Hello everyone. My name is Michelle, and I am blogging on Jeff’s behalf. By now you’ve heard the story of his homelessness experience, so I’ll spare you the details.
I just spoke with Jeff about 20 minutes ago and he’s not doing very well today. He had a lot of problems last night (and today) and the weather is turning extremely nasty as we speak. It’s already snowing hard, the wind is bad and it’ll dip below 20 degrees tonight.
Jeff has asked me to relay his experiences over the past 24 hours to you, so that’s what this diary will be about.
From the way Jeff described the last 24 hours, I do not know how anybody survives being homeless. I’m actually VERY concerned for his safety tonight and have urged him to call me collect if he needs ANY help.
Yesterday, Jeff was referred to a church where he could sleep from 10pm-6am. He went to the public library for a short period of time before he was to report to the church, but they closed at 9pm, so he had an hour to walk between the two places.
He was to arrive at the church between 930-10pm, but it was locked and all the lights were out. Nobody showed up to let him in for the cot that he was referred to. He used the last change he had (from a dollar he was given earlier in the day) to call the homeless hotline. They apologized for his problem and referred him to another church, just down the street.
Unfortunately, that church was nearly at capacity (small basement) and Jeff would not take one of the last cots. He was told that people filter in up until 11pm, and there was a chance he’d be taking it from another person who truly needed it, so he left.
He did not tell me where he eventually slept.
Today, he went to a free meal at another local church, but in order to eat you had to attend a prayer service. Jeff. in an attempt to test the system, told them he was Buddhist (he isn’t) and asked if he could eat anyway despite not sharing the same faith. At first he was told “no, you need to hear the word of God before you can eat”, but another woman quickly intervened. She asked Jeff about Buddhism and Jeff explained what he knew to this woman. They had a 10-minute conversation about it, and afterwards the woman asked Jeff if he would listen to her talk about Jesus for the same period of time. That was fair, Jeff thought, and they discussed Christ for 10 minutes, then ate together.
In order to test the system further and see if there is anything in place to help END homelessness rather than just provide help in survival, Jeff went to an employment source. He explained that he was recently homeless and lost everything. No ID, no resume, no residence, but can they help him find work so he can get out of trouble. The answer was simple…..no. He needs an ID and proof of residence. He tried to reason with them, but they explained that they couldn’t “sell” Jeff to any potential employers without the aforementioned documents. They gave him the number to the homeless hotline and said they would help. Homeless hotline cannot help in any way like that. Their purpose is to provide one night of shelter at a time, never anything permanent, and never any money to get anything back on track for your life.
Tomorrow morning, Jeff is supposed to be at Job and Family Services to try and get assistance. Maybe emergency cash or food stamps to try and start anew, but it’s doubtful. By the way, Jeff will NOT accept any assistance, he simple is trying to find the ways to get the help so he can create a better plan to end homelessness in Stark County.
When I last spoke with Jeff, the wind was whipping around hard. It was snowing sideways, and he doesn’t yet have a place to sleep tonight. He sounded very weak and very tired. There won’t be any food for him until tomorrow, when a meal can be obtained at the Salvation Army.
I urged him to come home. I tried to convince him to go to his friend’s house nearby, or to go to January’s house in North Canton. He seemed determined to make it through the 100 hours, but I’m extremely concerned for his safety tonight. I doubt it if I’ll be able to sleep in my warm bed tonight, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I found myself looking for him later on. I know where he might go for warmth, and I might try those places.
He has asked me not to ask for any contributions with tonight’s message. He said it “just didn’t seem all that important”, and he wants everyone to instead focus on what they can do to help people who are in the same predicament as the people he is meeting this week.
Frankly, I can see his point. However, I’ll put it out there, and let you decide if you want to donate a few dollars his way. 10% of all contributions will get returned to this community to help alleviate homelessness and end it as soon as possible. Go to his blog or to his ActBlue page and decide for yourself.
I’ll be around to answer any questions.
Stay warm tonight everyone, and say a prayer to give thanks for what you have in your own lives.
-Michelle
Quoting You:
This is so distressing. I am at a loss for words how in this country the mere absence of an address is tantamount to ceasing to exist.
Can Jeff (or an actual homeless person) provide an SSN and get jump-started back among the living? Why is proof of residence a requirement for employment? Why won’t a commercial mailbox do? Often that is all so-called businesses offer to potential and actual customers!
By all means, legislation that provides the methodology and opportunity to get back into existence, or out of homelessness is what’s required.
Sitting in my warm home in SoFla, reading these updates about Jeff ties my stomach in knots with worry. For him and all the other nameless, faceless, homeless in America.
Makes one so proud to be living in the good ol’ US of A doesn’t it? Last year the sisters and I finally agreed to stop exchanging gifts. None of us need another sweater or knick knack for sure. Instead what we would spend of gifts we spend on gifts for the homeless. Imagine not having sox, especially in the winter. Imagine having no coat. Take whatever you can and give these gifts to the homeless directly. 100 pairs of sox or mittens/gloves. How about stocking caps or all those stuffed animals in a box that your kid no longer has use for. Some little kid would surely love a teddy bear to snuggle up to at night.
I also am in charge of the food bank drive here at my complex. We don’t just collect nonperishable food. We collect personal hygiene things, soap, razors, deoderant, toothpaste, toothbrushes.All the things we take for granted. Caliscribe I would love to hear more about your city’s opportunity center. Maybe yopu could do a diary about it.
Stay safe Jeff and warm. Hope you find shelter tonight. You must go somewhere if you cannot. Staying out there tonight in the cold really isn’t going to change anything. You are doing a great service and I wish you well.
Hi Alohaleezy,
While I am no longer living in the good ‘ole USA, I kinda felt proud that a man running for office was actually putting himself in other people’s shoes so that he understands what problems they face and how to correct them once in office. This actually made me feel proud about him, not the situation. This is a man who I would definately vote for. Him and those kids who heckled Darth actually made me feel proud to be an American again and have intilled in me a sense of hope and fighting spirit rather than despair that nothing can be done. It is pathetic that we have these problems in the US, but it seems the tide is slowly but surely and irrevocably changing. Wow!
Hi JD…yes, there is hope and we will show the world that this cabal is not our cabal. They operate outside everything we believe in.
People like Jeff are the hope of our country’s future. He understand that it is about the people NOT the fat cat corporations. Kids on campuses are getting stirred up and calling a spade a spade. Yes, these things give me great hope. Good to see you my friend.
tonight as well…wish I could send him a big bowl of my homemade bean soup…
In my old home town of Palo Alto, construction is well underway on The Opportunity Center — a multi-service center that will serve the needs of the homeless and those at risk of homelessness in the Mid-Peninsula area of the San Francisco Bay Area.
My spouse and I made a donation to The Opportunity Center in honor of my parents-in-law’s 50th wedding anniversary; if Jeff wouldn’t mind, I plan on making a donation in his honor this holiday season.
Blessings and peace to him, wherever he’s finding a place to sleep…
I think Jeff would be very happy if you made that donation in his honor.
I’m saving everything online I can for him to read when he gets back, so he’ll look into the Opportunity Center when he returns.
Again, thank you.
-Michelle
http://www.secondharvest.org
if you visit the site – look in the corner – you can click through and “build” a VW – at the end of the build you can choose a charity that VW will donate $1 to.
quick, fun, and secondharvest gets a buck.
gah – hit post too soon – picked that up from a <s>real ass</s>poster over on dKos. Seems to me that it takes different types. I appreciate what Jeff’s trying to do – and he doesn’t seem the sort to worry about naysayers too much.
I’ll be thinking warm thoughts for him tonight.
I have been posting my comments at ePluribus Media, so I will share my comments here. I used to work for the county’s community development department as their homeless specialist. The one I am posting here is from Day 2. I will comment on Day 3 after this post.
This was my fear about the homeless programs now. In my post when he announced that he was going to do this, I mentioned I knew the the pitfalls of the homeless programs during the Clinton Administration, I will point out the concerns I had when I worked at the county:
he use of faith-based institutions was started by the Clinton administration. The danger I mentioned to my co-workers the use of faith-based organizations was fine now, because there were limitation, but if another President who was religious could do make things worse and it looks like Bush just did. Two things I would like to point out.
1) There was a rule that churches were not allowed to make any client attend a church service first. Bust as we can see, my fear did come true. It looks like Jeff does have to attend church service. The churches know very well that a homeless person would never question the policy. When you are hungry, you will do anything for a warm meal.
I really hope Jeff does read my comments. I would like to ask him: Why weren’t you going to question the policy? Was it because you were afraid they would turn you deny you a warm meal and would kick you out of their shelters?
One program I denied funding to tried to dance around the question when I asked them point blank if they would deny someone services if they did not follow their policy about religious services.
The second problem I would like to point out.
Jeff said that Open Door would ask him to leave at 6AM. Another question for Jeff: Did they tell you why you had to leave at 6AM and return “between 930 and 10pm”?
The reason an agency is suppose to do this, Jeff is expected to find a job during this time. At the same time, the agency is suppose to help Jeff find a job. Another question: Jeff did they ask if you had any skills? Or did they even try to help you find a job?
This is a common occurance with emergency shelters. They rather be like a motel instead what they are really are intended to do, be part of a Continuum of Care. The way the HUD program is suppose to work regarding the homeless population.
Emergency Shelter -> Transitional Housing -> Permanent Housing.
Emergency Shelter has its own funding source. But the Transitional and Premanent Housing are part of a grant program called the Continuum of Care.
Other homeless grants programs are specific target population, but the grant programs mentioned above are for the general public which Jeff is qualified for receiving.
Although it has been several years since I have worked for the county, I still know the homeless programs like the back of my hand.
This is the perfect time for Jeff to do this experiment, many homeless shelters and programs do run out of funds around this time. Where is the compassion Bush claims to have?
when they are cold, hungry, desperate. And for mothers with children, all of that is multiplied.
This is why people will “live beyond their means,” paying 60 or 70 % of their incomes, running up credit card bills they can never pay, to stay in housing, because once you are out, you are out.
Once the homeless individual can be subsumed into the prison system, he or she then generates a revenue stream for the prison industrial complex, and while countless studies have shown that it would be cheaper for the taxpayers to simply house the homeless, as opposed to crimininalization, police harrassment and imprisonment, the US voting class has never objected to paying extra if they can be sure that the poor will suffer more.
The “shelters” throwing people out at dawn to find a job when homeless people cannot get jobs is one of the more sadistic and Kafka-esque manifestations of American cultural values. that cherished American value.
As always, Ductape, you cut to the heart of why things are the way they are by asking, “Cui bono ?”.
Huh. That sounds interesting. Looks to me like maybe a lot of these faith-based emergency shelters are taking money for services they don’t provide. I wonder where the portion of their funding that was supposed to go towards job search assistance is going?
Jeff is… Awesome. I really hope he comes out of this okay, because he’s going to have a perspective that is astonishingly unique among politicians. And astonishingly meaningful.
Seriously, afraid. There is a blanket of ignorance wrapped around middle-class urban people. They don’t really understand that the elements — the cold and the wind — can kill them. He’s already weak and hungry; his reason has been diminished. He may think he can’t be hurt by one night in the cold. If he’s not in a shelter, go find him NOW! Don’t let this “experiment” end in tragedy. GO GET HIM NOW!
First, I like to say, what he has done is very honorable, but his determination to do the full 100 hours, is going from honorable to foolish. I don’t think anybody will see Jeff as a quiter. It is time to go home and be safe.
Now for the comments. The state of our homeless programs must really be addressed. I am very sure, there are a lot of other homeless who are going through the same problems through out this country.
When it comes to emergency shelters, it is based on a first come first serve bases, unless the place he went to was transitional housing, but it does sound like an emergency shelter. I would like to know what did they mean by: he’d be taking it from another person who truly needed it. Unless they knew what Jeff was doing, then I could see why they said that. However, there really shouldn’t have been any judgment made on him.
Seperation of Church and State Violation
Let’s say if that other woman didn’t intervine, so Jeff was denied based on his faith.
When Bush sign Executive Order 13279 it did not state that faith-based organization can descriminate, it was nothing more an affirmative action program for faith-based organizations to receive funding.
So, women and minorities are not allowed equal footing but faith-based organizations are.
The minute Jeff was denied is a violation of HUD rules and the fact he was asked if didn’t mind discussing Jesus is skating on the proselytization thin ice.
HUD rules state:
That is were the problem lies, they can argue she was just having a conversation with Jeff. I would have to ask, was she on the clock when this happened? Republicans often claim that we Dems like to create a slippery slope, but it looks like Dubya was the one who created the slippery slope.
The Bogus ID rule
I would really question this rule.
The employment source is most likely receiving funding from the Workforce Investment Act, therefore, part of those funds are to be allocated to help the homeless. I know this program too, since Jeff did not have a place of residency, they should have helped him get into transitional housing. Employment services are suppose to be working with supportive housing programs to make sure Jeff does not fall through the cracks. In my book, they failed.
If the church shelter receives no government funds (and many, many do not) they can legally preach and proselytize to their heart’s content. do.
The ID requirements have nothing to do with whatever funding the job program receives. Every employer is required by federal law to complete an I-9 documenting that their employees presented legal ID (often more than one form of it) prior to beginning work. A jobs program isn’t going to have any luck placing someone in a job if they don’t have those ID documents that are required.
The Employment Source is part of the Stark County Department of Job and Family Services which is the part of Ohio’s Department of of Job and Family Services, therefore making it a government run agency that:
<quote>designed to help Ohioans become independent through education, employment, job skills, and training. Other ODJFS programs help to ensure a safe and healthy environment for individuals and families who need help caring for their basic needs due to temporary or permanent situations.
…
Programs are funded by the state and the federal government. Some are administered locally by CDJFS, PCSAs, and CSEAs. Other programs, such as Unemployment Compensation are administered directly by the department.</quote>
Title I of the WIA authorizes services for youth, adults, and laid-off workers. Since Job and Family Services is part of the One-Stop System of Ohio which is comprised of federal, state and local workforce development partners. The purpose of the WIA One-Stop centers is to provide access to a full range of services pertaining to employment, training and education, employer assistance, and guidance for obtaining other assistance. WIA requires One-Stop centers to provide specific services.
Some of the activities provided by WIA are advice, counseling, and support to job seekers. And considering that federal requires an ID, part of their duties should have been informing him what type of ID that is acceptable such as a state ID or Social Security and setting up an appointment if possible.
The fact it is an employment resource center, it is not unusal for a place like to help a person aquire an ID, such as the award given to an employee within the Ohio Family and Job Services within the Veterans program.
<quote>Ray Pryor, an ODJFS Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program Specialist in Waverly, was recently honored for his outstanding efforts in providing employment and training services to veterans. U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao presented an award to Pryor Nov. 13 in Washington, D.C.
“Ray has worked tirelessly to serve homeless veterans, veterans who need licenses and certifications, and veterans who need job assistance and other support services,” said ODJFS Director Tom Hayes. “He is a outstanding asset to the veterans’ community as well as ODJFS.”</quote>
Even though the program is targeted for Veterans, the services provided are the same services required by WIA. Therefore, the Employment Source should not have told Jeff sorry can’t help you and here is a number to call.
I read your update at dKos but not the comments. Please put a newer update here as soon as possible. Did Jeff go to the ER? Did you or someone go and bring him home?
I’m with sjct. I admire Jeff for his effort, but enough is enough. All we need is the story of one person’s suffering that will bring tears to our eyes. We don’t need it to carry on any longer. I hope he can abandon the machothink of “I said I was gonna do this, I must carry it through.” We’ve already got a politician going down that road.
I stole this from Michelle’s latest update at Kos:
UPDATE by Michelle – Jeff is better this morning. I’ll have details later, but he’s better after finding warmth in the ER. That’s a story in itself, and we’ll share it later.
But for now, don’t worry. He’s still not feeling well, but he’s got some of the strength back that he needs to finish the 100 hours.
The poll showed that more of you wanted him to come home (114) than stay on the streets (106). As expected, that didn’t convince him at all.
There will be an update with a new diary later today. It’ll either be posted by myself or Jenn.
Better yet – I’d prefer to see those 106 dkos voters on the street fulfilling the 100 hours. Any volunteers? Come on – there’s at least 106 of you who think it’s a good idea to complete the 100 hours. If you all band together, you’ll certainly be okay – and think of all the great diaries you could write. Possibly even a book deal or a movie offer to be had. Or perhaps – it might even serve as a great way to demonstrate your support of such a worthy candidate. Any takers yet? I didn’t think so.
Pretty easy to vote for Jeff to stay out on the streets in harm’s way when it has absolutely no impact on the voters’ personal health and safety. As they vote from the comfort of their warm offices or homes. After a hearty, satisfying meal.
We’ve learned far more from this experiment than most of us could ever imagine, and Jeff should go home. (NOW) He’s fulfilled a very important mission, gathered significant data, and at this stage he could interview others who have been, or continue to be homeless. (Ghostdancer, for example, has a great deal of knowledge on the subject, and might be willing to share some very thoughtful insights.)
All my best to Jeff for engaging in this effort. I wish him a safe return home. Sooner rather than later.