<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV>How sad :( Breaks my heart there are people without a place to call home. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>: D onovan</DIV>
<DIV><BR>--- On <B>Sun, 6/6/10, Ted Moffett <I><starbliss@gmail.com></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"><BR>From: Ted Moffett <starbliss@gmail.com><BR>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Please read, and please help<BR>To: "bevbafus@verizon.net" <bevbafus@verizon.net><BR>Cc: vision2020@moscow.com<BR>Date: Sunday, June 6, 2010, 2:55 PM<BR><BR>
<DIV id=yiv1993604188>
<DIV><FONT face="Courier New">"We don't have people living in cardboard boxes </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Courier New">under overpasses,..."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Recently there was someone "camping" under a bridge in Moscow by the creek where Hwy 95 and 8 meet, but not in a cardboard box. Also, there was someone recently camping on private property near Styner Ave., in a somewhat hidden location.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There are people who for whatever reason(s) camp outside in Moscow in whatever spot they can find. This is far more common than some assume.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I knew someone years ago who camped for a couple of weeks by the U of I observatory in the patch of trees down the hill just to the north, and another individual years ago who was sleeping under an old building near the U of I campus near the railway tracks.<BR>------------------------------------------</DIV>
<DIV>Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett<BR> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=gmail_quote>On 6/4/10, <B class=gmail_sendername><A href="http://us.mc381.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=bevbafus@verizon.net" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:bevbafus@verizon.net">bevbafus@verizon.net</A></B> <<A href="http://us.mc381.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=bevbafus@verizon.net" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:bevbafus@verizon.net">bevbafus@verizon.net</A>> wrote:</SPAN>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex" class=gmail_quote>
<DIV>
<DIV>The following is an article I wrote for Sojourners' Alliance's quarterly newsletter. For those of you who don't know - Sojourners' is the local transitional homeless shelter. In addition to the shelter, we have an emergency rental assistance program, and a Food Bank and Thrift Store in Troy, Idaho. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We are facing a critical end-of-fiscal year funding emergency. (Too much year at the end of the grant money!) </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If 500 people in the area each donated $20 - that would alleviate our crises, and give us a small cushion to face the next emergency. Please donate today! Your donations can be sent to: </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sojourners' Alliance</DIV>
<DIV>627 N. Van Buren</DIV>
<DIV>Moscow, ID 83843</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks in advance!</DIV>
<DIV>Bev Bafus</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>****************************<BR> </DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">It amazes me when I look at our donor list, and realize how many businesses and well-off individuals do not donate to Sojourners’.<SPAN> </SPAN>When I’ve solicited for donations, the excuses run the gamut…<SPAN> </SPAN>“We just really can’t help right now.”<SPAN> </SPAN>(And you can, when?) <SPAN> </SPAN>“Why would we help those people?”<SPAN> </SPAN>(As opposed to which people?<SPAN> </SPAN>We’re all people.)<SPAN> </SPAN>“We already gave.”<SPAN> </SPAN>(Thank you very much, but you could give again.)<SPAN> </SPAN>“We have a homeless shelter in Moscow?”<SPAN> </SPAN>(Yes, we do.<SPAN> </SPAN>And the need is growing.)</FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">The idea that there isn’t a homeless population in Moscow is a fantasy.<SPAN> </SPAN>We don’t have people living in cardboard boxes under overpasses, but we do have folks camping out at local campgrounds.<SPAN> </SPAN>We have people who couch surf between friends.<SPAN> </SPAN>We have families bunking with relatives, trying desperately to save up enough for first month’s rent and a damage deposit.<SPAN> </SPAN>And we have people who have lost everything, due to various demons in their lives.</FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">I was oblivious to this problem as I raised my children.<SPAN> </SPAN>We were chasing the American Dream.<SPAN> </SPAN>The house, the three cars, the boat, the large lot.<SPAN> </SPAN>Dreams of an acreage, and more toys.</FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Then my husband had a stroke.<SPAN> </SPAN>Thank goodness he had signed up years before for a disability policy – it meant we wouldn’t lose the house.<SPAN> </SPAN>But when you have payments up the ying-yang, depending on a double income – and that income gets slashed in half – suffice to say we had to face reality in a hurry.<SPAN> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Now I am grateful every day that we have a roof over our head.<SPAN> </SPAN>We have adequate food on the table.<SPAN> </SPAN>This is more than many families in our area.<SPAN> </SPAN>Job losses have hit certain sectors hard, and it may get worse.<SPAN> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">There are families just weeks away from being evicted from their apartments – luckily our rental assistance program can help with that to some extent.<SPAN> </SPAN>There are families that have to spend every extra penny for medical bills, and groceries are the last thing they can buy.<SPAN> </SPAN>Luckily, our food bank can help with that.</FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">And there are those who have lost everything.<SPAN> </SPAN>They need a hand up, not a hand out.<SPAN> </SPAN>Luckily, our shelter is here, to help them transition back into a productive life.</FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">If Sojourners’ wasn’t here – what would these folks do?<SPAN> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">If you have a roof over your head, and enough food on the table – please donate today.<SPAN> </SPAN>Every dollar will help keep our organization stable, and keep a safety net in place for our area.</FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Bev Bafus, Moscow</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">Board Treasurer</FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> ***********************************</FONT></DIV></DIV><BR>=======================================================<BR> List services made available by First Step Internet,<BR> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<BR> <A href="http://www.fsr.net/" rel=nofollow target=_blank>http://www.fsr.net</A><BR> mailto:<A href="http://us.mc381.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Vision2020@moscow.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</A><BR>=======================================================<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV><BR>-----Inline Attachment Follows-----<BR><BR>
<DIV class=plainMail>=======================================================<BR>List services made available by First Step Internet, <BR>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <BR> <A href="http://www.fsr.net/" target=_blank>http://www.fsr.net</A> <BR> mailto:<A href="http://us.mc381.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Vision2020@moscow.com" ymailto="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</A><BR>=======================================================</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></td></tr></table><br>