Homeless Voice; Burn That Mortgage Campaign by Homeless Voice

t this time it seems we are getting closer and closer to paying off our mortgage and I have a 12 month plan to allow that to happen. God only knows what will happen when that time comes. Will I be out of my mind and expand and keep on expanding as I have stated in the past or will we just get Cosac to the point that it can always function, no matter what? Tonight as I sit here and ask a few people to go up to the store to buy some lotto tickets, I can only imagine what would happen if I win the $82 million. I know that if I win, the "I"

becomes a “we” for a lot of people because I would be even busier then I currently am. I would expand, but only to expand where my hands could let go of current programs allowing my brain to reach out and start many more programs in all places on the USA map then of course there are places in maps outside of the USA where my little head can start to prepare. I want Cosac to be at a point where I don't always know what is going on. I would like Cosac to have many hands holding the reins than just mine. For instance I had no idea our joint project in Haiti with the Chick

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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

Grant Foundation nearly doubled in space allowing our phanages to not serve more kids but having our very own

had bed oronly now doc-

tor to head the task of starting a feeding program for children who are almost at the end of their life. I know some of you may be wondering

why it takes a doctor to put food in the belly of a starving kid. Well even today ten years later I now find out feeding a starving kid and trying to bring it back to life can be very dangerous if you just let the child eat food. There is a process for everything and even giving food to a child who has not seen it for weeks can be dangerous to their health. It is a lot different then not eating for a week or two. To get Cosac to the point of not knowing how many people we serve, or save per year would be a wonderful thing. Not knowing exactly how many beds we have would be a blessing. Not knowing how (Continued on page 6)

Larry Parchman

Don't Settle For Less

urricane Wilma destroyed a good part of our physical structure as well as mentally demoralizing us. As commercial property owners, I am sure many of you who had filed claims were severely screwed. As far as personal homeowner’s policies and claims for your houses, I am quite confident you too became screwed. Rule number one; if you pay for a policy you must force yourself to react in a defense mode at the time of filing the claim. You prepare yourself to the point where you are convinced that the insurance company is going to rip you off. You must protect yourself and your property value. Take many pictures and gather as much evidence as you can at the very beginning. The insurance company will tell you that they are there to help you, when in fact they are there to take as much as they can away from you. I don't want this to sound like every adjuster and every insurance company is there to rip you off (Continued on page 10)

Dear Readers, Please keep our friend Cathy in your prayers.

-Homeless Voice

How’s My Vending? Call (954)

925-6466 X101

Hospitals Dumping Homeless

uthorities in Los Angeles are studying a surveillance tape that shows an elderly woman in a hospital gown wandering the street, as they investigate the practice of hospitals and police agencies dumping homeless people in Skid Row, a ramshackle district in the city centre. Carol Ann Reyes, 63, was discharged from a hospital on Monday. A surveillance camera outside a homeless shelter showed Ms Reyes walking from the direction of a taxi that had just driven away. She wandered the street for about three minutes before a shelter staff member took her inside. Several hospitals have acknowledged that they put some homeless patients into cabs headed for the area because it offers a chance for the patient to get services and shelter. “We have been looking into homelessdumping, and this (tape) gives us another example of what has been going on,” a spokesman for the city attorney’s office said. (AP)

“I thank God ever day to be alive,” Larry Parchman says as he rests in a white plastic chair enjoying his relaxation in room 216 the “Cosac Suite”.

man lies bloody upon the Broward General Hospitals operating table. Both legs severely broken and his left knee completely split down the middle. It took six hours to repair his knee and six months in Manor Pines to repair his body. In September of 2003 this furniture mover for United Vanlines never imagined a new life

peering through bushes. “I thank God ever day to be alive,” Larry Parchman says as he rests in a white plastic chair enjoying his relaxation in room 216 the “Cosac Suite”. While leaving the grocery store, pushing a shopping cart, Larry began to make his way across the tracks. With (Continued on page 11)

The Voice of the Homeless

Page 2

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

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Erica Sanclair Steve Dillan Dallan Michele King Bobby Ore Casandra Thomas Tara Hunter Mark Faber Nichole Faber Kevin Britt The Cable Family The Maione Family Barbara Strong Grace Marth Regla J Ferrer The Baldwin Family Horace Gracie Russell J. Ferguson Marjorie G. Rhines Jamie F. Flores In Loving Memory Of

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M. Smith Yorick and Bonita Parrica Lee Russ & Delores B Mordon Robert Jesus Llanes Comet Couriev Proietto Family In Memory of Billy Corwin Josh Searles Patricia Lee Russ Delores B Mordon Mrs. Jenkins Everglades Moon, Covenant of Goddess, Elibet Hanson Judy B. Pascarella John Gaeta Michael R. Prokop, Jr. Jackie M. McCarty In Memory of Charles Horton In Memory of William F. Judge Todd Palgon The Morabito Family Todd Palgon Holly J. Andrus Lois Cross In Loving Memory of Florence & Nat Popkin Tailored Advertising, Inc Claudia K. Tapolow Margie Jones In memory of Wesley H. Woodall Maria M. Riveiro Gottlieb & Blair Family Pioneer Middle School Youth Crime Watch Rhenals-Mei Family The Strikowski family Margie Jones & Friends

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Ronald Prescia In Memory of Brian Groleau Laura Flash Jacqueline M. McCarty The Herrmann Family The Monserrate Family Madeline Butera Jennifer S. Nickel Marilyn R. Smith David Thawley On Behalf of Matthew Lambert Mustafa Mehmet Gokoglu In Memory of Scott Paul Cooper Robert and Ruth Baal In Memory of Melba DeSanto In Memory of My Mother Pearl McCann, Love Teresa Barbara Desanto Leah and Ray Michael & Michale Rhett Marie Sutera Floyd and Luana Coats Doug Boucher Family Kevin Jones Dorothy Griffith Family In Loving Memory of Kris Soltan Kevin “KJ” Jones Douglas Boucher The Swartout's Ivonne Fernandez The Verny & Stewart Families In Loving Memory of Frances Klein The Herrmann Family John C. Burt Albert Taragowski Renato & Malika Vasconez In Memory of C.T.R. Adriana Fernandez Andrea Brown The Kunicki Family Thank you so much, Sean & Lois, for all your help. –Joan Futscher & Kids McAvoy Family The Geise Family Richard & Margaret Martin Kenny Angela K.J. Williams Hartford Property Connection, Inc. In Loving Memory of Rex Lichtenberger In Loving Memory of Jose A. Estruch, Jr.

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Page 3

Volume VIII, Issue 5

HOMELESS VOICE This month we devoted most of the paper to ask our readers to help pay the shelter off. This will allow Sean to help more people. He sometimes feels that sitting behind a desk every second of his life is counter productive and he needs to do more to help mankind. I will be devoting a lot of space in the next couple of issues on getting these mortgage papers burned, this way Sean can start the new programs he has wanted to start for LETTERS TO THE EDITOR some time SEND TO: now.

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The Voice of the Homeless

Page 4

NATIONAL NEWS Attacking homeless may yield longer jail terms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: April 10, 2006 Willie A. Miller, Jr. 850-488-8632

TAYLOR’S LEGISLATION FOR ASSAULTING THE HOMELESS PASSES HOUSE JUSTICE COUNCIL

Legislation will add community service and restitution to a minimum 3 year prison sentence. TALLAHASSEE, FL— Three months after a group of Florida youths allegedly violently killed one homeless man and injured two others, State Representative Priscilla Taylor’s (D-Riviera Beach) legislation for assaulting the homeless passed it’s third and final committee Monday. Specifically, HB 809, will consider attacking the homeless a hate crime and increase the penalties for those convicted of assault or battery on homeless persons. When passed by the Legislative body, Florida would be the second state, behind Maine, to adopt this landmark legislation. “It is simply unthinkable that someone would beat another human being for sport,” said Rep. Taylor. “We need to send a message to these abhorrent criminals that being homeless does not make you target practice.” The National Coalition for the Homeless reports that dozens of homeless people are assaulted each year around the country. In the case earlier this year, the Ft. Lauderdale teenagers used baseball bats, golf clubs and a paintball gun, but other criminals have been known to use rocks, bricks, knives and their hands to attack the homeless. Rep. Taylor’s bill would create a minimum mandatory sentence of at least three years, in addition to any potential fines (up to $10,000). Under her legislation, a person convicted of attacking the homeless would also be required to pay restitution and serve up to 500 hours of community service as a part of their sentence. Rep. Taylor’s bill will proceed to the House Floor. Senate Bill 1992 by Senator JD Alexander (R-Winter Haven) is currently in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Rep. Taylor is serving her second year in District 84 of the Florida House of Representatives. She represents Riviera Beach and is a member of the House Claims, Domestic Security and Insurance Committees, in addition to the Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental Relations.

Once-homeless woman spends $1,500 bailing out nearly 2 dozen Broward inmates

aybe it was the steady diet of baloney. Beverly Johnson has been in jail and doesn't like it. On Wednesday, the formerly homeless woman revisited Broward County Jail, this time as a liberator, spending $1,641 to pay the bonds of two-dozen inmates being held on minor charges. "I did this because I spent time in jail and know what it's like. It's awful in there," the 54-year -old former social worker said. "The food is horrible. It's baloney every day." The people Johnson set free were typically homeless and unable to pay bonds of $25 to $100 on charges like trespassing, loitering or disorderly conduct. Those were the same type of charges for which Johnson was arrested by Fort Lauderdale police some 20 times while on the street from November 2001 to June 2003, she said. A divorce settlement has turned Johnson into a property owner. Two duplexes in Fort Lauderdale and a triplex on the edge of the city's Rio Vista area bring in about $4,000 a month, she said. Johnson

Florida lawmakers are considering a bill that would stiffen the penalties for attacks against homeless people. ngered by the recent bludgeonings of homeless people in South Florida, state lawmakers want to beef up the punishments that judges can impose. ''The homeless need someone to speak for them,'' said state Rep. Priscilla Taylor, a Riviera Beach Democrat who cosponsored a bill to increase penalties in attacks on the homeless. ``I filed this after I saw what happened in Fort Lauderdale. We need to try to protect these people and say that we are not going to stand by and let things like that happen.'' If approved by the Legislature, the bill would raise the seriousness of the charges in cases of assaults and batteries on the homeless, similar to what they now are in attacks on the elderly, lawenforcement officers and public-transportation workers. It also would mandate three-year minimum sentences for people convicted of aggravated battery or aggravated assault on a homeless person. At the request of House Criminal Justice Committee members, Taylor said she will exclude homeless-on-homeless attacks from the harsher punishments. But if anyone else assaults a homeless person, the charges would be increased to greater misdemeanors and felonies than currently allowed by state law. MOMENTUM The bill appears to have momentum. A House version sailed through its first of three committees Wednesday, and an influential Republican, J.D. Alexander of Lake Wales, is spearheading the bill's Senate counterpart. ''If you commit a crime against someone because of their race, their ethnicity or their sexual orientation, that's a hate crime,'' said state Rep. Ari Porth, a Coral Springs Democrat and co-sponsor of the bill. ``We believe the same protection should be given to homeless people. There is nobody more vulnerable than a homeless person, because they have no place to retreat to.'' The proposed bill does not classify homeless attacks as hate crimes, but Taylor said that is a move she will consider before her bill's next committee hearing. BROWARD BEATINGS Three Broward County teens are awaiting trial on charges stemming from a series of beatings on homeless people Jan. 12 in Fort Lauderdale. Prosecutors claim the teens attacked with baseball bats and golf clubs, killing one man and injuring two others. A surveillance video that captured one of those attacks made national headlines. Beatings of homeless people are an ongoing phenomenon, with 462 assaults reported nationwide between 1999 and 2005, Taylor said. On Feb. 7, less than a month after the Fort Lauderdale attacks, three teenagers pummeled a homeless man outside a Riviera Beach convenience store. Thomas Kotowski, 36, survived the attack. Police are still searching for his assailants. Sean Cononie, a homeless-rights advocate from Hollywood, spoke at Wednesday's hearing in support of the bill. ''Not many states have laws like this, so it's a great start for Florida,'' said Cononie, director of the South Florida Coalition for the Homeless. Cononie added that legislators should initiate school programs that educate students about attacks on the homeless. ''More than just punishment after the fact, we need to talk about education,'' Cononie said. 'To have kids do these atrocities, you have to ask, `What went wrong?' '' By EVAN S. BENN http://www.miami.com

lets some homeless people Johnson may also stay in her triplex. be providing a slight break Johnson's "get out for the public, which foots of jail free" day wasn't her the approximately $80 a first. On at least five previday it costs to house a ous occasions she has freed county inmate. from one to Sheriff's “I did this Office spokessix inmates at because I a time, for a woman Vida total of about spent time in Coleman-Wright 50, including the jail and know downplayed Wednesday's affect of Johnwhat it's purge, Johnson's actions on a son said. The jail operation like…” cost? "An easy that handles 10 grand," she nearly 80,000 said. inmates a year. "I wouldn't Johnson said she say this happens every day, received psychiatric treatbut this is not uncommon," ment when she spent about she said. "Beverly's done two months in a homeless this before." shelter. "Bipolar disorder, Johnson said she that's the diagnosis I've achieves satisfaction from been given time and time knowing she made someagain," she said. "They're one's life easier. "There are giving me medicine for biall the homeless people polar and I take my medithat I helped that love me," cine religiously." she said. Johnson believes The beneficiaries she suffers from attention of Johnson's generosity deficit disorder or hyperacwere not able to thank her tivity disorder. in person. They weren't Public Defender released until hours after Howard Finkelstein she left the jail. praised Johnson's altruism. By Robert Nolin "When you do something South Florida Sun-Sentinel for somebody else for no other reason than it is the right thing to do, that's very impressive to me," he said.

WORDS TO LIVE BY...

The greatest asset - FAITH The worst thing to be without - HOPE The most powerful force in life - LOVE The ugliest personality trait - SELFISHNESS The most worthless emotion - SELF-PITY The greatest problem to overcome - FEAR The most destructive habit - WORRY The greatest "shot in the arm" - ENCOURAGEMENT The most effective sleeping pill - PEACE OF MIND The most beautiful attire - A SMILE The greatest joy - GIVING The most satisfying work - HELPING OTHERS The most prized possession - INTEGRITY The deadliest weapon - THE TONGUE The most incredible computer - THE BRAIN The most endangered species - DEDICATED LEADERS Our greatest natural resource - OUR YOUTH The most powerful kind of talking - PRAYER

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Page 5

Volume VIII, Issue 5

HOMELESSVOICE Dehydration

ehydration is a condition that occurs when a person loses more fluids than he or she takes in. Dehydration isn't as serious a problem for teens as it can be for babies or young children. But if you ignore your thirst, dehydration can slow you down. Our bodies are about two thirds water. When someone gets dehydrated, it means the amount of water in his or her body has dropped below the level needed for normal body function. Small decreases don't cause problems, and in most cases, they go completely unnoticed. But losing larger amounts of water can sometimes make a person feel quite sick. Causes of Dehydration One common cause of dehydration in teens is gastrointestinal illness. When you're flattened by a stomach bug, you lose fluid through vomiting and diarrhea. You might also hear that you can get dehydrated from playing sports. In reality, it's rare to reach a level of even moderate dehydration during sports or other normal outdoor activity.

But if you don't replace fluid you lose through sweat as you go, you can become dehydrated from lots of physical activity, especially on a hot day. Some athletes, such as wrestlers who need to reach a certain weight to compete, dehydrate themselves on purpose to drop weight quickly before a big game or event by sweating in saunas or using laxatives or diuretics, which make a person go to the bathroom more. This practice usually hurts more than it helps, though. Athletes who do this feel weaker, which affects performance. They can also have more serious problems, like abnormalities in the salt and potassium levels in the body. Such changes can also lead to problems with the heart's rhythm. Dieting can sap a person's water reserves as well. Beware of diets or supplements, including laxatives and diuretics that emphasize shedding "water weight" as a quick way to lose weight. Losing water weight is not the same thing as losing actual fat. Signs of Dehydration To counter dehydration, you need to restore the proper balance of water in your body. First, though, you have to recognize the problem. Thirst is one indicator of dehydration, but it is not an early warning sign. By the time you

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In reality, it's rare to reach a level of even moderate dehydration during sports or other normal outdoor activity.

feel thirsty, you might already be dehydrated. Other symptoms of dehydration include: feeling dizzy and lightheaded, having a dry or sticky mouth, producing less urine and darker urine As the condition progresses, a person will start to feel much sicker as more body systems (or organs) are affected by the dehydration. Preventing Dehydration The easiest way to avoid dehydration is to drink lots of fluids, especially on hot, dry, windy days. Water is usually the best choice. Drinking water does not add calories to your diet and can be great for your health. The amount that people need to drink will depend on factors like how much water they're getting from foods and other liquids and how much they're sweating from physical exertion. When you're going to be outside on a warm day, dress appropriately for your activity. Wear loose-fitting clothes and a hat if you can. That will keep you cooler and cut down on sweating. If you do find yourself feeling parched or dizzy, take a break for a few minutes. Sit in the shade or someplace cool and drink water. If you're participating in sports or strenuous activities, drink some fluids before the activity begins. You should also drink at regular intervals (every 20 minutes or so) during the course of the activity and after the activity ends. The best time to train or play sports is in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the hottest part of the day. If you have a stomach

bug and you're spending too much time getting acquainted with the toilet, you probably don't feel like eating or drinking anything. But you still need fluids. Take lots of tiny sips of fluids. For some people, ice pops may be easier to tolerate. Staying away from caffeine in coffee, sodas, and tea can also help you avoid dehydration. Caffeine is a diuretic (it makes you urinate more frequently than you usually need to). When to See a Doctor Dehydration can usually be treated by drinking fluids. But if you faint or feel weak or dizzy every time you stand up (even after a couple of hours) or if you have very little urine output, you should tell an adult and visit your doctor. The doctor will probably look for a cause for the dehydration and encourage you to drink more fluids. If you're more dehydrated than you realized, especially if you can't hold fluids down because of vomiting, you may need to receive fluids through an IV to speed up the rehydration process. An IV is an intravenous tube that goes directly into a vein. Occasionally, dehydration might be a sign of something more serious, such as diabetes, so your doctor may run tests to rule out any other potential problems. In general, dehydration is preventable. So just keep drinking that H2O for healthy hydration. Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD; Date reviewed: January 2006; Originally reviewed by: Kathleen M. Cronan, MD

Most Americans are â&#x20AC;&#x153;Two Paychecksâ&#x20AC;? 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

It doesn't get any better than this! Kids and Dogs that pray together stay together!!

Or make your donation online at www.HomelessVoice.org

The Voice of the Homeless

Page 6

HOMELESSVOICE

Or make your donation online at www.HomelessVoice.org

(Continued from page 1)

much I have to cut off the budget to pay our bills would be an even bigger blessing. I must admit there are times I do want to throw in the towel but for some reason when I look into their faces I can’t seem to even get to pick up the towel to throw. I guess that is the best part of this job. A lot of people sometimes come up to me and say, "Sean, you are a smart guy to have all this going on at the same time." They really have no idea who really keeps this place up and running, it is not me; it is God who allows me the opportunity to serve the people. It is not me, but rather the

homeless who work countless hours putting wings on our 747 every day at 5 am so we can get ready to take off for the next day. It is so amazing that I can say the homeless themselves actually save many more than themselves. Who could imagine that the homeless themselves worked their tails off allowing us to keep on expanding, allowing us to serve starving children in many different areas of the world? Now that my friends prove that the homeless are not useless people as some of our friends say they are. Imagine what the world would be like if we had 50 more Mother Teresa’s. Imagine if the world had many more peacemakers in it other than dropping

“Lets have faith that right makes might; and in that faith let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it." -Abraham

Lincoln

Main Entry: 1faith Function: noun Pronunciation: 'fAth Inflected Form(s): plural faiths /'fAths, sometimes 'fA[th]z/ Etymology: Middle English feith, from Old French feid, foi, from Latin fides; akin to Latin fidere to trust -- more at BIDE 1 a : allegiance to duty or a person : LOYALTY b (1) : fidelity to one's promises (2) : sincerity of intentions 2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust 3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction ; especially : a system of religious beliefs

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bombs in the name of peace. Imagine if every starving child in the world had something to eat or access to medication that cost just cents. Then would we all be brothers and sisters allowing peace to exist across all borders? Will there ever be a time when war does not exist and that we all become a loving society? As one child dies from starvation can we all say lets save 1000 more from dying? Can we look at this death and make life from it? As one person becomes homeless can we open up ten units of affordable housing instead of ripping down the low income housing we already have and putting up nice condos? As we look in some of the towns now that claim they have affordable housing people can’t afford to live in those so-called units that are supposed to be affordable. Some of these towns now are taking these low income rental units and have started condo converting, which in theory should be affordable housing. One problem, who can afford the condo conversions? A nice condo conversion is going to cost you three times the cost of a home you bought 12 years ago. In fact in some cases they will be smaller than a house you can buy for a little less money. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE POOR WHO ARE RENTING? THEY HAVE TO FIND NEW HOUSING AND THEY CAN’T! Come on people let’s all do the math, most of us who have been in South Florida for at least 20 years paid about $60,000 for our homes and about $18,000 for our condos. Then we even complained on how we can’t make the mortgage payment for those in expensive homes. Look at my house. It is public record so go to the Broward County Department of Revenue and look up my name. I paid about $97,000 for my house and now it is worth about

$350,000. Ok, still a $350,000 home is a hard lower priced home in our home to pay for. We area, now try to figure out have to make homes that how to pay the mort- are about 1,000 square gage. You can’t unless feet and we have to get both parents are working the government to donate and you are still talking the land so these homes can be priced about a “I would like at about $1,800 mort$150,000 gage payCosac to have we have or to ment plus many hands build condos taxes that are 1000 now cost me holding the reins that square feet on about $2,000 per year and than just mine.” donated land and offer them will go up to consumers that about $5,000 a year. So if to you went by national are about $100,000. To credit standards a family give you an idea, a friend would have to have in- of mine bought a one bedcome of over $65,000 a room condo in Hollyyear. My dad had an in- wood in down town at come of $48,000 a year 740 sq. ft. for about with a $161 mortgage $240,000 and I bought payment. The homeown- one in St. Pete at 1240 sq. ers’ policies only cost ft. for $159,000 for inabout $300 per year com- vestment purposes. I got pared to the $2,500 I am 500 more sq. ft. at now paying per year. So about $100,000 less. LoI ask the question, is it cation, location, location going to be worse? Yes it the three tools to successful real estate investis. Before we go any ment. See it can be donefurther in this article I we just have to figure out want you to go back to what to do. We have to the same year I bought build real estate and have my house, yes my house it controlled so it does not more than tripled in cost climb the ladder but how much did mini- of inflation. Yes we need mum wage increase, any real estate to go up for the guess it did not triple it- economy but we don’t self to where it should be need all real estate to go at $15.00 per hour. It up in price and if you had only went up recently by not for profits and the one whole dollar. We government working toneed to open up compa- gether then you could nies that are not for profit build a home that can stay construction companies low and the people can and the government has to own it and when they start building homes leave a new family can or donating land for small buy the home for the homes to be built by not same price. This way for profit construction people will strive to buy a companies. We need to bigger and neater home go back and find low cost which too will help the homes. Where did they economy and the next go, they went out the win- poor family can buy the dows because construc- same home at the same tion companies can’t price. build them and make a Now as you can profit. So someone or see our job at Cosac will something must go back never be a job that and figure out what to ends. It is only going to do. Yes I know a lot get worse and as more of people don't make disasters happen it is gominimum wage but there ing to create more disare many families placed long time chronic where dad may make a homeless people living good wage and mom is among us if we all don’t forced to taking a job for do what we should be minimum wage because doing. Do you know if of time schedules and the the churches adopted just kids. Even with two par- a few homeless people (Continued on page 7) ents working the

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Volume VIII, Issue 5

HOMELESSVOICE

Or make your donation online at www.HomelessVoice.org that when you pay (Continued from page 6) weekly rather than there would be no need monthly it is much more for homeless shelters to expensive. You see all it even exist, with churches takes is a little plan and a comes big real estate little help and yes we can properties. However in solve the homeless probdefense to the churches lem. As most of you zoning would shut them down. But maybe if we know I have been in and did it on a small scale and out of the hospital and had each church adopt ten today on Easter Sunday I homeless people things just left the hospital. It would get better. Every seems as my head swells time we have a problem from the meningitis synwe need to solve the drome it causes my ears problem, and this is the to burst open and fluid way the world should comes out. This is either be. We all need to make a blessing or a problem the world a better because when the fluids come out it place. We a need to put a As most of you know prevents bad infeclittle God in I have been in and tion. Howour hearts. We out of the hospital ever, a pershould need to reach and today on Easter son not have this out and start helping peo- Sunday I just left much junk in their ple. We the hospital. head. So it need to get has been a all those families that are paying real hard task for me to weekly rent to a monthly keep Cosac up and runrent schedule allowing ning the way it needs to This is where them to lower their run. months living expense by God comes in. As I take $200.00 a month. I urge off more time and not able to run each and every one of you being to start something in your things correctly God procommunity even if it just vides new money to help helps one person. Go to us through our crisis. We your churches and ask do get a lot of blessings your churches to find out from the good people who who is paying weekly buy our paper and I perrent and then have the sonally thank you for the church come together and chance to serve these peopay one month of rent for ple. I am late on every the family. We all know form I have to file with

the government because there are not enough hours in the day and then when I get caught up I am back in the hospital for a few more days and then when I come out I am in bed for several more days so it has been a real tough challenge for me. I need more hours in the day. It has been a real long ten years for me working so many hours and with no days off other than my sick days from the comas and hospital stays. In the field of social service we see so many good CEOs out there running their agencies for little or no money. Yes some do get paid real well but for the most part the grass routes CEO's don't get paid big bucks. A good rule of thumb is if you see the CEO helping clients themselves you can guess that CEO gets paid peanuts for what they do and in most cases they are working about 80 hours a week. These great CEO's that are keeping their agencies running must one day give up helping their actual clients and go behind closed doors and work their same hours but now developing plans to help solve the problems of the world. Most problems can be tackled if you put the correct person on the job. However many of these CEO's don't have the staff to run their

“I will not turn anyone away” -Sean Cononie

agency the way they want it to run mostly because of the lack of funding. Here at Cosac we have pushed ourselves to the limit by creating agency after agency and most if not all of us work for peanuts and some even work for free because we believe in what we do and because some of us have been retired for years. This allows us to try to solve problems. There has to be a time when I must get up from behind the desk and stop counting how many pounds of veggies I need to buy to feed our population, or how much I have to escrow throughout the year in our toilet paper fund. You've no idea how much toilet paper we have to buy. In most cases it is most likely Most Americans are “Two Paychecks” more than your mortpayment per away from being homeless. gage Help the shelter stay alive. month. There has to be a time where I must We are trying to pay the move on and help solve mortgage off! To help, problems because for please send a check or some reason I have been money order to: given a gift to solve COSAC Foundation problems. I know I can Burn That Mortgage do more than what I am Campaign doing now but that day P.O. Box 292-577 can’t happen until Cosac Davie, Fl 33329 becomes debt free. I have made a commitOr make your donation online at ment to stay as the direcwww.HomelessVoice.org tor of Cosac until it is completely debt free with substantial savings

for emergencies. A lot of my days I look and see how many problems I could have solved but could not solve because I am forced to stay where I am working as many hours as I can so the agency does not have to have a paid director. If I had to pay a director it would cost us way too much and I would have to hire a few people to replace the hours I can put in when my health is good. This sometimes depresses me. We almost are there in our mortgage campaign and we are getting even closer and closer. Please help us so I can move to the next chapter in my life. I will never leave Cosac; I will only expand Cosac to tackle more and more problems. I want to see us serving as many as we can, but I to want to see our philosophy of helping others expand across the country. I give you each a challenge and that is to start you own ministry, your own agency, your own not for profit charity, and make the world a better place. Anyone can do it with a little help from God. It does not always take money; all it takes is time if we all started something small (Continued on page 8)

The Voice of the Homeless

Page 8

HOMELESSVOICE

Or make your donation online at www.HomelessVoice.org

(Continued from page 7)

many more lives would be impacted for the better. How do I expand Cosac, how does Sean Cononie get from his desk and stop counting pennies to pay the $3,000 FPL bill it cost us for the main shelter in Hollywood not counting the other $1,500 we pay for the other off campus shelters’ electric bills? This is where you all come in. Our mortgage is getting closer and within the next 12 months I want to burn those mortgage papers. I want to work on issues such as letting poor people own their own houses. Please allow COSAC TO DO MORE. Last month we were at a total of $255,000 dollars raised not counting our emergency funds for our $890,000 mortgage balance. That meant we needed another $635,000. As I write this article we are at a total of $305,000 raised making a new total of $585,000 needed to light that match and burn our mortgage papers. When this happens we all will be able to tackle all new kinds of problems and Cosac will do a whole lot more for the community and the world. We are still going to keep our current burn that mortgage campaign going where we say we need so many people to send in their $20 check and so many other people to send in their $1,000 check. However, once again we are going to ask for more types of campaigns.

Let’s look at some facts and figures. Every month we sell about 80,000 papers and we have others who donate and do not pick up a paper. Then of course we have people who donate at every corner. Let’s say if everyone who gave us money this month would also send in a check for the amount of $10 IT WOULD BE ALL OVER, ALL OVER, can you imagine that? I would be so happy to see that we did it in one complete month. I know we can do it. Look how much money the people give us monthly just to keep our doors open, imagine if our mortgage was completely paid off, it would be such a better time for all of us workers. You can’t imagine how much stress we face not only trying to pay off the mortgage but to keep us running each and every month at about another $100,000 a month. Getting the mortgage paid off takes so much stress off of us and it also lowers our monthly operational budget down to about $90,000 a month. This alone would allow us to do so much more and have somewhat of a 70 hour work week instead of the 100 hour work week that we currently have. Just look, 80,000 people sending in their $10 check would give us $800,000. That means the mortgage is paid off and we have extra to expand a little. We can do it, we have proven it for the last ten years and we can do it this month. To just think if you right now went to the store and

The Cooperative Feeding Program is in desperate need of food for the com m unity food pantry. •

•

• •

T he shelves are empty and we need to feed our co mmunity members that need just a litt le help. P lease get with your church, optimi st clubs, schools, or social clubs and do a food drive so our little ones, seniors and individuals get some food in their bellies. P lease call 954-792-2E A T www.F ee dingB roward .org

Learn how to start your ow n food pantry so your ow n group can do w hat w e do to help our poorest members of our community. G o to w w w.Training.cscBrow ard.org. Project name: The Cupboard Is Bare.

Start a collection at your got a money order or opened up your check book and wrote a office. Start a penny drive at $10 check it would all be paid off. Remember to send in your your school or bring in your penchecks to the address be- nies to the main shelter. Have a garage sale in low. And make your check payable to the COSAC BUILDING your neighborhood. Go door to door in FUND BURN THAT MORTAGE CAM- However before your community askPAIGN. I leave you you give, please ing your neighbors to make a donation. with this, below are some additional ways come by and see The next time you are to help us pay off the where your money at Home Depot buy us mortgage. I do thank goes. We want a gift card to help us rebuild from Hurricane you from the bottom of my heart for allow- you to see what Dennis and Wilma. ing us to serve the you help built and When you go to Pubpoorest of the poor helped maintain lix get us a gift certificate. Call our office and thanks for the over the years. and pick up last extra help you have months issue and sell given us since I have been so sick. By the way if you it to your friends and family. We can’t help us; let us help you start as a team will conquer this burn your own agency by giving you that mortgage paper campaign. However before you some ideas to help the community in your own special give, please come by and see way. Like I said it does not al- where your money goes. We ways take money to help some- want you to see what you helped one, all it takes is prayer and build and helped maintain over the years. time. Please remember to send in your check GO to your church and to: COSAC BUILDING FUND BURN ask them for a special collection THAT MORTGAGE CAMPAIGN for a weekend.

Or make your donation online at www.HomelessVoice.org

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Volume VIII, Issue 5

NATIONAL NEWS

Homeless man is victim of drive-by abuse

irst a bar of soap came whizzing out the window of a red car heading south on the access road east of U.S. 41. Paul Williams, 48, dismissed the missile as just another aspersion cast at homeless people such as himself. When the car returned a few hours later, Williams, a former roofer, had his back turned as he stood talking to a couple seated on a bench across the access road from the Port Charlotte post office. The shady spot is a popular gathering place for homeless day laborers after they cash their checks at a nearby BP gas station. Williams' back, this time, proved an easy target for a big rock that emerged from the passenger window of the same vehicle, leaving a bruise as wide as a baseball to the left of his spine. The incident, which Williams said occurred around 6:45 p.m. on March 4, is the third reported assault of homeless people within the past month, said Leslie Martin, street outreach coordinator

for the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition. "It's very, very sad," she said, shortly after viewing Williams' bruise, which she described as "6 inches long and pretty wide." "It was starting to get a scab on it when I saw him (last week)," she said. The rock was not the end of that Saturday night barrage, Williams said. "After the stone, this comes bouncing down the road," he said, pulling a 46-ounce can of Libby's Juicy Juice from the basket of his black Frontier bicycle. Williams said the can had been hurled at other homeless people resting on the grass down the street from the shaded bench. Steve Kirchoff, 46, said he'd seen eggs thrown from the car at other homeless people amid shouts of "bums," "hobos" and "get a job." He and Williams agreed the car was red but differed on its shade. Kirchoff described it as maroon; Williams called it "candy apple red." Kirchoff said the assailant was a white male.

Martin said she is trying to con"I don't know the ages of the firm recent reports of other home- people doing these things," Marless people having tin said. "There are "rocks and such people har“I don't know the always thrown at them assing the homeand even being ages of the people less, because it jabbed with palm them feel doing these things,” makes fronds cut off and superior." Martin said. used like swords." Carpenter stressed C h a r l o t t e “There are always reporting incidents County sheriff's as the first step to people harassing officials reported halting them. "no rash" of at"If there's a probthe homeless, tacks on homeless lem, we'd certainly because it makes people in the like to know about county and en- them feel superior.” it," he said. couraged victims "Victims should from every walk give authorities a of life who have suffered attacks description, so we can be on the to report them. lookout." "Anybody attacked should get Their social and physical vulhold of the city police, if they live nerability make them perfect vicin Punta Gorda, or the sheriff's tims, Martin noted. department," said Bob Carpenter, "The homeless don't usually call Charlotte County sheriff's spokes- the police and tell what happens, man. "We can't do anything because they don't want to get unless they report it." into trouble wherever they're Martin declined to describe the camping," she said. "But now, incidents as "copycatting" of the they're more willing to speak up, brutal Jan. 12 attacks on three because they realize they have a homeless people in Fort Lauder- responsibility to do so. Almost all dale that left one man dead and of them work and work hard and landed three high school students have a right to quiet and peace." By RALPH SCHUSLER in jail without bond. STAFF WRITER

“Help Feed Our Sheep” The Homeless Voice is looking for churches to volunteer for feeding the homeless. Please Call Mark at 954-410-6275

The Voice of the Homeless

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HOMELESSVOICE Don't Settle For Less (Continued from page 1)

because there are some fine companies out there. I must admit the last few adjusters I have had were wonderful and fair people, however there are many of them that will tighten the screws on your pocketbook. There is no reason for you to lie as a defense to their tactics since you can get what is owed to you no matter what. There are provisions built into the statutes to protect the policy holder. I can tell you that one of the adjusters that were sent to us for our warehouse claim was the worst adjuster possible. With a smile on his face he told us he was there to make the claim easy so we could get paid, but in reality he was there to do nothing more than to deny the claim. Do not believe one thing they or the in-house adjuster tells you. In most cases the way it works at the time of a disaster is a contractor will come and visit you on behalf of your homeowner’s policy. Please understand to be nice and don't act like you know they are there to turn you down. The first defense is to let them know you are writing down what you show them so they know that you are going to be the kind of person to pick their estimate apart. Don't think that you are in good hands and that they are like a good neighbor, but rather think they are going to take money out of your hands and they are the type of neighbor that steals your oranges and grapefruits from your trees when your back is turned. I was helping a widow with her insurance company State Farm and we showed him everything and then by the time the claim came back he allowed for only $8,000 when in fact the damage was valued at over

$45,000 and 70 percent of what we showed him was not even on the estimates. He forgot…or did he hope we did not remember. We simply called back State Farm and got one of their employees over and we had to tug a war a little but he did pay out more money. In most of the cases whatever you say that needs to be repaired you have the right to claim that. I don't know about you but for 13 years I have paid my insurance company over $26,000 and don't forget that there are many people who pay for coverage and they do not have disasters present in their neck of the woods. In small cases involving big insurance companies such as State Farm, they have their own adjusters. After the contractor or adjuster comes to your home he will do an estimate and send it to your insurance company. It then goes to the in-house adjuster which is an employee for your insurance company. They too will put the screws to you. They will tell you at first that you need receipts for contents. I don't know about you but I have not kept a receipt in years and who the heck could find the receipts once your house is partially destroyed with water damage and plaster falling down from your ceiling. It would be a good idea to take pictures and to save your receipts and keep them in a safety deposit box at a bank and copies at your house in a fire proof safe. If you do not have receipts don't worry; still list the contents. The adjuster will again tell you that you need receipts. They will figure that if you don't have the receipts you won’t list it as being damaged or destroyed. Still list it on the content form and you will see that you

will be paid for the item. Another thing they will tell you is on electrical items you need to take it to someone for repairs and get an estimate on the cost to get it fixed. They will take the smallest mom and pop merchant’s estimates for this; it is not the merchant’s job to give you a letter saying an item cannot be fixed. Who pays for that service? No matter what, keep in mind if something electrical gets water inside of it; that item will corrode so even if you did get a letter saying it was fine and working, a few months later it may not work due to corrosion. Look at your cell phones, they get wet and work for months then out of nowhere they stop working from the water damage. Regardless; if it got wet, claim it and use the corrosion as the example. Any furniture that experienced water damage will eventually get worse, so claim that as well. If water had been sitting on your tile, do not think that your floor will be ok since you mop it with a wet mop weekly. Water will build up underneath the tile and a year down the road the tile will begin to come up. Just because you do not see water stains on your dry wall does not mean that there is no water inside. There will be a time that mold does grow from inside to the outside and then you will have a mess. This is why they don't cover mold so if your dry wall got wet have them replace it. If it is damp the paint will never dry, it will flake off and never dry. Have the adjuster use the latest invention (not really, they have been out for years but the insurance company does not let you know that because they will have more money to pay out in claims.) Once you tell them that you think your dry wall is wet they will indeed use the meter because they

hope that by that time the water has dried up. It took our insurance company almost four months to even send an adjuster, but our adjuster was real honest. The insurance company may want to wait a long time to send someone out so wetness dries and there is nothing to report, carpets dry and don't start smelling for some time. Like I said there is no reason for you to be dishonest at all because you can charge them for every emergency repair that you do. If something is dangerous and you need to fix it, present a bill for your time to fix it or make it safer. If you need to pick up a screw because it presents a danger or hammer a nail into your roof to prevent a dangerous situation, then you should be paid for your labor. Many emergency repairs should be paid by the insurance company, so try to take pictures of that as well. It is far better to have a disposable camera or a cheap digital camera in case of emergencies as this will be your best evidence. In almost 80 percent of the claims, additional work will be needed and it will cost you for the additional work. Once you pay the merchant, send in the new receipt showing the higher cost of the job and the insurance company should pay you for the additional repairs. For instance at my house my roof needed to be replaced and the estimate they gave was about $10,000. However when the roof finally got fixed to my satisfaction the cost was a total of $14,000. My insurance company will be sending the difference to me. Most people do not even understand that they are entitled to get the difference, however if the estimate that your adjusters gave you is way off to the actual cost of a repair you should contact your adjuster first to see if he or she has a problem paying the difference. This is a good thing because it

In almost 80 percent of the claims, additional work will be needed and it will cost you for the additional work.

(Continued on page 11)

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Volume VIII, Issue 5

HOMELESSVOICE Don't Settle For Less helps you know if your repair man is also just charging you more because of the insurance. You want an honest repair man as well. In my house, plaster fell on all the new appliances I purchased as well as on my glass dining room table. It looked fine, but in the sunlight you could see the scratches on the surface of the table caused by the plaster scratching the surface as it fell down. If your stove became scratched they must fix that as well but in most cases they will pay for a new one because in times like today labor will be more expensive then to buy a new one. No matter what, if there is one dent or one scratch on any property you own, the insurance company should either repair, or replace those items. You do not have to lie to get the proper coverage; just use your head and claim anything and everything that was affected from the damages caused by the disaster. All they can say is no. If they say no ask for a supervisor adjuster to come to your home and advise them that you are being fair and want the claim to be reevaluated. In most cases they will give you more money so you don't hire a public adjuster. What is a public adjuster? These are former insurance company adjusters who now work for themselves. In most cases you don't pay them anything unless they recover more money for you off of your insurance company. They usually charge a fee of ten percent of whatever additional money they recover for you. However first wait until you have tried your very best to get more money out of your claim. Let’s say that the first estimate the insurance company gives you is $50,000, then you argue and you get another $20,000 for the claim making it a total of $70,000 but then you feel that your claim is worth more. Then you hire a public adjuster and they get you another $30,000, you then send their report to your insurance company and they will deal with your insurance company from that point on and argue your case. If they convince the insurance company to pay the additional $30,000 then after you get paid you would owe the public adjuster ten percent of the $30,000 making it a total cost to you of $3,000 to recover another $27,000. Not bad. Please remember read the contract with the public adjuster stating that there are no fees what so ever unless they collect. The insurance companies know if you hire a public adjuster, that person is also going by the same book and they know that the case is hard to dispute and they most likely will give in. Now if they do not want to add to the claim or you feel that they are still ripping you off don’t worry there is a place you can go and that is to the state. The state of Florida has a mandatory mediation process that will force the homeowner’s insurance company to sit down with an impartial party and argue your case. Your public adjuster can also go with you. If you feel that you have been ripped off by your insurance company and you tried the public adjuster and you still feel you have been ripped off please call the state of Florida at 1-800-227-8676. They will take a report and send you the forms to start the process. Please be honest so your dishonest actions don’t cause rates to go up. I think if insurance companies were also honest then less people would be dishonest. I also think that the insurance companies who are very upset when they have to lay out all this money on claims would rethink their whole future, rates could become lower. The insurance companies should all get together and put some money into research for two important topics. The first field of research is to have each insurance company put in ten million dollars and then they should hire some experts in the building code, construction companies, tree experts and designers who can make sure the best strategy is being used to prevent excess damage. They should lobby local governments on things like how far should a tree be placed away from the house, or what kind of tree can lower the wind speed around your house acting like a barrier of protection. Also this way if a tree falls down completely it won’t hit the roof. Should we require all new homes to have impact glass windows at the time of new construction? Should the building be in a circle pattern or like a square? Basically their job is to design and build test homes to ride out the future storms. They should have wind proof video cameras that watch these ones inside and outside so we can see how they fall apart or what saved them from falling apart. The second phase of research is to hire weather experts that are the best in their field and figure out ways of how to make storms have less impact. Can anything be done scientifically to make a category five storm go down to a category two storm? There are experts out there who swear they can do this, however some of their plans may hurt the environment. There are others who say they can drop a storm down about 20mph or 30 mph. Meaning that if a storm is coming at you and in the ocean it is coming at a speed of 100 mph they state they can make that storm drop to about 70 miles per hour. If we can make storms less in miles per hour and we can make homes somewhat windstorm proof we can save a lot of money on claims and on the rates of policies. -Sean Cononie

Or make your donation online at www.HomelessVoice.org

Larry Parchman (Continued from page 1)

a bush blocking his view Larry waited for the train moving south – down Powerline Road in Fort Lauderdale, Florida – to finish its crossing. Assuming the coast was clear he then began his journey back home. What happened next changed Larry’s life in an instant. Almost immediately after the clearing of the first train another came sailing down the tracks right in Larry’s path. Unable to clear himself of the tracks in time he stood there anticipating impact. The train hit the cart, the cart hit Larry, Larry hit the bushes and now he lay on his back completely conscious and virtually immobile. “I heard the sound and when I looked up it was one scary moment,” Larry explains. “When I did look up I tried to jump back. I was totally conscious throughout the whole ordeal.” Larry enjoyed his stay at Manor Pines stating, “I got the white glove treatment.” However, upon being discharged from the facilities Larry found himself on his back. This time society supplied the landing. “They tried to put me in a Fort. Lauderdale retirement home,” Larry begins. “I didn’t want to be there but it would have been impossible for me to be on the street. I couldn’t fend for myself. I would be at the mercy of the world.” His discontentment with his surroundings was soon changed when someone pointed him in the direction of The Homeless Voice. No clothes, no identification, barely able to walk and no family to turn to Larry found pleasure in his state of pain.

“I am pretty much content here,” Larry says. His contentment was further enhanced when the members of The Homeless Voice were able to secure him a room and furthermore return to him his identity and a check for his disability. Larry stands up with his black hair sprinkled in grey and reveals the result of his accident; each one telling a separate story of the pain and reconstruction done to them. He stands up straight but his right leg veers off to the right as you move past the knee. He is confined to a walker and understands that he will have arthritis for the rest of his life. And although medicine assured him of one thing, he continues to prove them wrong. “He [the doctor] told me I might never walk again,” Larry says with a smile on his face. “But you see I proved him wrong on that one.” The memories of his surgery bring Larry nothing but joy. He tells how great the people were and gives special credit to his Orthopedic Surgeon Michael Ahrens. He would like to extend his gratitude for all they have done and states, “I plan to go see them pretty soon…say hello…thank you.” Like many in life Larry represents the many who have faced tragedy and continues to move forward in the world. Although his body may not work properly you can readily see life blossoming in his face. And as Les Brown, a motivational speaker so excellently put it, “When life knocks you down, make sure and land on your back. Because if you can look up…YOU CAN GET UP!” Larry continues to get up each and every day taking life as he says, “one day at a time.” -Jeremy Swift

Dear Friends: As you can see we are almost there. Please reach out to your friends this month and every month and try to network and let us all reach a goal of getting our friends to burn this mortgage. Please make sure when you send in you checks that you use the P.O. Box address (below) so it does go into the building fund. I am so tired, very tired and it becomes harder and harder each day. As I try to expand out to other projects there is only one of me. Please remember you can also go to www.homelessvoice.org and make a Pay Pal donation. In fact you can also download our current issue for free or make a $1.00 donation to get the download. You have the option of getting it for free or making a dollar donation, this way if you have a friend who does not want to help the homeless maybe giving him or her an issue for free will change their minds. I am sure you know that many of our friends and families stereo type the homeless as lazy bums. Remind them that the homeless created this paper, the homeless bring this paper to thousands monthly by working hard and hot days. In fact the homeless run the busiest shelter in the community. They are not lazy bums at all..... If you can't help us, pray for us and no matter what I know if you are praying we will burn these mortgage papers. Please remember if we had 635 churches to each raise a $1000.00 that would be the fastest way to get this place paid off. Go to your church leaders and ask them to help us by doing one special collection at the end of service. After all, this is one of the places where the churches send their homeless to. We need their help more than ever now. We all are so very much tired, just not me and we need you even more than before.

HELP PAY OFF OUR MORTGAGE We need just 29,250 people to send in a check for $20.00, Or 11,700 people to send in a check for $50.00, Or 5,850 people to send in a check for $100.00, Or 585 people to send in a check for $1,000, Or Just one wonderful person or business to send a check for the entire $585,000 Remember the donation is tax deductible!! Please send your checks to:

The COSAC Building Fund P.O. Box 292-577 Davie, Florida 33329 We do thank you