Homeless Voice; In Search of Sam

“In Search of Sam” Sensitive topic during tough times about human caring

“O

able to receive three meals daily, get some long needed sleep and a shower. When he said that, I ran out of words. I could not respond.

I just stood there quiet. I stayed that way for a while.

He then asked me what was the problem, I said to him, “Sam, there's no problem I just wish I could be more useful.” His answer was, “Silver Fox, you've done more for me than any body has ever done before. Especially at the stage in which I find myself in. Causing everyone to look the other way not feel responsible for the way I find myself in.

People somehow, have this thought that by giving generous charity to the homeless they can clear their conscious, and make peace with themselves in order to sleep at night. How wrong they are.”

Despite the fact, that I had been the Officer who had put him in jail he still had

ingly committing burglary. I couldn't help feeling bad because I was the Officer who put him there.

When I last spoke to him he seemed down and unhappy. He told me, that while in jail they mistreated him. The period was right around near Christmas when everyone is running around eagerly buyCode Three, Code Three, ing Christmas gifts for their loved ones To Room 218 Man Down and close friends.

He told me, he Non Responsive couldn't help thinkode three, code three, ing about me beto room 218 man down cause he had gone non responsive” in a without eating for firm voice three times over the pub- several days and by lic address system. The voice had a going to jail he was (Continued on page 5) tone of a very serious problem.

Code three, the term we use, means all staff and first responders must stop what they are doing and run to the location of where the problem is. In other words we had a Code Blue. Before we run a team of two reports to the first aid station and get the medic bag and the others start to evaluate the patient. On May 16th 2006, The Cosac Shelter We decided to run the “Burn the Mortlooked like an episode of ER. In gage" story one more time in the Homeless fact it was a problem case of a man Voice this month for several reasons. The first down. reason is that we did not do as well as we

fficer, I am not going to give a hard time if you choose to detain me.

It'll do me well because I have not had anything to eat for several days, and besides while in jail I can eat, get a few days rest and a shower.”

As I remember, those were the first words Sam said to me. I last saw Sam in 1990. He had just gotten out of jail for seem-

“C

I was in the office half dressed on the way to the YMCA to take a shower because I had a city

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

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How’s My Vending?

Call (954)

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thought we were going to do. The second reason is because, although we did not do as well as we thought, we did do good and we want to continue on the same path.

Besides, we know we got some extra prayers last month. We do ask you to do whatever you can to help us pay off this mortgage.

Please remember you can go to your church and ask your pastor if we can come in and do a three minute speech and then do a special collection.

Also rain season is here and it really hurts us to a maximum. If another hurricane comes this will hurt us even worse than last year, when we had so many, and were not able to vend for almost two whole weeks.

I also want to remind you that the Bird Flu is a real possibility and please remember to prepare your family so you don't panic if it does come our way. We don't want to see little ones die because families are not prepared. We don't want you to die either. This is not the time to panic; it is just the time to prepare so panic does not enter your family's home or work place if a pandemic does come our way. We can survive if we are prepared.

Love Sean and Lois and the rest of the gang at the shelter.

PLANTATION TEENS' VIDEO ON THE HOMELESS MAKING A DIFFERENCE TWO PLANTATION TEENS RECENTLY WON AN AWARD FROM C-SPAN FOR THEIR TIMELY VIDEO EXPLORING HOMELESSNESS Special to The Miami Herald

BY JULIE LEVIN While three Broward teens await trial for a videotaped attack on homeless men, two Plantation teens have used video to highlight homelessness in a far different manner.

Dylan Kurth and Jeremy Mishali, seniors at Nova High School in Davie, recently took third place in a national competition that called for documentaries focusing on current political topics.

They quickly knew what their subject would be. The assignment came at nearly the same time the homeless beatings shocked the world. ''We decided it would be a good subject to shed light and awareness on,'' said Jeremy, who lives in Plantation.

SERIOUS TOPIC Called Hate Without a Home, the nine-minute documentary was entered in the C-SPAN Student Cam competition, which invited middle and high school students to produce a short video exploring a current topic.

It was the second year for the competition, which was sponsored by C-SPAN Classroom, a free membership service dedicated to supporting educators through the use of C-SPAN (Continued on page 9)

Or make your donation online at www.HomelessVoice.org

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

A

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 ex-

panding 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 (Continued on page 6)

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.

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The Thompson Family OTD Messenger, Inc 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

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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 Adriana N. Quila Elizabeth P. Sublett Barbara Robinson Mark E. Johnson Julio A. Izquierdo Ann M. Hamilton Nicole Lee Nelson Anthony Rhodes Christine M Wilson K.J. Williams Renato and Malika Vasconez Hartford Property Connection, Inc. In Loving Memory of Rex Lichtenberger In Loving Memory of Jose A. Estruch, Jr.

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Jennifer S. Nickel Marilyn R. Smith

Did you know?

• You can setup payroll deduction through your employer to support the COSAC Foundation’s Homeless Voice • Your company might even match your donation • See your human resource or department manager

Page 3

Volume VIII, Issue 6

HOMELESS VOICE I just wanted to thank you after reading the story of Raymond Claeys. When Sean told you that the AED's were used to try to save his life, I wanted you all to know that you the supporters of the Homeless Voice paid for all our medical life saving equipment. They are about $2,000 a piece. You also paid for the first responder certification classes the homeless took to try to save their fellow homeless friends. Thanks again, for the help you have given to this agency and LETTERS TO THE EDITOR the people we SEND TO: serve.

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NATIONAL NEWS

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ACI supports the Homeless Voice and the Cosac Foundation in raising awareness and providing solutions to homelessness in our neighborhoods.

ACI knows that lending aid to human beings in need is good for our souls, our communities and is simply the right thing to do.

ACI would like to thank all people who are actively engaged in helping humanity here on the blue planet.

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PROTECTING THE HOMELESS Wexler lauded for advocacy Beatings of homeless men that were videotaped have given added urgency to efforts to classify such violent acts as hate crimes.

F

ive months after the bludgeoning of a homeless man was captured on video in downtown Fort Lauderdale, homelessrights advocates continue to push for classifying such violent acts as hate crimes.

On Monday, several local homeless advocacy groups and the National Coalition for the Homeless honored U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, for his efforts to pass federal hate crimes legislation.

It's not an easy or a popular position to be an advocate for the homeless, said Michael Stoops, the acting executive director of coalition. And sadly, Stoops said, the beatings, especially the one caught on surveillance video, have given urgency to their cause.

“Unfortunately, our area became the focus of horrific crime,” Wexler said, as he accepted his award. “I thought it was even more timely, more compelling for elected officials in our area to lead the fight nationally to make certain that there are increased federal protections ... for homeless people.”

Wexler on Monday toured the Hollywood homeless shelter run by Sean Cononie, a homeless-rights advocate whose unorthodox operation takes in some of the most difficult homeless cases in Broward County -- people who often don't meet the strict standards set by other homeless shelters.

The shelter, on U.S. 1 just north of Johnson Street in Hollywood, is financed by sales of the Homeless Voice newspaper.

Wexler's legislation, the Bringing America Home Act, has stalled awaiting the results of a federal Government Accountability Office study that will look at the effect of classifying violent acts against the homeless as hate crimes.

State legislation that would classify attacks on the homeless as hate crimes has made more progress, and is poised to pass this week in the final days of the state legislative session.

The bill is named in honor of Norris Gaynor, who was beaten to death Jan. 12 in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Three teens have been charged with Gaynor's murder and the beatings of two other men, including the infamous attack that was captured on video.

If it is signed into law, it would put crimes against the homeless in the same category as offenses that are committed based on a victim's race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, mental or physical disability, or advanced age.

BY ERIKA BOLSTAD ebolstad@MiamiHerald.com

HELP Wanted Call Jef Sprinklers & Irrigation 954-448-4552

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Homeless man beaten

T

wo teens are accused of assaulting a homeless Edmonton man outside a downtown shelter early Monday in an unprovoked attack that was believed to be videotaped by the assailants.

City cops were looking for a third suspect in the rare assault that has left staff at emergency shelters disgusted.

"It's really unfortunate when somebody, who has nothing except the clothes on their Fortunately for the victim, back, has their dignity taken several staff members from the while they're sleeping. Speculanearby Herb Jamieson Centre, tion is they're probably suburwho were doing their rounds banite kids," said Janelle Aker, a outside, stepped in and broke Hope Mission spokesman. "I up the assault, Aker heard they told the Sun. had a video "It's really unfortunate when camera." somebody, who has nothing except Two suspects were Three men the clothes on their back, has their held for police, but a third one got parked their dignity taken while they're sleeping. away. The victim, vehicle in the who couldn't be area of 98 reached for comment yesterStreet and 106 Avenue near the day, suffered minor injuries.

Hope Mission about 1 a.m. Mon"It's a sad commentary," said day, EPS spokesman Lisa Lammi Denis Meier, manager at the said.

Herb Jamieson Centre.

The trio found a homeless "There's so many people workman in his late 30s who was ing so hard to help, it stinks to sleeping on some cardboard hear somebody getting beat like and wrapped in quilts, Lammi that, it's sad." said. She could not confirm Dale Robert Nisbet, 18, and whether the assailants videoJonathon Elliot Gallagher, 19, taped the attack. are charged with assault.

Two of the men allegedly A similar attack occurred taunted the man, pelted him nearly three years ago in downwith eggs and repeatedly kicked town Calgary. him in the back and buttocks, Two Calgary men were conbefore he eventually got up and victed of senselessly beating chased them to their vehicle. and urinating on a homeless With the assailants inside "bum" July 6, 2003. their locked vehicle, the homeThe pair, who videotaped the less man struck the front windassault, which also involved shield, Lammi said. three teens, received six-month That's when the occupants got jail terms. out of the vehicle and resumed Anyone with information on the beating.

Monday's assault is asked to They allegedly tackled the call the EPS tipline at 423-4567. man to the ground, before kickBy CARY CASTAGNA, ing and punching him.

EDMONTON SUN

Advantage Communications, Inc. is a proud supporter of The Cosac Foundation "Excellence in Radio"

Page 5

Volume VIII, Issue 6

HOMELESSVOICE Bring Your Friends to our Friends Column Last month we started to really enhance our Burn that Mortgage Campaign. We did not do as good as we expected but in reality we did do good because anytime someone sends you a donation you are grateful even though you don’t make your goals. We are thankful for the people who helped us and for the people who could not help us out because I know their payers are with us. We are getting there and we will indeed pay off this mortgage. So I ask you one more time to reach in and try to get others to help us meet our goal. In fact let’s all make a new goal.

Look how much the friend’s column has grown over the years. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had to devote two whole pages to the friend’s column? Today I give you the challenge to bring five of your friends to our friend’s column so we can still keep on helping the ones who need help the most. Please remember it is going to be raining a lot during the next few months and we also need help with our rain budget. This money is saved for rainy days so when the vendors are not out there raising money for the homeless we can pull from the rain conserved funds.

Please go to page 2 and follow the directions and let’s add some of your friends to this column.

“In Search of Sam” (Continued from page 1)

no resentment against me.

He said I was doing my work while concurrently, being responsive to his needs. He seemed grateful not being a failure instead, looked at as an individual by a delegate of the establishment. In truth, Sam was a good person. He had a kind heart, and sincere feelings for others. Becoming homeless was coincidental.

I took a fondness towards him and because of that, I offered to help him if he ever got into any serious trouble. But he never even tried to call for my help. He had so much pride; I couldn't do much even if I had tried. That's when I recognized by being homeless, and living in the streets everyone knew him. This made him fair game to be blame by everyone. He would get charged for crimes he wasn't responsible for. Whenever I answered to a break- in, in that portion of the City, his name would constantly pop up.

Every chance I had, I would routinely look forward to speaking to him to learn what made him tick.

Sam was an independent person. He kept mainly to himself. There was constantly an aura of secrecy about him which made him an unusual character.

During those years, I worked at the North District of the City of Miami. While on my way to work I would see him at the intersection corner of Northwest 6th Avenue and 79th Street. It was like clock work. I could almost set my watch by his schedule. Always there, rain or shine it didn’t make any difference, he would regularly be there trying to make a couple of dollars by helping motorists clean their windshield.

I also cannot stop thinking about him because as I got to know him, he revealed his true inner self and that's when I recognized, being homeless, is no shame.

As I remember, he was a good and honest human being. He was a small man in stature and AfricanAmerican. One day he asked me, if I had a few minutes to listen to a story. My answer to him was, “Is it going to take long?” His answer was, “No” He began by telling

From Homeless To Graduate Valencia Community College graduates heard from a very inspirational speaker Saturday afternoon at commencement exercises.

Graduate Stephen Davis lived on the streets before turning his life around.

The 45-year old-student has a 3.8 GPA and even once worked in advanced electronics in the Navy.

Davis fell upon hard times a few years ago when he lost his job.

But Davis says the possibilities are endless if you just put your mind to it.

Stephen Davis plans on obtaining his Doctorate in Musical Arts, with the goal of one day directing the National Symphony in Washington D.C. For more information tune to Central Florida News 13. Only on Bright House Networks.

Central Florida News

One day, Sam, came home. He walked into his house. Straight into his bedroom and laid down

me his name. His true name was Samuel Jones Constantine. Born in a small town in Southern Mississippi from a small family, and was the youngest of three males and one female. He continued telling me how he had lost both his siblings’ months apart during the Vietnam War. This tragic event of losing two close and loving family members in such a brief period, brought enormous stress and suffering on both his parents which was too much for them to bear. As a result, they also died within the same year.

Sam said he was 16 years old- a young man, full of dreams, and fond of his two siblings. He loved them dearly. Not once did he ever think his best friends of which he looked up to with great admiration, and respect would be gone in such a short period in his life without any warning. Leaving him hollowed and empty inside. Both he and his sister where heartbroken, however both recovered from the misfortune, and they both became stronger with more determination to continue to deal with the struggle as the years passed.

For Sam, his ambition was to finish his education, on to college, and become a productive citizen in his community. That's what his parents would have wanted.

His sister set off and married her high school boyfriend and raised a family.

They moved out west somewhere in California. He wrote to her, just to see how she was doing, but she never wrote back.

Sam's dream was to become an Attorney. He got himself a job, worked hard at night, and with little sleep went to school during the day. This went on about five years. He finally graduated from Law School, passed the Mississippi Bar examination and became a successful Attorney in the state of Mississippi. He went on to marry his college sweetheart and had two children.

A boy and a young woman both of his kids also took after their father’s footsteps and went to law school.

They also became successful and found their place in society. You can say; Sam was living the American dream.

A fine house, a beautiful wife and two well adjusted kids. After all, he had gone through tough times and had suffered a great loss in his life when he lost both his bothers and parents within the same year.

He told me, during those years, he felt cheated out of the best that life had to offer.

But like everything else in life, all ends. He started having problems in his marriage. Too much of anything can ruin peoples lives. His wife began to push him away whenever he got lovable and wanted to caress her. She began staying out late at night with her society girlfriends. This was causing friction to both of them. His marriage was falling apart.

He didn’t know what to make of it. This went on for several years. Sam became fed up with it. He tried everything possible to make it better, but it wasn’t working out. Just when he was about to walk out on her he started thinking of what a good husband he had been to her. He felt if he would just hold on a little bit longer hoping she would change her ways, maybe it would get better and their lives could go back to the way it was. But it didn't turn out that way.

One day, Sam, came home. He walked into his house. Straight into his bedroom and laid down. He felt tired and needed rest after a stressful day at work. He said to me, after a few hours had past, she had walked into the bedroom while he was asleep. He suddenly awoke by her footsteps, and

was startled by her. He became upset.

He said he asked her what she was doing standing there, and that she replied, “I don’t know Sam.” She answered. He then asked her again, and her answer was that she wanted a divorce. He became upset, asking her why she wanted a divorce, and that she replied, that she didn’t love him anymore. There wasn’t anything there anymore to hold them together and she wanted out of the marriage. He continued to ask her the reasons, and she never replied.

Sam felt devastated by her behavior. Never in his wildest dream did he ever think that this could happen to him. During those moments which Sam, said seemed like an eternity, his whole world collapsed. It was as if someone had just pulled the rug from under his feet. He couldn’t find words to express his sorrow. He then walked out of the bedroom, and kept on walking out of the house until he found himself out on the street.

Weeks passed finding himself living out of garbage cans just to survive. Even his kids forgot about him.

They made no effort to find him to see if he was alright or in need of help. Sam felt alone, abandoned. This caused a great change in Sam and in the way he viewed life.

The day I first met Sam, he had been standing underneath a broken down wooden shed. The roof partly gone from storms that had ravaged the area days before. Earlier on that day, it had been raining hard, like buckets falling from the sky.

The area suffered flooding it was in December; it was a cold and rainy night. He was shivering from the cold, from being wet and from being out all night without anything to eat. It isn’t pleasant to find yourself in that condition. It was heartwrenching to me seeing him standing there. I had to do something. As I approached (Continued on page 10)

The Voice of the Homeless

Page 6

HOMELESSVOICE

Or make your donation online at www.HomelessVoice.org are times I do want to throw in (Continued from page 1) the towel but for some if I win the $82 million. I reason when I look into know that if I win, the "I" their faces I can’t seem becomes a “we” for a lot to even get to pick up the of people because I would towel to throw. I guess be even busier then I cur- that is the best part of this rently am. I would ex- job. A lot of people somepand, but only to expand times come up to me and where my hands could let say, "Sean, you are a smart go of current programs guy to have all this going allowing my brain to reach on at the same out and start many more time." They really have programs in all places on no idea who really keeps the USA map then of this place up and running, course there are places in it is not me; it is God who maps outside of the USA allows me the opportunity where my little to serve the people. It is head can start to prepare. not me, but rather the I want Cosac to be homeless who work countat a point where I don't less hours putting wings always know what is go- on our 747 every day at 5 ing on. I would like Cosac am so we can get ready to to have many hands hold- take off for the next day. ing the reins than just It is so amazing that I can mine. For instance I had say the homeless themno idea our joint project in selves actually save many Haiti with the Chick Grant more than themFoundation had nearly selves. Who could imagdoubled in bed ine that the homeless space allowing our or- themselves worked their phanages to not only serve tails off allowing us to more kids but now having keep on expanding, allowour very own doctor to ing us to serve starving head the task of starting a children in many different feeding program for chil- areas of the world? Now dren who are almost at the that my friends prove that end of their life. I know the homeless are not usesome of you may be won- less people as some of our dering why it takes a doc- friends say they are. Imagtor to put food in the belly ine what the world would of a starving kid. Well be like if we had 50 more even today ten years later I Mother Teresa’s. Imagine now find out feeding a if the world had many starving kid and trying to more peacemakers in it bring it back to life can be other than dropping bombs very dangerous if you just in the name of let the child peace. Imagine “I would like if every starveat food.

There is a child in the Cosac to have ing process for world had many hands something to everything and even eat or access to holding the reins giving food medication that to a child than just mine.” cost just who has not cents.

Then seen it for weeks can be would we all be brothers dangerous to their and sisters allowing peace health. It is a lot different to exist across all borthen not eating for a week ders? Will there ever be a or two. To get Cosac to time when war does not the point of not knowing exist and that we all behow many people we come a loving society? serve, or save per year As one child dies would be a wonderful from starvation can we all thing. Not knowing ex- say lets save 1000 actly how many beds we more from dying? Can we have would be a bless- look at this death and ing. Not knowing how make life from it? As one much I have to cut off the person becomes homeless budget to pay our bills can we open up ten units would be an even bigger of affordable housing inblessing. stead of ripping down the I must admit there 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 lower priced home in our area, now try to figure out how to pay the mortgage. You can’t unless both parents are working and you are still talking about a $1,800 mortgage payment plus taxes that now cost me about $2,000 per year and will go up to about $5,000 a year. So if you went by national credit standards a family would have to have income of over $65,000 a year. My dad had an income of $48,000 a year with a $161 mortgage payment. The homeowners’ policies only cost about $300 per year compared to the $2,500 I am now paying per year. So I ask the question, is it going to be worse? Yes it is.

Before we go any further in this article I

“I will not turn anyone away” -Sean Cononie want you to go back to the same year I bought my house, yes my house more than tripled in cost but how much did minimum wage increase, any guess it did not triple itself to where it should be at $15.00 per hour. It only went up recently by one whole dollar. We need to open up companies that are not for profit construction companies and the government has to start building homes or donating land for small homes to be built by not for profit construction companies. We need to go back and find low cost homes. Where did they go, they went out the windows because construction companies can’t build them and make a profit. So someone or something must go back and figure out what to do. Yes I know a lot of people don't make minimum wage but there are many families where dad may make a good wage and mom is forced to taking a job for minimum wage because of time schedules and the kids.

Even with two parents working the $350,000 home is a hard home to pay for. We have to make homes that are about 1,000 square feet and we have to get the government to donate the land so these

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homes can be priced at about $150,000 or we have to build condos that are 1000 square feet on donated land and offer them to consumers that are about $100,000. To give you an idea, a friend of mine bought a one bedroom condo in Hollywood in down town at 740 sq. ft. for about $240,000 and I bought one in St. Pete at 1240 sq. ft. for $159,000 for investment purposes. I got 500 more sq. ft. at about $100,000 less. Location, location, location the three tools to successful real estate investment. See it can be donewe just have to figure out what to do. We have to build real estate and have it controlled so it does not climb the ladder of inflation. Yes we need real estate to go up for the economy but we don’t need all real estate to go up in price and if you had not for profits and the government working together then you could build a home that can stay low and the people can own it and when they leave a new family can buy the home for the same price. This way people will strive to buy a bigger and neater home which too will help the economy and the next poor family can buy the same home at the same (Continued on page 7)

Page 7

Volume VIII, Issue 6

HOMELESSVOICE

Or make your donation online at www.HomelessVoice.org

(Continued from page 6)

price.

Now as you can see our job at Cosac will never be a job that ends. It is only going to get worse and as more disasters happen it is going to create more displaced long time chronic homeless people living among us if we all don’t do what we should be doing. Do you know if the churches adopted just a few homeless people there would be no need for homeless shelters to even exist, with churches comes big real estate properties.

However in defense to the churches zoning would shut them down. But maybe if we did it on a small scale and had each church adopt ten homeless people things would get better. Every time we have a problem we need to solve the problem, and this is the way the world should be. We all need to make the world a better place. We need to put a little God in our hearts. We need to reach out and start helping people. We need to get all those families that are paying weekly rent to a monthly rent schedule allowing them to lower their months living expense by $200.00 a month. I urge each and every one of you to start something in your community even if it just helps one person. Go to your churches and ask your churches to find out

who is people. I am late on every paying form I have to file with the weekly rent and then have government because there the church come together are not enough hours in and pay one month of rent the day and then when I for the famget caught up ily. We all As most of you know I am back in know that hospital I have been in and the when you for a few pay weekly out of the hospital more days and rather than and today on Easter then when I monthly it come out I am is much Sunday I just left in bed for sevthe hospital. more exeral more pensive. days so it has You see all been a real it takes is a little plan and tough challenge for me. I a little help and yes we can need more hours in solve the homeless prob- the day. It has been a real lem. long ten years for me As most of you working so many hours know I have been in and and with no days off other out of the hospital and than my sick days from the today on Easter Sunday I comas and hospital stays. just left the hospital. It In the field of soseems as my head swells cial service we see so from the meningitis syn- many good CEOs out drome it causes my ears to there running their agenburst open and fluid comes cies for little or no out. This is either a bless- money. Yes some do get ing or a problem because paid real well but for the when the fluids come out most part the grass routes it prevents a bad infec- CEO's don't get paid big tion. However, a person bucks. A good rule of should not have this much thumb is if you see the junk in their head. So it CEO helping clients themhas been a real hard task selves you can guess that for me to keep Cosac up CEO gets paid peanuts for and running the way it what they do and in most needs to run. This is cases they are working where God comes in. As about 80 hours a week.

I take off more time and These great CEO's that are not being able to run keeping their agencies things correctly God pro- running must one day give vides new money to help up helping their actual us through our crisis. We clients and go behind do get a lot of blessings closed doors and work from the good people who their same hours but now buy our paper and I per- developing plans to help sonally thank you for the solve the problems of the chance to serve these

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 Or make your donation online at www.HomelessVoice.org

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 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 more than your mortgage payment per month. There has to be a time where I must move on and help solve problems because for some reason I have been given a gift to solve problems. I know I can do more than what I am doing now but that day can’t happen until Cosac becomes debt free. I have made a commitment to stay as the director 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 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 (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)

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

Or make your donation online at www.HomelessVoice.org

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

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.

off and we have extra to expand a office. little. We can do it, we have Start a penny drive at proven it for the last ten years and your school or bring in your penwe can do it this month. To just nies to the main shelter. think if you right now went to the Have a garage sale in store and got a money order or your neighborhood. opened up your check book and Go door to door in your wrote a $10 check it community asking your would all be paid However before neighbors to make a off. Remember to donation. send in your checks to you give, please The next time you are the address be- come by and see at Home Depot buy us low. And make your where your money a gift card to help us check payable to the rebuild from Hurricane COSAC BUILDING goes. We want Dennis and Wilma.

FUND BURN THAT you to see what When you go to PubMORTAGE CAMget us a gift certifiyou help built and lix PAIGN. I leave you cate. Call our office with this, below are helped maintain and pick up last months some additional ways over the years. issue and sell it to your to help us pay off the friends and family. We mortgage. I do thank as a team will conquer you from the bottom of my heart this burn that mortgage paper for allowing us to serve the poor- campaign. est of the poor and thanks for the However before you give, extra help you have given us since please come by and see where I have been so sick. By the way if your money goes. We want you you can’t help us; let us help you to see what you helped build and start your own agency by giving helped maintain over the years. you some ideas to help the comPlease remember to send in your munity in your own special check to: COSAC BUILDway. Like I said it does not alING FUND BURN THAT ways take money to help someMORTGAGE CAMPAIGN one, all it takes is prayer and time.

PO BOX 292-577, GO to your church and Davie, Fl 33329; ask them for a special collection or make your donation online for a weekend.

-Sean Cononie Start a collection at your

Rain Season is HERE! If you do not see your normal vendor this month because of rain, make your donation online at www.homelessvoice.org

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3553 North Dixie Highway Oakland Park, Fl 33334 Email: info@mycomputerpeople.biz Advantage Communications, Inc. is a proud supporter of The Cosac Foundation "Excellence in Radio"

Page 9

Volume VIII, Issue 6

NATIONAL NEWS TEENS' VIDEO ON THE HOMELESS MAKING A DIFFERENCE (Continued from page 1)

programming in classrooms or for research.

Two hundred entries were received from around the country.

There was one grand prize winner, eight second-place winners and 14 third-place winners. This year, all the videos were broadcast on CSPAN. The judges say they were immediately drawn to the topic that Dylan and Jeremy chose, and the number of points of view they presented. ''It was very thoughtful for students to think of this topic,'' said Joanne Wheeler, vice president of education relations at C-SPAN. Dylan and Jeremy took the assignment as part of a film class at Nova High. Once they had their focus, they contacted groups that work with the homeless and went to work.

Over the course of a week, they shot, wrote and edited their documentary, and interviewed at least five sources, including homeless people and local and national homeless representatives.

Their research turned up statistics that surprised them. ''I didn't realize just how widespread violence against the homeless is and how often it occurs,'' said Dylan, also of Plantation, who remembers playing hockey years

ago with one of the teens accused in the January beating of three homeless men. One man, Norris Gaynor, was killed.

UNPROVOKED ATTACKS Jeremy said what bothered him most is that the victims were attacked while they were sleeping and defenseless. The fact that it happened allegedly at the hands of his peers makes it even worse. ''We're tomorrow's generation, and that's not the kind of image we can keep portraying,'' he said.

The videos were judged by C-SPAN representatives and evaluated on the theme, quality of expression, adherence to the 10-minute time limit, balance of views and use of C-SPAN programming.

Both Dylan and Jeremy said they are happy to see the video make a difference. Fellow students have come to them with plans to help the homeless. ''I think it's nice we're actually raising awareness,'' said Jeremy, who wants to major in film at Florida State University.

The video can now be seen worldwide through C-Span's website. Dylan said he hopes it delivers a strong message. ''Every time someone watches the video, they will realize how much it really happens,'' he said.

To see the video, visit www.homelessnewswire.net

Cosac Hurricane & Safety Supplies 954-923-0441 • Skake-a-lite Batteryless Flashlights $16.00 -Shake by hand 20 times and it last for hours of continuous use • Cranking Batteryless Flashlights $13.00 • No Batteries NEEDED

Help Homeless Dogs Sabbathrescue.org We are in desperate need of cars, and freezers call the Homeless Voice

Dear Lord: We ask that you take the bird flu away and send it back to hell. We also ask, Lord that you give the researchers the tools they need , the guidance they need , the skills they need to come up with a vaccine for the bird flu so many lives will be saved. And Lord if it is your will to allow it to come to us who believe in you and to others who do not believe in you, then Lord we ask you by our prayers that all people who will die will be forgiven for their sins even if they do not believe in you,. Also Lord we ask that all people who have died in the past, present and future to be forgiven for their sins even if they do not believe in you. We ask you that our prayers will be substituted for them. We ask that our prayers work for them as well as us. Lord if it is still Your Will to allow this Bird Flu and people die , Lord we ask that you give their families and friends comfort and the will to carry on.... We ask this in your precious name. Let us all pray for my co worker Cathy who has lung cancer.

Amen

Shelter 954-920-1277

“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

Page 10

HOMELESSVOICE Raymond Claeys 1/5/28 – 5/16/06

There are so many others like Mr. Claeys who have lost contact with any and all family members, some for good reasons; for not so good reasons. What we must think There are so many some about is do we want to be alone on our final days? others like Mr. Claeys Who would be contacted? What would that family n a rainy Tuesday morning, Raymond Claeys reaction be? Do we want to wait until after who have lost contact member’s was found dead and alone. Mr. Claeys was sevwe are dead to have someone else make that contact enty-eight years old. Little was known about for us after it is already too late for ourselves to have with any and all Mr. Claeys, other than he was reportedly never married that sense of closure? This is the first question that and had no children. Mr. Claeys, like many others, lost family members, some you must ask yourself. Being able to find the words to contact with family members many years ago. Mr. for good reasons; some say I am sorry or why me may not be easy for you or Claeys was born in Rochester, New York and had your for the family member on the other line of the phone typical childhood being raised by his mother and father. for not so good reasons. or the family member reading the letter that was Mr. Claeys’ father was reportedly a farmer. Mr. Claeys mailed out to them; however, this is a step to emohad two brothers and three sisters, all of which he had tional healing and forgiveness. lost contact with many years ago. When Mr. Claeys’ oldest brother’s I think we should take a moment and remember Raymond Claeys. wife was contacted late Tuesday night, after a diligent internet search How did he touch your life? Who was Mr. Claeys to you? Was he a to find a next of kin, as Mr. Claeys had no listed next of kin, she friend? Was he a roommate? Was he just someone that you passed stated, “We haven’t heard from him in years and we did not know on the way to breakfast in the morning? Now, take a moment and where he was living; we wished that we had heard from him.” reflect on your own life and ask yourself; do I want to leave this world What did we know about the Mr. Claeys that came to live at Cosac alone? Will I always wonder what if I just picked up the phone to say Foundation back in 2003? He enjoyed going to the dog track. He was I am O.K. or I miss you? Or will you always wonder what if? predominately a loner. He had a sense of humor. He always knew what day his medicine was due to come in on. He was cordial and Written by: Yvette Tucholski-Dekeles, MS, LMHC could put a smile on your face and make you laugh.

O

“In Search of Sam”

(Continued from page 5)

him in my squad car I could see him in the distance, shivering, and wet. I stopped my car, got out and walked to the rear to open the trunk. I pulled out an old heavy jacket I had and gave it to him. I also provided him with a few dollars to get him by for a few days. He thanked me. I noticed tears in his eyes as he looked at me as if surprised, for what I had just done for him. He couldn’t believe it.

Months passed by, and during that time I must have arrested him ten times. All for the same reason, suspicion of burglary. When he saw me he said to me, “It just goes to show you Silver Fox, life is full of surprises.

Here you are one day you’re helping me out, and the next day you're putting me in jail.

Life’s funny isn’t it?” My response to him was, “That’s what life is all about Sam, so don’t try to make any sense of it because if you do, it will drive you crazy.” He laughed and shook his head in disbelieve that a police officer could be concerned in his well-being, and then walked away.

Though he would never admit to it because he was a proud man I knew deep inside that he was grateful for what I had done for him.

He’d been up there in the

ranks with wealthy people and overwhelmed with grace and had fallen to the point of homelessness, but he never lost his pride and integrity.

He was able to manage and hold on to his sanity because of his love for life. He was able to accept his new reality in life for which he now found himself in.

Sam was a realist, a practical person. He never complained even when I had to arrest him so many times for being the offender of several burglaries in the area.

Crimes he claimed he had never committed. But because of the way our criminal justice works, and the way the laws applied in our society, I had no recourse but to carry out the wishes of the community by arresting him.

There is one fact I can say for which I am proud of, I took time to get to know this man, and what he stood for.

He was a product of our times, part of an overlooked portion of society that no one wants to deal with. The homeless issue which is a big and a taboo subject that no one wanted to touch because its too sensitive in nature. Besides, everyone is too busy focusing on other unimportant issues, that no one pays any attention.

As human beings we should never allow our-

Sam I’ve been looking for you from the day I last saw you. I will continue to search for you with the hope of finding you someday.

selves to forget to take time to get to know our brother next door.

Because whether we like it or not, we’ve failed to realize that we have inherited a great responsibility as human beings created by God, to be our brother’s keeper. We have an investment and the commitment to help those who are in need. As responsible police officers I learned to be objective, fair, and treat everyone equal and to respect them regardless of their status. We should all practice what we preach.

Taking a moment to help our friends and sisters in guiding them in the right path will inspire them to show more to others in this world. It’s done unconditionally without any regard to race, color, or creed without expecting anything in return.

Today in our society we have the money, we have the means, yet we lack the will to erase the homeless problem. Let’s all put our pride in the trash can, go with what’s important in life, which is to help your fellow man.

I always saw Sam as the older brother that I never had. Its been sixteen years since I last saw Sam, and I am sure that wherever he is, he is just as caring now as he was then. Just a great deal older. Sam, wherever you are, I hope that these few lines get to you so you will know and realize the positive impact you had in my life. I will cherish this experience for the rest of my life. Remember Sam, what happened to you can happen to anyone.

Sam I’ve been looking for you from the day I last saw

you. I will continue to search for you with the hope of finding you someday. To be able to look into your eyes and say to you, “Welcome home my brother, it’s good to see you again.”

Again I say to you Sam, falling from grace and being homeless, is no shame.

Please try not to have any grudges against police officers that you may meet because they are just doing their job.

Sam, I have since retired from the police force, and I am in a better position to help you. I wish I could find you Sam, and again tell you how much I have missed you, and that I would like to take a moment and buy you a cup of coffee just for old times sake. End.

NOTE: “Wherever you are Sam, just remember you climbed the ladder of success before, and you can do it again. I wish you well my brother, may God bless you.”

By Reinaldo Irizarry, Sr., PhD Miami Police, Retired.

Advantage Communications, Inc. is a proud supporter of The Cosac Foundation "Excellence in Radio"

Page 11

Volume VIII, Issue 6

HOMELESSVOICE Code Three, Code Three, To Room 218 Man Down Non Responsive (Continued from page 1)

meeting to go to reference the bird flu. Half dressed with no shoes on I ran to room 218 and at that time established that Mr. Raymond Claeys a very nice older man who was known for walking to the track to place his two dollar bet during racing season was non responsive. We tried to establish an airway and it was very difficult, as I was repositioning his head I was screaming “defibrillator please!” Lois then took the AED out of the bag and placed the pads on Mr. Claeys bare chest and the AED electronic voice stated, ‘do not touch the patient’, analyzing it is a term used

by AED’s so the electronic machine does not pick up the first responders pulse from the patient. I stopped rescue breathing and waited for the machine to give us orders. It told us, shock not advised continue CPR. As I attempted to still try to keep an airway open it became more difficult, and I made the decision to remove the rescue mask and do it the old fashioned way, no mask. Still I was having problems getting air down to his chest. I then looked in his mouth to see if he had some blockage in his throat and it was clear, repositioned the head and still no air. I then decided to do an abdominal thrust in his abdominal area, then tried again to get air into him but only a little could get into him.

Bottom line was Mr. Claeys had a bad case of apnea and it was very hard but finally the air was getting in him. Rescue came and they found no beat from his heart and pronounced him dead.

When you are working on someone you try to make a decision on what steps to take for your own safety and at the same time thinking how far would you want someone to go working on your own mom and dad? We are supposed to use a mask here and not do mouth to mouth but I thought to myself even though it is a homeless shelter and the diseases around here are bad Mr. Claeys was an older man and I wasn’t too worried about catching a bad disease from him like HIV which in itself is difficult to catch when doing mouth to mouth. When you do mouth to

mouth and CPR there are times that they do throw up right back in your mouth. Lois always tells me that when we take chances like this God will protect us. Another breath and another cycle of CPR and peroxide in my mouth then other cycles and more peroxide in my mouth. We tried our best but he was gone. I was so glad to see that finally homeless people used the training they learned here and responded like true heroes although Mr. Claeys did not make it.

Now that your episode of ER is over let me tell you a little bit about the man known as Mr. Claeys. He was about 77 years old but he had real good health for the last two years. In the last two months he has been very frail and we have sent him to the ER many times and they send him back.

Just two days before he died we sent him back to the hospital and they sent him back. I guess it was just Mr. Claeys time. Mr. Raymond Claeys the girl watcher.

No matter how old he got he had his eyes on beautiful women.

He had no problem telling you that there was nothing better than a real pretty woman. He would go down town and sit outside of Publix daily after the track and girl watch all the beauties buying their groceries. He still had a drive for beauty at his age. He was a flirtatious man. Sometimes we would play music over the PA in the building and he would dance around like a teenager. Raymond never got in any trouble, never a history of drugs. He served in the US Navy as a youngster. He became homeless when his SSA check stopped for some reason; Memorial Hospital turned him over to us about two years ago because he was homeless. We got his checks started again when Cathy our SSA coordinator called the SSA office. His checks were small so he could never move out. So he stayed being self sufficient paying his own way based on a sliding scale. For those of our clients who can pay to stay they do so

“I wished I was just a few minutes earlier. It might have made a difference.”

" You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand."

-Woodrow Wilson

based on their income. He would never be able to afford his own place so we put him in a Social Security bed. There’s not much I can say about a man that was kind of perfect.

Most of our clients share problems but Mr. Claeys had not one problem.

People use to say he was addicted to the dogs. I made the decision that he was 77 years old and that there was nothing wrong with him placing a two dollar bet for entertainment. It was not like he was spending his whole check on gambling. He paid his fees, did not smoke cigarettes and would use $60.00 a month to have some fun, between taking the bus to the track and girl watching he had a fulfilled life. Who am I to stop an elder because our rules say they can’t gamble? One time he asked me if he could have a beer at the track if he won for the day. I did not see a problem with it because he was not an addict of any sort when it came to drugs or alcohol. So I told him sure why not. Once in a while I would give him two dollars myself and say bet it on whatever dogs he wanted.

One day he came back and handed me $32.00. I told him to keep it because he was so honest by letting me know.

Raymond I am sorry we got to you too late. I wished I was just a few minutes earlier. It might have made a difference. As I was writing this story I had to call a client to my office who we took back after breaking all the rules. I told him you know Mr. Claeys died yesterday and he said he knew. He also told me something that I did not know about Mr. Claeys. Mr. Claeys worked the

corner of Hallandale and US1 selling the Herald by the dog track. Now I know why he had a love for the race track. A lot of the street vendors have drug and alcohol problems but not Mr. Claeys. Mark, who was the client who was in my office told me that Raymond worked alongside of him for about 20 years at the corner selling his papers. A few months back Mr. Claeys asked us if he could sell the Homeless Voice but out of kindness we said we had no positions; we thought he was just a little too old to be out in the hot sun.

Again Mark made it clear to me that Mr. Claeys went to the track for two reasons, one to place his two dollar bet and the other to watch the pretty girls. Even if Mr. Claeys was addicted to the dog track, spending two dollars a day was not an addiction that changed his life or altered his behavior so on the world of addiction Mr. Claeys was not a real addict. He just liked to have a little fun.

To you Raymond Claeys….. They say in Heaven everything is perfect. God made the girls you loved to look at on earth, and He made them pretty…I know your looks were of good nature and after all you were just looking and not touching…… .. If Heaven is so perfect I am sure God will give you some new eyes considering you left you’re glasses behind. They say the streets are paved in gold, again being so perfect. They also say, “All dogs go to heaven”. If you are up there girl watching after you do your chores for God and you just happen to see a few dogs running down the paved streets of gold, take the number seven, it is Gods perfect number.

Love Sean and Lois

“Officer, I am not going to give a hard time if you choose to detain me. It'll do me well because I have not had anything to eat for several days, and besides while in jail I can eat, get a few days rest and a shower.� ...

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 562 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 28,100 people to send in a check for $20.00, Or 11,240 people to send in a check for $50.00, Or 5,620 people to send in a check for $100.00, Or 562 people to send in a check for $1,000, Or Just one wonderful person or business to send a check for the entire $562,000 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