Working at it.

I finally received the verdict on the SSDI (disability) case. It was postmarked one month ago and it was just delivered a full month after. It was denied. So, I decided to look at my options. I am talking to people next week about a possible job. I am very excited about this prospect and hopeful for a good outcome! I am nervous too. I want to present well at the meeting and after. I am naturally concerned some about mental health issues if I take on employment. I could potentially redevelop eating issues or problems with PTSD. I will continue mental health treatment to make sure things stay okay and in check. I don’t want to go back to where I once was. I am doing better now. Not perfect, but better. I have some ADHD issues that can’t be fully controlled due to medication problems so I have to try and make a lot of notes. I started using Evernote on my phone for notes and it helps. I use Google calendar to help me keep track of appointments and events. While I’m talking about them… God Bless Google! Anyway, I really hope everything works out. Please say a prayer and wish me luck for the interviews I have this next Tuesday, October 30th. Thanks!

Mom of 12 year old in Chicago needs help

Meet Lisha. She is homeless in Chicago with a daughter who is 12 years old. She is in desperate need of help with clothes, food, hygiene, obtaining employment, housing, to name a few. Her daughter also needs school supplies. She will accept any offer off employment. I talked to her about possibly being a vendor of Street Wise magazine to help a little with expenses and with her approval showed her to the Street Wise offices where she met office staff. I happy to say that she will attend an orientation soon. She has been sober from drugs for six months and obtains regular treatment. If you can help this mother and child in ANY form possible, please contact me! She has a mailing address available for her to use, as well as an email address. I will be happy to give this information to anyone who can help! Thank you so much!

UPDATE 12pm Aug 8, 2012:

Holy #RamonWOW! @Ramon_DeLeon of Domino’s in Chicago has offered pizza for this homeless family! Awesome and thank you, Ramon! Who else will step up to help?!

UPDATE 1:15pm Aug 9, 2012:

I have an offer of school supplies and bus fare by @trohner1 and @Ramon_DeLeon! She doesn’t know yet–I am at the @StreetWise_Chi office while Lisha attends Vendor Orientation. 

 

UPDATE 2:20pm Aug 9, 2012:

Awesome! @mafiahairdreser willl give a back-to-school haircut!!

 

A mentoring program for the homeless?

This morning on my way in to the Arlington Heights Memorial Library one of the employees stopped and talked to me. He mentioned something that I have said before: there needs to be a mentoring program for the homeless.

New people arrive to homelessness every day. To whom can they turn for help? When I first became homeless, I didn’t know what to do, where to go. I didn’t know “the ropes” to being homeless. I got in my car and just sat there. I thought, “Now what?”. I finally drove with no real destination. When it got dark and I was tired, I didn’t know where it would be safe to sleep. I didn’t know how I would stay clean without being able to take a shower. I wouldn’t be able to cook.

The homeless such as myself can actually teach others how to survive homelessness! I also believe that non-homeless people can volunteer to mentor the homeless–for social skills or being a “e-pen pal”, job search skills, addiction recovery. Homeless people also have skills and knowledge that someone needs! Why is there not a job agency that matches homeless people with employers who are looking for new talent with the opportunity to help someone in need? Why does the homeless services agency not offer a program in which the homeless receive specialized job skills training to advocate for themselves and the agency by going to businesses themselves to inform them of homelessness and needs, and to ask them to consider helping the homeless with services, discounts, or job postings? Currently they have only a lawn care services crew during warmer months as “job training”. The job training services and others should be expanded!

There is so much that homeless people have to offer–to each other and their communities! We have a need to attack homelessness ourselves! Teach me and I will teach you. I  have mentioned some of these things and others to the local homeless services agency but they have not developed any new mentoring programs. We can still do this ourselves! Help me to create better opportunities for the homeless so we can build ourselves a new life!

Do you Butterfinger?! I got a job opportunity for you!

If you are extroverted and live, eat, and dream of Butterfinger candy bars all day and night long, are over-experienced with social media sites, have a camera/video phone, computer and internet, then you may want to consider applying for this Butterfingertastic position!  It sounds so awesome!  A more than perfect virtual opportunity for anyone!!

Do you feel equally at home on Facebook as you do out on the town? Do you Tweet as much as you talk? Do you shoot mini videos as fast as you can post your pics? Has the line between your offline and online life started to blur to the point you’re in two dimensions at once? If so, then you’re the perfect FUNtern for the Butterfinger FUNternship that lets you earn bucks for your bytes.

Click here to read more and apply for this job with Butterfinger!

Need a temp job?

Ever consider participating in clinical research studies? I just got an email–Spaulding Clinical Research in West Bend, WI needs volunteers–who will be compensated up to $2,000. Acceptable applicants need to be healthy non-smokers, age between 18-50 years old, and have a body mass index between 18 and 32. They screen applicants on June 10, 11 and 12th. Go to the Spaulding Clinical website or call (800) 597-4507 for more information!

New Careers Page!

I have just added a new Careers page on the Pads Chicago website!  Currently there is a list of links to several job related websites, and this list will continue to grow.  I also plan to add other information and possibly some downloads in the future.

Also, as always, I urge you to click on the any ads that interest you.  Each click will help fund my work and help me to help all of you!