Back to writing on the ole' blog

I haven't blogged in a while...somewhere along this journey of helping CLT's Homeless, it became harder and harder to put words to what was happening out on the streets. It's one of those rare instances where, while trying to help those that are helpless, in someways, not being able to help them as much as I would like, made me feel somewhat helpless. I'm extremely proud of all of my volunteers and my organization. We've continued to push through the stereotypes that surround those in need...and we haven't given up on them. We definitely have made a difference in the lives of many homeless individuals, and I have to remind myself that just like life, this journey is a progression and that I should not be disappointed with any of our efforts. There is still plenty of work to do. We will get there...and so will the homeless. In the upcoming months, we have a fundraiser planned for October, and details will soon emerge of our major push on the city and citizens of Charlotte to pay attention to the voiceless...this event will happen on December 9th, 2012 at Panther's Stadium. Here is a video that we recently released about our time on the streets with our homeless peeps: Whispers from the Streets of Uptown CLT

Images from the street...

When volunteering on the streets of uptown Charlotte, we usually never know which homeless individuals we will come across. Many of which have grown to trust us, to rely on us. Here are some recent images from the street:

A moment of reflection...

This is a picture that I took while I was Uptown yesterday with my favorite homeless peeps. I needed to be there with them, in this place and time, to remember...remember why I first started helping them and why they mean so much to me. Every time I set out on foot on a Sunday, I secretly hope that I won't see them...that somehow, someway, they've managed to escape this horrible plight. The thought of not seeing them every week comes with its own pain, but it is a lesser pain. The point in all of this, and in life in general, is to be there for as long as you're needed. #always I took some raw and real video footage while out there, one of these days I hope to do something amazing with it.

Updates

Recently, one of our homeless clients became a vendor for Speak Up Magazine. Warren, is one of our homeless clients who has been there with us since the beginning and we are very proud that he has taken steps towards climbing out of homelessness.

We are also volunteering uptown today at 2:30pm, and we have lots of exciting things happening with The True Change Band. More details soon.

Do you remember me?

"Do you remember me," is a question that my homeless clients ask me on a regular basis. I always reply back with, "of course I remember you," and there is a lot of truth in that statement. I don't know if I have ever forgotten a homeless person that we have come in contact with. And, most of the time, they don't forget who we are either. While walking the streets of uptown and passing out supplies is an entirely different volunteer opportunity than our weekly meal service, the homeless recognize us. In some ways, they know that we are there to help them...and we can all see the relief on their faces.

A few weeks ago, we were stopped at a crosswalk and a homeless woman looked down the street and told all of the 20 volunteers to cross the street. She said something along the lines of God having our back. It was one of those statements that I didn't question, and we all crossed the street. Afterwards, I had to think about how profound her statement was. Even though she lacked material possessions, she still felt protected by God. Housed individuals take a lot for granted; we have so much to be thankful for but the sad reality is that most of us are not thankful, at all.

We've never experienced extreme hardship, sadness, or suffering. We go through life with a complete lack of knowledge about what a homeless person's life must be like. We look at them and we blame them for their unfortunate plight, and we believe that there is a reason why they have fallen into homelessness. After all, homelessness doesn't just happen, right? Or does it? Sometimes, homelessness does happen, without warning. Everyone seems to have this misconception that they could never be homeless, but anyone who losses their job and gets behind on their bills can become homeless. No one is immune. So the next time you see a homeless person on the street, consider recognizing them for what they are: a person in need. If you see them this way, the need to pose blame dissipates. Help them, and remember them. Think about it...

Real Change?

Every once in a while, I get so fed up with the "solutions" in this city to "end homelessness," that I write about it. To read more about the latest initiative to "help the homeless," and my reaction to this initiative, please click here.

One year ago...

Happy Anniversary Shout it Charlotte! It's hard to believe that one year ago, I became determined to make a difference and to raise awareness about some of the stereotypes that plague our city. I had no idea then that writing one article in the Charlotte Observer would lead me to writing as a career. I now write for six publications, in nine different sections, in addition to running the nonprofit.

The most rewarding part of it all has been the countless hours we have spent out on the street with the homeless. It's one of the realest experiences that I have ever been a part of.

And while I do feel blessed that I have been able to raise awareness about some of the obstacles that surround the homeless, there is still plenty of work to do. It's a good reminder to never become idle and to always keep persevering, especially leading up to the Democratic National Convention. I still worry that certain measures may be implemented during the DNC that will target my homeless clients.

Here are some recent homeless related articles:

The working poor, minimum wage, and the correlation between the two


CLT's Shelter Crisis, statistics, and the cure for homelessness

Lots of articles...

Recently, I was given another title over at the Examiner writing specifically about Mecklenburg County Homelessness. Here are some of the articles that I have written over the last month:

http://www.examiner.com/homelessness-in-charlotte/unwarranted-stereotypes-harm-clt-s-homeless

http://www.examiner.com/homelessness-in-charlotte/clt-s-homeless-population-many-lack-identification

http://www.examiner.com/homelessness-in-charlotte/hidden-talent-within-clt-s-homeless-community

http://www.examiner.com/homelessness-in-charlotte/the-criminilization-of-clt-s-homeless

Street Outreach

Serve Charlotte's Homeless will take to the streets of Uptown Charlotte later today, to pass out vital supplies and food to CLT's unsheltered population. The experience is often raw and real, but we always walk away knowing that we have made a difference in their lives. The street homeless individual is so appreciative for our assistance, mostly because there is no expectation...they are used to being ignored out on the street. When we acknowledge them and open up those lines of communications, it does wonders for their self esteem and it also helps restore their self worth.

Good News/Bad News

In life, one must always take the good with the bad. You cannot have the good without the bad, and you can't have the bad without at least experiencing some good. It's a fact of life.

This past Thursday, we welcomed DJ Ciprian to the 9th month anniversary of Serve Charlotte's Homeless meal service. Firstly, 9 months...wow. That accomplishment alone is worth celebrating. Reflecting on where the nonprofit was at the beginning is somewhat comical...We started with 5 volunteers, 20 homeless people, and a large desire to bring about real change.

And, real change followed. Nine months later and we now have 6 partnering agencies, a pool of hundreds of volunteers, and between 50 to 80 homeless people who depend on us for food, vital supplies, and socialization.

The hardest part of attending the meal service for me, personally, is the amount of pain in the room. I see their faces and I feel their pain, and at times it is so overwhelming that I wonder how much longer I can let it eat away at me. But, on the other hand, feeling that pain is good for me because it makes me work that much harder to help my homeless clients.

As soon as I arrived last night, I saw one of my homeless clients that I would have labeled as one of my success stories. Through a lot of communication my volunteers helped him turn his life around. He was doing so well, he had climbed out of homelessness...and all of that changed last night. Him and his girlfriend are homeless, again. It's one of those instances that I look at from outside the situation and wonder, "where do I go from here?"

The Good News

As I mentioned before, we welcomed DJ Ciprian to the meal service to DJ for the homeless. It was such a relief to see my homeless clients smiling and somewhat carefree. DJ Ciprian lifted their spirits and healed their souls. There were 65 homeless individuals in attendance last night, and just knowing that DJ Ciprian brightened their day through music, makes this day and every day at the meal service that much more worthwhile.

1/30 Change is coming :(

Last night was nearly our ninth month up at the homeless meal service. It was somewhat difficult for me to be there. The new camping ordinance goes into effect on January 30th, and I honestly don't know what will happen to my homeless clients. In some ways, I feel like a giant failure. I have spent years advocating for them, helping them, looking out for them...and I wasn't able to convince city council that this ordinance would harm their population. We will be uptown this Sunday for as many hours as we need to be, helping them and warning them.

The ordinance makes sleeping in public spaces illegal. Obviously, it was created in response to Occupy Charlotte protests/camping but no one realizes yet that it gives the CMPD entirely too much power to harass my homeless clients. This measure also goes against their eight amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. Shelters are over capacity...my clients have no where to go.

If they are prohibited from resting in public spaces, then they will be pushed out of the city and away from the resources that they need. I am almost tempted to do a social experiment and dress up as a homeless person and sit on a bench with a blanket and see if I am forced to leave. Hmmm...I may be onto something here...

Tell city council to vote NO!!

Tomorrow, City Council will vote on the camping ordinance. I was on Charlotte Talks 90.7FM, a few days ago, and my friends at city council don't seem to realize the unintended consequences that this ordinance will have on my homeless clients. In fact, Warren Cooksey basically told me on air that I was wrong about the definition of camping.

Camping, as defined by the city clerk: "camping means the use of city property for living accommodation purposes such as sleeping, or making preparations to sleep." My homeless clients often use sidewalks and city benches to sit and rest on, as they have no where else to go. City ordinances frequently serve as prominent tools towards criminalizing homelessness. Please help my narrow-minded friends at city council understand their city clerks definition of camping. If passed, this ordinance will push my homeless clients away from the city sidewalks and benches that they frequently sit/sleep on. It will also push them away from the resources that they so desperately need.

Contact Patsy Kinsey, pkinsey@charlottenc.gov
Contact James Mitchell Jr., JamesDistrict2@aol.com
Contact LaWana Mayfield, lmayfield@charlottenc.gov
contact Michael D. Barnes, barnesdistrict4@aol.com
Contact John Autry, jautry@charlottenc.gov
Contact Andy Dulin, adulin@charlottenc.gov
Contact Warren Cooksey, warren@warrencooksey.com

I know that I have been slacking off on blogging. I have been so busy writing articles lately, that I have neglected the blog. Here is one more article, about how unwarranted stereotypes harm the homeless. http://www.examiner.com/homelessness-in-charlotte/unwarranted-stereotypes-harm-clt-s-homeless

I hope to blog a real post soon.

Identification

Recently, I wrote an article over at the Examiner about the obstacles surrounding the homeless and lack of identification, etc. You can read it by clicking here.