The Value of a Dollar

How much is  a dollar worth?  Just ask a homeless person.

For just $1.00 to $5.00 a homeless person for  1 to 2 hours can:

• Drink a coffee or eat a meal.
• Sit indoors.
• Have access to a clean bathroom and sink to watch hands and face.
• Be out of the rain.
• Be safe from severe weather.
• Watch a movie matinee.
• Buy a ticket and ride the bus or train.
• Do laundry.
• Make calls on a pay phone.
• Put a small amount of gas for the day in their car’s gas tank.
• Access pool and shower facilities at a local park.

What a person can get out of it:

• Food.
• Shelter.
• Clean clothes.
• Hygiene care.
• Entertainment.
• Transportation to shelter, an interview, a job, and other appointments.
• Access to a toilet and facilities to do hygiene.
• A visit with family and friends, call to schedule a job interview.
• Social interaction and networking.
• A sense of normalcy (whatever normal is)
• Happiness.
• A love and gratitude for fellow man.

What you get:

• Happiness.
• God’s love and blessing.
• A love and gratitude for fellow man.
• Social interaction and networking.
• Increased self-satisfaction, self-love, self-worth, self-value

Unfortunately I am out of time on the computer early. Being a public library on a weekend, the computers fill up quickly.

The bad and the good

Sometimes its not easy to be homeless.  Like when it rains at night and I need to find a dry place to hopefully get some sleep. But there are other times as well.  Like today.  All day because of health issues that the rheumatologist hasn’t diagnosed yet, my kidneys didn’t produce much of anything despite that I was drinking plenty.  Well now they have kicked in!  Just in time for the night, when I hope to sleep.  But NO–I will likely be awakened a few times at least.  There are bushes nearby that I can use–but who wants to use bushes for a toilet?!  Maybe some of this swelling will start to go away after this.  I am still having pains from the swelling occurring.

Something good did happen this morning.  I saw my case worker and we are still working on the connections for mental health stuff.  I signed a release so should could talk to someone.  I told her about me going to a fundraiser for a homeless services place and she was impressed!  She seemed very excited and said that she could set it up so I could get my hair all done up, cut and complete style and everything for it!  That is so awesome!  It has been a whole year since I got a haircut–no frills, just a normal cut, at a homeless shelter.  The cut this time that my case worker would set me up with would be done by students, but just because of how long it has been since I have had a haircut I am still really excited about it!  I asked her about a computer and webcam and there are no webcams there, but I told her about Mark Horvath of Invisible People doing the video interview of me and she thought it was great and she’d look and check in about finding access to one.

Bonus Post: Internet Addiction with a Twist

The following is just a little something I wrote several years ago.  I had no real reason for writing it.  I just did.  It could use some updating, but otherwise I suppose its still not bad for its age, considering how technology is obsolete after just a few months.  Whatever, some strange force is telling me to post it here, so I hope you like it.  I don’t understand what is making me do this, but there must be some reason.  I feel really weird doing it.  Here goes…

The Addicted Internet – Internet Addiction with a Twist
By: “Pads Chicago”

Internet Addiction. Can people be addicted to the Internet? Or, is the Internet addicted to people?

Think about it. People are drawn to technology. We have to have every gadget that comes out with a microchip. It doesn’t have to be essential to life; it just needs to make life more fun and interesting. It helps even more if our neighbor doesn’t have one. You are even more cool if you are the first person to even know that it exists.

Marketing today would go nowhere if not for the networks of servers holding every gigabyte of information that we just absolutely, positively have got to know. Every business, organization, school or individual has a message to sell you. They set the bait.com and reel you in completely hooked and throw you in the.net. Add some new flavorful content and you come back for more.

Remember that thing Alexander Graham Bell invented? You know, the telephone? It’s rarely used anymore. You see a friend, but you don’t stop and talk. You say, “Shoot me an email.” When you email, you tell your friend about the hot website that you just visited. Your friend goes to that site, gets hooked, and the whole process circles.

People don’t even go out to meet other people nowadays—they stay in and sit on their booties at the computer at an online dating service. To give oneself the impression of reality, we can chat with a potential partner via instant messaging or emails, all the while sitting home at our desks eating chips and drinking. Not to mention how some will also do this in their underwear. Most males will also enjoy being able to freely scratch themselves or make obscene noises, which they cannot do in front of a woman.

Online dating is extremely popular. Enuff said, sex sells. The Internet allows us to be romantic with our computers right in the privacy of our own homes. Here we can find a new friend to have warm conversation with, or anything up to an explosion of your hard drive in the fantasies of your own mind.

Finding these sexy new friends isn’t free either. Again, sex sells. People will try almost anything once, and web designers know it—a first impression counts. If Mikey likes it, he’ll come back for more, and tell his friends—by email, of course. There is a huge market for the gender, and the e-business society uses whatever tactic necessary to promote its product.

Yes, the Internet thrives on people like us. We are needed for its very existence. The World Wide Web is addicted to people. New websites open every day, each new site demanding more and more people to come Online. And every day we hear, “You’ve got mail!”

Unfocused Ramblings

I have no idea what to really write about today.  My mind is so chaotic right now.  Its like I have so much to do and don’t know what I’m doing, or what needs to be done.

I used to have a PDA and planner.  That helped!  I could be more organized and have notes everywhere, LOL.  I loved Franklin Covey planner sheets better than other brands, but sometimes I would buy something else.  I used to have a laptop too.  I could go online or work on other projects like Word documents or Powerpoint even when the library was closed.   The laptop was almost like a sleeping aid because at night I’d lay in bed with my laptop, log on to the internet, and be asleep before my email was downloaded, LOL!

I’d do better and not have times like this if I was on psych meds.  Right now I am only on meds for medical issues.  Its  hard.  I want them.  I know I need them.  I have too many moods and potential for reacting to something because of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).  And times like this, right now, I don’t even know what’s going on in my  mind.  Maybe I’ve been trying to do too much and I have neurons firing chaotically .  I do have a habit of that–trying to do too much at once.  But is that so wrong?!  Moods like this–is this a type of mood?!–only make everything that I try to do difficult!  I keep thinking that–I don’t know.  Maybe that I’m not being productive enough?  I guess it could be a little anxiety.  I don’t know.  My mind is too…something I forgot the word for already.  Maybe ADD?!?  Whatever it is, I feel like I’m not getting anything worthwhile done and doing nothing good.  I feel like the stereotypical homeless “bum” who does nothing all day.  But I have done some good and productive things today,  haven’t I?!  I know I have.  I am probably being too hard on myself.

I’ve had a great day!  I got some great messages and DM’s from people on Twitter.  Friends from one of my fave sites, Psych Central, have started following me on Twitter.  I have received a lot more hits on my blog and the Pads Chicago website, and received donations through Pay Pal.  I’ve been in a decent mood, laughed several times.

It could be something with my health issues?  I’ve had a headache, sort of migraine like but not.  I remember now that I do usually feel strange, even confused, when it happens.  This could be why.  I have a rheumatologist but she hasn’t made a diagnosis yet.  It’s hell living with these issues.  I wish something more would happen!  Something so I don’t have all these pains and problems!  I am literally sick of it all.

I wish I could go to bed.  But being homeless, I have no bed.

Helping you help people like me

People frequently ask me how they can help the homeless.  There are millions of ways to help!  Here are just a few…

• Post in your church bulletin, on community bulletin boards, on Craigslist, etc, asking for room and board of a homeless person, house or other work in exchange for rent until the person has income.
• Offer resume help.  Look it over and give suggestions or help design a new one. Everyone is qualified to do this–it could be your own resume next.
• If you are spiritual, offer to say prayer.  Saying prayer on the spot can even do wonders for a person’s attitude!
• Give clothing, shoes, and accessories needed for job interviews.
• Buy the person a phone card to put minutes on their cell phone, if they have one.  Offer your own cell phone to make a phone call.  Tell the person about GOOG-411–a free phone directory service by Google, by simply calling 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411).
• Help the person set up a free email account online and teach how to use it.
• Help the person sign up and use job sites such as Hot Jobs.
• Assure the person is warm/cool enough during the day and at night according to climate.  Long underwear is always a hit in winter months in colder climates!!!  Check for a hat, scarf, and gloves.  Also wool and warm socks!  Hand warmer packets are good, but remind people that they can burn (especially people who have nerve damage).  Ask if they have a warm enough sleeping bag and blankets.  In warmer months, ask if they would like shorts, or for women perhaps skirts and casual dresses.
• Give camping essentials like a tarp to put on the ground to protect from dirt and moisture; a flashlight; batteries; eating utensil; 1-man tents or a large tarp with pegs to hold in the ground; a mini kerosene cooking stove (there are some that are single-use).
• Give transit tickets for getting to appointments, social services, or soup kitchens.
• Offer help getting laundry done.  Give them supplies. Some laundromats offer their own debit card that the machines use instead of coins.
• Offer non-perishable food like peanut butter (tip: Goober’s brand is peanut butter and jelly and needs no refrigeration), granola and cereal bars, canned goods, potato chips and “shoestrings”, juice and milk boxes or small bottles, water bottles,  powdered drink mixes, fruit rolls, foil-packaged meat and other food products, kipper snacks, beef jerky.  Ask if there is access to a microwave so you may buy microwave-ready foods, including everybody’s favorite, popcorn.  Ask about food allergies or dietary restrictions before you buy!
• Ask about health needs. For medication assistance, refer to programs for help and info like PatientAssistance.com, Partnership for Prescription Assistance, Rx Assist, Medicare Pharmaceutical Assistance Program, Rx Hope, National Conference of State Legislatures State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs.  Ask if the person has blood pressure and heart problems if they could use an automatic blood pressure monitor, diabetes supplies, or other health needs. Also think to ask if the person has a special diet or nutrition needs, including vitamins.
• Give store gift cards and certificates. Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, and other retail–even mall type stores like Kohls or Penneys would make a nice treat. Grocery, restaurant and coffee shop gift cards are also very good. If the person has a car, or gets rides from someone with a car, offer a gas card.

I hope these suggestions help.  I will try to add more from time to time and add these to my site.  I will also try to make list of pharmaceutical companies who have prescription assistance programs, as I am also in that need right now!  Please feel free to comment to this post, email me, or send me a tweet on Twitter if you have any other suggestions, questions or comments.

Where have I been?!

I have been posting pretty regularly on Twitter so you can catch me there if I’m not on my blog.  I am very, very sorry for the lack of posting as well as for doing almost nothing for updating my site. Homelessness is hard.  So is having PTSD and mood issues, besides pain and health problems.  I guess that I have been taking a “vacation” from many things in life and trying to recoup by not “working” as much on things I ought to do.  Not that I am financially reimbursed for the work and time I do as part of my site, faxing and emailing providers to ask for free or discount services for the homeless, and trying to set up a directory.  But its something I love to do!  The reward of getting a response back from someone saying that they will help–its enormous to me!  I feel like I have let people and myself down by not doing this for the past month.  I was productive and busy, faxing and emailing, and updating my website and blog, making a directory of services, trying to do way too much all at once!  It really saddens me to think how little I have done and only posting on Twitter–and not even every day.  With thanks to Mark Horvath from InvisiblePeople.TV and all the inspiration I am getting since meeting him, I am starting to feel renewed–and perhaps almost even a little bit overwhelmed and scared.  I don’t know what is coming forth to me by appearing in his video but here I am opening up and admitting who I am as a homeless person.  I had a personal setback a couple weeks ago and have been starting over with trying to find new housing and health care.  Then I received the message from Mark Horvath as @hardlynormal on Twitter that he had just arrived in Chicago, and got his tweet about meeting him.  And the response from it has been simply amazing!  Talk about a mood booster!!  I can’t believe the response I am seeing from this and have no doubt that something will come of this!  I am feeling so much inspiration and I can’t thank everyone enough!  Please, please, keep this attitude flowing!  And for those inclined, keep the prayers coming.   I have so much more to say but I will end this here…for now.