 Source: Huffington post
By Robbie Couch Ignorance regarding the root causes of homelessness have led many communities across the U.S. to restrict food-sharing around town, a new report claims. In all, 31 American cities have tried various methods of discouraging or prohibiting individuals or organizations from sharing food with their homeless populations since January 2013, according to a survey released on Monday by the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH). Of those cities, 21 have been successful through legislative measures, such as restricting the use of public property and implementing stringent food safety regulations that affect some organizations' abilities to feed the hungry. The report points to several "myths" that seemingly justify such restrictions -- namely, the idea that feeding the homeless enables them to continue living at the bottom of the economic ladder. Read the entire story here.
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Source: Daily Mail
By Simon Parry In Manila, The Philippines, For Mailonline Street children as young as five are being caged in brutal detention centres alongside adult criminals in a cynical drive to smarten up the Philippines capital ahead of a visit by Pope Francis this week. Hundreds of boys and girls have been rounded up from doorways and roadsides by police and officials and put behind bars in recent weeks to make the poverty-racked city more presentable when Pope Francis arrives tomorrow, a MailOnline investigation has found. In a blatant abuse of the country's own child protection laws, the terrified children are locked up in filthy detention centres where they sleep on concrete floors and where many of them are beaten or abused by older inmates and adult prisoners and, in some cases, starved and chained to pillars. Six million people are expected to attend an open air mass conducted by Pope Francis in Manila's Rizal Park on Sunday, which will watched by a global TV audience and officials appear determined to ensure that urchins are hidden from view. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2906730/EXCLUSIVE-Children-CAGED-God-Police-seize-orphans-chain-filth-clear-streets-Pope-s-visit-Philippines.html#ixzz3PNhasumF
Source: ABC News
By: CHRISTOPHER DONATO Every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. for the past 23 years, 90–year-old Arnold Abbott has been feeding the homeless at a public beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. On October 21, the City of Fort Lauderdale Commission passed an ordinance that banned public food sharing -- something that went into effect last week. Under the ordinance, organizations distributing food outdoors would have to provide portable toilets for use by workers and those being fed. "We hope he feeds. He has a very valuable role in the community,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler. "All we're saying is he can feed the next block over. He can feed at the church. We want them to be in safe secure settings. We wanted them to be in a sanitary matter. We them to have facilities available before and after." On November 2, just days after the ordinance took effect, Abbott had handed out his third meal of the day when he was approached by police officers. He was cited for breaking the ordinance and given a notice that he must appear in court. "One of the police officers said, 'Drop that plate right now,' as if I were carrying a weapon,"Abbott told ABC affiliate WPLG.  Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Author: Amy McConnell Schaarsmith A record number of public school students have become homeless in Pennsylvania and the nation, putting more than 1.1 million children at increased risk of falling behind, dropping out and ultimately joining either the criminal justice system or the welfare system, according to education officials and advocates for the homeless. In Pennsylvania, the number of homeless K-12 students increased to 19,905 in 2012 from 18,531 the previous year, an increase of 7 percent, according to data released recently by the U.S. Department of Education. In the nation, the number of homeless students increased to 1,168,354 from 1,065,794, an increase of 10 percent, with 43 states reporting increases from the previous year and 10 states reporting increases of 20 percent or more, the department reported.  Source: CBS NY
NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) — New York City’s hunger problem is now a crisis, according to those who work with people who need help. One in six New Yorkers is now living in a home where there is not enough money to put food on the table, according to the New York City Coalition Against Hunger. “It’s been steadily increasing,” Juan De La Cruz, the food program director for the coalition, told the Times. “There will be nights when we run short of food.” The New York Times reported, that the group saw the demand at food pantries increase 10 percent in 2013. Executive Director Joel Berg said that people were already struggling in the tough economy when their food stamps were reduced last fall. The Coalition For The Homeless provides meals for 1,200 people every night. Summer is its busiest time.  Source: Americans Against The Tea Party
Homelessness is hardly an invisible problem in the United States, but some cities wish that it were — and as a result, are moving to ban feeding the homeless. Thirty-three cities have already implemented these policies according to the National Coalition for the Homeless, and at least four municipalities — Daytona Beach, Florida; Raleigh, N.C.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; and Birmingham, Alabama — have recently fined, removed, or threatened prison time against individuals and private groups that have fed the homeless. Director of community organizing for the National Coalition for the Homeless, Michael Stoops, said that he wished cities would stop trying to ban the charitable acts: “Homeless people are visible in downtown America. And cities think by cutting off the food source it will make the homeless go away. It doesn’t, of course,” Stoops said, “We want to get cities to quit doing this. We support the right of all people to share food.”  Source: The Telegraph
Author: Anna Roberts Metal spikes have been installed outside a block of luxury flats in London to deter homeless people from sleeping there. But the installation of the studs has provoked criticism from some after a picture was uploaded to Twitter, the social networking site. Users said the use of the studs meant homeless people were being treated the same way as pigeons, as similar metal spikes are used to deter them.  The Huffington Post | by Eleanor Goldberg
To the unfamiliar passerby, Dobri Dobrev, 99, may come off as a haggard beggar who depends on the kindness of strangers to get by in life. But, for the residents of Sofia, Bulgaria, Dobrev is nothing of the sort. Rather, the area’s fixture has been called a "saint" and a "divine stranger," according to a website dedicated to Dobrev. Dobrev lost most of his hearing during World War II, according to Yahoo News Canada. He lives more than 15 miles outside of Sofia, a distance he used to trek by foot, but he now relies on the bus, according to SaintDobry.com. He spends his days asking people for money, but he doesn’t keep a cent.  Original Article: Buzz Post
If you're wondering how you can help the homeless with more than just a few dollars or some leftovers, YouTube userynotjf and his wife have done your homework for you. In this informative video, they talk about assembling affordable backpack kits for the homeless. It's a clear and practical guide on how to give lasting aid to the less fortunate during winter. The kits can include winter accessories, toiletries and non-perishable food, all of which can be bought in thrift shops and dollar stores. Each kit comes to $20 or less, making it a solution nearly every budget can accommodate. Watch and spread the word about this meaningful solution by clicking SHARE. Watch the VIDEO after the break.................................. |
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