Thursday, April 12, 2012

Healthcare for the Homeless?

Both men are homeless and need help. While Charles claims to be 'bipolar' and Willy is not, both are disabled and need assistance with food.

After viewing these two videos, can someone please explain to me why one homeless person can receive disability and assistance with food stamps, while the other cannot?

Meet Charles



Meet Willy

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Washington Redskins Sign Players To Multi-Million Dollar Contracts

America has several hundred, if not several thousand, people who could be classified as rich.

The Washington DC area alone has hundreds of people who are well off.

Why is there still homelessness in our great city?

On Wednesday, the Washington Redskins signed two players to very lucrative contracts.

Pierre Garçon and Joshua Morgan officially became Washington Redskins. 

Garcon, a former Colt, is slated to make $42.5 over five years; $20.5 million guaranteed.  His new teammate, Joshua Morgan, a cool $1.8m with almost another million in bonuses down the line.

We're not picking on athletes for making millions of dollars for their talents.  Professional sports in America is big business.  It also pays big.

That's a lot of money that can be put to charities and foundations to help combat and eradicate life situations of those less fortunate.

Professional sports team owners, big company CEOs and the like, you've got to do better.

It only takes a little to make a big change.

Think about it.

Help Vincent Find Work

For those of you who don't know, homeless people would prefer to work.

Listen to Vincent as he talks about finding work, and respect, on his quest to find a job, and a home.

Jobless, homeless, yet hopeful, Vincent says, "I need a job."  "I want a job."



If you can help, please email us or leave a comment below.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Homeless Wi-fi. Good Idea, or Other?

A new initiative to help homeless people earn money has sparked outcry in Austin, Texas when the homeless were asked to wear T-shirts indicating they could provide wi-fi Internet access at a recent SXSW music and technology conference.

This is Clarence, a 4G Hotspot homeless participant who provides Internet access - for a fee, of course.

For the cost of $2 per 15 minutes conference attendees gained Internet access as they stood beside a homeless person with MiFi devices connected to the Internet via the 4G phone network.

MiFi device (pictured) which connect to the Internet via the 4G phone network
and offer web access via a wi-fi network.
Some people saw the initiative of BBH, the brains behind the initiative, as crass and exploitative, however, BBH stands firm on the theory that they are merely helping homeless help themselves. 

"Obviously, there’s an insane amount of chatter about this, which although certainly villianises us, in many ways is very good for the homeless people we’re trying to help", said one BBH spokesperson.

Adding, "Homeless Hotspots is a charitable innovation initiative - it attempts to modernize the Street Newspaper model employed to support homeless populations."

So, we're asking you. Are Homeless Hotspots exploiting, or helping, homeless people?

Have you a better idea?

Saturday, February 4, 2012

It's SuperBowl Sunday! But What About the Homeless?

While America gets ready to watch Super Bowl XLVI, guess who's left out of the picture?

The New York Giants vs the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

We saw an interesting quote on Twitter this weekend.  We think it's worth sharing.


MEDMissions tweeted:
won't hesitate to spend 11 bill 4 the Super Bowl, but has to think 3x b4 spending to feed the homeless and fight .

How true that is.  America will indeed spend billions on one day of NFL action, but has to think, and rethink the need to help the homeless get off the street, regain their dignity, rebuild their lives and the lives of their families.

What with NFL (and other sports owners), raking in billions of dollars each year off the backs of crazed fans; and professional athletes of all genres raking in millions, why then do we still have homeless people in every city of our nation?

This Super Bowl Sunday why not think about those who really need our attention:   America's homeless population.

If you are not able to help in a big way, think about doing a small gesture that will mean so much.  A warm blanket, a pair of shoes, a gently used coat, scarf or gloves.  If you're really patriotic, make provisions for a  homeless person to be able to shower and change clothes.

If you do happen to be the owner of a sports team, or professional athlete who has been blessed beyond your wildest imagination, why not rally your friends and comrades to help us end homelessness in America?  Business tycoons also welcome.

Anyone can serve.  Will you?

Your random act of kindness is all that's needed to make a change.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

What If?

Duke grade donates $7 million to help repair Washington Monument.

What if private donors took just as much interest in helping rid homelessness, as they do in upgrading a national monument?



What if Today's Headlines actually read 'Donor gives $7 million to help rid homelessness?

#peoplefirst

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The Three Who Get It

Tavis Smiley, Suzy Orman, and Dr. Cornell West speak on poverty in America.

"You can't look at someone anymore and assume are they rich, are they poor, are they starving? You don't know", said Orman.

"But I want all of you to make the assumption that their lives are not going the way they'd wish their lives were going. We gotta change this. There should be no face of poor in the entire United States."

Jobless and Homeless

Around holiday time last Christmas a middle aged man got on the metro train and made his plea.

"Merry Christmas everybody", he said.

"I don't mean no harm, but is anybody hiring?", he asked the crowd of slightly startled metro train riders. "I am willing to do anything."

It was cold outside that afternoon. He wore a black jacket that looked like it had a broken zipper, jeans, and what looked like a short-sleeved pull over shirt. He had no hat, no gloves, and he wore sneakers.

How brave he was, I thought, to get on metro train and reveal this most intimate detail. No job. No home, and willing to do anything by legal means that he could to obtain both.

The man repeated his plight, and after a few minutes of silence he asked the metro customers who may have shared my same sentiment, "Well, can anyone give me a few cents so I can buy some food".

After a few minutes of complete silence, the man, shaking his head, was met with only one person who came forward and offered him some change.

People, we have to do better than this.

When we see our brothers and sisters in need, don't just act like they don't exist. It only takes a simple gesture to help.

What can you do today to help homelessness in the Nation's Capital?