What’s Love Got
"There’s a Hero Among Us!" Hollywood, Florida
T
eddy Roosevelt, leader of the rough riders, American President, HERO. John F. Kennedy, Commander of PT109, American President, HERO. Martin Luther King, Leader of the Civil Rights Movement, HERO. John H. Glenn, U.S. Marine, Astronaut, HERO. John Beauchamp, homeless American, HERO. The last name on this list of heroes is not a misprint, it is the name of a homeless man who today became a HERO. That's right, John Beauchamp, a resident of The
Cathy’s
Homeless Voice Shelter in Hollywood, FL unselfishly risked his own safety and life by jumping into the canal at Pine Island Road and Interstate 595 to save the life of a woman on the verge of drowning in the canal. You will read the full story in upcoming news publications, you will see his interview first hand on local television, but what you will not see is the true story about a homeless person who in fact risked his own life in order to save that of another. In fact his rescue meant, he had to jump into a canal that has been known to have loads of alligators because of it being so close to the Florida Everglades. The homeless in this country are considered nothing more than vagrants, menaces to society and useless beings whereas in fact, most
To Do with It? homeless citizens are merely victims of one circumstance or another. What John Beauchamp did today should be held in the highest regard by all of us who read and hear about him in the news. What John Beauchamp demonstrated to all of us today is that just because he is homeless, it does not take away anything from the fact that he is a human being just like the rest of us and that his respect and love for human life took charge of his actions and resulted in saving and preserving the life of another unfortunate human being. Let us all think twice before we pass unfair judgment upon the homeless. They are people too, they may not be heads of state, they may not be astronauts or famous actors, (Continued on page 7)
Prayer List •
The Darlington Family Sharon • Jenna • Brian • Tommy • Hollywood • Joseph • Julie • • Roger’s Family Killingsworth Family • Owens Family • New Destiny International • Christian Center of Tamarac Kerri Fitzpatrick • Maria Rosales • Joe Middleton • Cathy • Frannie • • Carlos Alberto Dominique Francis Family • Sara • Sara--Lee Raul • Rudy • Lisa • John McLean • Darren • To add a name to the list call 954 954--410 410--6275 No monetary donations needed
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925-6466 X101
I love you. I love chocolate. She loves the mountains. He loves football. And beer. She’d love to go to Europe. Love is all there is. G-d is love. There is a new reality quiz show (critics rave) in which contestants are (Continued on page 6)
Homeless include children doing their homework in cars Not long ago Diane Gilbert, executive director of the Emergency Services and Homeless Coalition of Jacksonville, answered the phone - and got an earful about a situation that was shocking. Even for her. (Continued on page 11)
Student, 11, helping to get food to homeless
J
ack Davis, 11, was told by a buffet manager to eat up one morning because any food that was left uneaten would have to be thrown out. That idea didn't sit well with Jack. As a fifth-grader, Jack Davis learned about how government works, even drafting pretend legislation in his social studies class. A year later, 11-year-old Jack is pressing for a real law -- one that could help feed Florida's homeless. The sixth-grader is being credited for inspiring a bill that will allow restaurants and hotels to donate leftover food to places like homeless shelters and not face legal liabilities. For years, many eateries and other places have simply thrown the food away, rather than face a lawsuit if someone got sick. “I kind of used my social studies teacher's advice,” said Jack, a sixth-grader at Ransom Everglades School. “She told us to make a difference.” Jack, with the help of his attorney dad, Jeff Davis, got in touch with a friend, Miami attorney Stephen Marino. Marino, a board member of the Florida Justice Association, a statewide association of consumer advocates, brought Jack's idea up a few days later during lunch with State Rep. Ari Porth, the bill's House sponsor. “I've never been contacted by someone so young about an idea for a bill,” Porth said. “I think it's highly unusual and very impressive.”
A Miami Shores sixth-grader is behind a bill that would help restaurants and hotels donate leftover food to the homeless.
It all started one summer morning after breakfast as Jack and his family finished eating at a buffet in Chattanooga, Tenn. He was one of the last at the buffet line -- a typical spread of biscuits, bacon and eggs -- and a manager told the family to eat as much as they could. Jack asked why? The manager told him the rest would be thrown away. “He explained to me if they gave the food to a homeless shelter they could be sued for sickness or food poisoning,” Jack said. The thought of throwing away food bothered Jack, who had taken trips to Peru, the home country of his mother, Yasmin Davis. Traveling through the country, he had
seen the poor begging for food. A school trip last year to a homeless shelter also made him think about those in need in Miami. “I thought: Is there anything we can do?” said Jack, who aspires to be a lawyer and who over the summer attended a leadership conference in Washington, D.C. “He said, ‘You'd have to change the law.’” He talked it over with his dad, an injury lawyer, who helped him understand what the manager said. “It actually affected him,” said Jeff Davis, of Miami Shores. “It was something he thought was just a crime to waste.” BROAD SUPPORT (Continued on page 9)
The Voice of the Homeless
Page 2
FRIENDS OF THE HOMELESS VOICE Mail check to:
For just $15.00 a month you can keep a homeless family off the streets for a day.
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The Targett Family Patrick Helings John Bendor In Loving Memory of Uncle Joe & Nana Shannon Brooks Lisa Cebrat Pakita Price The Watsons Sally Lister Judith Kelly Martha Roman The Baptista Family John Criasia Daniel Harrison The Martinez Family Amanda Reynolds Dolores R. Cerra Bob Hall Tressie W. Osborne Clark Rogers The Savir Family Corinne James Chris Sanchez Hugo DeCarpintini Mario Yuio Richard Friedman Diane Friedman Uylna Quadrino Arnold Reemer In Loving Memory of Peter Sullivan Maryann Springer Elaine Snaith Marshal Bugin Keith Yude Bruce Wethersoon Isabelle J. Henry Raul Cardenas M.D. Wendy Bryan Jacqueline McCarty Albert J Taragowski Darla King Paula King Richard Gomez Anthony Ralph Jennifer Hicky Timothy Lukehard Thomas Rua Justin Rowan Mary Green Morris Grazi Marvin Shatze Ronald Shafer Vance Gunn Adam Staler Allen Yancy Jimmy Daniels Mel Blount Carol Lockette Anna Marye Levier Magan Narduzzi Andre Johnson Antione Collins Eric Harrison
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Jessica Padilla Sheldon Jones Carlo Harrison Jason Emrik Dan Gilcert Amber Rowan Jackie Johnson Ricky Cambell Todd Palgon The Morabito Family Todd Palgon Holly J. Andrus Dorr’e Terry Samual Manery Marilyn Vokish Jenny Curic Amy Curic Lisa Jackson Jim Johnson Bobby Neal Erica Fulton Darren Nolf 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 C.R. Gallagher Jonathan Burger Russell J. Ferguson Marjorie G. Rhines Jamie F. Flores In Loving Memory Of Thomas Gasbarro Cathy and Kids The Davis Family Graham R. Mitchell Essential Oil Healthline Amparo L. Korey John’s Plumbing Service Thank You Winn Dixie Ms. Marilyn Smith Albert J. Taragowski Ruth C Grey Mike Cross Tamara Southard Raul Cardenas MD PA Al and Annie Hurricane Prevention Inc Adriana Fernandez Andrea Brown The Kunicki Family Danny and George OTD Messenger, Inc M. Smith
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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 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 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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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
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In Memory of C.T.R. Thank you so much, Sean & Lois, for all your help. –Joan Futscher & Kids McAvoy Family The Geise Family Mrs. Jenkins Richard & Margaret Martin Kenny Angela Adriana N. Quila Elizabeth P. Sublett Barbara N Robinson Mark E. Johnson Adrienne and Mike Julio A. Izquierdo Ann M. Hamilton Nicole Lee Nelson Anthony Rhodes Susan P Brady Christine M Wilson K.J. Williams Renato and Malika Vasconez Christine McAuliffe In Memory of Chief George J. Hodges Real Breakthrough Solutions Hartford Property Connection, Inc. In Loving Memory of Donald Fraser In Loving Memory of Rex Lichtenberger In Loving Memory of Jose A. Estruch, Jr. Ronald & Cathy Walker Ms. Evelyn Salerno Nicole Lee Nelson Al & Barbara Liebmann In Loving Memory of Isabel Grimany Dr Mary Michaela Farren In Memory of My Good Friend Pat Gibson Fred T Verny JR Nicole Lee Nelson In Memory of Dan Holland Sheila Holder Merav & Ezra Alexander In Memory of Maxima Oakland Park Elks Lodge # 2407 J. Coffee In Memory of Stanley Smolen In Memory of Martin Grey God Bless Florence Menard Sebastian Parks Kellie Jones Jesus Diaz Virginia H. Bailey Naomi Ross Deborah H Green In Loving Memory of Giankarlo Squicemari In Loving Memory of My Daughter Melissa Lurz In Loving Memory of Charles J. Youngman In Loving Memory of Martin E. Grey
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Sabrina Thorton, Former Ms. Ft. Lauderdale Beth Farans, Saks Jewelry Designer Margaret D. Neverdousky Sandra L. Wilhelm The Schneider Family John Dinielli Dorothy Kay Garbutt In Memory of Bill Sledge In Memory of Gertrude Chong YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE
YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE
YOUR NAME HERE YOUR NAME HERE
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In Loving Memory of Shirley Coulson
Page 3
Volume X, Issue 2
HATE CRIMES ISSUE LE TT ER S TO TH E E DITO R SEN D T O:
P.O. BOX 29 2-577 DAVIE , FLO RIDA 33 329 FAX TO : 9 54-9 26-20 22 E M A IL : in fo @h om e le ssv o ic e .o rg
We are trying to become more organized with our paperwork. I invite you to receive some of our products online. ‘Friends of the Homeless’ and Homeless Voice subscriptions are now available. We also have a new product section where t-shirts are available for purchase. This can be found at our main webpage at homelessvoice.org click on donation programs If you have paid for a subscription and not received them, please contact me at 954-410-6275 -Mark Targett
AL L D ON A TION R E QU ESTS IN TH E H OM EL ESS VOI CE FOR AN Y CH AR IT Y AR E AD V ER TIS ED IN CON JUN C TION WI TH TH IS WOR D IN G A CO PY OF TH E O FFI CI AL R EGIS TR A TION AN D FIN AN CI A L IN FOR M ATION M A Y B E OB T AIN ED FR OM TH E D IVISI ON O F C ON SUM ER SER VI CES B Y CA L LIN G TO LL -FR EE IN TH E S TA T E 1-800-435-7352 R E GIS TR AT ION D OES N O T IM PL Y EN D OR SEM EN T, A PPR OV AL, OR R ECOM M EN D ATION B Y TH E ST A TE TH AN K YO U FOR HE L PIN G TH E H OM EL ESS C ost of pape r $.25
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HOM EL ESS H OT LIN E FOR PLA C EM EN T
954-491-BED S The below represents an estimate of an un-audited glance until final figures are calculated. Program Services, includes donations we give to our international programs such as the orphanages in Haiti as well as 14 different homeless social service agencies such as our shelter system. How do we do it? Most of the top staff are full time volunteers and we only have a very small paid staff. The paid staff gets below the normal salaries in the world of not for profits. We had a mission to do and we did it and will continue to do it living by the rules of the founding fathers.
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The Voice of the Homeless
Page 4
HOMELESS VOICE
ADVANTAGE COMMUNICATIONS, INC. • • •
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. God bless the Cosac Foundation Commercial, Industrial, & Government 2-way Radio www.advantage-com.com
Mark Lavallee, President 954-961-2642
Excellence in Radio
Improving homeless life, improves society
Shopping Smart with Donna WAYS WE CAN HELP YOU
I
have been a single Mom for a long time and have to make the dollar stretch far beyond it’s ability. Being responsible for feeding my three boys and myself is a task that I still endure and used to be such a burden that I decided to take control over it and not let it control me. I have learned to be creative, fun and let the children know that just because it is tough it can still taste good, be healthy and fun. Always try to eat your meals together without the TV and I hope these recipes bless you and watch for more tips and recipes and remember when going shopping it is their job to tempt you into buying more than you intended, so take a deep breath, say a little prayer, use a list and be of good courage! -Donna Jean
Gail’s Jelly Cracker Snack While my 3 sisters and I were growing up my Mom always made snacks we thought were so special and we never knew we didn’t have much because she always found a way to make great snacks and this is one of those that bring back oodles of childhood memories. • •
Sleeve of Saltine Crackers Grape Jelly
1.
Spread jelly on one saltine cracker and top with another saltine, making a sandwich. You can also add peanut butter.
2.
Great for rainy days and a book or a movie snack or for homework pick me up. Thanks Mom!!!
I
n early 2005, Sarasota’s City Commission passed an ordinance that prohibits “lodging out of doors.” In short, this was found unconstitutional later in June 2005, but it still leaves its mark in history against homeless people. The ordinance left the interpretation to the discretion of police, and they could arrest the homeless for napping on a beach. This was meant to protect the community from aggressive panhandlers and potential crime. In many American cities, there must be laws that will protect the community at large and not infringe on homeless people’s rights. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, Sarasota is ranked as the meanest city to the homeless. One can only wonder if other Florida cities are following their lead in the harsh treatment of the homeless population. As the holiday season comes to a close, it is fair to say that more people may put the needs of the homeless to the back of their minds. Yet, homelessness is increasing among women with children all year. Society must promote more community fellowship to eradicate the ills that lead to homeless populations growing. For instance, more access to shelters that offer education, day care, and nutritious meals to have the basic needs met is of high importance to reach improvement. Education opportunities should include career training and college courses. The key is to make it known where to seek help before they become homeless, so they have a better chance of being productive more quickly. Due to the economy, it is easy to predict that more families are going to be faced with living in the streets. However, education has always been a way of freedom for people oppressed financially. It offers alternatives to a more secure life. Therefore, scholarship opportunities and financial aid should be considered for low income and homeless alike. This may mean making adjustments on applications to fit the circumstances, but this will ensure that the homeless will have an overall better chance in returning to the working class. Day care facilities that foster growth for the children that become homeless are paramount in them not repeating the cycle later in life. Also, day care allows the parents to be able to improve the situation without the constant responsibilities of caring for the children. Therefore, this service provided at no cost would greatly assist
This is our (Homeless Voice Shelter) cafe where anyone can come to eat at any time. We serve approximately 500,000 meals a year. Our cafeteria is also used as a classroom for the homeless to learn life skills and vocational training. In the event of a cold weather night (below 42 degrees) or a hurricane approaching South Florida, we can house an additional 105 people for that emergency. In the event of a disaster, the cafeteria has the capacity to serve 15,000 meals a day for seven days.
parents that become trapped not working because there is no affordable babysitter. Eliminating obstacles that hinder working will improve the economy as well. Possibly, this will allow even entrepreneurship to blossom. Many people that are intelligent become homeless and they need some assistance getting started over again. Keeping the family intact and healthy will ensure that more people will be able to become productive faster. Healthy and filling meals will also make the situation brighter. Many studies have concluded that what you eat is important because it fuels the body. If junk food is only available, the brain cells and the body’s organs will not work well. This leads to behavior issues, diseases, and other stressors that cause society to have to pick up the pieces in health care costs. Accessibility to meals that are basic and simple to serve works the best. Sandwiches, fruits, and soups should be more plentiful than potato chips. After
all, these meals can be just as filling, and they will decrease the chances of health problems. The Sarasota ordinance in 2005 was not the only one in the nation. There were many others, so it indicates that there is a large problem that is growing. Most can understand how education, a safe place to leave children, and good food to eat will bring positive results due to less issues. All people need an education, a safe place for their children, and nutritional food to fuel their body. Therefore, I hope to challenge others to see that helping one person can make a difference. Helping one leads to them helping someone else, and that is the way things should be. Everyone in society at large must pull together, but it starts locally. Support local shelters and organizations. By: Jamie M. Kisner
Homeless Shelter Wish List • Clothing • Coffee Cups • Canned Foods • Diapers & Wipes • Medical Supplies • Personal Hygiene Items 1203 N. US1 Hollywood, FL 33020 24/7 Advantage Communications, Inc. is a proud supporter of The Cosac Foundation "Excellence in Radio"
Page 5
Volume X, Issue 2
HOMELESS VOICE Sunglasses
O
ne day, again being many years ago in my life, I was on my way to Mass one morning. Driving east, I had the sun just blazing away as it came up over the horizon. I thought to myself, if our Creator, God, had made this sun so beautifully brilliant, how much more so must be the Son. On my way home, I had to pass Diane’s house and so I stopped and left a note on her door, saying … if the sunrise is this beautiful, can you imagine how much more wonderful is the Son? Well, being pregnant, she immediately thought I meant the child she was carrying and quickly agreed with the statement I had made. There was so much truth in her thought, one that had not even dawned on me, but I was still a little dismayed at her reaction when I explained what I meant. I meant Jesus and she said, oh. Just oh. So here we are now, so many years later and something sparked that memory and I thought of how we wear sunglasses to shield our eyes from bright sunlight or the vast whiteness of snow. The glasses make what we look at more comfortable, easier to tolerate…more comfortable. Then I thought of another expression my aunt used to use… wearing blinders. You know, those shields used on horses so they can’t see their peripheral vision that would distract them. Where are we going with this, you might ask; and my answer is quite honestly, maybe not where you/we should be headed. I think that some of us, most of us, actually all of us wear the sunglasses and blinders ever day just to get through life a little easier…just to get through it period. I speak as a Catholic Christian but I can say for certainty that this applies to everyone in all walks of life, at any age and of any faith or lack thereof. Mr. Webster, are you there? What is your definition of “belief” or “to believe”? Oh, here it is: intransitive verb1 a: to have a firm religious faith b: to accept as true, genuine, or real 2: to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something. There is more in regards to thinking and supposing, but it’s the faith one that I am concerned with. Thanks, Mr. Webster. (What is faith? Basically it is “believing” in something that can’t be proven.) Well, we believe in God, or the lack of. And I have a hard time with that one, because to not believe in God seems to insinuate that there must be one to believe in or not believe in, in the first place. But that isn’t where I’m going. We say we believe in God, some people read the Bible every day, have read it from cover to cover and then put it down and pick up those sunglasses or blinders. Many go to service every
Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall. Whoever hates his brother is in darkness; he walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes
week, some even every day then put on the blinders. How many times have we heard and seen jokes about the car trying to pull out of the church parking lot when the drivers arm out the window, fist balled up and expletive symbols coming from their mouth. I mean just look at the First Commandment and then honestly think what is the most important thing in our lives…what can we just not get enough of? What happened to honoring parents, *and it doesn’t end with parents, it can be children, teachers, law enforcement), not lying or stealing? Isn’t gossip so exciting sometimes? And the sex thing… everyone has their own opinion of what is acceptable or not. I was talking with one of our vendors the other day and we were discussing the generosity of those who buy this paper. Now, I know I’m putting my big foot in my big mouth but I have been speaking generally so far, and I definitely am with this statement…but often times we notice the most affluent (appearing) person is not quite so generous as the one with the older car, looks like they could use a little help themselves etc. That is not just the opinion of the one vendor, they all will come up with stories…I can personally also, from when I vended. On the other hand one of our girls got a three figure donation today, and it certainly is not the first time that a vendor has been so fortunate…but this is all a general observation that sort of lends credence to people keeping with their own stature in life. Perhaps I should say of one having a lower opinion of the homeless or the just plain different? Oh, God, please don’t let me be offending anyone, because I don’t mean to!! We/I are so guilty of so many of these things and we wonder why this world is in the predicament that it is in. I don’t think the Golden Rule that we so enthusiastically quote really means to get the other person before they get the chance to get you. We all pick and choose what we want to do, hear, see, act,
Homeless Voice Subscriptions Now Available Online at www.HomelessVoice.org
support, be a part of and those sunglasses and blinders help to blot out or darken what we don’t want to have to contend with. Think about it, truly, think about it. A few more days and it will be the New Year, 2008. We have those new resolutions to make! Let’s try something new and daring. Look around your space with your eyes wide open and see if there isn’t some little thing you can change that will eventually make such a big difference. We all have problems, we all hurt, we all have estrangements and that is just the tip of the iceberg, but we all most definitely have God’s Love and Grace to help us through any and all problems…IF we can take off the glasses and blinders and look at Him and trust in Him and, yes, confide in Him and listen, really really listen to Him… THEN DO AS HE SAYS. I would like to thank all our supporters over these past years, we could not do the work we are doing without you. I am speaking both of
monetary help and prayer. I hope and pray that those clients that seem to have succeeded to the point of being out on their own will in fact really be successful. I pray for all who are sad, sick, injured, lonely that this New Year will be happier for you. I pray for all who have lost loved ones that Peace will heal that hole in your heart. I pray that all who find success in whatever areas they have will continue. I pray that addictions will be overcome, that cures to illnesses will be found. I pray for hundreds of other things for you and yours and mine both at the shelter and around the world. I pray for peace in this world, where each of us will someday really look upon their neighbor as someone who does matter… disregarding their race, color, creed or status in life. Remember the homeless and the helpless do fall into those categories, every day….not just around the holidays. As always, remember: There but for the Grace of God go I!! God bless us all Lois
Are Hospitals Helping the Homeless? Not enough, say some who are learning to fend for themselves
A few times a year, for eight consecutive weeks, Sean Cononie teaches a first-responder and emergency medical treatment class. The students learn CPR and what to do if someone has a seizure or goes into cardiac arrest. They learn basic ambulance training, like how to operate an automated external defibrillator and how to clean a wound that might be infected with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as the "super bug" MRSA. The class wouldn't be so unusual -- except that the participants learning mouth-to-mouth are homeless. They meet in Hollywood at the Voice Homeless Shelter, which Cononie runs. The reason for the class is twofold. If something goes wrong on the streets, these homeless people will be nearby, so it only makes sense that they know what to do as first responders. The second reason is more disturbing. Many of these homeless people say they need to learn emergency medical training because they aren't receiving adequate treatment in the county's public emergency rooms. They claim ER personnel at Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale and Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood rush homeless patients through treatment, discharge them without treating them properly, and are careless and rude in their dealings with them.
Some hospital employees even ask homeless patients if they will leave in return for food, the homeless folks say. Cononie, who is 43, says that in his professional opinion, the staff at Memorial Regional Hospital generally go out of their way to treat the homeless, "and they have one of the best indigent health care programs in America" -- but individual doctors and nurses at Memorial do neglect homeless patients. They ignore the seriousness of some medical problems that afflict homeless people, he says, and they fail the public by disregarding the welfare of some of the most desperate members of our society. (Continued on page 10)
The Voice of the Homeless
Page 6
HOMELESS VOICE What’s Love Got To Do with It? (Continued from page 1)
of beauty. It raises us through the physi-
in this society are
Any “Venusian” wife
strapped to a lie detector and asked
cal to the aesthetic, and on to what Plato
moved
feel
frustrated
by
personal questions; they win money when
would not have called the spiritual. It is
“strong emotion”
“Martian”
husband
they give honest answers. One promo-
eros that draws us to music, art, and po-
during the holi-
knows that love is in
tion for this show had the moderator
etry; it is love of the ineffable. But ac-
days.
We sus-
the doing: the day
asking a young woman who could have
cording to experts, the word eros does
pend our skepti-
by day caring for
been Miss American Pie this question:
not appear in early Greek texts of the
cism and strive to
another’s
welfare;
“Do you really care about the starving
N.T.
manifest
elevating
another’s
to
that
her
children in Africa?” With honesty-equals-
Philos and Agape
feeling of love.
needs and desires
money on her face, she answered, “No.”
In contrast to eros, these words for love
Love is in the
above one’s own;
Do we waggle our fingers and pitch
appear frequently in the New Testament,
air…in
loud-
tar? Should we applaud her virtueless
but it is arguable whether the anonymous
speakers…and in
honesty and silently agree? Perhaps we
early writers meant to distinguish be-
elevators.
can simply assume that when it comes to
tween them. Philos may include the love
folks eschew con-
“Love”, she doesn’t know the meaning of
of friends and relatives, and its English
tributing to the economy and take the
piness; protecting and defending the
the word.
application as the first root word in
time to sing together, pray together,
beloved in the face of adversity. Lucky
The Greeks had words
“philanthropy” extends its range to mean
perform together, and serve love-filled
people find this in their partners; all chil-
“Words are cheap.” “Don’t just tell me you love me; show me!”
Some
paying attention to the small details and inflections that comprise the other’s hap-
English has one word for love, but we
a love and caring for the well-being of
food. The local poor and downtrodden
dren deserve this as their birthright. Even
give it several meanings---any dictionary
humanity, measured by dollars and other
are entertained, exhorted, and fed. For
the children of Africa.
offers at least five---and synonyms. The
donations.
brief moments, there is genuine commun-
The Global Village
ion--agape.
Ancient Greeks (specifically those in Ath-
Agape initially referred to the feelings
ens during the Golden Age), on whom we
for one’s community, perhaps one’s social
In December, homeless shelters and
know the neighbor who lives next door or
place credit or blame for nothing less
duty. Its meaning grew when early Chris-
nursing homes manage bookings and
down the block. But as Marshall McLuhan
than the foundation of Western civiliza-
tians identified their shared communion,
keep engagement calendars to organize
predicted, television has changed the
tion, had at least three words for love:
their ’love of their fellowmen’ as agape.
the outpouring of caritas. Come Febru-
world’s “far off places” into a global
eros, philos, and agape.
Although the
Religious thinkers also imbued this word
ary the cupboards are bare, the holes in
village, and where television fell short,
distinctions among them might have been
with spiritual connotations because it is
the roof are bigger, and the music is a
the internet has delivered.
clear enough to the average Greek in
the “love” used in the N.T. in these sen-
distant memory.
know the kid on the next block, but the
the street, Plato thought and wrote to
tences:
sparingly?
extend their meanings, and (much later)
neighbor as thyself…” Further, Paul, in
Love is also a verb
room. I see the flies that settle on his
New Testament translators have tried to
his well-known letter to the Corinthians,
“Words are cheap.” “Don’t just tell me
face and the rags he wears. I hear the
apply and differentiate Christian con-
speaks of three virtues, the greatest of
cepts to these words which antedate
which is caritas, the Latin equivalent of
Christianity.
agape, Love, and the root of the English
“God is Love” and “Love thy
words “charity” and “cherish”.
Eros
Love our neighbor? We may not even
Why do we love so
you love me; show me!” “If you really love me, you’ll…[do something].”
I may not
hungry child of Darfur is in my living
whine of mosquitoes that threaten his life; the look in his eyes breaks my heart. And I know that children here have fewer
We first think of love as an emotion, a
flies to contend with, and access to more
Words, Words, Words…
commodity, a noun. But just as in ancient
stylish rags, but those who are hungry
ciated with romantic love (later, the Ro-
All this discussion just provides a ra-
Greek, the English word Love is also a
and unprotected have the same look.
man Cupid) and is the root of our word
tional basis for the idea that charity,
verb, an action: “To love” is much more
How can anyone not care? And once we
“erotic”. So we equate eros with sexual
philanthropy---concern for the welfare of
than demonstrating a strong feeling by
care, must we not act?
attraction, a passionate feeling.
But
others---is inextricably tied to love. Per-
hugs, kisses, and presents. “Greater love
doing.
Plato praised eros as that feeling which
haps this is why charity abounds from
hath no man…that he lay down his life
‘Valentine’: www.NothingButNets.net
can lead us to an appreciation--a love--
mid-November through December: Many
for a friend.” Philos or agape?
Eros was Aphrodite’s son, the god asso-
Love is in the
Right now, we could send a -Margo Poulson
Page 7
Volume X, Issue 2
HOMELESS VOICE Saint Valentine's Day or Valentine's
"There’s a Hero Among Us!" (Continued from page 1)
but they are human beings and after all, when you take away all the glitter and fame, aren't we all the same? Think about it and while you do, I will thank God that I was given the honor to stand beside John Beauchamp today, THE HERO AMONG US. -Ronald L. Gauthier
Man rescues woman floating in canal
W
hen John Beauchamp saw a woman's back in a canal off Interstate 595 Sunday morning, he thought, "Another dead person floating in the canal." But then he saw her turn. The woman's face broke above the water and sank back below. She was struggling for air. So Beauchamp, 61, who lives in a homeless shelter and was hawking The Miami Herald in the middle of Pine Island Road in Davie, sprang into action to rescue a woman in distress. The woman, Mauvlyn Rose Lewin, 49, of Lauderhill, had been reported missing after wandering away from her family Saturday afternoon. She suffers from dementia. "Hold on, I'm coming in to get you," Beauchamp called out to her as he broke into a run. "Hold on, hold on, hold on." And she did. "That was very heroic of
him," Jorge Gonzalez, battalion chief for Davie Fire-Rescue, said later Sunday. "It could have made the difference between life and death for her." Doctors diagnosed Mauvlyn Lewin with dementia, a group of symptoms caused by brain disorders, seven years ago, her husband Delroy Lewin said. Eventually, she stopped responding, talking, or recognizing where she was or who she was with. The whole family, including two daughters, 10 and 8, went shopping at the Broward Mall on Saturday afternoon. At some point Mauvlyn Lewin walked away. "I was angry that I let her go," her husband said Sunday. "Normally, I hold her hand. What was I thinking?" The past few years had been tough, he said, but not as tough as Saturday night and Sunday morning. He stayed up until 5:30 a.m. driving around Plantation near the mall, looking for his wife. A Plantation officer found him about 8 a.m. and told him she was safe. He raced to the hospital. When Delroy Lewin saw paramedics bring his wife inside -pale, soaked and shivering -- "I was overwhelmed," he said. "I cried like a baby." Earlier Sunday, a man looking for a cell phone to call 911 alerted Beauchamp to the woman in the canal. Beauchamp had thought about life-guarding as a teenager in
Day is a saints day commemorating Saint Valentine on February 14. It is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other; sending Valentine's cards, donating to charity or gifting candy. It is very common to present flowers on Valentine's Day. The holiday
"Hold on, I'm coming in to get you," Beauchamp called out to her as he broke into a run.
is named after two men, both Christian martyrs among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
Detroit. He stripped to his underwear and stepped into the water toward the woman, the ground sloping away from him until he was forced to swim out to her. He grasped her cold hand, then her arm, and dragged her to shore. By then, paramedics had arrived. They put the woman on a stretcher and took her to Westside, where she was listed in stable condition. Beauchamp, a resident of the Homeless Voice Homeless Shelter in Hollywood, said he did what anyone in his position would have done. "I wasn't even thinking," he said. "She just needed help and I was there." By Andrew Tran South Florida Sun-Sentinel
-wikipedia Valentines Day to me has always been about celebrating those you love. Whether I was single or not, I’ve always had my family and friends. February 14th is one more day to say “I love you” to everyone you care for. So in that spirit I chose a poem that applies to more than just a romantic love, Happy Valentines Day! -Sara Targett
For Video Coverage go to www.HomelessVoice.tv/LocalNews Only You
GoodShop to Help the Homeless With you, it's all about
A
s you all know we are trying to pay off our current mortgage, raise money for our monthly expenses, as well as expanding. With these plans it always becomes more difficult each and every year mostly because of the economy. So each and every day we plan and plan to figure out ways of first getting donations and secondly how can we produce income without costing the supporters one cent. First it was the Internet Search via Good Search where we make one penny everytime someone searches on the Internet. We did not do as well as we thought on this venture but we will continue to ask our supporters to search on the internet by going to GoodSearch.com. If every supporter just searches on the Internet using the same web search engines such as Yahoo search we will make one penny for every search and that can really add up. This month we have added the Homeless Voice Mall. This mall means you can go right from the World Wide Web and book your airline tickets via Delta. We will make $2.50 for every reservation. If you use Travelocity and Hotwire.com, we also make money for every reservation. The good thing about this is that your prices are still the same low price. If you need a hotel and use brands such as Wyndham, Sheraton, or Hotels.com we also get paid for
every booking. Need a cruise? Go to Carnival.com How about flowers for the wife, Flowers.com Are you interested in buying something at BestBuy.com? Please help the Homeless
Voice just from making your everyday purchases. Visit us and read below for directions. Thankyou! For more info go to our website at www.HomelessVoice.tv/ GoodShop -Sean Cononie
voiceless communicationalways knowing exactly what to say, but never actually having to say it. When no one seems to be listening, you hear. When I hurt but don't show it, you know. When I turn away to hide my tears, you see. When I feel like I can't get through to anyone, you understand. Your eyes glow just for me, and I know you're proud. You flash your magical, healing smile my way, and I know everything will be all right. You know everything there is to know about me. You know what worries me, what keeps me up at night, and what shames me so badly that I can't share it with anyone. Most importantly, though, none of those things bother you. You've restored my faith in people and proved that there is a thing called true friendship. by Dawn Nissen
The Voice of the Homeless
Page 8
HOMELESS VOICE
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Page 9
Volume X, Issue 2
HOMELESS VOICE
We Still Need Your Help!!!
I
ecutive decision to rearrange our finances. Our mortgage is around $8500.00 a month and we have been paying down the mortgage as much as we can. I am in the process of using our emergency, expansion, and rain funds to make us more stable. This means we will pay off the mortgage and start over. Why pay it off? If we pay it off we will save about $7500 a month in interest as well as not having to make that monthly payment and the extra principal payment we have been paying each month. So what does this all means to you who have supported us in this attempt to pay off the mortgage? It means a few good things. Finally we will have the “wall of fame.” This is the wall that lists every name that has helped us pay off the mortgage. This is also the time that you all send in your names to us if you have helped us. We lost a lot of the names when our office got destroyed by the several hurricanes we got a few years back. You can send it in by mail to, “Add my name” on the envelope or email it to us at myname@homelessvoice.org. Getting back to the campaign we had for the last seven years titled “Burn that Mortgage.” Since we are using some other funds we had to pay off the mortgage we will still keep our current campaign on until we have replenished the funds used to pay off the mortgage. I just wanted to be honest with you all to let you know that we are indeed paying it off but we You can set up payroll deduction through your employer to actually did support the COSAC Foundation’s Homeless Voice not do it with • Your company might even match your donation all the funds • See your human resource or department manager we raised for
n the last two months we have been finally completing some well needed paper work to get all in order. As you all know I have been sick on and off with Meningitis and of course I still can’t get this weight off from the steroids I got while in my coma. However things are getting a little better on paying off the mortgage as well as one of the worst things I could be doing right now, expanding ever more. I say the word “worst” not in a bad way, it is actually all good but some say “Sean, slow down.” When I developed COSAC I knew we would have to do more than just help the homeless. I thought whenever we could help change a person or help to fix a social injustice such as homelessness we should do it with are all. You see, we all have the power to make the world a better place one step at a time, one problem at a time, and one agency at a time. It does not take a rocket scientist to make the world a better place it just takes a dream and then when you wake up, start the process. Look at Aaron Jackson from our sister Agency Planting Peace, he is de-worming the country of Haiti. When we went there years ago I said to him, Aaron, it is going to take a lot more than what we can offer to fix this place so kids are not playing in sewer water and eating nothing and developing a belly full of worms. This month I made the ex-
Did you know?
•
Student, 11, helping to get food to homeless (Continued from page 1)
rat.
After Jack got the ball rolling, Porth contacted the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association to see what stood in the way of restaurants donating food. “Sure enough, it wasn't because restaurants didn't want to -it was because of the liability issue,” said Porth, a Coral Springs Democ-
The restaurant association supports the bill, said Jennifer Garner, director of communications for the association that represents 10,000 restaurants and hotels in the state. Because of increased litigation against restaurants, the association had been seeing a decrease in donations, she said. “A lot more restaurants are concerned about the liability issue,” Garner said. “There has been a decline in restaurants that are donating to homeless shelters. This is something that will definitely help. We know a lot of our members are interested in doing something like this, but with the concern over being sued it's always a little bit harder.” A change in the law to give restaurants and hotels additional protection “would be superb,” said Frank Ferrara, food services director at Miami's Camillus House, which prepares about 1,500 meals a day for the homeless. “Look at how much food is wasted every day; picture a brunch at one of the major hotels.” Ferrara said Camillus
that campaign. So we are still doing the “Burn that Mortgage” Campaign. I put the numbers in every financial program I could find and consulted many experts in the filed of debt reconsolidation to make my decision and I hope you understand why I made this choice. Now that we will save money and at the same time still try to raise the money needed to do as we originally planned to pay off the mortgage and of course we still need to raise the money for all our programs we offer to the homeless monthly. However, now that the mortgage will be paid off this also means that our monthly budget will be a little lower. We still need to sell our paper and raise about $100,000 a month to pay the bills for the electric, transportation, food, water, gas, and the homeless staff we have. Plus we have the most expensive part of our budget, the rents on the other six buildings we have to house the homeless people at our overflow shelters. So all this is great news and with all this we will continue to run our current programs as well as expanding our properties so we can handle the influx of the elderly clients who can’t afford to live on their retirements benefits as well as developing new agencies to handle any problems we can help tackle. So join our campaign and help us finish the original plan by going below and decide if you want to send in your pledge and be one of those people on our wall of fame. By the way let me say “thank you” to all of you who have helped us in all those donations over the years. Without you there would be no shelter that takes the ones who are
HELP PAY OFF OUR MORTGAGE We need just 20,450 people to send in a check for $20.00, Or 8,180 people to send in a check for $50.00, Or 4,090 people to send in a check for $100.00, Or 409 people to send in a check for $1,000, Or Just one wonderful person or business to send a check for the entire $409,000; We will name the shelter after you or whomever you choose 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
turned away by the other shelters. Sean Anthony Cononie
“Sure enough, it wasn't because restaurants didn't want to -- it was because of the liability issue,” House doesn't get many donations from restaurants or hotels because they are concerned about liability. “The major hotels and restaurants are too frightened,” Ferrara said, adding that the shelter does occasionally get leftovers from private catering jobs. On Tuesday, the Florida Restaurant Lending a Helping Hand Act was presented to the state Legislature. The Senate Business Regulation Committee approved the bill unanimously. Said Sen. Jim King, a Jacksonville Republican: “It's about time.” It has only one more stop before it moves to a full vote in the Senate. ‘A Real Role Model’ That the idea came from an 11-year-old is “the best part of the bill,” said Sen. Nan Rich, a Weston Democrat, who presented the bill. “It was exciting to me that a young person would take time to do this,” Rich said. “He's a real role model for young people.”
Rich sent an e-mail to Jack on Monday, saying she hopes the bill passes and that he can be there when the governor signs it. His fifth-grade social studies teacher is delighted Jack took her lesson to heart. “I pretty much want all my students to be as much as they can be and to go for it,” said Deborah Rogero, a fifth-grade teacher at Saint Thomas Episcopal Parish in Coral Gables. “It's their responsibility to make the world a better place.” Jack said he hopes his involvement encourages kids his age to help others. “I can really believe in myself because I'm just a kid, and kids are usually not the ones who change the world,” Jack said. “I thought it would be a change.” Miami Herald staff writer Mary Ellen Klas contributed to this report. By Jennifer Lebovich Miami Herald
The Voice of the Homeless
Page 10
HOMELESS VOICE Are Hospitals Helping the Homeless? Not enough, say some who are learning to fend for themselves
their arm three hours ago." As a matter of policy, BroHealth care for the indigent ward General will not decline to in Broward County is generally extreat anyone for any reason, spokesceptional, Cononie continues. Often, woman Michelle Cuello says. patients are given expensive tests "We're paid for by the state, so our and procedures such as MRIs withpolicy is to treat everyone the way out having to pay, he says, and they they deserve to be treated -- with can receive brand-name prescripcare. Our doctors and nurses deal tions for less than $10. with things that are much worse than "This isn't a problem with urine or feces, and they treat patients the institutions, really. The hospital the right way." policies are good. This is a problem Broward General takes with individuals who just don't want steps to ensure no pato deal with hometient is discharged beless people and all fore having a chance to the things that go If the patient is see a doctor and realong with them." homeless, he ceive proper diagnosis Cononie and care, Cuello says. is reluctant to dismight be sent to a To do any less -- to cuss such comshelter, where he discriminate in care plaints in detail, he is likely to pass giving -- would be says, because as an the infection on to shameful, she says. advocate for the others. Michael Allen, 64, homeless, he must used to be a construccontinue to deal tion worker. When he with some of the same county health-care providers showed up at the Voice Homeless Shelter a few weeks ago, he was in every day. Some of them are burned rough shape. He'd been discharged out, he surmises. "That's human from a local emergency room despite nature. But we have to have reality his having a smashed collarbone checks. No matter how burned out with a visible separation wide anyone becomes, they have to treat enough to poke a finger through. everyone. Sometimes, they just need Worse, though, was Allen's abdomito be reminded to have a little comnal hernia: A tear in the muscle wall passion." above his waist had opened so far This is not a problem pecuthat his intestines were seeping liar to South Florida, Cononie notes. through it. "Everywhere across the country, you A slender, quiet man, Allen will get burnt-out ER workers and lifted his shirt for a recent visitor to hospital workers who feel in their show how bad the condition had heart that the homeless did this to become. Where normally there themselves. I have made bad decimight be a thin layer of tissue or fat, sions in the past and maybe not his digestive tract bulged out, movtreated everyone the same -- but ing and burbling as he digested his when it comes to health care, we breakfast. When he sat, he winced must do our best." uncomfortably. He said he had alIt is also a problem that the ready been to a local hospital, where homeless themselves may exacerbate doctors told him they could not operby crying wolf. Hospital employees ate on his hernia because it wasn't an sometimes must deal with homeless emergency. people who are tired of sleeping on "They told me it wasn't the streets, people who know that serious enough yet. They wouldn't with one call to 911 and a complaint help me. They gave me some food, of chest pains, an ambulance will but they weren't nice at all." likely whisk them away to a hospital. Hernias such as Allen's There, for a few days, a homeless typically are deemed emergencies person can clean up, be fed, and when the distended intestines besleep in a real bed with clean sheets. come strangulated, which in turn can Other homeless people may cause a gangrenous bowel, or when go to hospitals seeking drugs, which the hernia becomes septic, which can in turn can make doctors and nurses be fatal. cynical, assuming that apparent indi"They told me to come gents just want narcotics so they can get high. "The homeless know the back when it got worse," Allen said. But "when this gets worse, I'll be game, and the providers know what their game is," Cononie says. "I have dead." seen some people being released Another man at the Voice with Motrin," an over-the-counter Homeless Shelter said he was dispain reliever, "when they just broke charged from a local hospital with an (Continued from page 5)
abscess on his buttocks that was cleaned but not swabbed or cultured to determine whether MRSA was present. New protocols from the Centers for Disease Control require doctors to test all infected wounds for MRSA, which resists all but a few strong antibiotics. Left untreated, MRSA can rapidly eat through human tissue and prove fatal in just a few days. A small wound can become a condition requiring major surgery overnight. For the uninsured, the cost to taxpayers’ blossoms along with the infection; a condition that could have been treated immediately and relatively inexpensively early on can quickly become one that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Cononie, who serves on the state's MRSA task force, says some doctors blame ER workers for spreading the infection by not culturing wounds appropriately and not changing latex gloves with each patient; by not changing gloves, a care provider protects himself while putting patients at risk. If the patient is homeless, he might be sent to a shelter, where he is likely to pass the infection on to others. The Voice Homeless Shelter is full of MRSA, Cononie says. He's had it three times himself, he says, even though
COSAC'S CHURCH Come to the Church that is a Church of Service and Charity Learn of Jesus and learn how to put Gods' words into action.
he's diligent about washing his hands. MRSA doesn't just come from hospitals anymore, Memorial Regional spokeswoman Kerning Baldwin says. "It's a community problem." Memorial is seeing an increasing number of MRSA cases in people who have not been to a hospital or a homeless shelter, she notes. Baldwin said she could not comment on any specific instances in which homeless people allege they were mistreated at her hospital other than to say that its mission is to treat every patient without regard to his ability to pay. The law stipulates no less, she added, "and we follow those laws to the best of our ability." Meanwhile, the Voice Homeless Shelter recently bought an ambulance so its workers can go out on the streets and administer care themselves. This way, Cononie says, he can run tests and have blood work done without having to send his clients to an emergency room. And Cononie says he's arranged for Allen, the hernia patient, to have surgery before it's too late. By Michael J. Mooney Broward New Times
For Video Coverage go to www.HomelessVoice.tv/Cononie
• •
• Free Weddings Free Memorial Services Alternatives to Abortion • Healing Services
Sunday 2pm to 2:45pm 1203 N. Federal Highway Hollywood Florida 33020 954-924-3571 x316
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Page 11
Volume X, Issue 2
HOMELESS VOICE Internet Timeline 1969 ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) goes online in December, connecting four major U.S. universities. Designed for research, education, and government organizations, it provides a communications network linking the country in the event that a military attack destroys conventional communications systems. 1972 Electronic mail is introduced by Ray Tomlinson, a Cambridge, Mass., computer scientist. 1982 The word “Internet” is used for the first time. Writer William Gibson coins the term “cyberspace.” 1988 A virus called the Internet Worm temporarily shuts down about 10% of the world's Internet servers. 1991 Gopher, which provides point-and-click navigation, is created at the University of Minnesota and named after the school mascot. Gopher becomes the most popular interface for several years. Another indexing system, WAIS (Wide Area Information Server), is developed by Brewster Kahle of Thinking Machines Corp. 1994 The White House launches its website, www.whitehouse.gov. 1996 Approximately 45 million people are using the Internet, with roughly 30 million of those in North America (United States and Canada), 9 million in Europe, and 6 million in Asia/Pacific (Australia, Japan, etc.). 43.2 million (44%) U.S. households own a personal computer, and 14 million of them are online. 1997 On July 8, 1997, Internet traffic records are broken as the NASA website broadcasts images taken by Pathfinder on Mars. 1998 Google opens its first office, in California. 1999 College student Shawn Fanning invents Napster, a computer application that allows users to swap music over the Internet. The number of Internet users worldwide reaches 150 million by the beginning of 1999. More than 50% are from the United States. “E-commerce” becomes the new buzzword as Internet shopping rapidly spreads. MySpace.com is launched. 2001 Napster is dealt a potentially fatal blow when the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco rules that the company is violating copyright laws and orders it to stop distributing copyrighted music. Wikipedia is created. 2002 As of January, 58.5% of the U.S. population (164.14 million people) uses the Internet. Worldwide there are 544.2 million users. 2003 It's estimated that Internet users illegally download about 2.6 billion music files each month. 2005 YouTube.com is launched. 2006 There are more than 92 million websites online.
Homeless include children doing their homework in cars (Continued from page 1)
"Two teachers called me because they found out that some of their students were living in cars," Gilbert told me. "If children are living in cars, where do they go to do their homework? How do they sleep? How can they take their friends home?" Gilbert, however, deals with people facing poverty and homelessness every day. But, she said, it’s hard not to be jolted and saddened by the stories that
And Gilbert's organization is feeling the strain.
she hears. "We're receiving more calls from sin-
Many of the people facing homeless-
gle mothers with children who need hous-
ness, she said, are victims of the sub-
ing assistance," Gilbert said. "But we're
prime mortgage crisis and are facing
also getting a huge increase in calls for
foreclosure. On top of that, Gilbert said,
food assistance ... that
much of the rental
has been a dramatic
assistance money that
change for us, because it now
equals
what
it
[requests for help] has been for utilities and rent." That's
why
Gilbert
hopes that the upcoming annual homeless census
"We're receiving more calls from single mothers with children who need housing assistance," Gilbert said
the state gives directly to people has been frozen. "It's a bad time right now," Gilbert said. "There's not a lot of affordable
housing,
and we have the
will shed more light not
entire
only on the numbers of
market at its lowest
homeless here, but on the realities that
real
estate
level ever.
many of them are facing. On Monday,
"A lot of people have this attitude that
volunteers will count people who are
all homeless people are panhandlers
living in homeless shelters and on the
who don't want to work, and that's not
streets in Duval, Clay and Nassau coun-
true," Gilbert said. "Many panhandlers
ties.
aren't even homeless ... anyone can wind
Anyone who wishes to volunteer should
up homeless. We have to ask, 'How can
call the coalition by Friday at 353-2103.
we provide more affordable housing so
Last year, the census found that there
that when they go to apply for a job,
was a decrease in homelessness - by
they'll have an address so that a poten-
16.3 percent since 2005 - two years
tial employer can contact them?' "
after Duval and Clay counties' counts began to be combined.
That's why Gilbert hopes, among other things, that this year's homeless count will
But Duval County's numbers alone tell a
dissolve some stereotypes about who the
different story. Jacksonville's homeless
homeless really are - and generate more
population has increased by 75.3 per-
urgency about the problem.
cent since 2000 - when the annual count was first conducted. "This is an incredible increase espe-
Please Send/Bring Cards to: 1203 N. Federal Highway Hollywood, Fl 33020
Especially when they include children
Home Drug Tests $12 954-924-3571
doing homework in the back seat of a car.
cially in comparison to the county's gen-
By Tonyaa Weathersbee,
eral population change (by 12.4 per-
The Times-Union
cent) during the same period," the coalition's report reads.
-Fact Monster
COSAC
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