[Vision2020] [Bulk] Re: 1 in 4 Homeless is a Veteran
lfalen
lfalen at turbonet.com
Fri Nov 9 10:44:06 PST 2007
I think that you, Donovan, Pat and Paul have all made some good points. I agree that everything cannot be done by volunteers and that people must be adequately paid. One of the things that I object to is that once I donate to a charity, I get almost by return mail another solicitation. Some of the people seem to think that you can give every other week. I keep a log of who I donate to and how much. I donate once a year to most charities and other organizations. All intervening solicitations go in the trash. I think that a lot of money is wasted on these continual solicitations. I check most of them out on Charity Navigator. If they don't have 4 stars I usually do not donate to them.
Roger
-----Original message-----
From: "Kris Freitag" kfreitag at roadrunner.com
Date: Fri, 09 Nov 2007 09:09:48 -0800
To: "'Donovan Arnold'" donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com, pkraut at moscow.com, vision2020 at mail-gw.fsr.net
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] [Bulk] Re: 1 in 4 Homeless is a Veteran
> Donovan,
>
>
>
> I was right there with you until you blithely swept up all non-profit
> organizations taking 90% of their money and spending it on things like
> salaries etc. I happen to work for such an organization and I must say that
> our biggest expense is salaries and rightly so. You need professionals to do
> the work, and those professionals have kids, and mortgages and car payments
> just like anyone else that they need to be able to pay for. It would be
> extremely difficult to run solely on volunteers, because the logistics of
> feeding the hungry, or running a homeless shelter is a full time job.
>
> There is that small portion of non-profits who misuse the system and cause
> all non-profits to have to deal with massive amounts of paperwork to ensure
> that all money is being spent correctly, resulting in more money spent on
> administration and less on the cause.
>
> Most non-profits live and die on government grants which have stringent
> strings attached. If they relied on the largess of the general public, they
> would close their doors.
>
>
>
> Kris Freitag
>
>
>
> _____
>
> From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
> On Behalf Of Donovan Arnold
> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 11:20 PM
> To: pkraut at moscow.com; vision2020 at mail-gw.fsr.net
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] [Bulk] Re: 1 in 4 Homeless is a Veteran
>
>
>
> I think that society as a whole does care, it just doesn't understand the
> homeless. Many people that are homeless are homeless primarily because of
> two reasons, they either choose to be that way, or more likely they have
> some type of mental or physical illness.
>
>
>
> Homeless shelters are great for people that can obey the rules and deal with
> the situation of being housed in a homeless shelter. But many times, people
> with an addiction, an illness, or even a disability cannot tolerate or are
> not allowed to stay in such shelters.
>
>
>
> Keeping a family, cars, house, 9-5 job, friendships, and dealing with the
> rat race of everyday life is not always possible or tolerable for everybody.
>
>
>
>
> It is also difficult to give some people help when they themselves refuse
> help because of an illness or addiction. It takes a lot courage to trust
> strangers to help you.
>
>
>
> I just don't see this as having any easy answers. But I don't think it is a
> lack of compassion that is the problem. Tossing a dollar into the hat of a
> panhandler might help, but probably won't unless it is utilized properly,
> which often it won't be when placed directly in the hands of a homeless
> person. If I see someone hungry, buy them a sandwich, a jacket if cold, etc,
> I don't give money directly to the homeless.
>
>
>
> You also have the added problem of "Not for Profit" organizations that take
> up to 90% of the money collected and use it for things not directly related
> to helping their cause, like salaries, overhead, etc.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
>
>
> Donovan
>
> pkraut at moscow.com wrote:
>
> I am also aware of the problems of homelessness and constant needyness.
> And I also know that some of them just won't be helped...I know before you
> all get excited that you don't like to face this but it is truth.
> Sometimes agencies just end up enabling folks who might get better if they
> really hit bottom. I am very aware that our local foodbanks face these
> issues everyday and it is tough. It has been happening a long time and
> Bush had little to do with it because some just won't/cannot be helped.
> Before you complain too much by this work for a year in a foodbank or go
> help with community action agencies...it is tough work.
>
>
> > I appreciate all that the various charities do for all of us, and
> > strongly encourage those who can to give to them regularly. I do so
> myself.
> >
> > However, I reserve the right to choose when, where, and to whom I give
> > my money. If I walk by someone ringing a bell or asking for a donation,
> > I don't feel compelled to comply. I don't feel that I should be treated
> > as an outcast for this, nor do I feel that berating others for not
> > giving every time to every single charity is a good idea.
> >
> > Besides, giving money to charities is really treating the symptoms, and
> > not the causes. As you stated, the disregard by the Bush Administration
> > and Congress is behind this particular issue. Not to mention past
> > administrations as well (even if I want to, I can't lay every problem in
> > the world directly and W's feet).
> >
> > I try to give to organizations that are working to change the political
> > problems, when I find them. I also tend to give to charities that are
> > putting money into trying to cure a medical condition. But that's just
> > my particular choice.
> >
> > I understand feeling upset when someone ignores a person taking
> > donations and you care greatly about that specific cause, but trying to
> > guilt them into giving is just not the answer for a multitude of
> > reasons. Be thankful for what people do give.
> >
> > Paul
> >
> > Sue Hovey wrote:
> > > Janesta, I read that post and believe I fit the description of one of
> > > those who works for the homeless and neglected, and I wasn't offended
> > > by what Tom wrote. He's right, you know. So many just walk on by,
> > > and the absolute disregard by the Bush administration and Congress is
> > > appalling and heartbreaking. We let war use men and women as fodder
> > > then toss them aside with little regard for their wounds, both visible
> > > and not so visible.
> > >
> > > Thanks for what you do for fellow human beings. Some of the best work
> > > people do goes unseen by the rest of us. Tom is a man of
> > > conscience who has an acerbic bite. That isn't a bad thing, you
> > > know. (An inappropriate place for that voice is when it is unearned or
> > > used on the defenseless--on school kids by teachers, for example.)
> > > You actually have the wonderful gift yourself. So please, let it go.
> > > I don't believe his posting was deserving of your rebuke and the
> > > article that he provided was important, and an indictment against
> > > those who foster such neglect.
> > >
> > > Sue Hovey
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > >
> > > *From:* Janesta
> > > *To:* Tom Hansen
> > > *Cc:* Moscow Vision 2020
> > > *Sent:* Thursday, November 08, 2007 6:51 AM
> > > *Subject:* Re: [Vision2020] 1 in 4 Homeless is a Veteran
> > >
> > > Tom,
> > >
> > > I take GREAT offense to your comment prior to the story you posted.
> > >
> > > Do you have any idea what I do for people that are homeless? Do
> > > you have any idea what the other fine people on this list, and
> > > in our community do? No, you don't, or you would not have posted
> > > such an outright ignornant comment.
> > >
> > > You want people to give, and have compassion? You might try
> > > listing a local, Spokane, or Coeur d' Alene group that is helping
> > > these brave, bruised, and broken men and women. Tell us what YOU
> > > are doing. When are you making a trip to where the vets are with
> > > food, blankets and warm clothing for the winter? Let me know, I'll
> > > be one of the first to donate.
> > >
> > > Having a member of the family who is mentally ill and homeless is
> > > one of the most heart-breaking events that can happen to a family.
> > > Sadly, I know this from first hand knowledge.
> > >
> > > Janesta
> > >
> > > On 11/8/07, *Tom Hansen* <THANSEN at MOSCOW.COM
> > > > wrote:
> > >
> > > Here is another topic for you to consider after you have
> > > ignoringly walked
> > > by the donation cup on Veterans' day with less concern than
> > > throwing your
> > > dog a bone.
> > >
> > > >From today's (November 8, 2007)
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > 1 in 4 homeless is a veteran, study says
> > >
> > > 1,500 are from ongoing wars
> > >
> > > Kimberly Hefling
> > > Associated Press
> > > November 8, 2007
> > >
> > > WASHINGTON - Veterans make up one in four homeless people in
> > > the United
> > > States, though they are only 11 percent of the general adult
> > > population,
> > > according to a report to be released today.
> > >
> > > And homelessness is not just a problem among middle-age and
> > > elderly
> > > veterans. Younger veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are
> > > trickling into
> > > shelters and soup kitchens seeking services, treatment or help
> > > with finding
> > > a job.
> > >
> > > The Veterans Affairs Department has identified 1,500 homeless
> > > veterans from
> > > the current wars and says 400 of them have participated in its
> > > programs
> > > specifically targeting homelessness.
> > >
> > > The National Alliance to End Homelessness, a public education
> > > nonprofit,
> > > based the findings of its report on numbers from Veterans
> > > Affairs and the
> > > Census Bureau. 2005 data estimated that 194,254 homeless
> > > people out of
> > > 744,313 on any given night were veterans.
> > >
> > > In comparison, the VA says that 20 years ago, the estimated
> > > number of
> > > veterans who were homeless on any given night was 250,000.
> > >
> > > Some advocates say such an early presence of veterans from
> > > Iraq and
> > > Afghanistan at shelters does not bode well for the future. It
> > > took roughly a
> > > decade for the lives of Vietnam veterans to unravel to the
> > > point that they
> > > started showing up among the homeless. Advocates worry that
> > > intense and
> > > repeated deployments leave newer veterans particularly
> vulnerable.
> > >
> > > "We're going to be having a tsunami of them eventually because
> > > the mental
> > > health toll from this war is enormous," said Daniel Tooth,
> > > director of
> > > veterans affairs for Lancaster County, Pa.
> > >
> > > While services to homeless veterans have improved in the past
> > > 20 years,
> > > advocates hope more will be done to prevent homelessness and
> > > provide
> > > affordable housing to the younger veterans while there's a
> > > window of
> > > opportunity.
> > >
> > > "When the Vietnam War ended, that was part of the problem. The
> > > war was over,
> > > it was off TV, nobody wanted to hear about it," said John
> > > Keaveney, a
> > > Vietnam veteran and a founder of New Directions in Los
> > > Angeles, which
> > > provides substance abuse help, job training and shelter to
> > > veterans.
> > >
> > > "I think they'll be forgotten," Keaveney said of Iraq and
> > > Afghanistan
> > > veterans. "People get tired of it. It's not glitzy that these
> > > are young,
> > > honorable, patriotic Americans. They'll just be veterans, and
> > > that happens
> > > after every war."
> > >
> > > Keaveney said it's difficult for his group to persuade some
> > > homeless Iraq
> > > veterans to stay for treatment and help because they don't
> > > relate to the
> > > older veterans. Those who stayed have had success - one is now
> > > a stockbroker
> > > and another is applying to be a police officer, he said.
> > >
> > > The Iraq vets seeking help with homelessness are more likely
> > > to be women,
> > > less likely to have substance abuse problems, but more likely
> > > to have mental
> > > illness - mostly related to post-traumatic stress, said Pete
> > > Dougherty,
> > > director of homeless veterans programs at the VA.
> > >
> > > Overall, 45 percent of participants in the VA's homeless
> > > programs have a
> > > diagnosable mental illness and more than three out of four
> > > have a substance
> > > abuse problem, while 35 percent have both, Dougherty said.
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Seeya round town, Moscow.
> > >
> > > Tom Hansen
> > > Moscow, Idaho
> > >
> > > "I was a soldier.
> > > I am a soldier.
> > > I will always be a soldier."
> > >
> > > - Army Veteran Slogan
> > >
> > >
> > > =======================================================
> > > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > > http://www.fsr.net
> > > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> > >
> > > =======================================================
> > >
> > >
> > > -------------------------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > =======================================================
> > > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > > http://www.fsr.net
> > > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> > > =======================================================
> > >
> > > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> -
> > >
> > > =======================================================
> > > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > > http://www.fsr.net
> > > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> > > =======================================================
> >
> > =======================================================
> > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > http://www.fsr.net
> > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> > =======================================================
> >
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------
> This message was sent by First Step Internet.
> http://www.fsr.com/
>
>
> =======================================================
> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> http://www.fsr.net
> mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> =======================================================
>
>
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>
>
>
More information about the Vision2020
mailing list