities are in demand

We are not responsible for how it began but we

Are all held accountable for passing by helpless friends

When we know they need something without having to ask

Next time you have extra think of others in advance

Put those without first and yourself for once last

Donate your time not just things filled in bags

Your help is much needed in a range of tasks

When we all work together the process moves fast

The results are much greener and beneficial like grass

Sitting separate and still makes all of our progress drag

By Iretta H

August 1, 2020
25,000
By: Melanie J.
Tags: Humanity, Poverty, Giving Back, Homeless

25,000 families needed help with food in Texas yesterday

25,000 sat in line for hours so they could have something to eat

25,000 moms and dads couldn’t find enough for another day

25,000 kids worried about not eating normal meals

25,000 souls filled with anguish as they patiently waited

25,000 souls felt grateful despite their despair

America is the richest country in the world, and we spend money vigorously

$25 is the cost of an iPhone case

$250 is the cost of a pair Yeezy sneakers

$2,500 is what some might spend at Starbucks in a year

$25,000 is what was spent on a wedding to feed guests for 1 night

$25,000 is the cost of a 3-night stay in a very nice mansion in Austin, Texas

$25,000 is the cost of a ticket to a fancy fundraising dinner party

$250,000 is the cost of a Patek Philippe’s Grand Complication watch

$2,500,000 is the cost of a 24-carat solid-gold toilet

$25,000,000 is the cost of about 7 weekends at Mar-a-Lago golf resort for Trump’s recreation

As we continue to live our lives there were 25,000 people faced with anxiety yesterday

Ironically, there were 25,000 homeless reported in Texas by the US Council of Homelessness

I hope that number doesn’t double to 50,000

There are 552,000+ homeless people in America and 150,000,000+ homeless people worldwide

There are over 25,000,000 people currently living in poverty in the US

Those numbers are staggering

I filled a bag for the Boy Scouts this weekend

I will fill another bag for another pantry today

I’m only one person and I know I can’t solve this problem

Homeless and poor people are often overlooked for various reasons

Some of us even point our fingers and place blame

Where is the human factor in that?

Not every situation is the same

I’m not a huge fan of some government handouts

I’m from a family where I was taught to work hard for what I want

But I am human, and today my humanity trumps my political position

So, I will give a handout with love today to someone who might need it

Hoping that others will too

Remembering that we are all humans

And together we can see this through.

Hope in the Midst of Despair. MJ
To Hell With The Homeless
Tags: Politics, Society, Fiction, Immigration, Homeless

FICTION

To Hell With The Homeless

Photo by Jonathan Kho on Unsplash

I finally found a warm pavement under the cold winter clouds. It seemed like an evaporating oasis in this desert. My hope began to ebb with the warmth of the pavement.

Maybe my eyes were blinded by this illusion of wealth. At least back home, I wouldn’t be sleeping on the pavement. I don’t even have enough to go back home. I’m stuck in this hell of wealth.

Some of the others who came with me freed themselves from this trap. Some freed themselves by jumping into the river under the bridge we came across. Some freed themselves by committing crimes. The ones who got caught now lay in the warmth of the prison. The taxpayers’ money is going to feed and shelter criminals in prisons, while I wallow in this mire of unkindness.

I’m not a coward to choose death to free myself of this trap. And I’m still a man of God despite all this trouble, there is no way I would commit a crime for a piece of bread.

I don’t understand why the criminals get shelter while I have to look for warm pavements.

Right now, all I can think of was the warmth of my home. The soothing scent of jasmine under the humid moon, and a light breeze. Back then, I saw the TV and immediately decided that I had to come here. But here I am, in an open prison on the road.

I can walk on my own. I have never needed someone’s help to walk. But in this new land, I don’t know the roads well. I just wish someone would take the time to show me the path. Even god seems to care only about the rich and powerful here. Only the rich and the criminals seem to live in comfort here.

Right then, a police officer walked up to me.

“It’s illegal to sleep on the pavement next to the coal furnace. You are under arrest… “

What a wonderful world! Despite not turning to crime, I now get to sleep in the warmth with the criminals.

As the policemen beat me bloody, my nose busted up, my teeth are broken, my soul crushed, I began to talk to God,

“You know why I won’t go to hell after I die? Because there isn’t a thing I haven’t seen here.”
Homeless LGBTQ Youth and Sex for Rent
By: James Finn
Tags: LGBTQ, Fiction, Homeless, Equality, Youth

“Marissa, let me in! Please?”

LT pounds on the door again, just about resigned to curling up and sleeping out in the hallway.

He thinks he should have just stayed in bed at that guy’s apartment up in the east 70s by the river. He’d been so pissed off about getting stiffed he’d stomped out without thinking. He almost hadn’t gone home with the guy at all. Nobody at the bar seemed to want him. Most of the guys there were looking for new faces. Fresh faces.

Like Bobby.

Bobby’s supposed to be 18. Even has an ID saying so. LT isn’t buying it.

Not that it matters. All he can afford to care about right now is that at the ripe old age of 20, he doesn’t have a bed for the night, and his stuff at the Y downtown may or may not be bound for the dumpster in the morning. Depends on what kinda mood Bert’s in.

He needs the stuff bad. It’s not just his medicine. If he can’t get into fresh clothes, shave, and look clean, they won’t let him in the bar. If they won’t let him in the bar, then he’s gonna have to hustle 20 buck blowjobs on the street.

Continue reading on Prism and Pen —
An open source approach to preventing evictions
By: Jared Stock
Tags: Data Science, Open Source, Covid 19, Homeless, Data

Like many other industries, the engineering industry does not traditionally publish work for others to use and build upon. However, open-sourcing socially valuable projects such as this are an opportunity to share what we’ve learned and allow others to use and improve upon what we’ve done. As people work with the code, their contributions make the project more secure, efficient, stable and usable. This is a great model for communities to address significant social issues, enabling them to take advantage of and build on tools that they may not have been able to develop on their own.

Since publishing, we have already begun adding new features and data to the repository, including demographic data and county shape files. Most recently, we published an interface that allows users to use our code and data without any coding skills whatsoever. We’ll be updating that app with more features going forward.

Our brand new interface, built using Streamlit

Our team has plans for new analyses, datasets, and visualizations that we would like to add to this repository, but we also hope that as people use the data for their problems, they will have new ideas to contribute. Our aim is that this repository serves as a resource to NGOs, municipalities, and other firms as we all try to help people remain in their homes.

You can use the first version of our web app to explore the data right now, no code required. If you’re interested in digging into the code and data in more detail, you can find documentation and instructions about how to report issues and contribute your own improvements at our GitHub repository.

Find out more

If you would like to learn about Digital at Arup meet the team, and read more about our work here.
‘The Big Sleepout 2020': Bucks Shows it’s support
By: Buckinghamshire Council Blogs
Tags: Proud Of Bucks, Pob, Homeless, The Big Sleepout 2020

We all are aware of the health worries COVID-19 has caused.

The additional strain of staying employed during national restrictions, with some businesses shutting either temporarily or for good has, in some cases, meant individuals and families struggling to keep a roof over their heads.

Wycombe Homeless Connection (WHC) is urging people to ‘sleep out’ on Friday 20 November to help support their ‘Big Sleepout 2020: At home’ fundraising campaign.

Rather than gather together at large venues like in previous years, this year the charity is asking people to sleepout ‘at home’.

They suggest sleeping out socially distanced in:

your garden

an (empty) bathtub

or just somewhere you wouldn’t normally sleep

People can take part on their own, with their family or with a group. There’s no age limit so everyone can join in. There will be online entertainment and fun on the night, too.

Cllr Isobel Darby, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing & Homelessness, said:

“Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, charities have found it hard to raise funds this year, which is why WHC is running the ‘Big Sleepout 2020: At home’ on Friday 20 November. This will help them raise much-needed funds. “To help support their campaign, I am going to be swapping the comfort and warmth of my home by sleeping in my garden for the night. I’m aiming to raise over £2,000 in sponsorship, and I would love people to help me reach my goal by donating at: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/IsobelDarby “Whether by sleeping out and raising funds, or by simply donating to the campaign, I hope you’ll be able to play your part in supporting WHC with their ongoing mission of helping the homeless.”

James Boultbee, Chief Executive Officer of WHC, commented:

“We’re grateful to Cllr Darby and everyone who has signed up so far to take part in this year’s Big Sleepout. The latest coronavirus lockdown and restrictions have put more pressure on families and individuals across the county. Together with Buckinghamshire Council, and our other partners, we will continue to work as hard as we can to help people facing a housing crisis. It’s only with the generous support of our community that we can run all our services so please, sign up for the Sleepout.”

Find out more about ‘Big Sleepout 2020: At home’ and make a donation on the WHC website: www.wyhoc.org.uk/Event/big-sleepout-2020-at-home
Homeless Teen Sex Work: A Story
By: James Finn
Tags: Gay, LGBTQ, Homeless, Mental Health, Youth

If you really wanna hear my story, Bobby, it all started that Sunday Pastor Tim jerked open the door to the basement men’s room and caught me and Brad.

“I knew it, Luke Thomas!” he spits at me as he hauls me up off my knees by the hair. I can feel a couple clumps pull right outta my scalp.

I guess getting caught giving a blow job in the church bathroom where people usually change clothes to get baptized is about as big a trouble as anyone could expect.

It’s not like I’m some sex maniac, I swear. It just happened like that.

Brad, the guy I was blowing? He ain’t even gay, or at least he says he’s not. You could fool me sometimes. Like the times he kissed me, even using his tongue. Or the times he held onto me really tight before we started doing stuff, or how he like nuzzled his nose up in my neck.

Kinda hard to believe he’s straight after all that.

I guess Brad’s why I’m here, though. Why I’m in New York and not back at Butler Community College in Council Grove.

Hey Bobby, you see that guy over by the bar? In the dark blue suit? Is he cruising you or me? I can’t tell..

So, anyway, in high school Brad and me went to this ACE school, like this private Baptist school our church ran. Most of the church kids went and some other kids too, but it was real small.

Read the rest on Prism & Pen
Great story, thank you for bringing this to more people.
By: Rachel Rogers
Tags: Homeless

Great story, thank you for bringing this to more people. A topic I hope to see more time and conversation focused on.

There are so many in need of help right in our own communities and it starts with not looking away in judgment.
Living While Boarded Up
Tags: Protests, San Francisco, Union Square, Homeless, Election 2020

A couple of blocks from Union Square

There was dancing in the streets all over San Francisco on November 7th. I was walking in the Presidio, trying not to get wiped out by flying cyclists whizzing downhill shouting Biden/Harriss!!! It’s been pretty much party mode ever since.

A few lonesome walkers pass ‘We’re in this together’ on a lonesome Market Street

But downtown — and in a few other areas — preparations had long been made for the mayhem that wasn’t. It would be hard not to agree with business owners who boarded up. Protests following the George Floyd killing and racial unrest at other times in recent months brought out the bad guys along with the earnest. There was widespread, costly looting. I live not far from a BevMo store that looked as if someone had tossed a large bomb through the front door. So if I owned a business I would have boarded up too.

Eyes on the passers-by

Following the election of Joe Biden which was finally declared on Saturday, November 7th, though, there was only dancing. And since then, it’s fascinating to see signs of how life goes on around (and behind and in front of) the plywood. This is a quick Plywood City tour.

Masked and distanced at Louis Vuitton

Some businesses behind the plywood have gone under and won’t be back. But others are bravely carrying on. At Louis Vuitton — there are people out there still buying $3,000 handbags? — a polite security guard at the door carefully limited the number of shoppers entering. And inside (the polite security guard let me peek) shoppers and staff kept their masks on and distances measured.

Some converted the plywood into message board

Local billboard creativity has definitely peaked. On some of the plywood sheets there were phone numbers to call or — frequently — “We’re Open!” messages pointing to the plywood door.

Any shelter from the cold . . .

At some locations, the irony was painful. One nonprofit (not that far from the Louis Vuitton store, actually) which was created to help the homeless covered its plywood with optimistic messaging. But it managed to offer a likely spot for one down-on-his-luck guy to construct a resting place at the same time.

Long may it wave

Still, high above the boarded-up storefronts and sheltered-in-place citizenry, somebody remembered to hoist the flag.
Leave No One Behind . . .
By: Kamal Al Mansour
Tags: Veterans, Black Veterans, Veterans Day, Homeless, Patriotism

“Patriot Act, Art. I” Mixed media (charcoal, digital, fabric & paper) assemblage on canvas, 42 H x 34 W x 5 D (in) Copyright © 2018 Kamal Al Mansour

Acts of patriotism cannot be left to the battlefield exclusively. Acts of patriotism are spontaneous and ongoing, given such events as 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, domestic terrorism, and other natural and unnatural events. But in these situations, we are talking about ordinary Americans, often led by first responders. I recall President Obama speak about soldiers’ care and camaraderie when one is wounded on the battlefield. His team does whatever to ensure they make it out and how one American should extend this gesture to another. On this Veterans Day, we should properply celebrate veterans and their acts of patriotism and heroism to America. But what about America’s patriotism to its veterans? When does America perform a “patriot act” to those from whom it seeks and demands patriotism?

There is no rhyme or reason that any American war veteran is homeless or without adequate and proper medical care. The idea that the VA or Veteran’s Administration has failed in part and repeatedly, to deny or delay service and offer degraded services to countless thousands of veterans, is simply unpatriotic. To hire and retain medical professionals (i.e., doctors, psychiatrists, others) that are unfit and inconsistent with the VA’s mission is insensitive and unpatriotic. To have unfilled vacancies in vital positions such as doctors and nurses, including assistants and intake workers, is without question unpatriotic. To even propose that the VA privatize could degrade the veteran-specific services that veterans require. These services include PTSD counseling that only the VA understands. Seeking a profit-driven agenda of commercializing the tens of thousands of unique medicines administered by the VA to veterans is capitalistic instead of patriotic. For America and the VA to do what is right and honorable for its veterans requires a patriot act. In addition to America doing its part for its veterans’ health care, there is also their dignity.

There should be no homeless veterans in America. U.S. soldiers who have fought and continue to fight for America’s freedom and security, but who like MIAs during the war, go unaccounted for or forgotten when returning home to everyday life. Unlike many of us, U.S. soldiers are trained to take care of their fellow soldiers, no matter their race, religion, or politics. Whether dead, dying, or injured, or whatever the situation, American soldiers make it their mission to leave no one behind — Your turn America!
Things That Piss Me Off
By: Fred Ermlich
Tags: Pissed Off, The Bad Influence, Christianity, Denial, Fred Ermlich

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