I have been on welfare on the past--only medi-cal. I once applied for food stamps, and was honestly too embarrassed to walk into that building. My situation is better now.

I know a tiny amount about how the federal, state, and county system work. I can just tell you what I know.

It's a huge job--yes, we all know that. Most people end up with a small one page website that lists agencies.

A lot of the non-profits really don't seem to help. I know of too many that just exploit the needy, with a 501C3 that is just around to because the founder needed a job. A lot have a one person making a good living, a bunch of under paid employees/volunteers, and a dubious mission statement.

You find yourself thinking, "What do they do? I seems like all they do is write for grant money. Why is only one person in this organization getting a livable wage?" I got off track on the non-profits, sorry.

If you are pyhsically, or mentally disabled; there's SSDI (if you worked in the past), and the threshold to qualify is pretty steep. Basifically, if you can lift a shovel--you don't qualify. If you have a psychiatric disorder, it's a bitch. The disability doctors do a horrid job deciding who should receive help. This is one huge problem. I don't know how to fix it. Determining the severity of a mental illness is still a huge Art. There are biased disability Doctor. I had a friend collecting SSDI, and the doctor told him, "Don't come back to this hospital for any help. The other doctors aren't as sympathetic as myself."

This was my best friend. He was very excentric, but had a huge heart. I couldn't imagine him holding down any job. I used to hire him for side jobs, but it was only because I wanted him around, and knew he needed money. He was useless at job sites. I can't imagine him doing anything.

Applying for medi-cal. It's not as bad as it used to be because of Obamacare. That's all I can say right now. One area that needs improvement is the way they pay for medication. They only give a person a months supply of a drug. Instead of going to a boutique pharmacy, and getting the medication for free; I gave found it more cost effective to just pay out of pocket at Costco. I buy 90 day supplies.

Food stamps. It was horrid for awhile. Bill Clinton decided to get cute, and put time limits/restraints of receiving food stamps. Yea--that liberal guy. Obama took away the time limits. It's still very degrading. People on food stamps don't know what to buy sometimes.

I recall a lady being told at a checkout she couldn't buy orange juice. It had to be concentrated. She said, but the concentrated is twice to price, and I get more in the container? Another time, a mother was told she couldn't buy cake mix, for her daughter birthday. The check out guy said, "You have to buy flour, butter, salt--sugar--whatever separately--miss. I didn't write the crazy rules--miss." The women just put her head down, took her daughters hand, and quietly left Safeway.

Problems I see in the food stamp program. Make it less degrading. I don't see the need for a physical interview by a county worker--with that fake smile. Eligibility could be determined electronically. (One county worker once told me they make these programs intentionally difficult to apply to. They do it on purpose.)

Section 8 housing. There's just not enough apartments. People who got on the waiting list, and got a place are Very lucky. The housing units have a lot of restrictions, a lot of petty restrictions. They basically tell people how to live, in a 47 page lease, at least in Marin County. (The county doesn't have it online--yes--they don't want it out there). I have a copy. One day, I will scan, and post the lease. It will look like these people were living in 50's Russia. Half of the restrictions are laugh out lot ridiculous.

I'm getting tired of writing. These problems are hard to solve, but we need people like you who want to make it better.

I am thinking about a website that is geared towards the homeless, for a few years now, but procrastinating. I don't just want to list agencies.

I do know this, white males don't know much about the programs we have. Part of their ignorance is pride. Part of it is there is no real help. Part is they have just given up. Part of the problem is they have just given up. I had to repeat that because that's what I'm seeing.

Maybe if we helped them before they spent years homless--they might have more inititative to try? There's a saying on the streets, it goes like this, "Homeless for a year, homeless for life!"

In my county, we basically have one place for the homeless to get out of the elements, very important during the winter months. It is geared more for women, and it's always filled.

We have some churches that let a a few homless spend the night on their property during certain winter months.

The neighbors are constantly complaining. It's fear, and NIMBY's. There hasen't been one arrest that I'm aware of.

I am now depressed. I know two guys whom are homeless.

Both said the same thing. "All I want is a legal place to pitch a tent, and have access to a outhouse."

There's nowhere to sleep for these people--legally. No county land--nothing. They are all technically breaking the law when they crawl in that Scotch broom thicket. The cops do give them tickets. And the cycle starts. They can't pay the tickets, and blah, blah blah.

We complain because they are in the parks, or sleeping on the sidewalk, but where exactly are they suppose to go? We need to streamline the other programs, but we have an emergency right now.

I went on a rant--sorry. I too think about the poor, and homeless daily. I know I could easily be one of them--in the bat of an eye.