Shelter report: so tired
I ran into a couple Minnesota guys today out here in Western Colorado.
I ran into a couple Minnesota guys today out here in Western Colorado.
The great part of my job in the supplies room of the Day Center is getting to know the people and talking to them about what’s on their minds.
The day Washington announced a deal to end the federal government shutdown, I was at the preschool reading Green Eggs and Ham.
How long can a motivated, intelligent girl keep progressing under the stress of homelessness?
The most reliable sign of spring in the Day Center—aside from the lack of bulky coats, knit hats and gloves—is the increased number of times the hair clippers are checked out.
For myself, I’ve found I can’t spend my day judging how deserving every person is who walks through these doors.
It’s not my property and thus none of my business, but it does grate me when I come upon a hidden bowl where four-wheelers have been spinning circles.
A few broader observations about the forces that work against the homeless.
If conservative voters really understood what’s left of welfare after the reforms of 1996, they might be more supportive of the program.
Government never got in the way of my business, nor did it directly intervene to make us successful. It simply contributed to the conditions that allowed us to succeed, and when we did, it collected more taxes.
A face-to-face survey to identify vulnerable individuals among the homeless population is a good effort, but it may be met with resistance among the chronic homeless.
A couple of shelter residents head out of town, and the effects of alcoholism.
An accident befalls a shelter regular and Vietnam veteran.