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“Meeting Joseph, 3 strikes, I’m out”
JOE RYAN Knocking On Heavens Door
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ot only did he look different, he felt different, he ate different and he communicated differently. Joe felt more secure but not only more secure but happier as each day passed by. He had become altogether an entirely different person. Who was this guy and why all the sudden changes? It was about four years ago when a supervisor from another shelter brought Mr. Joe Ryan into my office. Joe was shuffled back and forth from shelter to shelter and because of various reasons he just wasn’t able to call any of them home. Our shelter, The Homeless Voice took him in. The system in almost every community has cracks and some of the clients fall through the cracks. Joe was an extremely depressed person who ate very little. For the first seven to nine months of his stay here at the shelter the director Sean Cononie placed him in what the shelter calls a Mother Teresa bed. A Mother Teresa bed is a free bed which entitles the person not to have to work, not having to sell our newspaper and not having to pay fees through an assistance check. This is
Joe’s son pays his respect at the shelters’ memorial service. a bed for those who are very special people whom the system had misplaced and caused them to fall through the cracks. Joe was basically a guest at the shelter and at the shelters expense. According to Cononie they had to bring him his food because Joe would never leave his bed. It wasn’t long that things had changed in his favor and began regaining his life and becoming the man he always was. The story continues from this point on. I also knew Joe when he first arrived. A frail man shaking as if he was going to fall into pieces. He
F
ew years ago my opinion about homelessness was very, let’s say “traditional”, they only helped me to get rid of the change in my pockets; Always applying my perspectives of life to them, in a way that they always got a bad grade in my evaluation. But one day while at a traffic light I saw this person selling a paper and using a t-shirt of the Homeless Voice, there I went, ranting on how this person is wasting his time and the slim probabilities of moving his life ahead just selling a paper, “C’mon go to college, get a career.” Then my wife looked at me and told me these simple words, “Do you think they don’t know that? They’re probably measuring their lives by the hour, every hour at work is a victory, and they are doing what they can.” Those words unveiled an area of the problem that I never thought before. From there I started educating myself (Continued on page 4)
(Continued on page 5)
With Growing Number Of Foreclosures,
Obama moved by homeless woman's story at town hall
Homeless Turning to Squatting
W
ith the number of foreclosures continuing to rise in South Florida, squatting has become a growing trend among the area's homeless. "I had to squat because nobody gave a squat," said 'Mary.' We're calling her 'Mary' and concealing her identity because she's a squatter. She lost her job and took up residence in this vacant foreclosed house. "This will afford me a few minutes to be able to breath and be able to regroup and get back out there into the workforce to be the productive part of society," said 'Mary.' She keeps the place and her belongings in order. We can't reveal the location because she's there without the owner's permission. Community activist Max Rameau placed Mary in the home through his organization, Take Back the Land. "Our role is to identify these places and make them available for
"I had to squat because nobody gave a squat..." people who need places to stay, and that's what we do," said Rameau. He's placed seven such families in foreclosed homes. In Miami-Dade an estimated 4,800 people are homeless. There are plenty of homes to pick from. In December alone banks filed 6,000 foreclosures. "If you would take all the homeless people and move them into vacant, foreclosed houses, we could end the homeless problem today in Miami Dade," said Rameau. Some of these properties don't even have locks on the doors. So it’s easy to get in. Once they're inside, anyone can pay to the utility companies to keep water and lights running. But is it legal? "This issue of trespassers and squatters as you call them is against the law. If you go into an (Continued on page 6)
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woman's hard-luck tale at a town hall meeting in Florida moved President Barack Obama to leave the stage. When Henrietta Hughes complained she'd been down on her luck and was living in her car with her son, Obama walked to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Hughes said she was out of work and homeless, with "a very small vehicle for my family and I to live in." A White House press secretary said administration officials asked the local housing authority to contact her after the exchange in Fort Myers. Meanwhile, the wife of Florida state Rep. Nick Thompson offered to let the woman stay in a house she owns that's vacant about 30 miles away. Chene Thompson isn't sure if Hughes will take her up on the offer. -AP
The Voice of the Homeless
Page 2
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Volume XI, Issue 2
HOMELESS VOICE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND TO:
Dear Supporters, March is National Women's History Month– here are some famous firsts by American Women: 1767-Anne Catherine Hoof Green runs a print shop, 1849Elizabeth Blackwell is the first female doctor, 1872-Victoria Claflin Woodhull is the first female presidential candidate, 1932-Amelia Earhart is the first woman to fly solo over the Atlantic, 1983-Dr. Sally K Ride is the first woman in space– let’s see if it’s a women who can help put an end to homelessness! -Sara Targett
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The Voice of the Homeless
Page 4
HOMELESS VOICE This is Prison?
National Auto Statistics
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ew Cook County Correctional Center, Chicago, Illinois ( I guess if I ever break the law, I'd better do it in Illinois! Homeless people should have it so good!) Once again the taxpayer gets stung. It also shows that in most cases the quality of life for prisoners has improved considerably from what you might expect.
And I always thought prison was for punishment! I'll bet these country club prisons or The outside of this unconventional jail is mainly made up of windows. any of them for that matter are looking mighty good to a lot of people right now, especially on these moneyless, cold and hungry nights around this country, when the reality of the situation sinks in. Burglarizing for sustenance until you get caught will be the only solution to a lot of men women and children in the coming months. Think of the collateral damage for all of this. Watch national news sites in the coming months for a huge increase in burglary, drug and sex crimes! Few will see it coming / make the correlation; like "we never saw this coming" the incentive not to commit a crime out of Spacious athletic facility is one of the many amenities. need or evil will no longer exist for them. Most of us have no idea what is going on right now with many of the six million unemployed, the evicted and foreclosed and the destitute around the country right now; there is a massive media blackout on this.
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Playing games, watching TV and relaxing in this sun filled game room.
uto accidents happen to good and bad drivers alike. Below are some general statistics on automobile accidents in the United State from the National Safety Counsel (NSA): • Over 4,000,000 people visit the emergency department every year due to an auto accident. That's approximately 1 out of every 60 people. • 42,000 deaths are reported every year from motor vehicle accidents. Compare this to approximately 200 deaths per year from plane crashes. • An auto accident will injure 1 in every 30 young drivers this year. • Nearly 10% of automobile accident victims become disabled. • 2 out of every 5 automobile deaths are alcohol related. The best things that you can do to protect yourself from a crash are to be a responsible, defensive driver. Approach intersections with caution, leave plenty of room between your car and the vehicle in front of you, use your mirrors, and slow your speed according to the road conditions. Additionally, ensure that your vehicle is mechanically sound and properly insured. And of course, never drink and drive. Most importantly, remember you may have little ones or the car you may hit may have little ones in it , is going faster better than their life? We know that little ones are in those cars on those highways, so since we know that can we ever have in our vocabulary the words that cause so many unnecessary accidental deaths , " I'm running late" ? No we can’t! When we run late we speed so never ever, drive with the attitude that you are running late. Just, get over it and pretend you have all the time in the world. Going faster increases the chance for accidents and if you do get in an accident that faster you are going the more impact you have. The more impact you have the greater the chance of death. So as stated above, get over it and drive the speed limit. If you don't care about your own life or the life of your children, please think about the families you may destroy.
“Meeting Joseph, 3 strikes, I’m out” (Continued from page 1)
about the problem, reading statistics on the internet, studies that gave me a better idea of the complexity of Homelessness that made me change my initial opinion. Some time after, I started noticing a man who would stand by the curb on the SW 8 St in Miami, every morning as if he was waiting for something or somebody. By his appearance he
was sleeping on the street, he was all dirty, with a big set of hair and barb, then I realized that he was living nearby, on the side of the canal, using a small tree as shelter.
I rushed to meet with my future friend I passed him many times before I got the courage to approach him, sometimes when the traffic let my window align with him I could nod at him a “Hi”; he’d look at me without responding, more like not knowing what I was meaning.
The authors rendering of Joseph.
First Strike: à la carte One morning while buying breakfast at Burger King for my son, I decided to get an extra sandwich for the guy on the curb. After dropping my son at school I rushed to meet with my future friend, I did everything else (Continued on page 6)
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Page 5
Volume XI, Issue 2
HOMELESS VOICE JOE RYAN, Knocking On Heavens Door (Continued from page 1)
was as thin as a rail. I was gone from the shelter for about two years and then returned. In the cafeteria I saw this man who came up to me and said “hi.” I did not know who he was at the time. He looked at me and said “it’s me, Joe.” “OMG” was all I could say. In front of me was standing this solid functional human being. I had never in my life seen such a resurrection of someone. He was healthy even to the point of a bit pudgy. He talked to me as if he was giving public speaking seminars about confidence. I was actually envious that he looked better than me. You could have hidden two of the Joe Ryans I had remembered behind this new and improved version. The transformation of this kind human being continued. This man who was afraid to show himself
“He was simply a model client and human being” whatever he could do to show his appreciation to us all. We were all Tom Hanks and our motto was “Saving Joe Ryan” and that we did along with his own self will and desire to strengthen himself as well. We all liked Joe simply because there was no reason not to. In the “real world” as we often say pertaining to life outside the four walls of our shelter Joe was the type of guy you could actually call your friend and would be lucky to have as one. From the time we literally had to carry Joe to the time when he carried himself so eloquently he was simply a model client and human being. SON AND HIS DAD The best thing that hap-
The minister says a few words in honor of Joes final years.
pened to Joe, was his son got back in and afraid to come out of his room, his life. There was nothing but now had a car. From hermit to sosmiles that appeared on Mr. Joseph cial butterfly Joe spent much of his Ryan face whenever he spoke of his leisure time chauffeuring around son. It was conversation after conmany of our clients to the grocery versation that Joe would bring up his store and their medical appointments son’s name telling staff what his son with no questions asked and out of was up to. He would the goodness of his smile and the warmth heart. Sean rewarded We were all Tom of that smile was that Joe for his kindness and his contribution to Hanks and our motto of any normal dad was would have towards the shelter by moving “Saving Joe Ryan” their child. Joe, he was him to one of our other just a normal dad who more private and self chose to live his life in sufficient houses. Even though Joe was now distant a place that once saved his life. I guess he had a sense of loyalty. from our facility he never forgot the WAS HE HOMELESS, people here that gave him the moral NOT ANYMORE…….. support and the pampering he Joe progressed to where he needed to become the man he now in no way was homeless anymore. was. He called here every morning The shelter filed all his paper work to see if anyone needed a ride and
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The memorial service was filled with Joes friends and family.
and got his retirement benefits from not only the Social Security benefits but they also got him his retirement benefits early from his long time job. Joe set the record straight to those who state the homeless are just lazy people. Joe worked his whole life and his income was well above medium income where he was able to retire with his benefits. His benefits were more than what most people make working a forty hour job. This proves he had a very good job in his working days. Joe is an example of how homelessness can happen to anyone. Tragically Joe passed away in February of natural causes which we are not sure of exactly. I instantly thought of one of my favorite movies, Brian’s Song. A movie that no matter how many times I watched it I cried. Joe’s death was my Brian’s Song. I did not think I was capable of those emotions anymore but after hearing of Joes death all I could do was sit down, put my hands on my face, wipe away all the tears that followed and left this emptiness in my heart and mind knowing I would never see this friend again.
Death is permanent and so are memories if you allow them to be. The memory of Joseph Ryan is a memory I will be proud to carry with me every day for as long as I shall live. THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL Joe’s son, and other family members came to the shelter and in our church area we had his service. About forty of his friends at the shelter came to pay their respects to their friend Mr. Joe Ryan. Joe my friend, may you rest in peace, and yes Joe you are knocking at Heavens door and yes Jesus kept his promise. Written By Richard Carlish
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The Voice of the Homeless
Page 6
HOMELESS VOICE “Meeting Joseph, 3 strikes, I’m out” green truck that offers me things that I don’t like every morning and when my truck got to need, and that’s ok with me. him at the curb, I said “Hi!”, he looked at me Third Strike: Freedom! but didn’t answer, I said “Are you Ok?” He Freedom! replied “Yes”. Then I said, “Look this is for A couple of weeks passed and I deyou” and showed him the Burger King bag, cided to play it safe, when the moment came I and he said, “No thank you, I don’t eat that said “Hi Joseph, How are you?” He didn’t food, I don’t like it.” I said “Oh! Ok, it’s ok. answer. I said then, “Listen this is for you”, What is your name?” He looked at me like while extending a five dollars bill to him. He thinking but didn’t answer; I said again ‘Do looked at it while still in my hand and asked you have a name? My name is Luis”, then he me “Can I use it anywhere?” “Of course, it’s said “I’m Joseph”, by that yours, here” I said, and he took time the traffic light came to it. Traffic light turned green green and our meeting was EVERY HOUR AT WORK and I drove away, over, I said bye and drove I saw him a couple of weeks IS A VICTORY, AND away. I couldn’t believe that more and then my son’s sumhe just refused my food, I was THEY ARE DOING WHAT mer vacations started so I sad, because my attempt to THEY CAN stopped driving in that area. I directly help somebody was a have see him a few times since failure At the same time I felt from some distance, he moved happy for that first contact, that without a his place because government employees apdoubt was more important for me than for plied chemicals to burn the vegetation in that Joseph. area next to the canal and the small tree that Second Strike: I didn’t see that Joseph used as cover, disappeared. (Continued from page 4)
coming
For it is in giving that we receive
In the next few days I saw him standing there but for some reason the traffic light was green every time, so no time to chat, somehow I felt relieved because I wasn’t ready for a second contact, not yet. About a week later, again, my truck had to stop next to him and I realized that I had to improvise something, I said, “Hi Joseph”, he said “Hi”, then I looked at my jacket lying on the passenger side, it was a new jacket, my new jacket, but exactly because of that I said, “Hey Joseph, you want a jacket?; This jacket?” And showed it to him, he looked to his shoulders like making sure that he was wearing a jacket and told me “No, I have a jacket”. Again the light went green but my mind was all dark, “What was that?” Why he wouldn’t take my jacket? I couldn’t believe it. I felt insulted by him not letting me be of help. Few days passed and my frustration started to fade away; I purposely was avoiding him staying in the lane away from the curb. But one morning, when I passed him he didn’t look, but right before I turned on the corner I looked on my rearview mirror and saw him looking to my truck with that expression when you see a familiar face surrounded by strangers, at that moment I thought: He also cares about me. Maybe he thinks of me like the guy on the
Sometimes we think that we know the answers for everything, but it takes only a slight contact with reality to realize how little we know. Helping others requires more than something to give, we need to make sure to have what is needed. The most important part of helping is in recognizing the need, and that takes a lot of work and involvement. Joseph wasn’t there asking for anything but I assumed that I had to give him something, I felt like it wasn’t enough to greet him with a smile every morning At the end, I realized I wasn’t ready for Joseph; I wasn’t ready to share a simple friendship in equality with him. I can say today that my friend Joseph didn’t get from me what he needed, but certainly he gave me the lesson that I needed. Thank you Joseph. Luis Salazar February 2009
With Growing Number Of Foreclosures, Homeless Turning to Squatting
(Continued from page 1)
unoccupied dwelling that's not your property it's actually a misdemeanor under Florida law," said Richard Gray. But Rameau says neighbors have to worry about vandals and an eye sore at this home because a family of four squatters was evicted. "The places that they stay in end up being in much better condition," said Rameau. "For five months this has served for no good to anyone." 'Mary' says in this economy anyone can wind up in her shoes, like another woman she heard about. "She was an educator; people who know her in Cutler Ridge say this lady was very educated," said 'Mary.' I would tell people not to worry if you see someone move in a house. If they're clean, if they're quiet, if they look like they're respectful, give them a chance." Like most homeless agencies The Homeless Voice does not recommend that homeless people set up a new home in a foreclosed house. It is against the law and the homeless person will now have a new charge to their criminal history therefore making it harder for them to get a job in the future. We also cannot forget that most homeless people who get arrested for smaller crimes end up doing larger amounts of time in the jail based on them not having an address to get court notices and therefore do not show up for court and now getting a new warrant for their arrest. We understand that the man who was doing this only had good intentions but still we can't promote the homeless to trespass and to break the law. Copyright 2009 by NBC6.net.
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Volume XI, Issue 2
HOMELESS VOICE Homelessness Increases Among Female Veterans
Thank you for helping!
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or our Winter Campaign we only need to raise $827,000.00 and you know what? We can! Many of you buy our paper each and every month. If all of you sent in just an extra $25.00 in the month of March and April we will meet our goals. This is not unreachable but we need you to all reach out and tell your friends and relatives. Every dollar counts! Also, let’s all pray every day for a cure for Cancer and food for the poor. Each and every day please say a prayer and ask for a cure for all Cancer. Remember to send your checks to: Cosac Homeless Assistance Center, Inc P.O. Box 292-577 Davie, Florida 33329 Part of this campaign also includes paying off the homes we bought to house our families and elderly that come through the shelter. To pay off these two homes completely, we need the following: 254,747 people to save $1.00 worth of change and send it in to our address below. A good way to do this is to go right now to your couch and look under the pillows and see what you can find. Then hit your next door neighbor up and see what he finds as well. We need 50,949 people to send in their check for $5.00 to the address below. Together we will pay off these balances. Or, maybe 25,474 people can send in their $10.00 checks. So what can you do to get these 25,474 people to send in their $10.00 checks? We can ask every one we know to help! Another way is for 2,547 people to send in $100.00. Maybe you can do a car wash or a garage sale at your home. The best way to get these balances paid off is to go to your church and ask them to do a one time collection for Winter or even a penny drive. If there were 254 churches who each raised $1,000 we would make our goal. There is just one catch..... if your church members and pastor are going to invest in us than we want them here to see
Clothes donations are on hold for now. We are only Accepting underwear, socks and shoes. We don't want to take your donations unnecessarily. Thank you for your support! -HV staff
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HELP PAY OFF OUR HOMES We need just 12,300 people to send in a check for $20.00, Or 4,920 people to send in a check for $50.00, Or 2,460 people to send in a check for $100.00, Or 246 people to send in a check for $1,000, Or Just one wonderful person or business to send a check for the entire $246,000; We will name the house 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
where the money goes. We want you to meet the homeless and the formally homeless individuals who are now working for our shelter system as case workers, security, kitchen staff and housekeeping. The public has invested in our agency for over 12 years. All our buildings were paid for by you the people who donated to us and who continue to buy our paper. We want you to see what you own. This is your place as well as our place. Did you know that not only do you put a roof over a homeless persons head but you feed many hungry families who live on their own because they come to our food pantry and get food a few times a month at the Pete Clifford's Food Pantry? You can also call our office at any time and we can run your credit card for any amount you wish. This new thermometer is to show our progress in paying off these homes. -Sean Cononie
t looks like the rates of homelessness among female veterans are rising: Even including the 20 or so beds that would make up the new women’s home, Ms. Kiss described a grim calculus for female veterans. Ten years ago women represented 3 percent of homeless veterans, she said, compared with 5 percent now. About 180,000 female troops now serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of course, it’s still important to note that the vast majority of homeless veterans are male, and the number of homeless female veterans is rather disproportionately low compared to their numbers in the military overall. But the bad news is, firstly, that their numbers just may rise when they finally come home from Iraq and Afghanistan. And secondly, there are fewer services out there to cater to them: A FAR-REACHING network of private and public agencies serves homeless veterans in Connecticut, with group homes and caseworkers helping former military members live normally again. But that network now faces the fallout from a signal change in the nation’s military policy — namely, the shift to female combatants. The number of homeless female veterans is also growing, with fewer resources to help them. Earlier this month, though, an organization that runs two group homes for homeless male veterans in Bridgeport sought to build a similar facility in Norwalk for women. The organization, the Applied Behavioral Rehabilitation Institute, was outbid in its effort to buy city land for the project, but the leaders of the •
initiative said that if it did not happen in Norwalk, they would find someplace else. And Lord knows that unless Obama makes some incredibly significant changes, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs won’t be looking after them. The biographical information of one of the homeless women interviewed for the article also made me take pause, and consider that there might be a connection between the sexual violence epidemic in the military and female veteran homelessness. Seventy-six percent of homeless veterans experience drug, alcohol or mental health problems; and while combat on its own can certainly be enough to bring about these issues, we know that sexual violence is also an indicator for substance abuse, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Stop Military Rape’s statistics seem to back up my hunches further. Yes I do have a point, and it’s this: the rates of homelessness, not to mention substance abuse, trauma and other lasting impacts of combat, need to be dealt with across the board, for both men and women. But the solutions might not be the same across the board, because the causes may also be different. And in working out solutions to this problem — real, long-term solutions that go beyond the necessity of providing beds for people to sleep in — that needs to be taken into account. www.feministe.us
You can set up payroll deduction through your employer to support the COSAC Foundation s
Call for AD Space 954.924.3571
Are you ready for a pandemic? Visit us @ http://pandemicbirdflu.ws
Homeless Voice • •
Your company might even match your donation See your human resource or department manager
Art Auction at
Sean Anthony’s 1109 North Federal Highway Hollywood, FL 33020
April 18th 11 AM- 3 PM $10.00 Admission Refreshments Auction will include all original work by various local and national artists, as well as homeless artists. To donate your art to be auctioned or to split proceeds from your auctioned paintings please contact: 954-924-3571