Homeless Voice; The Afternoon Call by Homeless Voice

HOMELESS SHOP ONLINE AND HELP THE HOMELESS- BUY FROM 4000 MERCHANTS DIRECTLY- GO TO:

do it all. We the people must be the t was just another day here at ones to have it in our hearts to help the shelter and Courtney called this little one. Look into the eyes of us from the Fort Lauderdale this child and see past the eyeballs. Police Outreach team and Look behind them and what do you asked if we could take a mom and a see? two year old. As usual, with no Picture this child in beds at all, we said the streets. What send them over. When you see a does mom do to Even though we for her little had no beds we had mom come in your provide one? Does she find to enforce our policy that there is heart bleeds but soon a quick boyfriend to provide for her and always room at the inn. Here we go, is repaired by these the little one or does tough it out only where would this magic words, “Yes she picking Mr. Right. mom and beautiful child of God go if we have room for you You have no idea how many single this paper was not and your child." moms with chilat your car windren have to pick dow? They would whatever comes their way to find be sleeping in the streets. security for their child. This beHow is it that this can hapcomes a problem. In most cases they pen in America? It will happen become the victim of those who set over and over again and again and out and prey on this type of situation there is nothing the Bush or the posknowing that mom is vulnerable. sible Kerry Administration could do Mom and child can become punchthat can change it. Even if John Kerry would have got elected there ing bags for some guy who is looking to find someone to hit all day is no chance for homeless families In when something goes wrong in his America. The government cannot

“I will not turn anyone away.” That is the policy started by Sean Cononie, who is still recovering from post meningitis. We, as staff will enforce this policy so no one goes hungry. life. Yes there are good ones who do want to lend a helping hand, but they, too, are scarce, just like homeless beds. When are people going to come to the reality that

these families need to be adopted? Sometimes we shelters will only make the situation worse because of some of the rules we have in place in general to run our operations. We (Continued on page 8)

...and what we do

lot of people think we just run a shelter for the homeless but we do many other things here at this agency. (see page 9 titled And What We Do) For every time we see a problem we start an agency. The good thing about these agencies is that they do not cost us a lot of money to run. The major agencies are the shelter, the paper, medical programs poverty feeding, here and in Haiti, and of course our disaster agency. The rest of the agencies are basically letter writing agencies. We have a staff of volunteers who write letters on all social problems in the world and we try to get world leaders to change their views on these problems. Below is a letter that was written to the City of Miami after a Call (954) local newspaper did a complete story on a dilemma

How’s My Vending?

925-6466 X101

people will face when they try to put a little love in their hearts. Both the letter that was written by our South Florida Coalition for the homeless, who is ran by our COSAC Foundation and the article the reporter wrote all are in this article. When you read this you will see that the City of Miami is going to be passing a law making it against the law if you should see a homeless person sitting at a bus bench and you decide to feed them. If you are the one who is doing the feeding, there is a chance you will get arrested.

we’ll sue the s**t out of them,” said Sean Cononie, CEO and founder of the Homeless Voice, a South Florida publication focused on the area’s homeless plight. “So will the National Coalition for the Homeless on whose behalf I’m allowed to speak,” he added. The indoor feeding portion of the program Arriola referred to was drafted by the Miami Coalition for the Homeless Inc., a group of concerned citizens and organizations who propose sheltered feeding locations in addition to that at Camillus House, the city’s only publicly funded location. Costs would amount to between $150,000 and $200,000, which Coalition officials say could be offset by in-kind donations and public-private partnerships. Yet, while most homeless advocates look favorably toward the city’s proposed indoor feeding program, many, such as Cononie, are either wary of or outright against anti-feeding legislation. City commissioners will vote on the threepronged plan on November 18, which includes an expansion of indoor feeding facilities, a 90-day moratorium on fines and arrests so organizations can direct the homeless to the expanded facilities and, finally, the passing of an ordinance that will outlaw feeding the

“Cononie is no stranger to problems attendant to feeding in the street.”

Don’t Feed the Homeless Miami May Move Forward with Plan to Ban the Feeding of Homeless Outside Designated Locations “The food is more fresher. Some of the food in the shelter, it makes me sick.” – Sharon Gray, a Miami street resident. n an effort to get charitable organizations and individuals to stop feeding Miami’s homeless in city parks and public streets, city officials are contemplating a law forbidding the act. Violators face fines or arrest. City Manager Joe Arriola signaled last Thursday at a Miami City Commission meeting that once its proposed indoor feeding program is in place, those continuing to feed the homeless outdoors will be prosecuted. “And if the city tries to outlaw street feeding,

(Continued on page 2)

The Voice of the Homeless

Page 2

HOMELESS VOICE

FRIENDS OF THE HOMELESS For just $15.00 a month you can keep a homeless family off the streets for a day. Please make check payable to: COSAC Foundation Friends of the Homeless. Please include on memo what name should appear in paper.

Mail check to: Friends of the Homeless, P.O. Box 292-577 Davie, FL 33329

FRIENDS WILL BE BACK NEXT MONTH ...and what we do (Continued from page 1)

homeless in Miami. “We need to control the 88 churches that come downtown and feed the homeless from their vans,” said Miami Commissioner Tomas Regalado, who represents the Florida League of Cities in the Homeless Trust and helped draft the proposed new feeding program for the city. Cononie generally supports the expansion of Miami’s current program, but foresees problems with its proposed design, and objects entirely to the abolition of charitable feeding. “That challenges the federal and state Freedom of Religion Act,” said Cononie. “If someone wants to bring someone else a sandwich in the park, I can’t see a problem with that.” The Act prohibits the entangling of government and religion, the central focus of which is charity, said Cononie. Currently, almost 100 religious and charitable organizations combined feed Miami’s roughly 1,600 homeless. Cononie is no stranger to problems attendant to feeding in the street. In 1995, he was carjacked in Overtown while distributing food from the trunk of his Lexus. At the time, Cononie said, he headed a rather profitable communications company and was inspired to help. He has just recently recovered from the meningitis he contracted earlier this year during a feeding sabbatical in Haiti where, he said, “30,000 children die nightly from starvation.” In the past, city officials have been vocal in coming out against outdoor feeding saying the resulting litter and rats are a health issue as well as being “undignified” for the homeless. But Cononie disagrees. “It’s more degrading to line them up at one location where everyone knows of their situation,” he said. Private organizations that have agreed to supplement Camillus House include the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral at 464 N.E. 16th Street and the Historic Mount Zion Baptist Church at 301 N.W. 9th Street. Camillus House will also change its 3 p.m. feeding time and alternate with the other locations. But some homeless have told the Homeless Voice, Cononie’s paper, that the food is better in the streets. “The food is more fresher,” said Sharon Gray, a Miami street resident. “Some of the food in the shelter, it makes me sick.” The Coalition’s multi-site approach would involve three to five locations all feeding between 150 and 200 people daily one to two days per week. The plan, which is vague in its infancy, outlines program access but provides no plan to transport the homeless to and from locations, a feature Cononie asserts is integral to the program’s success. “They can’t pop a squat anywhere. They have to sleep on their own turf,” said Cononie. If a sanctioned indoor feeding location is not near a homeless person’s squatting area and no transportation provided, the homeless

will continue to eat from the nearest dumpster and are more likely to rob and steal from people and businesses inside their territory, he said. “I can understand how the city feels about the messiness, it’s a difficult situation to deal with,” Cononie said. “I would endorse the program if it provided enough locations. It would mean the homeless could eat, and at the same time neighborhoods would be less impacted.” Cononie was the consultant for the Key West tent project where the homeless were transported to and from their tented location to designated feeding centers. But Cononie told the SunPost that if the city prohibits street feeding, “You’re going to raise havoc.” Backing Cononie is National Coalition for the Homeless President Michael Stoops who said for almost a decade various cities across the country have proposed anti-feeding laws on the premise that doing so will motivate the homeless toward a better lifestyle, but that his organization is “very much against anti-feeding laws and they are no solution to the problem.” Stoops said his organization would lobby strongly against any proposed ordinance and support litigation against it if necessary. Stoops, who fought in Key West last December when that city attempted to export their homeless to Miami, told SunPost that he would, “be glad to get arrested in protest of such a dumb law,” citing “six or seven years ago” when Richmond, Virginia’s black clergy rose up against the city’s anti-feeding ordinance and – via demonstrations and newspaper ads – got city officials to back down. Arnold Abbott, a Ft. Lauderdale homeless advocate and founder of the Love Thy Neighbor program, was ordered to stop feeding the homeless on the beach in 2000 but took the city to court and won back what he considered to be his right to feed starving people. “I think we have set the precedent in Abbott v. the City of Ft. Lauderdale,” said Abbott. “There were a total of five trials and we won each time.” Abbott said he has even heard that his case was used as a precedent from “California to Missouri” and doesn’t see why it can’t be used again to stop Miami policymakers. “We won it on the Restoration of Religious Rights Act. Florida is the only state that has it,” he told SunPost. “But this ordinance is targeted toward the groups,” said Regalado. “At first the churches opposed the plan on the premise that it infringed on the rights of the homeless,” but they later backed it, the commissioner said, adding that arresting an individual or tourist for sharing their meal would be excessive. Ben Burton, director for the

Miami Coalition of the Homeless, said criminalizing homelessness is not “a good idea,” and told the SunPost that he hopes that on November 18 commissioners will realize that the city needs to deal with solutions and not further problems. “The goal is accessibility, so that they can get a meal, better services [shelter, counseling and washrooms] and head them in the direction of continual care,” Burton said. Burton also thinks that, although his organization would like as many locations as possible, the three preliminary locations will address the majority of the homeless population and are within reasonable walking distance. Miami-Dade Homeless Trust Director David Raymond said that he was not aware of any attempt at legislating an anti-feeding ordinance, despite the fact that Arriola is a member of the Trust’s board. Raymond said he does know, however, that area organizations have been feeding in the street for over ten years – with minimal success in moving the homeless towards employment or housing. “It’s about dignity and respect,” said Raymond, stressing that his organization has nothing to do with legislating the prohibition of feeding. The National Coalition for the Homeless will be publishing its annual ranking of states and cities “meanest to the homeless” this month. Stoops said Florida will be ranked as the second meanest state, and Sarasota, Key West and Gainsville will be ranked two, three and four as the country’s meanest cities of the 179 judged. He wouldn’t tell the SunPost who the number one state and city will be, preferring to wait until November 9, when the list is published nationally. Although he is all for the expanded feeding facilities, Stoop is dumfounded as to why “the city would propose a prohibition on feeding so close to the holidays,” he said. By Mitchell Pellecchia Miami SunPost Staff Writer

“I also would imagine that some tourists will be arrested for feeding the homeless.”

Our Response to the Feeding Problem in Miami Dear City Leaders;

just wanted to let you know first by saying that newspapers don't always quote a person correctly. While I admire the fact that your city wants to feed the homeless, I am left with some concerns over the proposed plans. The biggest problems in the case of Abbott v Fort Lauderdale was the fact that not all the homeless could get to the area where the approved feeding was allowed. The locations were just too far for the homeless to get to or they did not

have the transportation fees. I certainly understand that public feeding sometimes does cause some concerns for the local community as well as negatively impacting the community. Such as litter, or public urination. No community member should be faced with someone urinating in front of their kids, after a feeding. In Hollywood we had a similar problem but the police and the city met with advocates and developed a plan that would stop the negative impacting as well as having compassion. What I would suggest the city do would be to make sure their plan would include transportation for the homeless, maybe a bus pass for them to get to and from the feeding locations without a fee to them. I would also suggest a few more locations so it becomes easier. Let’s not forget that the severe cases of mental illness people would not make it to any location that was for them to eat. This population solely depends on individuals or churches seeking their location and feeding them routinely. This population will not take a bus, will not follow the rules and will continue to eat out of dumpsters. There is no way to make sure these people eat. As you all are probably aware of this population will sometimes not eat for weeks, that is why most mental health consumers are frail, weak, and have no energy. How are we going to get these people fed? We are in the process of trying to get a law maker to come up with a new mental health act that would allow law enforcement to take into custody the severe mental health consumer if they were off their medication or not eating or has obvious medical conditions that would not be allowed under the current Florida Baker Act. Again I do commend your human compassion but we are advocates and several homeless people have already called our Rapid Response line voicing their concerns, some national programs will be sending advocates to secure data on who was denied food and why they were denied food. The investigators will be meeting with the homeless to discuss food services and to seek the truth to make sure all mental health consumers and people who did not have proper transportation eat. They will also be looking into whether or not programs might have refused to serve some people because they were not following the rules established at their locations. We must all face the fact that not all of these people can follow rules. As far as food services at local shelters, let me first tell you that the Homeless Voice reprinted the story after the Miami SunPost printed the same quote that stated a homeless person said the local shelters food was bad and made them sick. We did not do a food review; we just reprinted a story from the AP wire. Unfortunately when we reprint we cannot alter any statement. I understand the foods at these shelters are of great qual(Continued on page 5)

SHOP ONLINE AT THE HOMELESS VOICE INTERNET MALL go to www.homelessvoicemall.com

Page 3

Volume 5, Issue 17

HAPPY HOLIDAYS Over the holidays I wanted to give you a little gift of knowledge. HOW NOW NOT TO BE HOMELESS: Rule one: Have a disability policy from a company like AFLAC. These policies will pay you about 24 months if you should get sick or injured and can’t work. They also pay your deductibles and some even pay you cash while hospitalized which helps pay other bills. If you will be out of work for a long time because you are in the hospital there is coverage you can buy that actually pays you instead of the hospital a cash benefit. . Companies like Mutual Of Omaha will pay you about $100.00 a day and triple benefit's if you are in ICU. So if you are in the hospital in the ICU area for 15 days you will get a check in the amount of $4500.00. They pay you directly no matter what other health coverage you may have . The Hospital cash plan is only about $12.00 a month, If your employer offers you disability coverage check to see how long the coverage is and the elimination period is. Meaning how long do you have to be out of work to get the benefits you paid for. American Express has a 1.5 million dollar policy that is only $200.00 a year. If you are injured from an accident only and can’t work for LETTERS TO THE EDITOR at least 365 days they will cut you a check for 1.5 million. Usually your employer will have a less SEND TO: expensive plan then AFLAC. If your employer does no offer such coverage then go to AFLAC. WHEN YOU GET THE POLICY READ THE SMALL PRINT AND MAKE SURE THIS POLICY COVERS YOU THE WAY YOU WANT IT TO . SOME POLICIES CAN BE TAILORED THE WAY YOU WANT THEM P.O. BOX 292-577 TO WORK. Have a great Holiday , Love Mark, Sara, Lily , and our newborn Autumn DAVIE, FLORIDA 33329

FAX TO: 954-926-2022 EMAIL: info@homelessvoice.org ALL DONATION REQUESTS IN THE HOMELESS VOICE FOR ANY CHARITY ARE ADVERTISED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS WORDING A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE IN THE STATE 1-800-435-7352 REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE THANK YOU FOR HELPING THE HOMELESS

H OM E LESS

V O IC E

Cost of paper $.25

To reach us call

954-925-6466

HOMELESS HOTLINE FOR PLACEMENT

954-491-BEDS

Need flyers passed out or other temp labor? CALL 954-920-1277

WHY CALL A DAY LABOR COMPANY AND SPEND LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY

Rates Start at $5.95 per hour Yards, leaf raking, painting, flyers passed out, car washed and etc.

Call our contractor referral line Call us and we will get you the person to do the job much less than calling some one else

Only $5.95 per hour

M a i l to : H om e les s V oi c e PO Box 2 92 57 7 D a v ie , F l 33 32 9

C u t t he c e rt i fic a te a n d se n d it w ith a c h ec k o r m o n e y o rd e r f or $50 $2 4 NAME

A DD R E S S

24 Issues

We Need Mobile Homes, Boats, & SUV’s for Our Disaster Relief Program (article p10 & 11): Call the shelter

954-925-6466

Merry Christmas Happy Hanukkah Happy Kwanza To you and yours from the Homeless Voice F L O R ID A AUTO IN S U R AN C E IN C . 6740 TAF T S TR E E T,H O LL Y W O O D

FR EE T A G R EN EW A L SER VICE FEE W ITH W R ITTEN P O LICY

LOC A TED A C ROS S FRO M W INN-DIXIE O N TAF T S TRE E T

W E H AV E M AN Y TYPES O F IN SU R AN CE FO R A L L Y O U R N EED S

954-963-7333

The Voice of the Homeless

Page 4

HAPPY HOLIDAY From the movie… “Something about Mary”

AQUA DRIVING

GOLF RANGE

David Breslow is pleased to announce his newly renovated golf driving range *New mats *New landscaping *New premiu m balls *New short game facility *New fu ll canopy cover

Golf Training Center Daytime * Evening * Weekends Full Canopy Covering

New Hitting Mats Concession Stand Daily: hot dogs, coffee, ice cream, car wash • • • •

Lessons for all ages (Special ch ild ren packages) Single & Group Packages 9/18 Hole Play ing Lessons Repairs, Custom Bu ilt Clubs and Fittings

• • • •

Gift Certificates Video Analysis Corporate Clinics & Birthday & Sports Parties with Football, Soccer, Baseball & Golf

2250 S. Park Rd., Hallandale

954-966-4914 954-893-7767

(Just West of I-95 & Hallandale Beach Blvd)

From Air Travel to Wire Transfers SHOP @

WE NEED GIFT CERTIFICATES FOR: •

WINN-DIXIE

•

WAL-MART • PUBLIX • OFFICE MAX • HOME DEPOT Call the Shelter @ 954-925-6466

Homeless Voice Fraud Alert! In order to deter the amount of fraud this holiday season we are using a special shirt for the Homeless Voice. The shirt will be used until the end of December. The special shirt is a white Tee Shirt with the words Homeless Voice on the front and back with green ink. We are not using the bright yellowish-green shirt. If you should see a yellowishgreen shirt from now until the end of December please call 954-924-3571 ask to speak to the Loss Prevention Department.

WARNING CONSUMER ALERT

FREE REPORT Do you have a mortgage you’re considering refinancing, or debts you’re thinking about consolidating? Either way you MUST read the FREE REPORT called How To Get Out Of Debt Fast...And Stay Out Forever! This FREE REPORT reveals the truth about refinancing and debt consolidation information your banker and other lenders have never told you!

Are You Ready to Refinance? Are You Sure? Take a Little More Time and Get Your Free Report.

Call 1-888-325-6140 Ext: 5201, 24 hours, for a FREE recorded message to get a copy that could save you THOUSANDS. SHOP ONLINE AT THE HOMELESS VOICE INTERNET MALL go to www.homelessvoicemall.com

Page 5

Volume 5, Issue 17

VOICE OF THE HOMELESS ...and what we do (Continued from page 2)

ity. On behalf of the Homeless Voice we apologize for reprinting someone's story where it may have tarnished the quality of the food. We are a newspaper and newspapers get permission from the AP Wire to reprint and we reprint the whole story or just a few paragraphs but we cannot change a quote. Even here at our own shelter system, our food is made fun of by the homeless. We can serve them a dinner sometimes that would cost $9.95 at an early bird special and still some would make unfair comments. Obviously the data will be used in a future lawsuit filed by some legal agency. I understand that your intentions should be praised because most cities ignore the fact that the homeless have no place to go and eat, so we once again commend you for your actions. However, we need to look a little outside of the proposed ordinance. Why face a lawsuit when we all can come up with a plan that just makes sense and ensures that every hungry person can eat? Maybe the city can develop their own spot checks to make sure the plan is working and work with providers to make sure that every person can get to the locations. I know the city has more important things to do than be involved in a lawsuit when all could have been prevented by seeking more answers.

Developing an ordinance that will impact a certain class of people will have negative effects unless it is well researched and planned. As stated above we are advocates and if we get complaints we are going to have to react. Of course we would call the city and ask for a change of plan before such legal actions are done against the city. I am sure remedies could be developed in a friendly manner instead of the court system. An advocate and city leaders must try to resolve things prior to court or legal remedies costing the tax payers a bundle of money and large fees in fines that agencies must pay when their laws are unconstitutional. Just like the Pottinger where large amounts of money had to be paid out because the homeless were being treated unfairly. Again we are advocates and we cannot disregard their complaints. I want you to look at larger problems. If

a homeless person cannot get to the food line what does one do? Does he commit a crime on an elderly person because of survival techniques? What would you do if you were starving? Would you rob an old lady to get her purse so you can live? Would you go and commit theft at a local convenient store causing spending large amounts of money for the prosecution over a simple sandwich? What happens if the elderly lady gets hurt because the person robs her and she falls breaking her hip at an old age? How are we all going to feel? Also as community leaders we all must do our part on keeping health care costs down on indigent care; I can assure you that the 150K you all are putting out will end up costing your taxpayers more than that. Food poisoning is expensive. Sometimes the homeless person because they have HIV or a multiple of other illnesses has a real bad case of food poising and some deaths can occur because of weak immune systems. Where you and I may get food poisoning our medical bills may only be as much as $1000, but if you took a person with a weakened immune system, their hospital stay may be a week of indigent care costing the taxpayers about $3500. So let me ask you how many people will go to the emergency room because they have food poisoning? How much trash will be thrown to the ground when a homeless person has to dumpster dive because they want to do what is right and not rob or steal from a person or a business? There are crime prevention dollars that can be spent to buy a feeding bus which will take the homeless to the locations where they can eat with dignity. My biggest concern is a constitutionally protected right. Also my religious views in Christianity would cause me to do what the gospel of Matthew tells us all to do and that is to feed the poor and when you do, you feed Jesus as well. Don't we all want to make our own personal God happy with what He or She wants us to do? I would say yes, and when we harden our hearts by making laws like these laws we are attempting to make a fourth class of people in the USA. Every night 30,000 children die in Third World countries because they cannot get the food they need to live another day. The reporter misquoted me and stated that 30,000 children die in Haiti, when in fact it is in the Third World Nations including Haiti. Do we want to start teaching our children that it is OK to outlaw the feeding of a homeless person or a poor person, or a sick person? Abraham Lincoln once said, "The children of today will lead the old of tomorrow”... which means when you and I are old we expect the children we raised, gave skills to, gave knowledge to, taught compassion and taught love too, will lead us when we retire. Do we want things to get worse in the future because our hearts have hardened and trained our little ones to not allow a poor person to eat in public? Would it not be better for the future generations to be treated with the utmost class? Every statistic in the USA proves that the future is bleak for the elders to come. Are we the ones who will be affected by your current policy? Friends, let’s not harden our hearts and teach our children that outlawing feeding people is the correct

“But some simply make policy to correct a problem and they don look past what other problems will be created by their new policy. It is our job to teach, educate, and let them know that for every action there is a reaction.”

was recently asked to share Christmas. The universal church with an undergraduate jour- is the incarnation of the Gospel. nalism student to identify the It is the body of Christ, therefore particular charities my church and it is not only to know Christ, but I were going to be involved in live like Christ. Therefore, charity and all of during this holiday seaWhat often happens is the wonderful thoughts, reson. The question was that we give our resources, flections, and perplexing to usually our money, but we acts of lovingkindness that say the least. I neglect to give our most are so often wasn’t sure how to reprecious commodity… exhibited during this fesspond due to ourselves. tive time are the impression to continue… the question had stirred in me. I replied that as usual throughout the year. As a personal our works and programs of charity would continue, as usual, dur- devotional for you, dear reader, ing the Christmas season. see your having donated to the “Nothing unusual,” I heard my- Homeless Voice as an act of charself tell her. “Nothing unusual… ity. However, make it a point to what does that mean?” her facial find ways to enact your charity as expression clearly asked me. The well. Set time aside to share with meaning of Christmas is the quin- the poor, underprivileged, the downtrodden, and those that are tessential example of charity. Jesus’ birth, his seeking ways to have a better toincarnation, next to Jesus’ death morrow. What often happens is and resurrection, is the single that we give our resources, usumost important event for human- ally our money, but we neglect to ity according to Christianity. give our most precious commodSeek ways Therefore, the message of Christ- ity… ourselves. mas is quite clear for us... Christ- throughout the year to give of mas is Charity. Now then, what yourself. Keep the Christmas often happens is that Christmas spirit alive in you; by giving yourpossesses a singular power over self away to countless others who many. It compels people the would be happy recipients of your world over to open their hearts time and love. Rev. Daniel Medina-Hernández and their pockets to others in Volunteer Reporter measures not often encouraged or expected throughout the rolling year. What we need to do is live and enact the Christmas message throughout the year. Everyday is

thing to do. Let's look into the future and make sure that our children will lead the old of tomorrow correctly with all the love in their hearts. So I ask you to allow us all to put a little love in our hearts. I also would imagine that some tourists will be arrested for feeding the homeless. Is this a tone we want to send out to the rest of the country that your city arrests people for feeding the poor? I don't know about you, but a simple arrest could ruin someone's career. Some kid will be out there trying to become a police officer in the future but to be turned away because of an arrest record for feeding the poor. I must ask the question, how many people's lives will have been tarnished by this feeding law? If you are going to pass this law, then maybe make it a fine and not a criminal arrest where it tarnishes their reputation. We do it with parking tickets. We impose a fine for non-criminal actions. I don't know about you but if I got arrested for giving a sandwich to a homeless person, I would sue and make sure that if I got denied one job because of a simple arrest like that, I would take it all the way to the Supreme Court making sure your city paid me every dollar I lost because of the arrest record. One last thought, is the city going to allow Mr. John Q. Citizen to bring food to their business partner if they decide to have their lunch in public? Can friends bring food for other friends on the beach for picnics? Remember, you cannot classify who and what can be served. If you pass the law then no other person can ever bring food to their friend or business partner for lunch. When you say it is alright for others but deny someone else then it is selective enforcement. Passing a law just like this will close the American Red Cross and there will never be food served in a community kitchen at the time of a disaster. Please remember selective enforcement. Being homeless from poverty or a natural disaster is the same and no judge will ever be able to rule that one is a protected class and one is not. Yes taking it to the extreme but some advocates will fight you on this tooth and nail. And my friends what is good for the goose is good for the gander. I do understand that you are trying to protect the community you serve from being negatively impacted but you must choose to make sure everything is looked at and investigated properly. As an advocate I would not impose such a law but would meet with churches and ask them to follow the request of the city. These are Godly people and they should respond to your request and try to work with the city instead of going against the city. Making a law like this is going to create havoc and the city will never win if someone chooses to fight it. After being warned that the Red Cross can never serve food again in your city and then you let them you are labile for damages. Ask us providers to refrain from large feedings and they will follow your request but never take the right away from Mrs. Jones down the street, from feeding someone she sees hungry. Please reconsider your actions or limit the scope of your ordinance. Ask us to come to the table and help you make some official or unofficial rules. In Hollywood there was just a plan and no rules made, we just followed what the city wanted. And it worked. It has been successful for six years. No laws, just a plan. End of dictation -COSAC Staff The Holidays are Meant to Have Meaning Yes, they are but it is the leaders who take the meaning out of every (Continued on page 8)

The Voice of the Homeless

Page 6

NEW LIFESTLYLES

Here She is the Dancing Queen ome of you may remember this beauty, our very own Dancing Queen. Over four years ago Carol found out that the guy who raped her while she lived in Tent City in Fort Lauderdale gave her HIV/AIDS. Before that day Carol was using crack almost every day. The day she found out was the last day she used that drug. The doctors gave her the bad news and told her she might have six months to live. She changed her life...made a 500 percent turn around. Once in a while we would have parties with plenty of music and Carol would just sit there. But after she found out she only had six months to live she came alive and became our Dancing Queen. She would move those hips like we had never seen. She would dance all night. She is a very big pain to Sean and me but that is the part we love about her. She comes into the office and makes herself right at home. Of course she brings John or should I say John follows her. They come in, sit down, answer the door for us and tell clients what they can do and what they can't do. Well, Carol you made it another year and from the looks of things and the way you are eating you would think that you are in perfect health. You have been through the moves at the different shelters we operate and we know you will continue to be with us for a long time. Carol keep on asking God for the healing you can get, Amen Written By Lois Cross Volunteer Reporter

There is Hope When You Are Dealing with Hope Just look into her eyes and you will see a person like this can give hope to many who need comfort and plenty of hope. You see this sweet little older lady is a real charmer. She never starts any type of trouble. She sits in her room most of the day and rests but then comes down to hang with the others in the patio area. Her routine is simple, rest, TV, eat and will not miss her Sunday church service. Last month staff decided to make a special dinner with some real good food because we are always eating on the run...and that doesn’t allow for a relaxing meal. We made plenty of food so we could call up some special clients and sit down and share some time together. Well, it was almost midnight when we were finally done for the day and we called Hope to the office. Yes, she was asleep but yes, she eagerly came. When she came in she was served a sit down dinner and she sat at my desk and cleaned her plate. Hope really doesn’t need to live here although she has been here for some five years now. I think this place has become family to her and she gives all of staff the hope we need to get by for the day. Sometimes we get burnt out and God will place a special person in our lives reminding us that if we did not work these hours a person like Hope would have been left in the streets to fend for herself. Hope, you know you can knock on our door at any time to get your favorite Coffee Latte that we keep in the fridge for you. Hope thanks for giving others the hope they need to recover from their plight of homelessness. Written By: Lois Cross Volunteer Reporter

his is Mr. Reaves, a gentleman and a scholar. He has been with us now for about six months because, like most of our clients who are disabled, he can’t find a place to live on the small Social Security disability check they receive. A lot of our clients barely get $500.00 a month and will never be able to find a home. A good portion of our beds are for the people who hardly get any income and can't work to supplement their income. We have off campus units that will allow several people who are on Social Security to live instead of in an assisted living facility that takes all their money but 40.00 per month. So where does a person like Mr. Reaves go? In America agencies must start looking at creating homes for people like Mr. Reaves. Section Eight is a joke because the waiting list is extremely long. We need to create affordable and permanent housing so a person like Mr. Reaves can live by himself having a decent life and three meals a day. We are in the process of expanding to offer this type of places where a client can live much cheaper than anywhere else. Once these people get their disability checks they can go to a place that will allow people with low income to live for a small fee. Then for the poor people with no income they can continue to live at shelters until they have income. Mr. Reaves wanted to work, to sell the paper, so one day he worked at the airport selling the Homeless Voice. He was just a little too disabled and a little older than we allow to sell the paper in the streets. So he tried the airport. Sean kids that he actually went there to look at the girls because he is somewhat of a flirt, but he came back with a few dollars and had tried his best. It makes us feel so good so see how someone wanted to better his life by wanting to sell the paper on his own without being asked to. -Lois Cross Volunteer Reporter

he Train Might have hit him, but the man never hit the bottom. His pride kept him on top of things allowing him to make a pretty good recovery. That’s Mr. Larry Parchman. He has really bad legs as a result of being hit by the train and uses a walker, so he usually sits and sits and sits. This man never causes any trouble here. Mr. Parchman doesn’t know too much about his past so it is very difficult to file for any Social Security disability benefits for him. The vendors and the people who buy our paper allow us to house him for free. The vendors who work all day selling this paper help us house a lot of people who can’t work and do not have income. Remember we get no help from the government so this becomes a self supported community. It must be really hard for this nice man to live here, probably wanting to work a little to have a better life, but he shows no signs of anger for his disabilities. He shows compassion to others and actually you can see him talking to the other guys and gals in the day time. Even though a train hit him and put him on the ground he picked himself up again and is trying to recover as best as he can. This man is a true survivor -Lois Cross Volunteer Reporter

SHOP ONLINE AT THE HOMELESS VOICE INTERNET MALL go to www.homelessvoicemall.com

Page 7

Volume 5, Issue 17

NEW LIFESTLYLES

Eddie Solid as a Rock ddie is one of our old timers. He was with us on Lincoln St. and because he has a touch of "senior’s moments," once or twice when the hospital just released him, he remembered his address as being the old one, and went there. He's a loveable old guy and is proud to tell us how he helped this or that person. He even sits in the parking lot and watches over the cars. I can always count on a hug and a “hello, beautiful” from him and stories of when he rode a motorcycle and tales of life on the farm. Eddie, although he has family, he is one of our people who will be with us until the day he dies, which hopefully won't be for quite a while. If you looked at him you might say he is a frail man. He is not! He’s as tough as a professional football player or maybe I should say a boxer. Boxer is better, because there is not a day that goes by that Sean doesn’t say, “Hi” to him that he does not put up his fists in a firm boxer stance and tries to duke with Sean. Sean always says “Old man Eddie you are solid as a rock” Written By Lois Cross Volunteer Reporter

his is Patricia Briggs, and she is a tuff cookie, a wonderfully tough cookie. Last year she was given some bad news. With tears in her eyes and still with a smile on her face, she told us she had cancer. She told us the doctor said she six months to go but Chemo was an option. This month she told us that the Chemo worked and that the doctor told her she would live pretty good for the next two years. I heard Sean tell her on the phone he would give her another ten years and to keep her smiles on that pretty face. We asked her if at any time she got sick did she want to do hospice here with me and Sean in the office where we sleep and without hesitation she replied, “Yes.” We have done several cases of hospice here because we feel and the client feels that this is their home and they should be with friends and family at the time when God calls them home. We ask everybody who reads this little passage of this beautiful lady and any of our other sick clients that may have a terminal illness to pray for their healing and I will say Amen right now as well. We love you Ms. Briggs and you will survive because as Sean puts it, you are a tuff cookie. Written By Lois Cross Volunteer Reporter

his is Sara who was here with us before. She came to us in the past because she could not understand the rules with social security on address changes and direct deposit. She accused everybody of stealing her check and that is why she became homeless in the first place. When she came to us she told us that so many other programs or people stole her check. But in reality she did not understand that you must change your address on your social security by a cut off date or the check would arrive at her old address. Heck, when she left here the first time she said the same thing about us. However she found out later when the social security office returned her check to her a few weeks later. Soon it will be a learning lesson on her part to understand how to deal with the social security office so this does not happen. Sara is pregnant and is about to have a little one. But this time Sara has to be way ahead of the birth. She is young and she wants to keep this baby. Since we do not like abortion here at this agency we were so proud of her for trying her best to have this little one. We do not disrespect someone from having an abortion we just try to get them to think about other options. We told her that we would support any program she wanted to do but we gave her options. We said you can try on your own, you can have the baby adopted out, or maybe you have another plan. We did not offer the word abortion to her , but out of no where she stated she did not want to abort the baby. We were so proud of her that she took the tuff route. This little young adult made the choice on her own to do what she felt was the correct thing to do. When you live in the shelter systems the state protective service division of Children and Families tries real hard to remove the baby from the mom’s custody. But Sara is outsmarting them. She is getting medical treatment, taking classes in parenting and saving her social security check. She has made the correct choice once again, and Sara we can’t wait to see the little baby that hopefully will be born here at the shelter. Sometimes Sara does not want to hear a word you are saying to her. So sometimes we use a real tuff case management approach and say things to her that will get her attention when she makes a mistake. Sean has found this approach to work real good with clients who have deaf ears. Sometimes the words can be real negative but are needed to be said to make clients understand why their families have broken the ties. He teaches them that their past behavior has caused them over and over to be homeless. Sometimes Sean hates to do this but he feels it is the only way get the client to make the changes they need to thrive. Sean has said in the past if some clients hate him, he does not care as long as that client changes their ways and develops into a great human being and Sara is someone that he feels will end up hating him but will become a productive member of society. As he always says , “The coach always picks on the one they like the best . “ -Lois Cross Volunteer Reporter

LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER REPORTERS CALL HOMELESS VOICE 954-410-6275 VOICEUS@AOL.COM

The Voice of the Homeless

Page 8

HOMELESS VOICE

whole different feeling. Either way, the feeling of love is shined on all make rules for all but sometimes who make this possible. these rules will actually end up hurtPlease remember ing some client’s rehabilitation. Our agency is very flexible there are about 10,000 homeless people in Broward County alone and but still needs to be more flexible. if you add Dade and Palm Beach We are also at the point that we are you’re adding another 30,000 people so overloaded at all five complexes making a total of and are faced with bout 40,000 expanding rapidly to When you see a mom ahomeless people in fit the needs of the Florida. community. How and child come into South Now keep in mind can we do that with limited funds? The the shelter sometimes that the largest population classifionly real way is to depend totally on your heart can melt cation is homeless God. God will have away. You feel with families. In Broward County there to put His Hands all your heart that are only about 925 deep inside our emergency brains so we can you want to do the real beds for homeless plan and make a better business plan most you can for a people and those are all filled daily. that will allow us to If we could put up expand even though situation like that. another 10,000 we did not pay off beds they would be filled in about our building. It will happen because ten days. This figure of about 40,000 if God wants us in business then we homeless people in the tri-country shall be in business. area does not mean all are living in When you see a the streets. mom and child come into the shelter A very large persometimes your heart can melt away. You feel with all your heart centage of the homeless population are living in situations that are unthat you want to do the most you can safe. Some people just move in with for a situation like that. When you whomever they can find shelter with, hold the child and know that God which now means they are candihas made all this possible with the dates for domestic violence once people who buy our paper it is a

Get your yearly subscription for the Homeless Voice. Call 954-410-6275 or fill out form on page 3

(Continued from page 1)

again. Some parents take back their children on a temporary basis because they feel sorry their child is living on the streets. Even though this agency looks after the homeless population we are not going to lie and tell you that this classification that bunks with their leery parents won’t abuse their mom or dad. Sometimes they steal from their parents and then once again those bridges get burned. It is a very complex problem. Then there is a population of people who crash from one friend to another who have no problems but are just homeless because they cannot secure the funds needed to get their own place. When you see a mom come in your heart bleeds but soon is repaired by these magic words, “Yes we have room for you and your child." I just want to thank each and every one of you for putting a roof over this child’s head. Thank you for

...and what we do

feeding this child. Thank you for allowing us to hand the child a duck that quacks to make the child smile. Thank you for allowing us to do what my Lord and Savior tells us to do. When we have done all of this we just took care of baby Jesus. Thank you so much for helping this little one from the bottom of our hearts. Written By : Sean Cononie With the help of Sara Targett and Lois Cross while Sean is out sick. SCononie@hmelessvoice.com

We NEED: Garbage Bags Men’s Clothing • Gauze Pads • Johnson & Johnson Supplies • Work Boots • Computers • Music Instruments • Help Tapes or Movies 954-925-6466 • •

article ‘The Holiday Blues.’

(Continued from page 5)

holiday. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year. I ask you what is so merry about getting arrested for doing what your God may command you to do and I ask you why you are trying to start your New Years off with getting arrested? I wish I could tell you the last few sentences was an April fool’s joke but it is not. And for those who wanted to bring a Thanksgiving meal to a Homeless Vet this year, you can't or you might be spending the night in jail. And please remember not to feed a Homeless Vet on Veterans Day because you may end up in jail with other homeless vets who got arrested for sleeping on a bus bench. America is great, don't you get that feeling... Not only that we send a new 18 year old adult off to fight for this country and then when they come back and can't function and hold a job we can't feed them or we face an arrest. I hope the city of Miami treats the vets coming back from Iraq a lot better then the way they are treating the Vietnam Vet's. This is why I titled this

INTERNATIONAL HOLIDAY FESTIVAL December 11-12, 2004 9am – 5pm TY PARK, HOLLYWOOD FL 3300 N. Park Rd., Hollywood 33021

Entrance Fee is a Can of Food. FOR LAST MINUTE SHOPPING FOR THE HOLIDAYS Family Days, Children Friendly Fun Area, Entertainment, Food, Arts & Crafts, Products, Services, Raffles, Auctions, and more. Visit with: SANTA & MRS. CLAUS & Elf For more information call 954-981-5616 TY Park charges $1 per person up to $5 per car load

How to Correct the Holiday Blues If I had all the money in the world I would make sure all our agencies that we created did much more than write letters, yes many of our agencies including the Homeless Voice directly service, house, feed, give care to the poor but some only write letters. If I could get directors to run each and every agency we once again would get a lot more accomplished. Since we can no longer feed the homeless in Miami I wanted to tell you all little bit about our sister agencies that run on zero budgets because it does not take a lot of money for research and writing letters. We recruited some smart kids in college and this is what they do. Any time we see a social problem in the world we write and we make an attempt to change the heart of the leaders. Sometime as advocates we always think someone is making a policy just to hurt some type of people, and yes that is true some of the times. But some simply make a policy to correct a problem and they don’t look past what other problems will be created by their new policy. It is our job to teach, educate, and let them know that for every action there is a reaction. Some may be good actions and some may be bad actions. The leaders in Miami wanted to make sure that only bonified places could feed the homeless to make less of a mess that is left over from feeding the homeless. There intentions might have been based on problems solving techniques but the damage that is going to be caused in our hearts and the way we think in the future will be carried down for years to come. This is why it is so important to keep on writing our letters. Of course we are just in the infancy stages and each of these agencies will be doing a lot more in the years to come. For this Holiday season, start your own agency helping others; it does not have to have a name, and it only has to just help one person or maybe a group of people. Just do it ... You have the resources to help; it only takes a second and most of the time it cost nothing. It can be a friendly smile or visiting someone who is sick. You may know a elderly woman who lost her husband who lives off a small check. Go ahead and cut her yard to save her some money and that is what life is all about. Go ahead and take the blue out of the holidays and send a mom on Jet Blue to see her son who she has not seen for years because both live below the poverty level. Remember our campaign still exists and we still need to pay off our mortgage so please remember to send in your check helping us grow in these difficult times. I am still not working or running the shelter as of yet. I hope soon I can return to my old job. With me being out it makes it even more difficult for this place and the

You have the resources to help; it only takes a second and most of the time it cost nothing. It can be a friendly smile or visiting someone who is sick.

(Continued on page 11)

SHOP ONLINE AT THE HOMELESS VOICE INTERNET MALL go to www.homelessvoicemall.com

Page 9

Volume 5, Issue 17

VOICE OF THE HOMELESS

...and what we do The COSAC Foundation: The management company for all COSAC related agencies

COSAC: Coalition of Service and Charity Educating People About Meningitis, Inc. his group educates low income areas of the signs and symptoms of meningitis. Many children die because many doctors misdiagnose meningitis and tell the patient they have the flu and the patient usually dies because the doctors did not run simple tests. It also operates a 24 hours hot line to advocate for parents who have their child in the Emergency Room and the child is being released without proper testing. The agency relays to the ER physician that a trained person has looked at the medical case and is making a record of this case that the ER is refusing to do further testing. The agent on the phone asks the doctor to do more tests and reminds the doctor that if the child should have meningitis there is a permanent record.

Peoples United Nations, Inc This group monitors the United Nations on human rights. Many government leaders are sent advocacy letters, asking them to get more involved in world hunger. As many as 30,000 children in the world die nightly of starvation. This agency also lobbies for peace. In the past it has met with Ahmed Kubba, President of the Iraqi American Council who opposed the regime of Saddam Hussein. As many as 11 International agencies met here in Hollywood prior to the latest war on Iraq and presented its own Resolution to the United Nations, the Prime Minister of England and many members of Congress. This Resolution can be seen by requesting it from the United Nations. North American Alliance for International Aid (NAAIA) Gives aid to people of starving nations. This agency has made many medical trips to Haiti as well as other Caribbean Nations. It works with the Chick Grant Foundation which is our sister agency in Haiti. Between the Chick Grant Foundation and NAAIA they will be opening up a children's orphanage and the Sean Cononie Children’s Hospital In Haiti. The land was donated by the people of Haiti and foundations have been laid for the hospital, orphanage and school. Although the hospital will have only 12 beds at startup, it will expand to 24 over the next couple of years. This agency also has built four homes for families in Haiti and is expected to build another 4 per year. Hotel Cosac Quarters for the Poor and Homeless Cosac Homeless Assistance Center, Inc This is five buildings including the main Homeless Voice Center at 1203 North Federal Highway. It creates housing for poor people as well as jobs with businesses the agency owns for people who have a hard time staying employed because of mental illness. They pay a fee of zero dollars to $110.00 per week for three meals, case mgt, bed, unlimited long distance and

cable TV at their bed. South Florida Coalition For the Homeless This agency is an advocacy agency which monitors the treatment of Homeless People in South Florida and The Southeastern United States. The agency will send advocates to other areas where homeless rights are violated. It responds with the Rapid Response Team which is made up of Homeless Advocates across the country. Community Low Income Housing Projects This agency has developed relationships with landlords in the Broward County area. These landlords will allow graduates from our program to move in with no security deposit, no last month. The Homeless Voice will case manage them while living off property. The client pays their rent to the landlord at about $375.00 per month with utilities. The client states on the lease that any agency of our foundation can enter their property at any time to look for signs and symptoms of mental health deterioration or substance abuse. The National Coalition for the Missing and Exploited DBA CME Foundation This agency uses the Amber Alert System in conjunction with all Homeless Newspapers in the North American Continent. It also actively has volunteer investigators who will not only search a downtown area in the USA for a missing mental health consumer but to also work in conjunction with law enforcement after the family places a missing person report through the NCIC law enforcement computer system. The agency also has its own frequency and two way radio systems and command center for local missing children cases to allow homeless people to participate in search of local missing children cases. The radios systems can cover from Vero Beach to the Florida Keys. In addition to its own radio frequency, It also uses a group frequency with Nextel for national coverage so two-way radio service can be linked with any other Nextel radio’s where all parties can speak and hear at the same time unlike traditional Nextel Coverage. There will be a data base clearing house on-line for families to send in pictures of missing mental health consumers. The National Coalition Against Terrorism, Inc DBA Stop Hate Crimes USA This agency looks at ways to stop terrorism by learning why certain groups of people hate other groups of people. From general hate crimes to homeless individuals in the USA to South America. When the COSAC Foundation first opened its doors in 1996, it monitored airport security and made certain recommendations to the government on the lackadaisical security at airports as covered in an article in New Times. It also made catalogs of weapons that could be snuck onto aircraft and gave them to airport security. Don't-Do-Drugs. us Campaign Will be a National Data base for help lines for parents to learn the signs and symptoms of drug usage. Where and how to drug test their own children. Offers a 24 hours hot line for people who are about to relapse. Planned arrival of web site will be 2005 the month of December. (Continued on page 10)

Needed for Our Disaster Relief Program: • Boats • SUV’s • Mobile Homes Call the shelter 954-925-6466

Help Us To Replenish The Disaster Fund Call 954-924-3571

The Voice of the Homeless

Page 10

HAPPY HOLIDAY ...and what we do

Most Americans are “Two Paychecks” away from being homeless. Help the shelter stay alive. We are trying to pay the mortgage off! To help, please send a check or money order to: COSAC Foundation Burn That Mortgage Campaign P.O. Box 292-577 Davie, Fl 33329

(Continued from page 9)

There is no Excuse Campaign No longer can any industrialized nation or world leader allow 30,000 children to die of starvation anymore. This agency heavily lobbies the United Nations as well as religious leaders, such as the Pope, on the starvation issues in the world today. Helping People In America Disaster Services This agency responded to the New York Terrorist attack in 2001, and has responded to the fires in North Florida as well as the rash of tornados in North Florida several years ago. During this hurricane season, the agency responded to the west coast by making many trips with emergency supplies at the request of the Port St. Lucie and Lee County Emergency Operation Centers. Thousands of dollars were spent on transporting these supplies as well as truck rentals. The agency believes that allowing homeless individuals to directly help other people, who are homeless because of disasters, helps with their own rehabilitation process and progress. The agency has purchased its own ambulance and homeless clients will have a chance to get certified as Emergency Medical Technicians, therefore being able to provide basic ambulance service, Basic Life Support service for disasters. Classes will be taught in the year 2005. The agency is buying seven ambulances that will operate BLS for disasters only. The agency is in the process of joining Broward County medical reserves. Because disasters do not happen all the time, the agency has offered its ambulance to the City of Key West for emergency evacuation of their Special Needs populations and also made it available to every city in Broward County if they ran short in emergency equipment at the time of a major disaster. The ambulance will also double as a medical outreach van for homeless people. The van is staffed by a doctor and our First Responders, finding homeless people who may have cellulitis, circulation problems, other infections or immediate medical problems. Of the last two times the van has done this outreach, 11 homeless clients were admitted to the hospital. These people would otherwise probably have died from lack of medical services if not found by our out reach team. The team uses our Missing Person radio equipment to search for homeless people in a geographic locations and when they are spotted, call for the medical van to respond to that location. The normal team is usually 4 cars and one ambulance when we hit a certain area. Cars have GPS capabilities and the medical van/ ambulance can be turned into a command center with the latest computer systems to coordinate feeding projects or any other service in the event of a disaster.

The Homeless Voice First Responder Staff All staff, as well as many homeless individuals, took a ten week, 8 hour per week course to get certified in the use of the AED (Automatic External Defibrillator), Oxygen administration, airway tools, airway bags, and other life saving equipment. The Homeless Voice shelter takes the most medically needy homeless people in South Florida, so staff is rightly trained to handle a full cardiac arrest to delivering a baby. Let me again remind you…these are homeless people who have taken and passed the test to be able to use such life saving techniques. As stated above, future training will be for EMT here at the complex and then the final step will be at BCC for the next step to paramedic. This agency will be working with many Broward County CERT teams and is in the process of trying to set up its own CERT Chapter Team to be used in any area of the United States once activated by either the Homeland Security Department, state emergency operations center or FEMA at the time of disasters. If you have a not for profit, you may want to join the Citizens Corp so your agency may have programs like this to help in a disaster. If you are in the private sector and have First Responders or even a doctor’s office start your own CERT team or join in the medical reserves in your area. The more this country is prepared it can save lives when there is a terrorist attack like in New York or when a real bad disaster strikes. In the near future the team will take a “weapons of mass destruction class” which will be taught by BSO in the next few months. Crossonie’s Learning Center Safe Serve Kitchen Program This offers a State approved Safe Service Kitchen Training Program. Our homeless people can take a course here and get a Florida Safe Serve Card to be able to work in any restaurant. They vend in the daytime and work in the kitchen a few days a week learning how to handle food safely. They then take a course and once they complete the class are given a card. Then they can go to Arnold Abbott’s Culinary School where they can be paid to learn. Some of you may remember Arnold Abbott from the famous anti-homeless feeding case in Fort. Lauderdale. The cities threaten to arrest Arnold for feed(Continued on page 11)

My Computer People, Inc (954) 563-1601 AT NO COST TO YOU!!!!!!!! If eligible, We come to you! Motorized/Power Wheelchairs/Scooters/Manual Wheelchairs/Walkers/Electric Beds. We accept: Medicare Primary (No HMO’S) and Primary Private Insurance

Repairs • Upgrades • Service Networking • Printer Repair

3553 North Dixie Highway Oakland Park, Fl 33334

Email: info@mycomputerpeople.biz

“We Care” Helping Hands Medical Equipment, LLC

Mission Statement:

It is the objective of Helping Hands Medical Equipment, LLC to provide our consumer with quality equipment designed to enhance the quality of life of our customers. Helping Hands Medical Equipment, LLC will comply with all state and federal laws and regulations while providing this service. The needs of our consumer come first. Helping Hands will do everything possible to ensure the needs of the patient are accommodated.

Call Now!!!

We are sure that you will enjoy working with our professional staff.

From Helping Hands Medical Equipment, LLC 4479 North State Rd 7 Lauderdale Lakes, Florida 33319 954-335-1564 (Local) 1-877-667-7088 (Toll Free) 954-335-1569 (Fax#)