Have you ever seen what happens when you take a homeless person from where they have been living on the streets or in camps for the last 5, 10, 20 years and drop them into housing?
I say "drop" into housing because that is what happens many times in the Homeless Assistance World, by HAO's.
The HAO will get the homeless person all geared up for their possible "new housing" in hopes of getting them off the street and to satisfy their "numbers" for the Homeless Management System databases. Numbers = funding. However, numbers+poorly fitted housing=higher homeless numbers. Many do not see this for some reason.
When a homeless person is brought from the street into housing it must be done with as much creative thinking, a working knowledge of the persons personality and planning as possible. It must be a good fit. Many times it will take a great deal of "creative work". If you are not able to be creative or willing to push hard with it, then there is a high chance the person you are assisting is going to again become a homeless statistic.
Once the person loses their housing, (which was supplied via an HAO by obtaining Section 8 vouchers etc and placing the person into the Homeless Assistance Worlds management database stating they are no longer homeless) the person in too many cases is no longer looked upon as a person with an urgent need. They are looked upon as getting housing, which the City promotes as an accomplishment.
Then the person becomes homeless very soon after getting their new home. They are once again, on the streets sleeping under a bridge or under a tree in a cemetarywithout so much as a blanket, scared, helpless, uninformed and once again relying on the very same people who set them up to fail in the first place.
The housing placement must be a proper fit for the persons personality. This is where creativity comes in. Creativity in thinking and working. It is more difficult but it works.
Numbers = funding. However, numbers+poorly fitted housing=higher homeless numbers.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Mission Statement of Straight Ahead Outreach-Taking back Your Life
MISSION STATEMENT
To provide a relaxing atmosphere which promotes and allows room for change.
We will strive to provide relief to the poor, distressed, underprivileged and depressed.
To ease neighborhood tensions along with combating community deterioration and the over all community delinquency.
To remove our “friends in need” from the community as a tension force and "set them free" as a viable, positive contributing force to the community as a changed, New Person via their own strengths, their peers’ assistance and our assistance.
To be creative in our approach to the issues.
Having the goal of getting our "friends in need" out of the homeless assistance system and self reliant.
Some things That Upset Me in the Homeless Assistance World,,,,,
Homeless People having to stand outside an HAO for more then 3 months,,,,over three years even,,,,lost,,broken,,,with no creative assistance from the HAO's and the community, City governments etc.
People having to live, take up residence in their cars in this country for any length of time.
Children in this country going without any hope of food for the next however many hours,,,,,see http://www.ccmileecounty.com/childhoodhungerawarenesscampaign.html for their campaign against Child Hunger.
People having to live, take up residence in their cars in this country for any length of time.
Children in this country going without any hope of food for the next however many hours,,,,,see http://www.ccmileecounty.com/childhoodhungerawarenesscampaign.html for their campaign against Child Hunger.
Ever seen what happens when a homeless drug user is taken from living in the woods for 18 yrs give them an SSI check & housing? And then the HAO walks away and basically says ,,,good luck! It is horribly devastating and the person will most usually end up homeless again in a short time. This is being set up to fail. NOT acceptable and that organization should lose its funding as far as I am concerned.
HAO's? What does it stand for??
HAO's stands for my abbreviation of: Homeless Assistance Organizations - We Straight Ahead Outreach-Taking Back Your Life are one of them. HOWEVER, we are striving to be different,,,not of the norm. Our processes are different and our beliefs in how we handle the homeless community and their situations are different.
Personal Belongings of the Homeless VS the HAO's,,,
Personal Belongings:
We have a problem, one that can be difficult yes. I know we as HAO's have to take control but we need to keep in mind as we do this, the control needs to be consistent, gentle, like a "Gentle Giant". The "friends" we assist look up to us in many cases and we have a "responsibility" to be that "Gentle Giant". Oh, I know we also must be tough many times,,,,but tough can be done in a way so people know you actually care.
In the following situations I am about to discuss it may look and sound as though I am placing ALL the blame on the HAO's. It is not about "blame." It is about "Responsibility."
The Situation:
My organization Straight Ahead Outreach-Taking Back Your Life was involved in assisting with an elderly female in Knoxville, TN who is very difficult. She is a professional chronically homeless person who can be very uncooperative, but not impossible. I do not intend to compromise anyone so forgive me for being fairly general in form here. We, Straight Ahead Outreach have been part of the Critical Case Management team for Homelessness in Knoxville, TN. We stopped going to the meetings after this situation arose.
This elderly woman would go to the shelters, take buses & taxi's everywhere with all her personal belongings in tow. Up to 13 bags including a couple of large suitcases. She had been evicted from her most recent residence. I, Lance Greene of Straight Ahead Outreach facilitated the return of her apartment keys to the facility as they were holding her personal belongings until she returned the key. I convinced this elderly woman into letting me have the key to her apartment, by promising to go get her luggage, bring it to her and show her that I indeed did have it. I went to the facility, spoke with management, obtained her belongings and took them to her to show her that I had them. She then handed me the apartment keys which I returned them to the facility. I then convinced the elderly woman into letting us "store" her personal belongings at our house (we run everything out of our home - yes our personal home) She agreed and so we stored all 13 of her bags. It took up a 3x3x3 area in our shed. This way she did not have to tow them all over and they were safe. She does NOT like to be without her items, they are ALL she has in the world. Sure, some of it may be due to mental health issues, sorry,,,no excuse for not assisting.
Back to the Critical Case Management meetings. So, it came to be that someone had been putting this elderly woman up in motels to get her off the street. No one was quite sure who the person was assisting her and the "Powers That Be" wanted to get a message to this person to stop putting her up. The "Powers That Be" felt it was not helping her get off the street in the long run. I disagree 1000%. The "Powers That Be"were looking for a way to force her into complying to 'giving up her personal belongs' and actually hoped to get her off the street WITHOUT them. YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!
At the Critical Case Managment meeting there was a discussion to send a directive out to all the churches in the area to NOT ASSIST this elderly woman if she came with her personal belongings in tow. She was no longer allowed to ride the City bus system, taxi companies were asked not to assist her and the emergency responders were told not to assist with her bags (some of the ambulances still did anyway). All assistance was shut down for her if she had her personal belongings with her. We, straight Ahead Outreach continued to try and assist her.
HMIS was directed to note in their system database not to assist if this woman had her bags in tow.
The the day came. She was sleeping in a bus stop on Chapman Hwy in Knoxville when a drunk driver smashed into the bus stop. She sustained major injuries and ended up in a nursing home.
WOW. I wish I could say I was speechless - but obviously I am not!!!
So, when the individual who had been trying to put her in motels told me this story of her being hit by a drunk driver as she slept, I was so angry I could barely speak with him. I was running all this crap through my head,,,,,What could I have done! What could I have done! I should have done more! DAMNIT! I should have spent more hours with her,,,I had spent many late hours already ,,,many. I should have fought the Powers to Be more! I should have taken them to task! I wanted to go straight to them and tell them to remove their Mission Statement plaques off their walls and take another look at why they are in this business!
Instead, it pushed me harder to want to "Change the Face of Homelessness". I decided to re-direct my anger into a more positive direction and re-positioned myself to do even more on behalf of the Homeless. One is by creating this blog. Another is by creating my new website: www.homelesscrisis.wordpress.com
I am committed, driven, creative and have the help of Jesus on my side,,,,literally.
Straight Ahead Outreach-Taking back Your Life is very small, but we do alot of great work. I feel as though we get lost in the shuffle a bit as we are not a 501c non-profit. Most of what we do comes out of our own pockets except for "gifts" from a handlful of very special people.
We have only collected a total of $1720.00 in the last 23 years I have been doing this.
ALL of it was in the last year. Crazy huh?
Point of the story:
We are very small. We run everything out of our home.
If we can store someones personal belongings for over a month, then the larger, high-budget HAO's have the same "Responsibility". Yes, "Responsibility".
We would have stored her belongings longer but she needed them back and was in a motel.
Do I expect HAO's to provide storage and a process to accomodate this need?
MOST DEFINITELY! You welcomed them through your doors.
It is NOT in your budget? Then one of the executive's should take a pay reduction for the next year or two or whatever it takes to put this in place.
You are in this for the Homeless,,,correct? Or am I missing something?
You are in this for the very same people
YOU, YOU invite through your doors and state in your Mission Statement on your brass plaques that you will help.
We need to be more creative, yes, forceful at times but very creative. If we set out a directive to not assist someone then we have separated ourselves, the HAO's from the one-on-one that person so desparately needs.
In defense of the HAO's who cut this elderly woman off, they did try for quite some time to help her with her bags and assist her. I just think they made a big mistake, they lost focus.
In another case:
One of our "friends" who was being assisted by another local HAO had her bag spray painted with flourescent orange spray paint by one of the "Day Room" workers. A big "X" on it. It was a nice bag given to her by a donor, a $70 bag. They ruined it. Ruined it. All because of a ego out of control. Sorry, there was a different more creative way to handle this. It is up to us HAO's to figure this out. It is our "Responsibility."
I have said it many times and I will say it again here.,, "We" in the "Assistance Organization World" (HAO's) most definitely have a major "RESPONSIBILITY" to assist those we welcome through our doors. Do not just make it part of your Mission Statement and put it on a plaque in your entry way in order to solicit funds,,,,MEAN IT.
If a person - remember they are people, is welcomed through our doors and they refuse our assistance and leave,,then that is on them. If they return to ask again and we push them away that is on US. If they do leave, it does not mean we do not have a responsibility to seek them out and try try again to pull them around.
Be the "Gentle Giant."
Thank you
Lance Greene-Founder- Straight Ahead Outreach-Taking Back Your Life
We have a problem, one that can be difficult yes. I know we as HAO's have to take control but we need to keep in mind as we do this, the control needs to be consistent, gentle, like a "Gentle Giant". The "friends" we assist look up to us in many cases and we have a "responsibility" to be that "Gentle Giant". Oh, I know we also must be tough many times,,,,but tough can be done in a way so people know you actually care.
In the following situations I am about to discuss it may look and sound as though I am placing ALL the blame on the HAO's. It is not about "blame." It is about "Responsibility."
The Situation:
My organization Straight Ahead Outreach-Taking Back Your Life was involved in assisting with an elderly female in Knoxville, TN who is very difficult. She is a professional chronically homeless person who can be very uncooperative, but not impossible. I do not intend to compromise anyone so forgive me for being fairly general in form here. We, Straight Ahead Outreach have been part of the Critical Case Management team for Homelessness in Knoxville, TN. We stopped going to the meetings after this situation arose.
This elderly woman would go to the shelters, take buses & taxi's everywhere with all her personal belongings in tow. Up to 13 bags including a couple of large suitcases. She had been evicted from her most recent residence. I, Lance Greene of Straight Ahead Outreach facilitated the return of her apartment keys to the facility as they were holding her personal belongings until she returned the key. I convinced this elderly woman into letting me have the key to her apartment, by promising to go get her luggage, bring it to her and show her that I indeed did have it. I went to the facility, spoke with management, obtained her belongings and took them to her to show her that I had them. She then handed me the apartment keys which I returned them to the facility. I then convinced the elderly woman into letting us "store" her personal belongings at our house (we run everything out of our home - yes our personal home) She agreed and so we stored all 13 of her bags. It took up a 3x3x3 area in our shed. This way she did not have to tow them all over and they were safe. She does NOT like to be without her items, they are ALL she has in the world. Sure, some of it may be due to mental health issues, sorry,,,no excuse for not assisting.
Back to the Critical Case Management meetings. So, it came to be that someone had been putting this elderly woman up in motels to get her off the street. No one was quite sure who the person was assisting her and the "Powers That Be" wanted to get a message to this person to stop putting her up. The "Powers That Be" felt it was not helping her get off the street in the long run. I disagree 1000%. The "Powers That Be"were looking for a way to force her into complying to 'giving up her personal belongs' and actually hoped to get her off the street WITHOUT them. YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!
At the Critical Case Managment meeting there was a discussion to send a directive out to all the churches in the area to NOT ASSIST this elderly woman if she came with her personal belongings in tow. She was no longer allowed to ride the City bus system, taxi companies were asked not to assist her and the emergency responders were told not to assist with her bags (some of the ambulances still did anyway). All assistance was shut down for her if she had her personal belongings with her. We, straight Ahead Outreach continued to try and assist her.
HMIS was directed to note in their system database not to assist if this woman had her bags in tow.
The the day came. She was sleeping in a bus stop on Chapman Hwy in Knoxville when a drunk driver smashed into the bus stop. She sustained major injuries and ended up in a nursing home.
WOW. I wish I could say I was speechless - but obviously I am not!!!
So, when the individual who had been trying to put her in motels told me this story of her being hit by a drunk driver as she slept, I was so angry I could barely speak with him. I was running all this crap through my head,,,,,What could I have done! What could I have done! I should have done more! DAMNIT! I should have spent more hours with her,,,I had spent many late hours already ,,,many. I should have fought the Powers to Be more! I should have taken them to task! I wanted to go straight to them and tell them to remove their Mission Statement plaques off their walls and take another look at why they are in this business!
Instead, it pushed me harder to want to "Change the Face of Homelessness". I decided to re-direct my anger into a more positive direction and re-positioned myself to do even more on behalf of the Homeless. One is by creating this blog. Another is by creating my new website: www.homelesscrisis.wordpress.com
I am committed, driven, creative and have the help of Jesus on my side,,,,literally.
Straight Ahead Outreach-Taking back Your Life is very small, but we do alot of great work. I feel as though we get lost in the shuffle a bit as we are not a 501c non-profit. Most of what we do comes out of our own pockets except for "gifts" from a handlful of very special people.
We have only collected a total of $1720.00 in the last 23 years I have been doing this.
ALL of it was in the last year. Crazy huh?
Point of the story:
We are very small. We run everything out of our home.
If we can store someones personal belongings for over a month, then the larger, high-budget HAO's have the same "Responsibility". Yes, "Responsibility".
We would have stored her belongings longer but she needed them back and was in a motel.
Do I expect HAO's to provide storage and a process to accomodate this need?
MOST DEFINITELY! You welcomed them through your doors.
It is NOT in your budget? Then one of the executive's should take a pay reduction for the next year or two or whatever it takes to put this in place.
You are in this for the Homeless,,,correct? Or am I missing something?
You are in this for the very same people
YOU, YOU invite through your doors and state in your Mission Statement on your brass plaques that you will help.
We need to be more creative, yes, forceful at times but very creative. If we set out a directive to not assist someone then we have separated ourselves, the HAO's from the one-on-one that person so desparately needs.
In defense of the HAO's who cut this elderly woman off, they did try for quite some time to help her with her bags and assist her. I just think they made a big mistake, they lost focus.
In another case:
One of our "friends" who was being assisted by another local HAO had her bag spray painted with flourescent orange spray paint by one of the "Day Room" workers. A big "X" on it. It was a nice bag given to her by a donor, a $70 bag. They ruined it. Ruined it. All because of a ego out of control. Sorry, there was a different more creative way to handle this. It is up to us HAO's to figure this out. It is our "Responsibility."
I have said it many times and I will say it again here.,, "We" in the "Assistance Organization World" (HAO's) most definitely have a major "RESPONSIBILITY" to assist those we welcome through our doors. Do not just make it part of your Mission Statement and put it on a plaque in your entry way in order to solicit funds,,,,MEAN IT.
If a person - remember they are people, is welcomed through our doors and they refuse our assistance and leave,,then that is on them. If they return to ask again and we push them away that is on US. If they do leave, it does not mean we do not have a responsibility to seek them out and try try again to pull them around.
Be the "Gentle Giant."
Thank you
Lance Greene-Founder- Straight Ahead Outreach-Taking Back Your Life
Please,,,,,,,It could happen to you or I,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Please do not ever forget,,,U or I could be homeless at any moment,,no matter what our wealth is,,,,how would YOU want to be treated?
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Where to Start,,,,,,,,,,,,
Man this just is not going to be pretty,,,,,Some may not be happy with, agree or like what I say,,,,but here we go,,,,
There are a few reasons in the last year that I have become so much more serious, intense and stubborn about my drive to "Change the Face of Homelessness" and also to change the attitiudes of many of the Homeless Assistance Organizations(HAO). I will attempt to describe the issues here as best I can. They are vast, sometimes complicated, gray-liners but I "Have To" address them.
I will begin with a few examples from the last year, which have really pushed me over the edge to step up my efforts in this work that I do. They will seem like generalizations, but trust me they are real and very specific.
When I say "we", I am typically meaning the HAO's(Homeless Assistance Organizations) or any type assistance organization for that matter,,,BUT NOT all of them.
1) I will touch on the handling of "personal belongings" issue.
2) The bringing of a Homeless individual from the woods/streets into housing and receiving disability checks.
3) The prescibing of medications(anti-depressants) to the Homeless.
4) The mentalities of HOA's and providing of food, clothing, tents, etc to those on the streets.
More tomorrow 4/23/09 as I need some sleep,,,thanks for stopping by!
There are a few reasons in the last year that I have become so much more serious, intense and stubborn about my drive to "Change the Face of Homelessness" and also to change the attitiudes of many of the Homeless Assistance Organizations(HAO). I will attempt to describe the issues here as best I can. They are vast, sometimes complicated, gray-liners but I "Have To" address them.
I will begin with a few examples from the last year, which have really pushed me over the edge to step up my efforts in this work that I do. They will seem like generalizations, but trust me they are real and very specific.
When I say "we", I am typically meaning the HAO's(Homeless Assistance Organizations) or any type assistance organization for that matter,,,BUT NOT all of them.
1) I will touch on the handling of "personal belongings" issue.
2) The bringing of a Homeless individual from the woods/streets into housing and receiving disability checks.
3) The prescibing of medications(anti-depressants) to the Homeless.
4) The mentalities of HOA's and providing of food, clothing, tents, etc to those on the streets.
More tomorrow 4/23/09 as I need some sleep,,,thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Here We Go,,,,,,,
First of all, I am NOT new to this thing we call Chronic Homelessness or Homelessness in general for that matter. I have been in it and Suicide Prevention for almost 24 years. I am tired of seeing complacency in the Homeless Assistance World and aim to change the attitudes of it.
We are: Straight Ahead Outreach-Taking Back Your LIfe
We are: Straight Ahead Outreach-Taking Back Your LIfe
Our Website: http://sites.google.com/site/straightaheadoutreach/Home
Yes, I believe I get my talents from Jesus, all of them, however I am not the type to say "Have a Blessed Day". Forgive me if that makes you uneasy. I have a very close very intimate relationship with Jesus and he has helped or allowed me to help many people going on over 23 years since 1985. He uses me as a tool. Period. I am honored, sometimes frustrated, sometimes very upset, but nonetheless grateful for his trust.
The work I do with the Homeless and Suicidal is all directed by Jesus, that is why it works so well. It surely is not because of me. Period.
I have never "lost one" yet and I pray to Jesus I never do. If I "lose" that means the person I am helping loses,,,,,and we surely do not want that.
Through Jesus, I strive for permanent results, not temporary. I strive to get the homeless OUT of the homeless assistance cycle NOT keep them in it.
MISSION STATEMENT
To provide a relaxing atmosphere which promotes and allows room for change.
We will strive to provide relief to the poor, distressed, underprivileged and depressed.
To ease neighborhood tensions along with combating community deterioration and the over all community delinquency.
To remove our “friends in need” from the community as a tension force and
"set them free" as a viable, positive contributing force to the community as a changed, New Person via their own strengths, their peers’ assistance and our assistance.
To be creative in our approach to the issues.
Having the goal of getting our "friends in need" out of the homeless assistance system, self reliant and our friends for life.
To provide a relaxing atmosphere which promotes and allows room for change.
We will strive to provide relief to the poor, distressed, underprivileged and depressed.
To ease neighborhood tensions along with combating community deterioration and the over all community delinquency.
To remove our “friends in need” from the community as a tension force and
"set them free" as a viable, positive contributing force to the community as a changed, New Person via their own strengths, their peers’ assistance and our assistance.
To be creative in our approach to the issues.
Having the goal of getting our "friends in need" out of the homeless assistance system, self reliant and our friends for life.
I am a NEWBIE at Blogging!!! :-))!
I am very much a newbie at this and just setting up my blog site ,,,so please bare with me while I build the page. Thanks!
Lance :-))!
Lance :-))!
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