Safe shelter is a basic need; like food, water and air. We don't tell people who are hungry that we will feed them just as soon as they complete their drug treatment program, or enroll in mental health services. That would be cruel and frankly, criminal. So why is it that some housing programs require people to do these things before we will provide them with safe housing. It makes no sense to me. The Housing First approach is based on the concept that a homeless individual's first and primary need is to obtain stable housing, and that other issues that may affect the person can and should be addressed once housing is obtained. It is the recognition that issues like mental health and substance abuse can be better managed and addressed when a person is in stable housing. It is the concept that housing is used as a tool for recovery and not as a "prize" for compliance. The thinking that a person can or will get clean and sober while they are living on the streets is false and dangerous. The expectation that a person with chronic mental illness is going to stabilize on medication and attend regular appointments with a therapist is ridiculous. To tell a person with a chronic health condition that they must comply with medical appointments and adhere to medication regimens or jeopardize their opportunity for housing is inhumane. You cannot punish people into self sufficiency.
The Housing Readiness model means that we as providers, determine when the individual to be served has jumped through enough of our hoops and is "ready" to be housed. I think this model is flawed in a number of ways, not the least of which is that the sickest and most vulnerable people are the ones who are left on the streets. If we are serious about ending chronic homelessness and we want to prevent people from dying on the streets, we need to house the most vulnerable first.
If I hear one more case manager or service provider tell me that, "Johnny chose to be homeless as he did not meet his treatment or housing plan goals, and was discharged from the program," I think my head will explode. Case managers will often talk about people being "non-compliant" with medical appointments, or that they stopped taking their medication medication, or the refused to go to substance abuse treatment so they are kick out of housing programs. Sometimes providers will say that when people are non-compliant with housing plans or medical plans, they need to experience the consequences of their behavior. Death on the streets should not be the consequences for anyone for any reason. The fact that someone is not adhering to medical advice means their health is further compromised and discharge from housing only means that they are more likely to die on the streets.
This approach makes no sense to me.
The Housing First model is evidence based. There is a lot of research out there to support this model. The research also shows that when people are in stable housing situation, they are more likely to engage in mental health services, health outcomes improve dramatically, people are more likely to seek recovery from substances and overall mental and physical health outcomes improve.
Someone who has been a mentor to me says that the first rule in caring for people is to "Do no harm". This is a mantra that is taught to healthcare professionals around the world. I think if we are making decisions that can potentially cause harm to a person we serve, we need to rethink our service delivery model.
Just my opinion,
Much Love,
Jonathan
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Accidental Panhandler
On Monday morning, after sleeping under the bridge, I was crossing the busy intersection at Eastern and Reno. As I stood with my backpack and bag full of blankets and dirty clothes still wet from the last night's rain, a pick up truck pulled up to the intersection and stopped in front of me. The window rolled down and a man thrust his hand toward me, holding a 5 dollar bill. He must of thought I was panhandling. The intersection was very busy and though I tried to tell him that I didn't need the money, he could not hear because of the traffic. He began to shake the bill at me indicating that I should take it. I took the 5 dollars and yelled a thank you. I had unintentionally solicited five dollars from a total stranger.
People in Oklahoma City are very generous as shown by the kindness of the stranger at that intersection. However, that kind of generosity can be more harmful than helpful. I learned early in my career that people who are homeless generally know where to go to have their basic needs met. Information about where you can get food, shelter, clothing, medical care, etc. is readily available from other homeless people as well as the network of providers. Outreach workers give that information to folks daily and people are referred to appropriate providers. If someone is panhandling, generally they are asking for money for something other than the essentials. They often want money to support an unhealthy or dangerous habit or addiction. Daily, people unknowingly help support these unhealthy habits by giving panhandlers money. There are other, much better ways of helping. You can purchase Real Change Vouchers from the Homeless Alliance. These vouchers can be given to panhandlers instead of cash. The voucher is good for a bus ride to a service provider to get food, shelter and clothing. You can also make a financial contribution to one the agencies that provides support to the homeless community. That way your dollar is going to go much further in helping someone who is homeless.
During the past five days, I have met many people who are living on the streets of OKC and very few of them panhandle. Studies have been conducted that show that the majority of people who panhandle ARE NOT HOMELESS. They are people that are preying on the generosity of people for personal gain. We have seen examples of this in the media time and again.
Ultimately, giving to panhandlers does not address the issue of homelessness. Supporting programs that provide housing and support services to homeless people does.
By the way, if the man who handed me the 5 dollar bill is reading this. Thank you very much! I am going to donate that 5 dollars to a homeless services agency.
Much Love,
Jonathan
People in Oklahoma City are very generous as shown by the kindness of the stranger at that intersection. However, that kind of generosity can be more harmful than helpful. I learned early in my career that people who are homeless generally know where to go to have their basic needs met. Information about where you can get food, shelter, clothing, medical care, etc. is readily available from other homeless people as well as the network of providers. Outreach workers give that information to folks daily and people are referred to appropriate providers. If someone is panhandling, generally they are asking for money for something other than the essentials. They often want money to support an unhealthy or dangerous habit or addiction. Daily, people unknowingly help support these unhealthy habits by giving panhandlers money. There are other, much better ways of helping. You can purchase Real Change Vouchers from the Homeless Alliance. These vouchers can be given to panhandlers instead of cash. The voucher is good for a bus ride to a service provider to get food, shelter and clothing. You can also make a financial contribution to one the agencies that provides support to the homeless community. That way your dollar is going to go much further in helping someone who is homeless.
During the past five days, I have met many people who are living on the streets of OKC and very few of them panhandle. Studies have been conducted that show that the majority of people who panhandle ARE NOT HOMELESS. They are people that are preying on the generosity of people for personal gain. We have seen examples of this in the media time and again.
Ultimately, giving to panhandlers does not address the issue of homelessness. Supporting programs that provide housing and support services to homeless people does.
By the way, if the man who handed me the 5 dollar bill is reading this. Thank you very much! I am going to donate that 5 dollars to a homeless services agency.
Much Love,
Jonathan
Monday, November 24, 2014
Homelessness is Hard Work
When I started this endeavor, I had ideas about trying to access some homeless services to see how easy it was to do so; to objectively look at how my agency and other service providers delivered services and maybe offer some suggestions as to how we could do better. Four days into this, I am finding that all I have had time for is trying to figure out where I am going to get food and shelter and how I am going to get around the city. Truly, these things have consumed me. I have not been able to engage in any meaningful activities; anything other than finding resources to meet my basic needs. I have never been more tired, or sore in my life. I have blisters on my feet and I am absolutely exhausted. I have been exposed to the elements; been beaten by the wind and rain. I have slept in places not meant for humans to sleep. I have waited in line after line after line to do things that I normally do on a daily basis without any thought; things like eating and bathing. I have had to ask permission to use the restroom. It is humiliating and tiresome. That is what I have experienced in the past 4 days. The people I have met out on the streets deal with it day after day after day. And we wonder why homeless people can't just get a job and stop being homeless. Like they choose to be subjected to these daily difficulties that are all-consuming; like they enjoy the disdain and humiliation they experience.
Without exception, every person that has commented to any posts on social media or commented about this blog have been very supportive. They have said "Thank you for what you are doing". They have called me courageous and someone even called me a hero. I am not a hero. I am not courageous. I have never heard anyone call a homeless person courageous or a hero. As a matter of fact, homeless people are often referred to as weak and as failures. Nothing could be further from the truth. The people I have met over the past 4 days have a strength I could never have. They have a resilience and fortitude that are foreign to me. The next time you see a homeless person on the street, consider how much it takes each day for them to survive; to stand back up when they are knocked down again and again.
Homelessness is hard work.
Much Love,
Jonathan
Without exception, every person that has commented to any posts on social media or commented about this blog have been very supportive. They have said "Thank you for what you are doing". They have called me courageous and someone even called me a hero. I am not a hero. I am not courageous. I have never heard anyone call a homeless person courageous or a hero. As a matter of fact, homeless people are often referred to as weak and as failures. Nothing could be further from the truth. The people I have met over the past 4 days have a strength I could never have. They have a resilience and fortitude that are foreign to me. The next time you see a homeless person on the street, consider how much it takes each day for them to survive; to stand back up when they are knocked down again and again.
Homelessness is hard work.
Much Love,
Jonathan
Addiction, Recovery and Homelessness
Many of you know this, and some of you may not: I am in recovery. I don't want to go too much into my story, because again, this is not about me. I will just say that in September of this year I was able to say that I had been clean and sober for 10 years. I will also say that I have thought about using and drinking more in the past 72 hours than I have in the past 10 years. Not to worry; I am not going to act on those thoughts. I have some great people in my life that support me when things go south and I have the tools I need to stay sober today. Having said that, I think if I had to continue living on streets, my resolve to stay clean and sober may wane considerably.
Many people that I have met over the past 4 days struggle with addition. They drink and use as a means of escape; to try to change the way they feel. Saturday night I met a gentleman who is living on the streets, exchanging sex for drugs, money and a place to sleep. He said in the beginning he had sex with strangers because he needed a place to sleep; now he does it to support his drug habit. A drug habit that began as a way of numbing himself and his feelings of shame. It is a vicious cycle.
Sometimes we have an expectation that people get clean and sober while living on the streets so they will be "ready" for housing and other services. We label people who cannot get clean and sober as "non-compliant" and "resistive to treatment". It is a myth to think that someone who is living under a bridge is going to quit using drugs or alcohol. It is unrealistic and can be harmful. People die on the streets while we are waiting for them to get sober.
Many people that I have met over the past 4 days struggle with addition. They drink and use as a means of escape; to try to change the way they feel. Saturday night I met a gentleman who is living on the streets, exchanging sex for drugs, money and a place to sleep. He said in the beginning he had sex with strangers because he needed a place to sleep; now he does it to support his drug habit. A drug habit that began as a way of numbing himself and his feelings of shame. It is a vicious cycle.
Sometimes we have an expectation that people get clean and sober while living on the streets so they will be "ready" for housing and other services. We label people who cannot get clean and sober as "non-compliant" and "resistive to treatment". It is a myth to think that someone who is living under a bridge is going to quit using drugs or alcohol. It is unrealistic and can be harmful. People die on the streets while we are waiting for them to get sober.
100 Pounds and Soaking Wet
He was huddled on the outside the closed gas stationed in the pouring rain with no coat and only a thin blanket to cover him. The temperature was in the low 30's but with the wind, it felt much colder. When I approached him he appeared scared and turned away. I have been here before, but his is a face I don't recognize. I never did get his name. He would not tell me. I offered to get him to an emergency shelter and he shook his head "no". Finally, when I asked him if I could get him something to eat he responded in the affirmative. I took him to the Waffle House where he gorged himself on pancakes and coffee. With the blanket off of him, I could see how thin he was. Very thin and soaked to the core. He left a trail of water from the door of the diner to his seat. They don't usually let him in, because he usually has no money to buy food. After he ate, he left the Waffle House and I followed him out. I asked where he would sleep tonight and he shrugged and started to walk away. I gave him my business card and asked him to call me. He did not respond. He walked away in the pouring rain heading toward downtown OKC.
This is one of the people I met last night in the cold rain at a busy intersection off of I-40. I cheated last night. Part of the challenge of the week on the streets was not to purchase anything, but I brought a credit card in case of an emergency. This boy was hungry. It was an emergency. This story is not unique. It happens on a daily basis in our city. We see this all of the time when we are doing street outreach. People alone, cold and hungry and not connected with services. Emon Chavers, our Outreach Program Coordinator will tell you that successful outreach requires that we build trusting relationships with the people we serve. Many of them have been abandoned and forgotton. They have had their trust violated in the past by people that were charged with caring for them. Regaining that trust is vital to success and difficult to establish.
There are some people that we have worked with for years and we are just now at a point where they are open to us helping. Street outreach is about developing trusting relationships for the long haul. There is another individual living out at the same intersection that we have been working with for almost 4 years. We will call him Frank. Frank has been sleeping under a bridge for the past 2 years. Prior to that he was sleeping in a tent behind a truck stop. Frank is in a relationship with a woman who is a commercial sex worker; a prostitute. The money she receives in exchange for sex and the money he gets from panhandling is what they live on. Never enough to get off the streets. Again, we have been working with him for 4 years, and it was not until this past year that he has even considered allowing us to help him. This morning when he woke up, we talked about getting him into housing. It has taken a long time to get to this point and it came from Emon and the rest of the great outreach team doing what they said they were going to do, when they said they were going to do it. They have earned his trust and now, hopefully we can move to the next phase and help him get off the streets.
Last night was one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had. I didn't sleep much. It was so noisy under the bridge and so incredibly cold. It is something that I will never forget. I hope I don't forget how it felt. How miserable I was. The look in that young man's face. Heartbreaking.
We can fix this.
Much Love
Jonathan
This is one of the people I met last night in the cold rain at a busy intersection off of I-40. I cheated last night. Part of the challenge of the week on the streets was not to purchase anything, but I brought a credit card in case of an emergency. This boy was hungry. It was an emergency. This story is not unique. It happens on a daily basis in our city. We see this all of the time when we are doing street outreach. People alone, cold and hungry and not connected with services. Emon Chavers, our Outreach Program Coordinator will tell you that successful outreach requires that we build trusting relationships with the people we serve. Many of them have been abandoned and forgotton. They have had their trust violated in the past by people that were charged with caring for them. Regaining that trust is vital to success and difficult to establish.
There are some people that we have worked with for years and we are just now at a point where they are open to us helping. Street outreach is about developing trusting relationships for the long haul. There is another individual living out at the same intersection that we have been working with for almost 4 years. We will call him Frank. Frank has been sleeping under a bridge for the past 2 years. Prior to that he was sleeping in a tent behind a truck stop. Frank is in a relationship with a woman who is a commercial sex worker; a prostitute. The money she receives in exchange for sex and the money he gets from panhandling is what they live on. Never enough to get off the streets. Again, we have been working with him for 4 years, and it was not until this past year that he has even considered allowing us to help him. This morning when he woke up, we talked about getting him into housing. It has taken a long time to get to this point and it came from Emon and the rest of the great outreach team doing what they said they were going to do, when they said they were going to do it. They have earned his trust and now, hopefully we can move to the next phase and help him get off the streets.
Last night was one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had. I didn't sleep much. It was so noisy under the bridge and so incredibly cold. It is something that I will never forget. I hope I don't forget how it felt. How miserable I was. The look in that young man's face. Heartbreaking.
We can fix this.
Much Love
Jonathan
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Transportation
It seems like every meeting I attend and we start talking about barriers to accessing services for the people we serve, the issue of transportation is brought up. It continues to be a barrier for homeless folks in our community. I travelled to NW 39th and Penn yesterday and spent the night in that area.
Be The Change has conducted outreach there for the past couple of years and that is where our Ground Floor Youth Resource Center is located. I took the bus there and forgot that there is no bus service in Oklahoma City on Sundays. I had to be back at Reno and Shartel at 10:00 this morning. That was a very long walk. Since I started this undertaking, I have developed a number of blisters on my feet and I have shin splints. I have probably walked 30 miles in 2 days. The folks I have met walk everywhere.
This is not an indictment of the transit system in Oklahoma City. Metro-transit has recently undergone a rebranding as Embark and they have changed some routes and have some smart phone apps that make it easier to track location of buses, arrival times, etc. (most of our folks can't afford smart phones). They are certainly working on addressing barriers related to transportation in out community. Oklahoma City is very large and spread out. A vast majority of people drive in our city, so there is not as big a demand for public transportation as there might be in comparable cities. However, limited operating hours and routes can be crippling for people that rely on the bus system for work and other transportation needs. If you work after 8 in the evening or on Sundays you are pretty much out of luck. Not sure what the answer to this conundrum is, I just needed to rant a little.
The other issue that I find interesting is that it seems like EVERY organization has a van to transport people; every church, mosque and temple; every social service agency; every government agency. But many of those vehicles remain parked and not in use for large parts of the day. All these vans and still unmet transportation needs. Hmmmm. Be The Change relies on other agencies (Homeless Alliance, Expressions Community Center, etc.) to meet some of the transportation needs of the folks we serve, but it seems that we could figure out a way to use the transportation resources we already have to meet the community's transportation needs.
Kyle Pettit, who works for City Care at the Oklahoma City Day Shelter shared a situation that illustrates the issue. He was working with a person who was homeless living on the streets. The gentleman applied for, interviewed for and was hired for a job some distance from where he was sleeping. He was going to have to take a bus to get to work. On the first day of work, he got up extra early to shower at the Day Shelter and put on his uniform for his new job. He was ready in plenty of time to make it to work. He made it to the bus stop, bus pass in hand. However, the bus was late and there was a problem with his transfer to another bus and he was 15 minutes late for his first day at work and was fired on the spot. Very frustrating for someone that has worked so hard to try and improve his situation.
I have talked with folks who are addressing the transportation problem. I know we can figure it out.
More later,
Jonathan
Be The Change has conducted outreach there for the past couple of years and that is where our Ground Floor Youth Resource Center is located. I took the bus there and forgot that there is no bus service in Oklahoma City on Sundays. I had to be back at Reno and Shartel at 10:00 this morning. That was a very long walk. Since I started this undertaking, I have developed a number of blisters on my feet and I have shin splints. I have probably walked 30 miles in 2 days. The folks I have met walk everywhere.
This is not an indictment of the transit system in Oklahoma City. Metro-transit has recently undergone a rebranding as Embark and they have changed some routes and have some smart phone apps that make it easier to track location of buses, arrival times, etc. (most of our folks can't afford smart phones). They are certainly working on addressing barriers related to transportation in out community. Oklahoma City is very large and spread out. A vast majority of people drive in our city, so there is not as big a demand for public transportation as there might be in comparable cities. However, limited operating hours and routes can be crippling for people that rely on the bus system for work and other transportation needs. If you work after 8 in the evening or on Sundays you are pretty much out of luck. Not sure what the answer to this conundrum is, I just needed to rant a little.
The other issue that I find interesting is that it seems like EVERY organization has a van to transport people; every church, mosque and temple; every social service agency; every government agency. But many of those vehicles remain parked and not in use for large parts of the day. All these vans and still unmet transportation needs. Hmmmm. Be The Change relies on other agencies (Homeless Alliance, Expressions Community Center, etc.) to meet some of the transportation needs of the folks we serve, but it seems that we could figure out a way to use the transportation resources we already have to meet the community's transportation needs.
Kyle Pettit, who works for City Care at the Oklahoma City Day Shelter shared a situation that illustrates the issue. He was working with a person who was homeless living on the streets. The gentleman applied for, interviewed for and was hired for a job some distance from where he was sleeping. He was going to have to take a bus to get to work. On the first day of work, he got up extra early to shower at the Day Shelter and put on his uniform for his new job. He was ready in plenty of time to make it to work. He made it to the bus stop, bus pass in hand. However, the bus was late and there was a problem with his transfer to another bus and he was 15 minutes late for his first day at work and was fired on the spot. Very frustrating for someone that has worked so hard to try and improve his situation.
I have talked with folks who are addressing the transportation problem. I know we can figure it out.
More later,
Jonathan
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Us and Them
Many groups experience the "Us and Them" phenomenon. You know, being treated differently because of the color of your skin, or your accent, or your gender, or your sexual orientation....It happens. Unfortunately it is a reality in our world. As a white male, I recognize my privilege. I see it when I go to dinner with friends and the hostess directs all of questions and comments to me because I am the only white person in the group, or the only male. I certainly don't want to generalize and say it happens all the time, but I am aware that that type or prejudice exists; assumptions being made based on the color of your skin, the gender that you present, your age, etc.
Last night when I was walking around downtown with Johnny, he experienced that feeling. We would walk by a restaurant as people were looking out the window. They would smile at me and when they saw Johnny they would look away. Johnny hasn't shaved in a while; probably because he does not have consistent access to facilities. He hasn't washed his clothes in a while; probably because there is no washer and dry under the bridge he calls home. In many people's eyes, Johnny is always "them". Those other people. The ones not like us. We often draw a line between ourselves and those who are homeless. Again, the assumption from uninformed people is that homeless people have somehow chosen their lot in life; that they somehow deserve to be homeless because of choices they have made or things they have done in their past.
A few months back, I was working with a young lady (we'll call her Carrie) that was a commercial sex worker; a prostitute. Carrie began offering sex to strangers for money when she was 16 years old. She lived in a camp in central Oklahoma City and when we began to discuss how she could move from the streets into her own home, she really balked at the idea. We talked all the time about how difficult life was for her on the streets, so I didn't understand why she was so resistant to talking about housing. She said what I often hear from the community and even service providers; She said "I choose to be homeless". It has been my experience that most people that say, "I choose to be homeless" actually mean they don't think they deserve anything better. After talking with Carrie about it for some time, she revealed that she felt unworthy of help. She said she didn't deserve a better life. She said that she chose to be a prostitute and therefore she deserved to be treated as less than. I, of course, don't buy into that. I believe all people have value. I believe all people should have the opportunity to have a better life. Carrie finally said the thing that really moved me. When I asked her about why she began in the sex trade, she said "It is the only thing my mother ever taught me how to do." We want to blame her for experiences in life. We want to label her "them". I think it makes "us" feel better about our choices and experiences.
There's really no "us" and "them", only "we".
Much Love
Jonathan
Last night when I was walking around downtown with Johnny, he experienced that feeling. We would walk by a restaurant as people were looking out the window. They would smile at me and when they saw Johnny they would look away. Johnny hasn't shaved in a while; probably because he does not have consistent access to facilities. He hasn't washed his clothes in a while; probably because there is no washer and dry under the bridge he calls home. In many people's eyes, Johnny is always "them". Those other people. The ones not like us. We often draw a line between ourselves and those who are homeless. Again, the assumption from uninformed people is that homeless people have somehow chosen their lot in life; that they somehow deserve to be homeless because of choices they have made or things they have done in their past.
A few months back, I was working with a young lady (we'll call her Carrie) that was a commercial sex worker; a prostitute. Carrie began offering sex to strangers for money when she was 16 years old. She lived in a camp in central Oklahoma City and when we began to discuss how she could move from the streets into her own home, she really balked at the idea. We talked all the time about how difficult life was for her on the streets, so I didn't understand why she was so resistant to talking about housing. She said what I often hear from the community and even service providers; She said "I choose to be homeless". It has been my experience that most people that say, "I choose to be homeless" actually mean they don't think they deserve anything better. After talking with Carrie about it for some time, she revealed that she felt unworthy of help. She said she didn't deserve a better life. She said that she chose to be a prostitute and therefore she deserved to be treated as less than. I, of course, don't buy into that. I believe all people have value. I believe all people should have the opportunity to have a better life. Carrie finally said the thing that really moved me. When I asked her about why she began in the sex trade, she said "It is the only thing my mother ever taught me how to do." We want to blame her for experiences in life. We want to label her "them". I think it makes "us" feel better about our choices and experiences.
There's really no "us" and "them", only "we".
Much Love
Jonathan
Blankets and Coats
So yesterday, in a post on FB, Holly Smith, a colleague and member of the Board of Directors for Be The Change, posted a statement about me procuring a blanket for last night. There is a story there. I was going to call 211 (great resource!) to inquire about where I could get a blanket (or blankets) and warm clothing. However, as a part of this exercise, I decided not to use my cell phone (another barrier homeless people may face). I went to 3 different businesses and asked to use the phone and I was told they didn't have a phone for public use. I also asked at the library that they could not allow me access to a phone (I understand that this is not the policy of the library. I think I may have just spoke with an employee who was having a bad day.) As a result, I could not contact 211 to ask for resources for blankets and clothing, so I slept out last night without a blanket and without a coat or additional clothing.
This morning, after leaving the library, I went to the Oklahoma City Day Shelter for lunch. Mayflower Church provides lunch there every other Saturday. They have been providing meals for the homeless community for 8 years. What a great group of folks! In addition to the meal, they provide clothing and hygiene items. So, I got in line, hoping to get a blanket, some gloves, a coat and some hygiene supplies (Remember, after the Week on the Streets if over, I will donate all of the items I received during the week to people in need and I will make a financial contribution to the agency). I got 2 clean pair of socks (jackpot!) and a toothbrush and toothpaste. They didn't have gloves, coats or blankets. One of the guests at the Day Shelter went and got a coat from his locker and gave it to me. He had two coats and he wanted me to have one. What a moving experience. When we left the Day Shelter, a church from Duncan Oklahoma was distributing items. They had blankets! I got 2 blankets, 2 additional stocking caps and another pair of shoes. Amazing.
Since I started this project, the people that have been the most helpful to me have been the homeless people that I have met. They have offered shelter, clothing, food, etc. They are incredibly generous folks. I have been hesitant to accept assistance from other people, but the fact that they have offered has moved me. As for the coat, I felt privileged to accept that gift. I will return it when the week is over. It mean a lot for the gentleman to give it to me. I wanted to honor that gift.
Sometimes, we experience love and compassion from unexpected places. Embrace it and pass it on.
Much Love
Jonathan
This morning, after leaving the library, I went to the Oklahoma City Day Shelter for lunch. Mayflower Church provides lunch there every other Saturday. They have been providing meals for the homeless community for 8 years. What a great group of folks! In addition to the meal, they provide clothing and hygiene items. So, I got in line, hoping to get a blanket, some gloves, a coat and some hygiene supplies (Remember, after the Week on the Streets if over, I will donate all of the items I received during the week to people in need and I will make a financial contribution to the agency). I got 2 clean pair of socks (jackpot!) and a toothbrush and toothpaste. They didn't have gloves, coats or blankets. One of the guests at the Day Shelter went and got a coat from his locker and gave it to me. He had two coats and he wanted me to have one. What a moving experience. When we left the Day Shelter, a church from Duncan Oklahoma was distributing items. They had blankets! I got 2 blankets, 2 additional stocking caps and another pair of shoes. Amazing.
Since I started this project, the people that have been the most helpful to me have been the homeless people that I have met. They have offered shelter, clothing, food, etc. They are incredibly generous folks. I have been hesitant to accept assistance from other people, but the fact that they have offered has moved me. As for the coat, I felt privileged to accept that gift. I will return it when the week is over. It mean a lot for the gentleman to give it to me. I wanted to honor that gift.
Sometimes, we experience love and compassion from unexpected places. Embrace it and pass it on.
Much Love
Jonathan
"Houseless not homeless"
Well, I made it through the first night. It was quite challenging, but I met some great people and learned a few things. I am back at the downtown library this morning writing this post.
Right after I published yesterday's post, I ran in to 2 of the young men that came to Ground Floor last week. They were both eager to show me their new state IDs. They said Harold at Upward Transitions took care of them. Thanks Harold! They also received hygiene kits while they were there. One of the two went to the Jesus House recently and got some dress clothes for a job interview. He is a bright young man, I am sure he did well on his interview. It is great to see people accessing resources from our great service agencies. Kudos to Upward Transitions and the Jesus House.
It was about 5:30pm and I asked the two if they had eaten dinner yet and they responded that they had not. The three of us walked to one of the emergency shelters for dinner. We had pork chops with cabbage. I met some friends of my companions and after 7 plates of food between the three of us, we left and headed back to the downtown library. The library had already closed and we decided to go to bricktown and hang out. We took the #50 bus from downtown to the Bass Pro Shop. By the way, the #50 bus is always free. I did not know that. Anyway, at the Bass Pro Shop we took a picture with Santa and spent about an hour looking around. The guys wanted to go to Hooters and I opted not to join them. I had planned on meeting another gentleman at the Cox Convention Center to talk about employment barriers for people without permanent housing and headed that direction.
The Coalition to End Poverty is currently focusing on employment challenges for our homeless folks. One of the things I hear frequently from members of the community is that homeless people just need to get a job. Of course, the problem is a little more complicated than that. For people without the obstacles associated with homelessness, finding and maintaining employment can be difficult. For people who are homeless the mere fact that they don't have an address can greatly limit employment prospects. So, back to the gentleman I met at the Cox Convention Center (we'll call him Johnny). I have known him for some time. He frequents the Oklahoma City Day Shelter and we have been working with him on getting into housing. Johnny desperately wants to work. He hangs out at the Cox Center when they have hockey games, conventions or other events, hoping that he can pick up some work. He is industrious and eager. He is also chronically mentally ill. He is clearly delusional and occasionally has aggressive episodes. Traditional employment opportunities don't accommodate his challenges. Saying to someone like Johnny, "Just get a job" is simplistic and uninformed. If Johnny could get a job, he would have already.
After departing the Cox Convention Center I headed up Broadway looking for a spot to sleep for the night and I ran into another guy that we work with at Be The Change. We'll call him Jones. It was about 9:00pm by this time, and Jones was heading toward the Chesapeake Energy Arena. There was a Thunder game last night and Jones works for a temp agency cleaning up after basketball games, concerns and other events at the venue. Great news, right? Not really. Even with fairly steady work at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, Jones does not make enough money to get off the streets and into a place of his own. He is still camping on the streets. He said when it gets too cold, he will get out of the elements and go to a shelter. But employment has not solved his housing problem. In some ways, Jones breaks the stereotypes we often hear about homeless people. He is quiet and unassuming. He does not drink or use drugs. He is not diagnosed with a mental illness, but does have PTSD. He is a veteran and he has been working with the VA on housing and benefits. Employment alone does not solve the problem, if you can't earn enough to provide for your basic needs.
So, let's talk about my sleeping arrangements last night. After I left Jones, I checked out a few spots where I might camp for the evening. I will not tell you where I slept last night, but I will just say that Kim Woods called it! I stayed outside. I did not get any blankets yesterday. So all I had to keep warm were the clothes I am wearing. That wasn't a problem at first because it was not too cold when I laid down to sleep. However, about 1:30 this morning it started to drizzle and get very chilly. I got up a few times and walked around the block to warm up and that helped some. At about 3:30 this morning I could no longer bear the cold and I walked to St. Anthony Hospital, where I slept in waiting room for a couple of hours. I got a couple of odd looks, but nobody said anything. I am convince that if I looked a little more haggard, I would have been asked to leave. It is pretty chilly outside and it started raining this morning about 7:00am. I walked from St. Anthony Hospital to the downtown library. A fairly short walk, but this morning it was miserable. I am headed out now to go to eat lunch at the day shelter, provided by Mayflower Church. Emon is scheduled to meet me at noon to do another short video. If you have liked the Be The Change FB page you should, so you can continue to follow along. I have to go so I don't miss lunch.
Oh, yeah. And the title of the post? "Houseless not homeless"? On the way back to the library after sharing a meal, one of my young friends said, "You know, I'm not really homeless....I'm just houseless. You can make a home wherever you are." So, there you go
Much Love,
Jonathan
Right after I published yesterday's post, I ran in to 2 of the young men that came to Ground Floor last week. They were both eager to show me their new state IDs. They said Harold at Upward Transitions took care of them. Thanks Harold! They also received hygiene kits while they were there. One of the two went to the Jesus House recently and got some dress clothes for a job interview. He is a bright young man, I am sure he did well on his interview. It is great to see people accessing resources from our great service agencies. Kudos to Upward Transitions and the Jesus House.
It was about 5:30pm and I asked the two if they had eaten dinner yet and they responded that they had not. The three of us walked to one of the emergency shelters for dinner. We had pork chops with cabbage. I met some friends of my companions and after 7 plates of food between the three of us, we left and headed back to the downtown library. The library had already closed and we decided to go to bricktown and hang out. We took the #50 bus from downtown to the Bass Pro Shop. By the way, the #50 bus is always free. I did not know that. Anyway, at the Bass Pro Shop we took a picture with Santa and spent about an hour looking around. The guys wanted to go to Hooters and I opted not to join them. I had planned on meeting another gentleman at the Cox Convention Center to talk about employment barriers for people without permanent housing and headed that direction.
The Coalition to End Poverty is currently focusing on employment challenges for our homeless folks. One of the things I hear frequently from members of the community is that homeless people just need to get a job. Of course, the problem is a little more complicated than that. For people without the obstacles associated with homelessness, finding and maintaining employment can be difficult. For people who are homeless the mere fact that they don't have an address can greatly limit employment prospects. So, back to the gentleman I met at the Cox Convention Center (we'll call him Johnny). I have known him for some time. He frequents the Oklahoma City Day Shelter and we have been working with him on getting into housing. Johnny desperately wants to work. He hangs out at the Cox Center when they have hockey games, conventions or other events, hoping that he can pick up some work. He is industrious and eager. He is also chronically mentally ill. He is clearly delusional and occasionally has aggressive episodes. Traditional employment opportunities don't accommodate his challenges. Saying to someone like Johnny, "Just get a job" is simplistic and uninformed. If Johnny could get a job, he would have already.
After departing the Cox Convention Center I headed up Broadway looking for a spot to sleep for the night and I ran into another guy that we work with at Be The Change. We'll call him Jones. It was about 9:00pm by this time, and Jones was heading toward the Chesapeake Energy Arena. There was a Thunder game last night and Jones works for a temp agency cleaning up after basketball games, concerns and other events at the venue. Great news, right? Not really. Even with fairly steady work at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, Jones does not make enough money to get off the streets and into a place of his own. He is still camping on the streets. He said when it gets too cold, he will get out of the elements and go to a shelter. But employment has not solved his housing problem. In some ways, Jones breaks the stereotypes we often hear about homeless people. He is quiet and unassuming. He does not drink or use drugs. He is not diagnosed with a mental illness, but does have PTSD. He is a veteran and he has been working with the VA on housing and benefits. Employment alone does not solve the problem, if you can't earn enough to provide for your basic needs.
So, let's talk about my sleeping arrangements last night. After I left Jones, I checked out a few spots where I might camp for the evening. I will not tell you where I slept last night, but I will just say that Kim Woods called it! I stayed outside. I did not get any blankets yesterday. So all I had to keep warm were the clothes I am wearing. That wasn't a problem at first because it was not too cold when I laid down to sleep. However, about 1:30 this morning it started to drizzle and get very chilly. I got up a few times and walked around the block to warm up and that helped some. At about 3:30 this morning I could no longer bear the cold and I walked to St. Anthony Hospital, where I slept in waiting room for a couple of hours. I got a couple of odd looks, but nobody said anything. I am convince that if I looked a little more haggard, I would have been asked to leave. It is pretty chilly outside and it started raining this morning about 7:00am. I walked from St. Anthony Hospital to the downtown library. A fairly short walk, but this morning it was miserable. I am headed out now to go to eat lunch at the day shelter, provided by Mayflower Church. Emon is scheduled to meet me at noon to do another short video. If you have liked the Be The Change FB page you should, so you can continue to follow along. I have to go so I don't miss lunch.
Oh, yeah. And the title of the post? "Houseless not homeless"? On the way back to the library after sharing a meal, one of my young friends said, "You know, I'm not really homeless....I'm just houseless. You can make a home wherever you are." So, there you go
Much Love,
Jonathan
Friday, November 21, 2014
It has begun!
I am sitting at the downtown Oklahoma City library writing this post. Kris Williams and Apollo Gonzalez dropped me off at the downtown Embark terminal a little after 3:00pm and thus, my journey began. When we pulled up to the bus terminal, we saw a couple of police cars and a fire truck assisting a man. He was out of control and clearly under the influence of drugs. I asked someone what had happened. Apparently they knew the man and said he was on K2 and was hallucinating and had become aggressive. For those of you who don't know, K2 (or spice as it is sometimes called) is a street drug that is a mixture of herbal and spice plant products, but it is sprayed with a potent psychotropic drug as well as other toxic substances. I understand that it is legally sold in smoke shops. It has been around for about 8 years and it is a popular drug with teens. That man will be spending the night in jail or detox.
I met a couple of people at the bus terminal and they gave me some suggestions on where to eat this evening and where to sleep. I have only the clothes I am wearing and need to get some blankets for tonight. I will call 211 and see if they can provide some suggestions. I think I am going to one of the missions for dinner tonight. I have seen a couple of people at the library that I know. I am surprised I have not seen more. Be The Change has been doing outreach at the downtown library as there are a lot of homeless or at risk homeless people that use the facilities here. The library security staff refer to the young homeless kids as 'street pirates'. We are working with many of these young people and many boast of a gang affiliation. Some of the folks we work with identify as 'Juggalos' of 'Juggalettes'; the name given to the fans of the group Insane Clown Posse. Gang affiliation gives these youth a sense of belonging and importance. They long for acceptance.
Well, I need to leave the library and try to find blankets and head to one of the missions for dinner. I will probably not be able to post anything else until tomorrow morning. Hopefully, I will have some good stories to share.
Much love,
Jonathan
I met a couple of people at the bus terminal and they gave me some suggestions on where to eat this evening and where to sleep. I have only the clothes I am wearing and need to get some blankets for tonight. I will call 211 and see if they can provide some suggestions. I think I am going to one of the missions for dinner tonight. I have seen a couple of people at the library that I know. I am surprised I have not seen more. Be The Change has been doing outreach at the downtown library as there are a lot of homeless or at risk homeless people that use the facilities here. The library security staff refer to the young homeless kids as 'street pirates'. We are working with many of these young people and many boast of a gang affiliation. Some of the folks we work with identify as 'Juggalos' of 'Juggalettes'; the name given to the fans of the group Insane Clown Posse. Gang affiliation gives these youth a sense of belonging and importance. They long for acceptance.
Well, I need to leave the library and try to find blankets and head to one of the missions for dinner. I will probably not be able to post anything else until tomorrow morning. Hopefully, I will have some good stories to share.
Much love,
Jonathan
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Be Careful Out There
So, since I announce the Week of Homelessness yesterday, I have received a lot of comments from people who are concerned about my safety on this endeavor. These comments have come from my friends, family and colleagues. I am moved that they are concerned about my health and safety. I certainly feel loved and appreciated. But, I want to remind everyone that there are hundreds of people in our city for whom street homelessness has become a way of life. We should all be concerned about each of those individuals each night as they fall asleep under a bridge or in an abandoned building. They all have value. They are someone's son or daughter, brother or sister. They have dreams and aspirations. I remind myself that we are all much more alike than we are different. We travel through life searching for meaning and purpose. Some find that through faith, some through meaningful relationships with family and friends, but we all search for acceptance and love.
Last night, I had a chance to meet six amazing young people through our youth resource center, Ground Floor. All six, under the age of 21, are living in an abandoned building close to downtown OKC. Five young men and one young woman who is 5 1/2 months pregnant. Two of the young men are brothers, Their mother lives in Oklahoma City, but they say they feel safer living in the cold, dark building than they do at their mothers home. Years of abuse, neglect and drugs drove the brothers to the streets. The six now describe themselves as a family. They look out for each other; making sure everyone has food and warm blankets. Those kids have value. They are important. They have the potential to change the world, but to do so, they need help. We should be concerned that this happens in our city. We should be appalled that children sleep alone in the dark and cold every night. The good news is that they are now connected with a group of caring adults that are working to get them off the streets and into safe and appropriate housing. We are working to help them find their place in the world. A place that is safe where they can dream and aspire and become extraordinary adults.
So, while I am moved by the concern of my family, friends and colleagues as I start my adventure tomorrow, I encourage everyone to remember that there are people out there, right now who need our compassion and support.
If I can help someone, I must.
I don't have to do everything, but I must do something.
Much Love,
Jonathan
Last night, I had a chance to meet six amazing young people through our youth resource center, Ground Floor. All six, under the age of 21, are living in an abandoned building close to downtown OKC. Five young men and one young woman who is 5 1/2 months pregnant. Two of the young men are brothers, Their mother lives in Oklahoma City, but they say they feel safer living in the cold, dark building than they do at their mothers home. Years of abuse, neglect and drugs drove the brothers to the streets. The six now describe themselves as a family. They look out for each other; making sure everyone has food and warm blankets. Those kids have value. They are important. They have the potential to change the world, but to do so, they need help. We should be concerned that this happens in our city. We should be appalled that children sleep alone in the dark and cold every night. The good news is that they are now connected with a group of caring adults that are working to get them off the streets and into safe and appropriate housing. We are working to help them find their place in the world. A place that is safe where they can dream and aspire and become extraordinary adults.
So, while I am moved by the concern of my family, friends and colleagues as I start my adventure tomorrow, I encourage everyone to remember that there are people out there, right now who need our compassion and support.
If I can help someone, I must.
I don't have to do everything, but I must do something.
Much Love,
Jonathan
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
A Week on the Streets of Oklahoma City
The title of this blog is "Week of Homelessness". I wanted to spend 7 days living on the streets of Oklahoma City to try and gain a better understanding of what our homeless neighbors experience every day. The truth is, I am not homeless. I cannot truly know what a homeless person experiences, because I have a home. I have a job. I have family and friends who love me who would help me if the bottom dropped out of my comfortable life. But part of the challenge of working with people who don't have a place to call home is trying to understand what they go through on a daily basis. To try to grasp what it is like to sleep under a bridge in the cold of winter; to rely on others for food and clean clothing; to experience the indignity of being treated as 'less than'. I think having empathy for people who are marginalized helps inform the decisions we make in developing programs and supports to help people get off the streets and into stable housing.
A few months ago, I started thinking about what I could do to gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by people who are homeless. It occurred to me that the best way to do this would be to spend some time on the streets with the people we serve. So, I am going to begin my week on the streets on Friday, November 21 and I will end my week on Thanksgiving Day. In addition to giving me some insight on what it means to be homeless, I hope to bring awareness to the issue of street homelessness in Oklahoma City. I have been hesitant to let people know about this endeavor, because again, I don't want this to be about me. This is about the people that experience homelessness everyday. I have decided to write this blog as I am able during the week to let people know about my experiences. I want to tell the stories of the people I meet so that others can also gain some understanding about the people living on the streets of our city.
In further thinking about this experience, I came up with some 'rules' about how this whole thing will work. The plan is that I will start the week on Friday afternoon at the downtown bus terminal. I will have only the clothes on my back and some incidentals. I am going to try to make it through the week without my ID, as this is a barrier that a lot of our folks face as they try to access services. The challenge will be finding those resources I will need to make it through the week. With little money in my pocket and no place to sleep, I hope to experience some of these challenges first hand. I will carry my smart phone with me for safety reasons, but I will try not to use it - another challenge faced by the folks we serve.
I also want to be clear that this is not an attempt to disparage any homeless service providers. I will be accessing services from providers to meet basic needs, primarily food. The goal is not to criticize services provided by these agencies. That is not productive and it is not the goal of this undertaking. After the week is over, if agencies would like to know about my experiences with their programs, I would be happy to share that information, but that is certainly not the focus of this venture. I will also make a donation to any agency from whom I receive services over the course of the week. Again, I don't want to utilize resources that are meant for people in need.
I will be keeping a journal and throughout the week, Be The Change staff, volunteers and board members will be meeting with me at designated times so that I can share my experiences. We hope to make some short videos and we will post videos and parts of the journal on our facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/be.thechange.31) and via email. I hope you follow along with us.
Ending this endeavor on Thanksgiving seems appropriate. As we take time to give thanks for what we have, we can remember those that struggle every day.
Much Love,
Jonathan
A few months ago, I started thinking about what I could do to gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by people who are homeless. It occurred to me that the best way to do this would be to spend some time on the streets with the people we serve. So, I am going to begin my week on the streets on Friday, November 21 and I will end my week on Thanksgiving Day. In addition to giving me some insight on what it means to be homeless, I hope to bring awareness to the issue of street homelessness in Oklahoma City. I have been hesitant to let people know about this endeavor, because again, I don't want this to be about me. This is about the people that experience homelessness everyday. I have decided to write this blog as I am able during the week to let people know about my experiences. I want to tell the stories of the people I meet so that others can also gain some understanding about the people living on the streets of our city.
In further thinking about this experience, I came up with some 'rules' about how this whole thing will work. The plan is that I will start the week on Friday afternoon at the downtown bus terminal. I will have only the clothes on my back and some incidentals. I am going to try to make it through the week without my ID, as this is a barrier that a lot of our folks face as they try to access services. The challenge will be finding those resources I will need to make it through the week. With little money in my pocket and no place to sleep, I hope to experience some of these challenges first hand. I will carry my smart phone with me for safety reasons, but I will try not to use it - another challenge faced by the folks we serve.
I also want to be clear that this is not an attempt to disparage any homeless service providers. I will be accessing services from providers to meet basic needs, primarily food. The goal is not to criticize services provided by these agencies. That is not productive and it is not the goal of this undertaking. After the week is over, if agencies would like to know about my experiences with their programs, I would be happy to share that information, but that is certainly not the focus of this venture. I will also make a donation to any agency from whom I receive services over the course of the week. Again, I don't want to utilize resources that are meant for people in need.
I will be keeping a journal and throughout the week, Be The Change staff, volunteers and board members will be meeting with me at designated times so that I can share my experiences. We hope to make some short videos and we will post videos and parts of the journal on our facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/be.thechange.31) and via email. I hope you follow along with us.
Ending this endeavor on Thanksgiving seems appropriate. As we take time to give thanks for what we have, we can remember those that struggle every day.
Much Love,
Jonathan
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