Don't YOU Wonder?

Don't you ever wonder what it takes to help our "Friends In Need?" Friends In Need can be homeless or anyone that is down and out. In order to do the work we do it takes a great deal of money. I hate having to even talk about the money part. It is the part of my job a like the least. When we are helping our Friends In Need in the streets or where ever they may be we have to:
1) Have gas in the Mobile Crisis Van
2) Have oil in the Van.
3) Make sure van is operating safely and in proper repair.
4) Insurance on the Mobile Crisis Van.
5) Cells phones in good operation.
6) Internet access and printing capabilities.
7) Food or cash on hand in case we need to provide a meal on the street or at someones home.
8) Cash on hand to take a Friend In need for a Shower at one of the Pilot Travel Centers in Knoxville or to a truck stop near where ever we may be 24 hours a day 7 days per week.
9) Cash on hand to take a Friend in need for a much needed haircut.
10) Cash on hand in case we need to go to a laundry near by to do our Friends In Need laundry in case we are to far from oour home, one quick load.

11) THENNNNNN, once we get our Friends In Need moving forward we need to find for instance, Housing maybe. We have given them a reason to fight after weeks and months of intense one on one in the streets and now they are ready to get housing. How do we do that??? How do we now BACK UP what we got our Friends In Need to agree to?? IT TAKES MONEY. Lots of it. And i am not even counting yet wages for our staff. THAT is the last thing i will ever include. Yes, just like if You or I were to go rent an apartment anywhere. It takes the exact same stuff. Deposit, rent, utilities, phone, cable, furnishings, linens, groceries and on and on. Just because they are Friends In Need does not mean they have different needs, desires, expectations etc. They are like You and Me. They were yours and mine neighbors at one time! They were our family members at one time! We are all one actually when you think about it. Can we help everyone? No, not our org alone. It takes many. We do not just provide food en mass to a group out on the streets for instance. We are very specific as to how we do what we do in getting our "friends In Need" out of the Chronic Assistance Cycle. we help them one by one, so all your donations go specifically, literally to help a specific "friend In Need" and to all the operational needs in order to help that individual.

Are you beginning to get the picture? Funds are needed to help our Friends In Need. We do not help JUST the homeless, we help the "Formerly Homeless" also in order to prevent them from becoming homeless again so they can get a firm grip on life and their feet grounded. In addition, if we hear of someone who is living in a home and is just plain in need, we will also do what we can to help them. Like recently, we were able to provide repairs to a "friend In Needs" washing machine so she could do her laundry like normal rather then use her plunger in the washer to clean her clothes.

The staff of Straight Ahead Outreach (Taking Back Your Life) Inc. has only taken a wage of $50.00 so far this year of 2010 and that is for 3 people. Yes, i will be honest i would like to be able for us to make a wage so we may do our work full-time and not have to worry about where we will get gas money to put in our Mobile Crisis Van or to help someone to go get groceries. One thing about our org is i will guarantee you our wages will NEVER be excessive. I have detailed that in a previous post along with the dollar amounts.

Ok, so are you wondering NOW?

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Thank you very much for reading my rant :-))!

Lance Greene/ HomeLessCrisis