People who are homeless

trainlady · #1 (**permalink**) 12-08-2004, 12:03 PM

Do any of you have people who are homeless living in your towns/cities?

We have a lot here in Bakersfield. Right now a woman named Teresa is sleeping at the park (inside the public restroom) across the street. We have had a lot of people who are homeless in Bakersfield for years. It is sad, but it breaks my heart even more when I see someone sleeping in sight of the house while I am in here with heat and hot water for a bath.

I have been trying to help her the little I can but she is scizophrenic and our reality's are, well, totally opposite. (We do have a homeless shelter here but most people on the street who are mentally ill do not use them. ) They have to want the help and cannot be forced. So, yes, she IS choosing to sleep on the bathroom floor. Heartbreaking, isn't it.
When I went to check on her last week she was sleeping on cardboard, covered with a trash bag. I had given her a blanket earlier in the day becasue it had been very cold. She told me someone stole it and replaced it with a crappy one.........which is her story anytime she is given anything. She keeps her stuff hidden in our side yard and the blanket was right there....as are most things she believes have been stolen......
A homeless advocate came to my house last week to give me a sleeping bag to give to her. I have not been home the past few nights but I surely hope she is using it.

Are there people living on the streets where you live?

hugs,train

sandieluvsbears · #2 (**permalink**) 12-10-2004, 09:57 AM

I see a few homeless people in our area,and I have a friend that volunteers at the homeless shelter. Now the people that are at the shelter are only allowed to sleep there for a certain amount of time,and are not allowed to stay there in the day time, so they have no choice but to roam the streets during the day.They do there best to help these people get jobs,housing etc. but some of them just dont want to be helped and I agree its sad, but when it involves someone with children its even sadder.According to my friend that volunteers at the shelter, there are quite a few "families in transition" and this time of year its even more disheartening,most are women that have young children and are trying to get away from an abusive husband, and alot of them get some help and end up back with the abuser which makes trying to help them frustrating, so they are trying to have better programs for these women to help them regain self esteem.

Sandie

trainlady · #3 (**permalink**) 12-27-2004, 08:07 PM

I was so blessed this month!! 2 friends gave me some cash to buy food for my feeding ministry...............another gave me some food.....another gave me some sweater's......and........another gave me some coats!!!!! WOW!!!!! (One of the friends said she can help me with food every month!!)

I feed homeless people in the park once a month but I had to stop in the summer because I wasn't working so didn't have extra money. But now, thanks to my friends, I can start up again in January!!!!!

hugs,train

apricot · #4 (**permalink**) 12-28-2004, 08:17 AM

There is a man here who goes through the trash cans every week looking for bottles and cans. A friend who recently moved here said that she saw him in her neighborhood and someone had accidently tipped over his shopping cart and was trying to help him pick up all the bottles and cans. He was swearing at them the whole time. We have a rescue mission and a lot of county programs here but they have to want help and be willing to give up drugs and/or alcohol and be open to job training to use those programs. The mission has helped some find jobs. There is also a battered women's shelter for those who have abusive husbands.

cau · #5 (**permalink**) 12-28-2004, 05:48 PM

I think we need to remember that many homeless are mentally ill people who stopped taking their meds due to no money or thinking they don't need them. Maybe the man who was swearing had Turettes Syndrome( sorry bad speller). I just try to remember There but the grace of God could go anyone of us and try to help. cau

cau · #6 (**permalink**) 12-28-2004, 05:50 PM

Sorry, I did not means to sound preachy, cau

apricot · #7 (**permalink**) 12-28-2004, 07:04 PM

This is a small county and I happen to know the man used to work for the city and does not have Tourettes syndrome. For some reason he has chosen the homeless lifestyle. This county also has the best programs in the state for the mentally ill. The other man did continue to help him pick up his spilled cans and bottles, even as he continued to swear at him. This week I put an old blanket on the top of our covered city trash can so he could take it if he needed it but it was pouring rain, so I doubt if he made his usual trash run.

apricot · #8 (**permalink**) 12-28-2004, 07:18 PM

I was not trying to put the homeless man down, just state what happened in a situation. I am sad that he has chosen to live this way.

trainlady · #9 (**permalink**) 01-11-2005, 10:17 PM

Please pray for me that I will have patience to deal with Teresa's mental illness. I am embarrased to admit, I have not answered the door the last 2 times she has come over. Nothing I give her is good enough anymore.

hugs,train

apricot · #10 (**permalink**) 01-13-2005, 08:06 PM

trainlady, I will be praying for you and the situation. Schizophrenics can become very demanding and get very angry at times. Has she still been sleeping outside with all the rains and floods in California recently?