What is the longest you have gone without taking a shower — three days, a week, a month? The very thought of going any length of time without taking a shower grosses out most of us.
Yet when I met with the homeless at a public park, where they are given a hot meal twice a week, and asked how I could help short of getting a house for them, they said their number one problem is getting a shower. There is nowhere in town for them to clean up.
After spending weeks on this problem and running into dead ends with the availability of public facilities or renting portable showers, etc., I finally came up with a solution.
Someone donated a very used motor home. The homeless and I are in the process of fixing it up, as many of them are good mechanics. We are at the point now that we need two front tires, a miniature washer-dryer, a microwave and a coffee maker, as well as hygiene items. I have run out of money after buying batteries and engine parts.
I want to bring together people who want to help the homeless in areas where they haven’t gotten help. I don’t want to create another formal organization — I want to bring people together who are simply willing to look for practical solutions. For example, there are six homeless people who need bikes in any condition. Can you help with finding bikes?
Larger issues are looming in the near future. With inclement weather upon us, a dry place to sleep is becoming urgent for the nearly 200 homeless in town.
Got any practical ideas? If you want to help find solutions, give me a call at home, 832-5715, or at my cell, 914-5242.
Better yet, last year an ex-council woman told us Jerry McNerney could help with the Alvarez site. Why can't Jerry help put a Veteran's Hospital at Alvarez. Is it because she's no longer in office?
What have you done for Tracy lately, Jerry?
Why do want to find another place to park? Did Julius Triana run you out of Perko's.
Why do want to find another place to park? Did Julius Triana run you out of Perko's.
Can we not park it at WalMart? Please.
This will not warm their heart and alchohol drugs is only a temporary fix for their prediciment.
I would just bring them a coffee and a hamburger. And they've always said, "may God bless you". That's all they know.
It's the drug dealers who are corrupting society.
A person who habitually makes the "wrong" choices is depraved (or corrupt).
Drug dealers don't go to the homeless to sell drugs, they go to people who are working and have a lot of money.
Corruption begins with greed are you greedy?
Most of your visable vagrancy (holding signs at walmart, fighting in front of mcdonalds and safeway etc) are in this catagory. They are not as much in need of a home as they are in need of care."
You forgot laziness.
Ian S.
It's good to see your still around. Have you finished you education or have you been doing other things? As for our homeless we have a moral responsibility to our homeless, as we do for our children.
Subject change:
As for the contaminated water I'm replacing my water heater today for the 3rd time in 6 years. Fifty years ago the sinks in my home had a bronze colored stain and smelt like boron.
The water hasn't changed it just cost more,and it is eating up water heaters imagine what it's doing to our stomachs.
You make my point for me. What does our society make it easy to do? In this case, it makes it easier to leave people homeless and filthy. You make valid points, in that we can't allow untreated waste to run out to the river or further contaminate the water table. But if public utilities present an obstacle to genuine, potentially effective community initiative, we must begin to think about alternatives to high-overhead centralized waste treatment systems. Before going any further on this topic, though, I too wonder if this motor home is actually meant to move. Carrying a greywater tank of uncertain integrity or a jury-rigged compost pile down Tracy Blvd. doesn't sound like such a hot idea. Hopefully Mr. Rotschild will show up and help us turn this into an effective community forum.
For those out there if you lost your job family and your home, you would be ready for a mental breakdown.
Be ready for the worst, a deficiency balance on your car and home, could be taken from any income you may have. Be ready for the flood.
No wonder those on the streets may have mental illness.
If you lost your job, home, family and friends and had no income other than a small pension check you would be a candidate for a mental illness.
Don't forget the law requires that in some cases, all income is garnished by banks in the case of a deficiency balances.
Plan for the worst and you may survive the coming flood.
There are two types of homeless people, there are the ones that we most often think of when we hear the word "homeless" thats the folks who lost their job or had a financial setback that caused them to lose their place.
Then you have the vast majority of people live on the street. These are made up of folks who have substance and alcohal problems and those with a mental illness.
Most of your visable vagrancy (holding signs at walmart, fighting in front of mcdonalds and safeway etc) are in this catagory. They are not as much in need of a home as they are in need of care.
Folks simply down on their luck need resources, housing, support, programs etc. While those on the street hustling for drug and liquor money need something all together different.
Here we go again. Mr. R. have you thought about where you will dump the waste water from the showers and toilets? What will you do with the garbage that is generated by the people? And where is the vehicle going to be parked while these activities are taking place. If you choose not to answer me Mr R. my assumption will be that you are going to hide them and dump the waste where ever you want and the garbage may or may not be dumped where the trailer stands. As you know that is illegal Have you gotten permission to do this. If I see you around the corner from my house where there is a vacant area I will recognize you and I will call the cops. Don't even think about storing it on your property while the homeless clean up. The water cannot run into the storm drains. You cannot hook water up to your home on a permanent bases. Who pays for the water? It seems to be a good idea but unless you can answer my questions adequacy then that is all it is is a good idea.