A Homeless Story

Posted Wednesday, February 4, 2009, at 1:29 PM

In May 2007, my family and I traveled to a small city in a western cold weather state, to attend a wedding / family reunion. The hotel we stayed at was fairly close to the downtown area of this small city.

Behind the hotel, was a large area, big enough turn a semi and trailer around in, and because of trees, a highway, and another warehouse type building, this lot was secluded. I travel to this city frequently, often it is late at night when I arrive, and it is hard to find a place to park. The manager of the hotel was a nice guy, he told me I could use his lot, late at night, or even weekends.

During our three day stay, I check the lot out, and found, back in the corner of the lot, a couple, living in their beat up old station wagon. I didn't mean to intrude on them, but my dog Pedro is so spoiled, he has to go everywhere with us, even to weddings, and you got to walk the dog.

I asked if they needed some food and if they were okay. The woman was embarrassed, and I guess I was too. She briefly pointed out how they had come to town for a promised job, that fell through. I figured she was in her mid twenties, and from listening to her, I got the idea that her man was determined to make it here, and not move again. He was out looking for work. She refused to take any money from me, twice, and asked for me to keep quiet about them being there. I have, until now I guess, and that is why I really don't want to tell you what city they are in.

Twenty months have come and gone, and I have been to that city and that lot, six times. They were still there a couple of days ago. It has been fascinating to watch.

After the wedding in May '07, I returned about ninety days later, and there was a small camping trailer next to the old station wagon. Another visit or two later, a pickup joined the group, and on my last visit, the small camping trailer had been replaced by a nineteen foot fifth wheel camping trailer, and a newer car.

You have to admire this couples' grit. This particular city gets cold, they have toughed it out through two winters. They are getting ahead. However, I wonder about them "squatting" on someone else property. I know the manager lets me stay in the secluded lot, maybe he lets them, I did not ask.

I like the idea that this couple is working up from zero, from nothing but some a few clothes and beat up station wagon, and I suspect they will have a real appreciation for success when they finally move on, or will they move on? We'll see. All I have seen from this couple is steady improvement, and I don't know why that should change.

I know that many of the homeless are folks with serious drug and alcohol problems, some have mental illnesses. Some are folks who find themselves in a bad way, often because of poor choices they made. I wonder if homeless programs could not be designed to get results from people, not merely feed them, and send them back into the streets.

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That would be a great idea to fashion a program that specialized in giving good hard working people a hand up, and not a hand out. There are alot of people that end up in situations much like the one you described as a result of a bad choice, or a few bad choices, or they just plain had a stretch of bad luck. I have found that once you get that hole dug, it is sometimes very difficult to get back out. Some of these people are really trying, some need to be taught how to make better choices, some just need a break. There are also the few that are just sitting back waiting for the hand out.

It does my heart good to see a person rebound from a bad situation, and maybe learn a thing or two in the process. I'm sure you have heard the saying, "most people gain all of the knowledge and experience to succeed...right after they need it." I would love to see my tax dollars go to a program that would help the homeless or close to homeless with food, housing assistance, education, job placement, and maybe a little counseling. I think the program should monitor the individuals work performance or progress in finding a job, how the individuals are handling their finances, and how much progress they are making in attempting to make their situation better. Their further assistance is contingent on their progress. It would take someone much smarter than me to set such a program up, but I would gladly contribute to it.

-- Posted by seentoomuch on Wed, Feb 4, 2009, at 3:35 PM

There are programs like you describe scattered across the United States. I know because my wife and I have run a faith-based homeless center in Carthage Missouri (Carthage Crisis Center) for six years with just that philosophy. We have rules. We have a zero tolerance policy in regards to drug and alcohol use etc. We require work of able bodied people, help them get identification, jobs, save money and get back on track in their lives again. We help disabled people the same way who are on disability. We give an opportunity for those who want to change to have the opportunity and the time to heal and change.

-- Posted by michiganboy on Wed, Feb 4, 2009, at 8:42 PM

michiganboy,

I think that is fantastic. It is a great thing to show someone how to succeed, instead of giving them just enough to stay where they are.

-- Posted by seentoomuch on Thu, Feb 5, 2009, at 10:08 AM

Sam,

You are so right on virtually every point regarding Las Angeles.

Except -- L.A. is not the engine that drives California.

Northern California water is the engine that drives L.A. and Southern California economy. Pat Brown got the California Water Project in, with a major concrete-lined river actually pumping the major portion of available water over the Tehachapi Mountains to the L.A. area.

The political machine behind this -- The Metropolitan Water District -- is a truly cut-throat political operation.

Agriculture is the economic engine for California and has been since about 1870. Gold provided the means for levees around the incedibly fertile Sacramento Delta "Islands" and irrigation infrastructure for most of the state, plus the western leg of the transcontinental railroad.

The refrigerated Pacific Fruit Express followed to move orchard, grove, vinyards and vegetable production to eastern markets.

But agriculture has been THE ENGINE for more than 150 years.

Except for Pat Brown's effective lying to Northern California to gain support for the California Water Project, Southern California's huge population gains would have been recorded in the foothills north of Bakersfield.

Southern California's current population would be less than in 1960, because they have lost nearly all water sources other than the Owen's Valley, where MWD thugs murdered several ranch families to get their water rights.

The people of the LA. Basin are much like "common folks" everywhere, working and striving to create a better hope for their children and grandchildren.

L.A. schools teach English as A Second Language to children with nearly 200 different primary languages.

Many of those children of the past half century have gone on to work their way through colleges and universities to earn the highest professional degrees.

As almost everywhere, the uncommon "common" people are wonderful, the power grabbers are the problem.

I speak with nearly 40 years experience in community newspapers and business in every part of California, having published newspapers in seven of the state's poorest communities.

One of those -- the Salinas Valley hamlet of Chualar, primarily Latino immigrants (about 90%) -- lost more sons per capita in Viet Nam than any other U.S. community.

I attended most of those military funerals in St. Theodore's at Gonzales, CA.

Strange, there were no objections to surviving sons and daughters translating the English service to Spanish for grieving parents.

Being witness to the sorrowing pride shown by those mothers accepting the folded flag from their sons' coffins cannot be forgtotten.

-- Posted by bigsurmac on Wed, Feb 18, 2009, at 9:30 AM

You're right about the water in Northern California. Thanks for your view. California is sure an interesting state isn't it? So rich in resources, so rich in beauty, and yet a troubled state, troubled mainly with it politics and budget woes.

What do you think about the current budget battle going on right now? Am I correct that they need one Republican to change his/her vote to get approval, and the Republicans won't move?

I read the Sacramento Bee yesterday and considering there are almost seventy thousand state employees in Sacramento County alone, well, tension is tight.

Do you agree with me that Los Angeles and its manufacturing output are what is keeping California's head above water?

-- Posted by sameldridge on Wed, Feb 18, 2009, at 1:14 PM

Right of Center

Sam Eldridge

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