Monday, December 19, 2016

SN Homelessness

                             Homeless Blog

Being homeless is a tragic situation to be stuck in. You start off living happily in a sheltered, safe home, under a roof. Then in a heartbeat, I’m out on the street. Running out of clothes to wear, food to eat, money to spend, and a bed to sleep in.
You’d never expect it to happen to you, never you. You always thought you would be the one driving past the homeless person on the street, on your way to buy loads of things you don’t need. You can never really tell the difference between your wants and needs when you don't have the option to have either.
Friends and family! The two most important type of people you’ll ever know. You need them, their support, their love. It’s hard to get by without them. If you can’t tell why, just look at me on the corner of this street with a cardboard sign in my hands. I took my friends and family for granted.
That’s why i’m here, that's why they're important, and that's where I messed up.


I believe that the government should put consideration into building shelters where they have lots of beds for the unfortunate to sleep on, and a breakfast, lunch, and dinner for them to be healthy. Also to open more easy jobs for the homeless just to get back on their feet. Homeless people usually have no support by any family or friends. Making therapy classes just for the less fortunate, with no charge, should give them more confidence in themselves and put them in a better situation.

I hope the government takes these ideas into consideration to make canada a better and happier place!

  • Sheila .N.



KB Homelessness

I never thought I would end up homeless.
I graduated high school with top honours and got a college scholarship. I had a well-paying job, got married and started a family. I had what some might call a perfect life.
It wasn’t.
I worked an office job at a bank. It wasn’t the most exciting job I could hope for, but I enjoyed it. It paid well. What I didn’t know was that the bank was committing mass fraud. Four years after I started working there, the bank got found out and shut down, and my job was gone. To make matters worse, other banks didn’t trust anyone who worked at mine, because we were rumoured to all have been in on the fraud. No one would hire me.

At the same time,  my relationship with my husband was changing. We got into arguments more often. He told me it was my fault I didn’t have a job.  My youngest child came up to me and asked what “incompetent” meant.  She’d heard my husband call me that over the phone.  When I tried to talk to him that evening, he ignored me and left the house.  He came home two weeks later smelling of beer and cigarette smoke, and told me he was leaving.  Just like that, I was living out of only my savings account.

Life took a downward spiral: over the next few years I was barely able to pay the bills, started shopping at food banks, and later on very nearly starved myself in an attempt to feed my kids, who were going to school with no lunch in their backpacks.  I had to sell the house, but I couldn’t find a new one cheap enough to be able to pay for.  My kids went into foster care, and I packed up our hatchback with some extra clothes, a toothbrush, and all the non-perishables in my house.  It wasn’t a good situation, but it would keep my kids alive, and that was all I wanted.

I don’t care that I can barely pay the parking meter (3 months ago, my car broke down. I couldn’t afford to get it fixed, so I pushed it to the nearest spot I could park.  It was paid parking, but I didn’t want to lose the car, so I keep it there.)  I don’t care that I haven’t showered in weeks.  I’m doing this so I can see my kids again.  I haven’t talked to them face-to-face since the day the social services worker picked them up and drove them to their foster home.  I haven’t written a letter since my car broke down because now I can’t afford postage.  But I keep going.  I will do anything to see them again. I keep pushing.  

The government could help by erasing stigma, if it was able to.  One of the reasons I don’t have a job is because people think it’s my fault I’m jobless.  They won’t listen to the full story, not to mention that I’m considered untrustworthy because of the fraud.  An anti-stigma campaign would be nice, but it wouldn’t stop the ignorance completely.  Still, give it a try.

Another thing that you could do is pay those who’ve recently gotten a divorce )to pay for things like counselling, and to get you back on your feet when your partner’s paycheque is lost). I know it would help me a lot to have some extra money on hand.
Thank-you for your consideration.
K. Bateman

SB Homelessness

December, 3, 2016

I’ve been homeless for a little while now and I can honestly say it’s very difficult. Everyone thinks that if you sit on the side of a road or in front of a restaurant, somebody will feel bad and give you some money, No. A lot of people walk right past you and they just act like you aren’t there. Even sometimes they will pull their kids a little bit closer because there first thought is i’m going to try and steel their child. I’m a child too, a lot of the kids are the same age as me and almost the exact same as me in general, A 13 year old girl. The only difference is the other kids have a home to go too and lots of food and water to keep them well. I’m scared,hungry and I just wish that my life was different.

It’s been around 4 months since I’ve had a good meal, I am starving,dirty and I have no where to go when it gets cold outside. Put it this way, You are outside playing in the snow and you get cold. So you go inside and you put on some nice,warm and comphy clean clothes and your mom makes you some nice hot chocolate and you sit inside and enjoy it in the warmth. Well my life might just be the complete opposite. I have no coat or boots or a hat and no gloves. I’m cold all of the time and I have no mom to make me some hot chocolate.

My mom passed away around 5 months ago and I became homeless around 4 months ago. One day I was living in a beautiful home with both my mom and dad, My life was great. Then out of no where my mom had a heart attack while cleaning the kitchen. We rushed to the hospital, but it was too late. Alot of our money went to hospital bills and trying to save my mom but she passed away anyways. We had no clue what to do with ourselves.

We stayed inside for about a week then I cracked and my dad had a mental breakdown, I think you can guess what happend next. It happend so fast I couldn’t even actually process it. It’s like I blinked and then I was sitting in front of a restaurant asking for money just so I could have a decent meal. This is my life and I sure wish it wasn’t.

I think that the government could help the homeless by actually taking some time to think about how expensive everything is and if you have even one thing happen, it costs alot. If the governement knew how many people were homeless because of a loss of a family member or just how expensive things can be, I feel like there would be maybe a homeless shelter that you can stay in until you can get back up on your feet and start making changes. This shelter could be a temporary shelter for homeless people. You can’t stay there like it’s your own home, but you can stay there just to re-group and have a shelter.

Being homeless isn’t like they show in movies or TV shows. It’s completely different, but no one understands. If I could take away homelessness forever and I could make a change for the world, I would take that chance in less than a second. Till next time.


Skyllar. B

EB Homelessness

Émilie B

Busy, crammed days; fearful, frosty nights. Days, weeks, months... It all just blurs together for me.
Have you ever felt that bitter, November wind, biting at your cheeks as you watched your breath fog in front of your eyes? Remember that feeling of warmth, of safety, when you walked out of the cruel cold into a heated room? Now take that cherished feeling away.
That’s how it feels to be homeless.
I know, because I am.

Four years ago, at the age of twenty-five, one stupid choice led me to join the ranks of those who were evicted or kicked out of their homes, those who are unable to find a job or home themselves, and those who, no matter how hard they work, can never make enough to get off of the streets. I fall into the latter category. One poor decision was all it took for me to lose everything.

I have two part-time jobs that take up the dawn, sunlight and dusk portions of each day. When the shift of my second job ends, a clerk at a twenty-four hour convenience store, I pull off the key that hangs low on my neck to unlock the door of my five-year-old van, and drive to the fast-food restaurant part way across town, both my first job and my main source of food.

At this point of my life, my van is my home. I intend to accomplish much more in life.


A Few Suggestions For Future Employers:

  • Do not eliminate if the permanent address portion is not filled in.
  • Be willing to provide training workshops.
  • Perhaps you and other companies could set up a mutual “work bus”, one that would provide transportation between shelters and the workplace.
  • Do not discriminate between race, age and gender.
  • Provide the option to be paid daily in cash.



By providing us with the opportunity to add experience to our résumés, hopefully employers can overlook our homelessness and see us as contributing and valuable members of society.





LB Homelessness

Homeless Blog Post.     Liam B.  Thursday, Dec 1, 2016

My life is RUINED! Let me Explain, a couple months ago my mom got very sick and eventually the hospital bills became too much to keep up with, everyday I was Hungry because i had no money for food, and every day my mom's condition got even worse, her health diminished every day, and one day she passed away due to a heart attack causing loss of brain function, it became hard to live without my mom, but i pushed through it, until the bank came and evicted me,that is. Like “that” my life was gone, no food, clean water, bed, and worst of all no family to take me in, I now live on the streets, sleeping under old tarps and on broken uncomfortable benches. Nights are cold, and winter is like Death, Frostbite is so common in homelessness, the rate of death is higher because of hypothermia, summer on the other hand is by far the best part of the year, so many people outside to draw away attention so you won't be judge, and even more to give you a little bit of spare change for some food.

Being Homeless is like being a caveman, hear me out.. Caveman hunted for any and all food they could get, just like me, minus the killing, as well as the fact that we have no clothing that's clean, or anything to wash those clothes with, let alone wash ourselves, similar to how cave men only wore small amounts of clothing and likely didn't bathe often either, and yes i know we don't know exactly how they live, but we know enough to base things like that off of it, though it might sound stereotypical.

But i think the you could change the lives of us homeless, we could provide them with more than just soup kitchens, and spare change you found in your back pocket, give them some clean clothes, and a place to bathe, sleep, eat, so they could look like normal people, and with that go get jobs without being disconsidered because they are homeless. This could get them out of the loop! We can help all Homeless, including myself, we need to change our mindset, the government has more than enough to help pay the water bills for their showers, and money for clothes, the clothes do not have to be top of the line, buy them from Salvation Army or Value Village, it may sound like i'm proposing a lot, but it truly is not, it’s less than we deserve with the way the world has treated and cheated us time and time again.

Thanks for reading my post!

-Liam

JC Homelessness

Jonathan C

It’s hard being homeless. You have to struggle for food every day, try to find somewhere to sleep every night, and it’s just miserable. I’ll bet that a lot of you are thinking about how sad that is, then you’ll move on to do whatever it is you have to do. I’ll also bet that most of you have walked past a homeless person and either thought “Look, a homeless person. I wish somebody would help him.” then walked right by or “Look, a homeless person. He’s probably a crackhead.” or something along those lines. The first thought is wrong, because not all homeless people are ‘crackheads’. Some are good people who were put into a bad situation through no fault of their own. The second thought is just ironic, because you could have helped him yourself. And before you start making excuses think about it. We're humans too, not just some failures that can't do anything right

Put yourself in a homeless person's shoes. Imagine the amount of gratitude you would feel if someone gave you a little money to buy food, or even gave you a second  chance at life. That’s what I’m asking from you. Help change the lives of hundreds of homeless people. There are numerous donation sites around the world. Just a small donation will change hundreds of lives. If one million people give up $5, than you can make $5 000 000 and save tons of lives. Imagine the impact of 10 million people. Or maybe even 50 million people. It would make a giant difference.

AC Homelessness

Government Blog Post: Homelessness

I became homeless slow and sadly, can anything get better? Who knows. I had a home to go to a kitchen to cook in and a bed to sleep in. But now it's a crappy van, with a dog I bought with the little bit of money I have. In mornings the only warmth I have is my dog and blankets, thin blankets.

When I decide to get up I pack all of my belongings in a big black bag and leave, hoping nobody steals any of my belongings. When I leave I usually head to the nearest library to search the web for jobs and anything else I can think of to atleast give me some happiness.

When i'm done that I head to the corner that I usually sit at. In Toronto you think there is so many people you can make a lot, well not exactly. Most people look at me and walk away I only get maybe 2-20 dollars a day, the 20 is if i'm lucky enough.

When I get enough to eat at least something, I head to the nearest corner store. I usually get Mr. Noodles, but sometimes i treat myself with other things. But by not you are all probably asking, how does it feel to be homeless? Well by the looks of it, horrible. I say that it feels cold and lonely because I have nobody but my cat and the librarian and I have become good friends.

Also I think that the government could help us by maybe making a shelter area in cites for all of us homeless people to have some place to stay. What that could do is make all of us connect and do something like start a campaign or an awareness to get us off the streets and back to our daily hard working lives.

That really concludes my blog post, thank you all for reading it and feeling my pain.
-A. Cowen

FrF Homelessness

Blog Post draft 2           
To the Canadian Government

I hate it. Everyday we homeless people are suffering on the streets. We’re Tired of being referred to drunk addicts. Assumptions like that are the reason why most people like us are looked down, and hated by society, most people who end up on the streets like me, is mostly due to poor family, lost family member, injury, or other stuff. I’m saying that in order for us to get off the streets, I think some changes should be done.

We homeless people have come up with numerous ideas to help ourselves. One of those ideas is that you, as the government can  improve this by opening more homes for us, but also have jobs for us so we get paid, which can help, so once we get out on the streets again, we’ll be open to much more options than we used to have, including more food, clothes, shelter, and much more.                                            

I think this suggestion would be a good solution to our problem, because we were always living on the streets. We’d be struggling to sustain our life needs everyday, but with my suggestion, it solves most of our problems, so we can get back into our homes. With that, you will be a hero for a lot of us homeless people, so then people like me will be able to rebuild our lives.

Please take this into consideration.

 Fred F.

FaF Homelessness

December 17, 2016

Imagine yourself as a 19 year old, homeless. 19, being an age where it was only a year after you graduated high school and were going to go to college or university. Imagine yourself, walking down streets, getting looks from strangers that think you’re trouble, so they divert their gaze away. Ever since I was 16, my father passed away due to stage 3 cancer, my mother stopped working for a bit so we were struggling to feed ourselves. My mother was starting to get sick because she refused to eat. Everyday she apologized for not taking care of me. But by the time I tried to earn a little money she got very sick and we couldn’t pay the hospital fees so I tried to get my mother better, the best as I can. But one day, I went home after school to check up on my mother and she was more sick than usual. It was only moments before she passed away.

I went into foster care and it was a very tough time for me. It was difficult to get along with the other kids around my age and at school my foster siblings acted like they didn't know me and told other kids I lost my parents. That’s when I decided to run away shortly after I turned 17, which wasn't the legal age for me to live by myself. I never really thought of what I was going to do and where I was going to go after I ran away. I still remember the day where it was late at night, and I packed my bags with the money I have earned while I was in foster care, and left without a word. For a while it went well as it could for someone who ran away with nowhere to go. I was staying at a motel for the mean time, until I got a good job. I got a job at a gas station, but there were too many robberies and theft that occurred so I couldn't stay there for my safety. After that, it was really hard to get a job, because when I submit my resumé, there isn't anything I can put as a personal skill as I never had the time during foster care to work on my personal skills other than going to school.

I had to stop living in the motel because I was running out of money. I settled down on a park bench at night and slept there just for a while, and that's when I slept there night after night. Most of the time, I would be at the library reading and on the internet looking for jobs. Now for food wise, feeding myself was even harder. I tried to save up as much money as I can because the food was very expensive these days, and I couldn't buy myself a proper meal. All of my belongings were in my backpack that I had since the first day I ran away. It wasn't big enough to fit all my stuff in there so I kept half of my stuff in a plastic bag and carried that around with me too.

I always think that someday I'll be able to get off the streets again and be working and go to university and become the doctor that I always wanted to be. But of course, it's very hard to do it by myself and I need the support of other people to help me.

Now since the government is willing to let us speak about how they can make the situation better, I would like to say that there should always be somewhere where we could go if we are struggling financially or we don't have a place to sleep and homeless. They could also initiate homeless connect events, where homeless people can go and get free food and win money and get free pairs of clothing. There's many more ways for the government to help, but those are the ideas I have.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak out.

Fatima F

HF Homelessness

My blog post

How does being homeless make you feel?

Homelessness is the most stressful upsetting and embarrassing feeling while being only 13 in the 8th grade. This morning I woke up to the sound of crying rather than the sound of my alarm clock and on a bench rather than my comfy and cozy bed from the house we just lost. The crying I was hearing came from my mom. She was crying over the loss of my dad and her job (which she had lost because she missed too much work while grieving.) She was also crying because she felt sorry for me which made me feel bad because I know she’s trying her best and the hardest she can to put on a brave face for me as I’m trying to do the same for her even though sometimes it can be hard.

Going to school practically sucks knowing I’m leaving my mom alone while she struggles to find a job. I keep trying to tell myself she’ll be okay everything will be fine. Even though deep down  I know it’s not. My friends have been wondering why I’ve been ignoring their invites over and why I haven’t invited them over myself. “Come on we haven’t hung out in FOREVER!” They say but I’m just too nervous and upset to admit anything to them yet. Even though I trust them I’m just not ready to tell anyone yet. I’ll tell them when the time is right but for now, I am afraid.

How could we improve the homelessness problem?

I had a thought on something that could improve the homelessness problem and I thought we could have a day called Homelessness Awareness Day! On Homelessness Awareness Day, a small amount of profits from certain stores will go towards homelessness. Or there will be places where you can donate things that could be useful for a homeless person that you don’t use anymore! I think this could be something really fun to do once a month and a very kind gesture to participate for the 10% of Canadians who have to suffer this horrible situation. I hope you take the time to consider my idea because it would mean the WORLD to my mom and I. We really want to make this dream a reality and get back on our feet as soon as we can!

Thank you,
Holly F

     

KV Homelessness

Blog Post-Kaden V.

Being homeless isn’t easy, no food, no shelter, no warm place to sleep, nobody to talk to. My life used to be so much better. When I was hungry I’d simply go in my fridge and i’d have a large selection of f0od. Now it’s different, every penny I have is valuable. Back then I had a nice brand new king sized bed to sleep on, now my bed is under a tree. Not very comfortable, not very safe or warm.

I used to have a good job making enough money to buy a house, have food to eat and a safe place to sleep. Now everything has changed. Now that I live on the side of the street I was fired from my job and I don’t have enough money to pay for a house, a car (etc…) They needed to let go some people and because I am homeless i was the obvious choice.

I have thought of ways I can make my situation better, by going to the food bank to get some healthy nutritious good things to eat so I can stay healthy. As far as having a place to sleep, I could go to a homeless shelter and have a warm bed to sleep in or I can play guitar at a public place/building and collect tips. Eventually I hope to accumulate enough money to buy a house.

JJ Homelessness

Homeless Blog
Jessica J. 8M

Hello,
I am writing this post to you because I think that homelessness is a huge problem in the world. There are many homeless people in the world now a days. People get judged everyday on their appearance, where they live, their financial situation and many more awful things. I get very upset when I hear that things like this happen because I myself am homeless.

I think that there are two ways people can get judged as being homeless. The first one is that mainly people’s first thoughts on homeless people are that they are not actually homeless and they can go out and get a job, but in some cases people can't get a job due to physical issues or something personal. The second one is related to the first one but it is that they're on drugs or they're a alcoholic. Sometimes these are the cases but there are also times where this isn't the case. Therefore we shouldn't judge others.

I am going to tell you my story, I was brought up in a family of four. There was my mom, my dad and my brother. We were never rich, but I wouldn't consider us poor. We were just the middle income. Everything was going great for me in life, I went to university to be a professor. I never had the opportunity to be a professeur so, until a job opened up I worked at a local starbucks and at this point I was living with my mom and dad in Miami. We had just moved there the past summer. My mom had always had heart problems and not even within two months of living in Miami she had passed away. It was very difficult for our family. I would say it was the hardest of all for my dad. Three months after my mom passed away, my dad passed away. To make a long story short, I ended up on the streets homeless because I had nowhere to live because my parents house got sold. I had nowhere to go.
To help make the situation better, we as a community can maybe create a shelter for specifically homeless people. I also think that another thing to make it better would be too maybe make a rule that you can’t give people money anymore. For example, if there was a homeless person on the side of a road that your passing, you are only aloud to give them items such as, food, drinks, blankets, clothing, a pillow..etc. No money! I think this because there are certain people that go out and spend that money on either drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol. They are putting on there signs usually “ANYTHING HELPS!”, therefore money could help but most likely they are going and spend it on unnecessary stuff.   You could even ask them, “besides money, what could you use?”


Hope you take some of these ideas into consideration:)
Thanks!
Jessica J.

TK Homelessness

Blog Post
Turner K - 8M

Hello Canada, I have been homeless for eleven months now and my life has changed drastically. Ever since my mom died, I haven’t been the same. Now I feel lonely, lost and unaccepted by society.

I sleep on a park bench, trying to stay warm at night. I keep all of my items in bags on the side of my bike handlebars hoping my belongings don’t get stolen. I barely have enough money to buy food and water.

I need support, I can’t get off the streets alone. I also need to be offered hope and kindness. The next time that you see a homeless person or family, help them, don’t ignore them.

This blog has helped me reconnect with people. I lost my home, personal items, money, electronics and car. I haven't spoke with my family in what has felt like forever.

I think that Canada needs to teach our youth about homelessness. The way our world looks at homeless community is that we are lasy and fugitives of the law. That is very untrue. What our nation doesn’t know is that the very next day their life could change.

I believe that Canada's government should upgrade our social services. This would help the homeless population a lot. Upgrading these services will give people the chance to overcome mental health and get back on their feet.

I hope that Canada will take my ideas into consideration to make our country a better place.   


 

 

AK

Blog Post!
Abygale K.

How do you sleep at night in your big, fancy, warm, soft beds knowing that there are people out there, like my family and I, on the streets, sleeping on old newspapers in an abandoned alleyway, struggling to keep warm, homeless. Walking to the public library every day because it has computers that we can use to search for jobs, heat so we can stay warm, and books because we need some form of education and education is not cheap! Not just our family, but 10% of Canada! It’s not fair that you all live a luxury style life in warmth and with proper meals, and we get your scraps. How do you justify that! I get it, life isn’t fair. But can’t we at least try to make it at least so all of our basic needs are fulfilled? Not just the homeless, but everyone else in the world. Just try please.

Here are some of my suggestions to change the homeless to homefull.. For one, be aware that about 10% of Canada is homeless and too few of you actually do something to help fix the problem. Second, maybe take a walk in the less fortunate parts of your town. You might see some people who are homeless there. You might even see me! When you see someone who’s homeless, give them kindness, maybe some food or money. Every bit counts. Spread the message, so people know the world isn’t perfect, and that they can do something to help.

NL Homelessness



Becoming homeless is the worst thing that has happened to me. It’s amazing that your entire life could change with the blink of an eye. Before this, my life was perfect. My income rate was humongous, I had a wonderful house, and a reliable car. For the longest time, I thought that I was king of the world. Then, one false move at work, then my world came crashing down. I lost everything. The only things I got to keep were the clothes I had on me. After being exiled by society for not meeting their standards, I call a metal bench in front of the local Walmart my home.

One emotion has haunted me: Fear. I live every day in fear. Fear of what will happen to me next, or whether or not I will be able to survive day after day out on the streets. Without basic necessities, the only way I could even have the chance to get back to “Middle Class Standards”, but there is no way I can do it alone. I need some help.

While there are many ways that the government could help out the homeless, I’m only going to list a few.The first is being aware of how many homeless people there actually are. Understanding is also a key factor, as well as being sympathetic and less judgmental towards them. Lastly, we need to provide them with basic needs, such as food, water, heat and maybe even shelter. It doesn’t have to be much, just hand them whatever you have. Who knows? It could help them out a ton. Because in the end, homeless people are everyday people, just like us. So, who are we to deny them what they don’t have?   

-Nathan.L

CM Homelessness

Fellow Canadians,

Tragically, my wife died in a car accident four years ago and ever since I have been suffering from depression. I tried to hide from my sadness through alcohol, and it worked until my children were taken away from me and placed in a foster home to protect them from my drinking. This added to my depression and soon I was not able to work or function. You see, I was fired from my previous job and shortly afterwards I lost my house to the bank, as I could no longer afford to pay my bills.

Unfortunately, I have no friends in this area that I could call to help me out of my situation. While my friends are sympathetic, they do not understand my pain and sorrow. Most nights, I sleep on a park bench doing whatever I can to stay warm through my misery. My few blankets are not near warm enough to help me get a decent sleep, and every morning I wake up feeling horrible from sleeping curled up in attempting to stay warm.

I have very few personal belongings, but those possessions I do have include a few blankets, a scarf, a hat and my favourite family photo. This photo gives me some joy and hope when I look at the smiles of my wife and children, remembering better days. I imagine I am in a better place with everyone in my arms. We are so happy, but when I open my eyes I remember it is all just a dream. It is usually at that time I wake up off my park bench and pack everything back into my rusty, old shopping cart and get on with my day.

I do not think at this point I can get off the streets without some assistance. Because of my living arrangements on the streets, employers do not want to hire me. I will admit my appearance and clothing has seen better days. I never thought I would ever have to carry a sign begging for job opportunities on corners to help provide some of my basic needs. You see, I used to own a successful business, until I lost everything as a result of my depression and alcohol use.  

If I could ask for one thing of my fellow Canadians, I would ask that you please do not judge me and others for living out of a shopping cart and sleeping on park benches. I was happy, successful and had the perfect family. I cry everyday at the loss of my family. Now that I find myself in this situation, I would ask for more assistance for the homelessness situation here in our community. I would also ask that you show compassion to those like myself and realize how quickly you can lose everything you love in a moment of time.  
  
Connor M.

HM Homelessness

Blog Post
 I used to live with my boyfriend in a big house. I was a lawyer therefore I had a good amount of money. When my boyfriend and I broke up I was devastated. I stopped showing up to work and ended up getting fired. Therefore missing payments on my new apartment and I kicked out.

 I had moved to the city to live with my boyfriend after getting transferred to an office here. With moving, I had no family in the city and no way to contact them, so I ended up on the streets. I’m now sleeping on park benches or in the homeless shelter.

 Also as far as personal belongings goes, I don’t have much. Most of the stuff in the house belonged to my boyfriend, and most of the stuff in the apartment belonged to the building. The few things I did have, I sold mostly everything. I tend to stick around coffee shops and busy areas and ask people for spare change.

We all know a few of the basic needs everyone should have. These would include, Food, Shelter, and Showers.

Cities tend to only have one small building for the homeless and that’s not enough. Also in my opinion there should be an apartment building for the homeless where they can stay for two to three weeks, there would be hot showers and a little bit of food provided by the government.

Another thing that would be amazing is if soup kitchens were open around three to four days a week. Normally they are only open once a week. With being homeless you don’t have much money maybe a few quarters and nickels you find on the ground. But that’s not enough to buy anything. You don’t get to eat very often, that’s why I think soup kitchens should be open more.

 -H. MOreau