UPDATE September 9th - All Moved In - Now one major item needed - a computer

I have been in my new apartment for a week and thanks to some friends and a local furniture bank I now have many of the essentials to start life in my new home. I am most thankful.

The one thing I am lacking is a computer and I am wondering if anybody reading this has a older working laptop with wifi they are no longer using as I would be able to have an internet connection as free wifi is available in my building.

I simply do not have another penny to spare and honestly my budget will be very tight as my Social Security check only goes so far.

If anybody has one or perhaps knows who I can contact I would be very grateful.

I can be reached by email at this address

Funny thing is for the past week I have had trouble sleeping as the studio is SO QUIET....something over the past 13 months I have not been used to.

Thanks in advance for any help.

My Nightmare is over - I have an apartment!!!!!!!!!

This afternoon I took possession of keys to a studio apartment in Cambridge. There have been times in the past 13 months I didn't think this day would ever come. It is a private complex that works with the Cambridge Housing Authority.

Now I have to try and assemble the little things that will make it a home.

I NEED EVERYTHING

I will be getting some furniture tomorrow ( bed, dresser, desk and couple of chairs )

Frankly I really don't know what I will need until I need an item - but I will need things like sheets, pillows, blankets, toliet paper...

I would love to have a TV and also a computer ( old desktop or laptop would be a minor miracle )

The truth is with putting up the first month and security I am a little tapped out and could use a little cash...not much but every penny would help.

If you are inclined to help me get over this final hump - my PayPal account is active..

Once I am settled in I write some more about what the last year was like - the wonderful people I have met - and the not so nice ones as well.

I am just so happy to have a home again at last.

Thanks for reading.

July 1 update - when it rains it pours......

Ok - the good news is I am in temp housing until the end of Augustbut it is taking 80% of my Social security check :( - but at least I am safe

the bad news is my ankle infection keeps flairing up - I was just in Whidden Hospital in Everett for a week

Still I am thankful I am not out on the streets......it is really bad around Harvard Sq right now - some real bad people out there :(

Now.....I had a slight disaster a couple of weeks ago and I just reposted this on Craigs List

LOST/STOLEN - Dell™ Inspiron™ Mini 10 (1012) (Central Sq Cambridge)

It is bad enough I lost the backpack - which had my passport, birth certificate and other papers....but I had gotten a very small netbook from Sprint for no money , I simply had to buy a contract for $30 a month for 2 years.... I am on the hook for that even if the puter can not be found.

The computer was my lifeline.....I am lost without it. Problem is Sprint says I replacement would cost me $450 ( might as well be $45,000)

My contact information is on the sidebar of the blog - and If anyone wants to help me out in my electronic paper cup begging for change, I would be very grateful.



But hey at least the Broons won the Stanley Cup :)

Thanks for reading

Resident of homeless shelter fatally stabbed this morning on street near Boston Medical Center

Resident of homeless shelter fatally stabbed this morning on street near Boston Medical Center

Lovely

Homeless get Easter dinner in Western Massachusetts

Once again the generous people of Western Massachusetts have come through for the needy.

That generosity made an Easter Ham dinner possible for hundreds of homeless, men, women and children Saturday afternoon.

100 hams were donated to feed the homeless

http://www.hope4springfield.org/

In New York -Nurse fired for trying to expose Roosevelt Hospital's neglect in death of homeless man

Lovely



A Manhattan hospital refused to treat a homeless man who had taken a fatal drug overdose - and then fired a nurse who tried to expose the mistake, court papers charge.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/03/28/2011-03-28_nurse_lawsuit_fired_for_exposing_hospital.html#ixzz1HveiaK5S


BTW I haven't been blogging much as Idon't have reliable access to a computer. My situation has not changed at all.

Two tenns arrested for beating homeless man in the Back Bay

charming


Marc Sico, left, and James Marino were arrested early Sunday morning for the alleged beating of two men at Back Bay Station. A third suspect was not found

Medford teens arrested for beating homeless men at Back Bay Station

The victim told police that "the three subjects were kicking him to wake him and they punched him several times with closed fists in the face," the report said. The man suffered lacerations to his face, nose, and mouth, according to police. He was treated on the scene and refused hospitalization.

March 2011 - Still plugging but I need help

Hi Everyone

I haven't had a chance to blog much in the past month as I was back at MetroWest Hospital in Natick with what has become a chronic infection in my left leg. My body can no longer take oral antibiotics and I must get intravenous treatments. It was aggravated by being on my feet during the day when the doctors have told me to keep the leg elevated when possible. The wonders of getting older.

My wish list for 2011 has not really changed since I wrote it 2 months ago.

If someone reading this can connect me with a lawyer that can help me deal with the red tape of getting a Massachusetts ID card I would be most grateful. That is the single biggest headache I have and it is all because of botched paperwork at the Somerville Court going back to 2004. The Court says it is a registry of Motor Vehicles issue, the Registry says it is a court issue.

Bottom line the Commonwealth wants $100 which I simply don't have to spare as my limited fixed income can not absorb that hit right now. I also want to set up some kind of payment system with the City of Cambridge so I can get my drivers license back. While I do have a valid out of state license, I can not drive in Massachusetts until it is paid.

I have the paperwork to back this up....

My short term housing problems have been solved as I was accepted into an extended stay location in Cambridge but I am still forced to be on the streets from 8 AM until 7 PM which my doctors tell me will only cause the leg to flare up again.

My contact information is on the sidebar of the blog - and If anyone wants to help me out in my electronic paper cup begging for change, I would be very grateful.



But what i need most is an advocate that can help me with the red tape that our beloved Commonwealth is known for.

GO BRUINS  GO RED SOX

Homeless man finds stack of cash, turns it in

Homeless man finds stack of cash, turns it in

Kavanaugh's knew he could have used the cash, but he also knows what it is like to go without.

"It could have been somebody's rent money or something, you know. They could use it. It could set you back," said Kavanaugh.

CHICAGO - Cop shootout highlights problem panhandling - Chicago Sun-Times

Cop shootout highlights problem panhandling - Chicago Sun-Times

Report: Culture of theft pervades Long Island shelter kitchen

What else is new?

Report: Culture of theft pervades Long Island shelter kitchen

'iCarly' Pokes Fun At Homeless, Throws 'Hobo Party'

'iCarly' Pokes Fun At Homeless, Throws 'Hobo Party'

HUMOR - Homeless Person Of the Month nomination

He should be able to raise a lot of cash....

Boston Globe video story on Harvard Sq shelter

Can not say enough good things about the students who run this place.



The print edition also writes about the shelter

Volunteering spirit catches fire

Young adults donate time, embrace the chance to give back

At Harvard, the Winthrop Street homeless shelter is one of 86 service and social change programs associated with the Phillips Brooks House Association, which is a student-run nonprofit. Students can work with deaf children, tutor prison inmates, bring pets to nursing homes, and prepare Chinese students to become US citizens, among other opportunities.

The Harvard Square shelter provides shelter, food, and resource counseling for a minimum of 24 guests each night, as well as dinner plates for those who come to the door. The shelter also has a “street team’’ of students who go out each night to bring food and conversation to homeless people.

It is a wonderful place.

Major Worcester Homeless Shelter Shutting Down « CBS Boston

Major Worcester Homeless Shelter Shutting Down « CBS Boston

A Worcester shelter, with a long history of taking in some of the cities’ most desperate and troubled homeless people, is closing its doors after supper Monday night.
A concerted effort by the city and several social service agencies has made the People in Peril shelter, commonly known as PIP, obsolete.

Homeless, they make do under Zakim Bridge - The Boston Globe

Homeless, they make do under Zakim Bridge - The Boston Globe

I didn't know the Boston Night Center had closed in October. That may explain why everyother place is jammed.

A healing quiet - The Boston Globe

A healing quiet - The Boston Globe

This wonderful place has saved many lives

The Barbara McInnis House

At Jean Yawkey Place

Worker at Lowell Homeless Shelter murdered

People sometimes ask why people would rather live on the street than go to a warm shelter.

This is why.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/26661825/detail.html

Horrible.

1/26 - Dealing with the system......here is a roadmap

I would like to expand on what I blogged about on Monday.

In Cambridge here are the available options open to men

For women there is one other option

A a last resort

Very simply, it is a game of musical beds. In July it isn't a big deal, but in January......

Here is an overview of each program
SALVATION ARMY - CAMBRIDGE

Overview of Shelter & Services for the Homeless:
We offer a Continuum of Care for the Homeless through various levels of service. Bringing a man from homelessness to home ownership is a huge undertaking. That is, however, exactly what The Salvation Army attempts to accomplish. During the last fifteen years, The Salvation Army has developed a Continuum of Care designed to break the cycle of homelessness.
The Continuum of Care has five component programs offered at our Cambridge facility:

1. Drop-In Day Shelter
2. Emergency Overnight Shelter
3. A 90-Day Therapeutic Counseling Program with Housing
4. Single-Room Occupancy Housing Program at our Wellington House property in Arlington
5. Transitional & Independent Housing
Medical and mental health care are accessible through our collaboration with Health Care for the Homeless and Tri-City Mental Health Services.

To find out more please call us at (617) 547-3400.

HEADING HOME CAMBRIDGE 

The Cambridge Shelter – emergency shelter with capacity for 21 individuals that serves more than 150 annually
Women’s Drop-In Program – center that serves more than 275 women annually by providing hot meals, clothing, counseling and referrals

Housing


Homeless to Housing – apartments and intensive services provided for individuals with disabilities in Cambridge, Everett, Malden, Medford and Somerville
Congregate Permanent Housing – supported permanent housing provided for men and women

FIRST CHURCH SHELTER - CAMBRIDGE  (pictures)

Since 1987, First Church Shelter has provided a basic act of mercy to the poor and homeless of Cambridge and surrounding communities. Each evening 14 men are provided with a safe, comfortable place to stay. Our guests have access to two meals, showers and storage facilities for their belongings.

First Church Shelter also offers guests assistance with identifying and securing the resources they need to move out of homelessness and into transitional or permanent housing. Much of that assistance comes in the form of referrals to other agencies and service providers, but shelter staff are available to help guests negotiate the frequently difficult and intimidating process of applying for public benefits or subsidized housing.

CASPAR - ESC

FirstStep Street Outreach offers life saving alternatives to unsheltered homeless men and women who are affected by substance abuse, mental illness, and medical complications associated with life on the streets. FirstStep staff engage homeless people where they are and build trusting relationships. The goal - connect people with the services they need and save a life today so that recovery is possible in the future.

Through a combination of foot teams and mobile teams in vans, staff travel to known Cambridge and Somerville homeless hangouts—business districts, subway stations, parks, meal programs, drop-in centers, and building doorways— seeking homeless men and women who may need help. The staff offer unsheltered individuals access to emergency medical and psychiatric care, meal programs, shelters, substance abuse treatment, and daytime drop-in and social service centers.

HARVARD SQUARE HOMELESS SHELTER

We are a student-run homeless shelter currently operating out of the University Lutheran Church in Harvard Square that serves 24 men and women every night for the five coldest months of winter. We strive to provide our guests with resources and services that will help them successfully transition into housing. In the meantime, we hope to ensure a sense of dignity that is often absent when people have been maltreated or stigmatized because they are homeless.

ST. PATRICK'S SHELTER (WOMEN) - Somerville

St. Patrick’s Shelter for Homeless Women houses 30 women in emergency beds on a night-by-night basis as well as 10 transitional program participants each night. In addition to breakfast and dinner, the women are provided with referrals for health care, mental health services, and housing. A host of supportive and educational services are available to help families move toward a better future.

Those are the options.

The problem is long term shelters such as Heading Home and First Church are full. The Salvation Army to be blunt has left a bad taste in my mouth. I am far from alone in feeling that way.

First Church Shelter doesn't seem to return phone calls from my social worker at HSHS - other guests say the person who runs it is 'quirky'.

Heading Home - Every morning at 10 AM the answer is the same - full, try again tomorrow.

CASPAR - I am not a drunk, and sadly most of the people who stay there have simply given up or just don't care. Anyone who spends time in Central Square knows what I am saying.

Then you have the housing agencies

Waiting list - full - full - full

other options

and finally there is

Elderly/Disabled Public Housing

Elderly/Disabled Public Housing
The CHA manages over fifteen state and federally supported properties reserved just for elderly and disabled households. Applicants must be at least 58 years old to qualify for elderly housing. Elderly/disabled public housing is for low-income households with incomes not higher than 80% of of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Cambridge.

I am over 58 and I am on Social Security Disability - but I can't get anywhere with these people. This has just been so frustrating.

I need a Massachusetts ID - and I blogged about that last month 

Somerville Court computer system.Back in August of 2004 I paid a fine on a simple matter and somehow it was never credited to my docket number. 30 days later the court issued a warrant automatically. I was oblivious to this until March of 2008 when I returned to the court, the warrant was removed and fee was waived by the judge. However because the court had notified the Registry of Motor Vehicles of a warrant, the Registry wants $100 which again I don't have. The Registry people were actually very nice about it but they say there is nothing they can do unless the court WRITES a letter saying there was an error. Somerville Court says it is a Registry problem. Aye yi yi.


I can fully document all of this to anyone who wants to see my paperwork.


As far as what I owe the City of Cambridge - the bulk of it is now interest - I am willing to work as many hours of community service to pay my debt. I am not looking for a free ride.


Right now my income is $788 a month from Social Security (which also gives me full medical coverage)

BTW I again want to thank the people who have sent me a few dollars to help me get by. You have no idea how much that helps me right now. If anyone else is so inclined just click on the link below.




But as much as a few dollars would help, I just need help with the system. If you know anyway I can get eyeglasses please let me know and also for some legal guru to help me with this minor snafu between the Registry and the Somerville Court.

My computer time at the Cambridge Senior Center is up ( one advantage of being over 60 )

The snow is starting to fall and while I have been lucky in getting a one-night bed at the Harvard Square Shelter the past 4 nights I have no guarantee for tonight.

Thanks for reading and wish me luck. If nothing else I hope I have given some insight to the madness of going through the system.

Boston 'Health Care for the Homeless' saves lives

Somebody sent me this article today from wickedlocal.com

Dover resident helps the homeless, one foot at a time

of note

On a typical afternoon, Daggett said she sees between five and 10 men (though on occasion a woman will come in).

“We give them a warm foot bath to soak their tired and sore feet,” said Daggett. “These, of course, are homeless men who are out all day and walking no matter the weather. We examine their feet for any problems, and ask them if they are having any issues they would like to talk about. We give them foot cream, treat any conditions if needed, and sometimes sending them to the hospital with potentially serious situations.”

The more serious problems such as “trench foot” (also called “immersion foot”) are sent to the hospital.

Trench foot occurs when the feet are wet for long periods of time. It can be quite painful, but it can be prevented and treated, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/trenchfoot.asp)

I have medical insurance so I have never had to use this program, but I have met others that have and I can assure you that these people save lives.

The mission statement for the program says it all

For 25 years our simple mission has remained the same: to provide or assure access to the highest quality health care for all homeless men, women and children in the greater Boston area. We believe it has been Medicine that Matters.

Vulnerable Patients are kept alive with dignified care.

Shelters like Pine Street Inn and hopeFound can attend to their missions while BHCHP manages and staffs the shelter clinics across the city, consolidating services and saving dollars.

Boston's Hospitals have BHCHP as an alternative to emergency rooms and as a safe discharge place for vulnerable patients.

I just wanted to pass this along.

Chelsea Handler - 'homeless' expert

Chelsea Handler had this to say on her blog about Ted Williams

While there are certainly a few people who have a run of bad luck and fall on hard times, 'for the most part', people are homeless for a reason. You don't wake up one day and find yourself living under a freeway unless you've made some pretty bad decisions in your life. Just because someone has a nice voice doesn't mean that they should automatically be able to keep their s--t together.

Read more:

http://www.eonline.com/on/shows/chelsea/chelseaness/b222435_Fifteen_Minutes_of_Shame.html

Ted Williams leaves rehab after less than two weeks

Ms. Handler - you are guilty of labeling people. Your comments are not helpful at all.

A great book about the student run shelter in Harvard Square

I have blogged about the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter and it is a place I have spent many nights since November when it opened.

A Harvard student who helped out at HSHS for 3 years blogged about a book that has been written about what the students do. I spent some time at the Harvard Coop browsing through it today and it is a great read.

Here is a review.

I can not express enough gratitude to what these students do in running the shelter.


Here is a link to Amazon about the book

1/24 - Surviving the cold......

It is Monday afternoon and finally getting some computer time at the library.

I was lucky enough on both Saturday and Sunday to get a 'one-night' emergency bed in Cambridge and we will see what tonight brings. I still can't re-apply for another 2 week bed until Thursday and even then there is no guarantee of getting one right away as there seems to be ten applicants for every available slot.

The 2 week bed is important not only for the piece of mind of not having to worry, but more importantly having a place to put belongings. Lugging around a suitcase all day (especially in this weather) is a chore and it makes it that much harder to set up appointments as to be honest there is a stigma attached to walking around with bags all day. Since storage lockers no longer exist it just adds to the 'fun and games'.

Logistics of these offices are almost comical.
Cambridge Housing is in Central Square at Mass and Prospect so that is easy, and some of the other housing advocate agencies are only a block or two away. No problems there.

Social Security has moved to Fresh Pond leaving their long time home in Davis Square. It can be reached by the 74 or 78 buses, and I have found the mobile website mbtainfo.com to be a life saver in catching a return bus in the winter. It is very accurate.

For services provided by the Commonwealth, one has to go to the Davis Square office, which is no longer in Somerville, it is in Revere. It is on the Blue Line and the office is at the Revere Beach Station but it is a hike.

One laughable part is that the Commonwealth gives the homeless 'food stamps' (about $40 a week) but what good are stamps if you have no place to prepare the meal? (I have $265 on my card right now - but)

California DOES allow for a restaurant to accept food stamps which would be a huge help.

Today I really didn't get much done as it was simply too cold.

Cambridge does offer services and the staff is wonderful but they are just overwhelmed...

Here is a link of what is offered by the City of Cambridge..

They also publish this

 Homeless Resource Guide (PDF)





The one thing that has kept me going is just meeting others my age who have also fallen through the cracks. Men and women who have worked all their lives but for whatever reason lost the place they called home.

Anyhow my time at the library is up..... thanks for reading and STAY WARM!!!!!

At least Portland, Maine goes the extra mile in cold weather

Maybe I should take a bus to Portland :(

Shelters ready for the frigid temperatures

I'm NOT kidding

1/22 - It's getting cold out there

I was not lucky enought to get a bed last night at 9:30 which meant back to Logan Airport. Hopefully tonight I will be luckier.

Of course the fact that it is very cold in Boston tonight and they saying it will drop under 10 overnight would indicate that anybody who has a bed secured will not be taking a night out. The shelter in Harvard Sq at 9:30 PM gives out the beds to people calling in at 1 888 656 3414 and it is simply luck.

The worst part for me is the not knowing until 9:30 if I will be OK for the night. I can't even apply for a 14 day bed until late next week as I am on my 7 days out.

The system is just clogged right now with too many people and too few beds.

I am open to any options at this point.

Wish me luck for tonight.

FRIDAY 1/21/11 - I could almost laugh - it wasn't true

Came across these instructions on the internet today

This instructable is designed to tell you how to stay warm, in varying degrees of cold.

This article assumes you do not have a house or apartment.




So, crap, guess what. You're homeless.


Things didn't work out for now, and now, well, ...now what?


Where do we go from here?


First things first.


What does a human need? (not Want, but Need.)


Quickly.....unfortunately, much of your Western civilization programming will be working against you in this process. We've been taught to gratify many of our less important whims.

Fundamentally, a Need is something required for pragmatic survival.
A Want is something that would be nice. Your priorities may vary, but what a human needs to survive
is pretty simple. Air, Water, Food, Shelter. Sometimes you may additionally need medicine,which can occasionally be improvised.more about that later.

If it's cold, you have to figure out the way to stay warm. If you're in a place where it gets much below the 40s Fahrenheit. About 4.4 Celsius), you'll need to do it fairly quickly. Before dark.


When the sun goes down the temperature drops quickly, and that's bad news for you.


Even if you're a husky fella,
your extremities will chill and cramp easier, and if you go to sleep, if you wake up, you may wake up with hypothermia . Not fun.


There's also frostbite. . Oh, buddy.


If you're caught homeless in the cold, don't panic. This is survivable, and a chance to prove you're resourceful enough to do it well enough to come out healthy.


It's 9 PM on a Friday night in Boston and the temperature is dropping. 


With luck I will win a bed at 9:30 in Harvard Sq - if not back to Logan Airport....


I can't take much more of this. By that I mean the unknown from day to day if I have a place to rest my head each night. 


Wish me luck...

How TD Garden in Boston helps feed the homeless

Round of applause to Delaware North the owner of TD Garden.

Arena leftovers assigned a mission

After TD Garden events, unsold food is donated

Has Ted Williams helped or hurt other homeless persons?

The past 10 days have been a whirlwind for Ted Williams.

In the beginning of 2011, few people were aware of the former panhandler’s existence and his golden radio voice. And now, the entire nation can’t seem to get enough of Williams’ overnight success -- and the pitfalls he’s consequently encountered, including an arrest and a decision to enter drug rehab.

So how’d it all happen? Let’s take a look:

Read more:

Like most people I have followed the saga of Ted Williams but being homeless myself and currently living in a shelter day by day I look at the picture from a different perspective.





A week ago I saw him on the TODAY show at the shelter in Harvard Sq and to a man, every other guest said the same thing - this man has not been sober for 2 years. I had the same thought as if sober you most likely would not be living in a cardboard box in January in Ohio if you were clean for an extended period of time. (unless there are mental health issues which is possible)

Now I have no clue on how I would handle becoming a national celebrity overnight, reuniting with family members I haven't seen in decades and the rest. I don't think anybody can answer that.

Of course I am not sure how I would deal with Dr. Phil either.

TODAY - January 13, 2011 - 

At Dr. Phil’s behest, ‘golden-voiced’ man to check into rehab

On ‘Dr. Phil,’ family members claim he has been drinking daily

I wish Mr. Williams well and at least for the short term he will not have to panhandle.

I have blogged about my situation and the reality is I am one of who knows how many people are in the same boat in Boston, New England and the rest of the United States. Things are not good out there right now.

What I ask of people is not to throw all homeless persons into the same boat. Every single person has a story that brings them to today.

Boston is a big problem and all one has to do is walk around Harvard Square and see the number of people in sleeping bags. Everyone has their own story, just like Ted Williams.

GO PATRIOTS!!!!

My wish list for 2011 - also comments have been enabled

Thanks to an alert reader who informed me that people were not able to comment. I have found the proper setting.

Not to sound like a broken record but here is what I need to address

• Housing - It is just a very tedious process - I have applications everywhere.
• Getting a Massachusetts ID - I have a valid out of state license but I can't get a Massachusetts ID or license because in the case of a drivers license, I owe the City of Cambridge close to $1,400 in unpaid tickets. The bulk of the $1,400 is just extra late fees. I get $800 a month on disability - I need a miracle. To get an ID I STILL have to pay the Registry a $100 fee and would not be allowed to drive.

Not having a state ID is hurting me in my housing search. 

To show you how whacked out the system is, Social Security docked me $45 this month because in November I got $50 from Bank of America as part of their "Keep The Change" promotion which rounds off purchases made on a debit card to the next dollar and outs the change into my savings account. Once a year Bank of America gives a 5% rebate on the total amount you put into savings - in my case $50 bucks.

Social Security considered that 'extra income."

I am just worn out. That $45 is huge on my fixed income.

Is this ever going to end???????

If anyone wants to help me out in my electronic paper cup begging for change, I would be very grateful.




GO PATRIOTS!!!!!

Another example of how somebody who is homeless WAS somebody once

Please pass this on to your friends, share on Facebook, My Space or whatever.

This man deserves A CHANCE!!!!!!!

Happy New Year - 2011

I haven't been able to post since Christmas as I was in Norwood Hospital for a week with an infection in my left leg ( it is a chronic problem )

So it is 8 PM and I am waiting until 9:30 to find out where I sleep tonight....at a shelter in Cambridge or the Logan hotel....

Those of you who wander through Harvard Sq take a walk through the Garage any night at 9 PM and see just how many are waiting, praying they will get a bed. Since the shelter will not admit anyone who is not clean and sober EVERYBODY there is in the same boat.

I am totally worn out....

Every morning I apply for the 2 week lottery and on average 10-15 are applying for ONE bed. It is a BRUTAL lifestyle.

This is how the shelter works

The age range is from late teens to 70.....

As to my situation which I have blogged previously about...nothing has changed

I need help

Thanks for reading