Homeless and unemployed

This happened to my boyfriend. Ex boyfriend. I have a thing for bad boys that always gets me in trouble.

Mostly, they mooch off other people that they're close to instead of strangers. Borrow money from friends and pretend to be looking for a job. Stay at a friend's place. Play video games all day (on somebody else's gaming system). Incessantly call their girlfriend and try to get them to hang out with them every single day and then complain that they never see you (of course, if you're not doing anything with your life, it may feel like that, but other people who have lives, it gets very annoying).

Yeah, that's about it. They get very bored.

Oh and also it seems a general trend that people like this are into drugs. My ex did pot consistently and occasionally some more hardcore drugs without really worrying about the fact that he was spending the money he borrowed from other people to do it. People that are homeless and unemployed really have no concept of like, what stuff means to other people. They're generally very self-centered and can still even see themselves as coming out on top (because despite the fact they have no money and no job they still have friends they can mooch off and that makes them on top).

Last year, as many of you may remember, halfway through NaNo06 I disapeared off the contest and forums and was not heard of again for nearly 6 months later. Here's why:

We suffered a flood/fire that destroied everything and left us homeless. It also left my dad in a coma, leaving our family of 7 without an income. We lost our house, our cloths, everything. All we had left was what we were wearing when it happened.

We turned to family who due to regilgious convictions said that "god was punishing us" and they than refused to help us because they "would not get in the way of god's plan"; they continued by saying that "god intended man to be self-sufficiant", meaning that we had to help ourselves. sheesh. our friends (of the same religon) said the same. We went to the bishop for help, and was given this same answer yet again.

In the end, we stuck out Maine's 2006 record breaking sub-zero winter, by living for 8 months in a "tent" we built out of a tarp and some cinderblocks. We kept warm during the day by staying in the Main Mall from 9 AM to 10PM. We ate about 4 meals per week at the Salvation Army (they don't serve food every day). The rest of the days were spent in search of wood, leaves, and paper that we could burn at night to keep warm.

Thankfully, 2 months in, I was able to get a job at the Mall, and was able to afford to buy enough food so we could eat every day again.

Our time was spent mostly trying to find scraps of food to eat and anything we could burn to keep warm. Never once did we "panhandle" or "beg for money". Belive me, when you are starving and cold, money is the farthest thing from your mind. I know. All of your time is spent worrying how many days (not hours, but days) it'll be before your next meal, or worrying that the snow will collapse your tent while you are asleep.

Being homeless is very, very scary, you worry about not living to see tommorow more than anything else.

You learn to pick trash for food, and to pick up bottles and cans to turn in for money to buy food.

Also, you have to deal with a lot of stuck up snobby people throwing things at you (rocks and tin cans mostly), tearing your tent apart while you are away so that you have to keep rebuilding it, and wild animals attacking you at night. (fishers, martans, bobcat, and bear, in our case)

Also, you lose lots of weight (I lost 30 lbs) and you get used to walking miles and miles a day.

You learn that asking to take a shower at a friends house is taboo, and so must go month after month without washing... best you can do is to wash your face in the restroom of a store, but don't keep going to the same store or they'll call the police on you.

You also learn that not taking a shower well cause people to tease you, throw things at you, and go around saying bad things about you to every one.

You well feel unloved, unwanted, hated, and become deeply depressed. There well be nights when you lay awake staring at the blackness of the tarp above you and wishing tonights snowstorm will collapse it on you and smother you in your sleep so that you won't have to wake up and suffer another day in this world where humans you once called family and friend are now your worst enimeies and hate you, simplyy because you no longer have a house to live in.

An interesting thing is that during this time, my NaNo entry became my closet and dearest friend, with me spending every spare moment writing an averane of 3,000 - 7,000 words a day on scraps of paper, which carried with me in a totebag and later bound together in a notebook. Writing my NaNo book was my only happy moments during this time.

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity." - Albert Einstein"

Blimey, EelKat, I really hope things are going better for you now. Best wishes.

My story looks a bit pathetic by comparison, but here goes...

About seven years ago, I was technically homeless and jobless. I did actually have a place to stay; and this is not uncommon. (I now work with homeless young people and we describe a lot of them as 'sofa surfing'; not living on the streets, but shifting from one friend's house to another until they outstay their welcome.) I was sleeping on some cushions on the floor in the back room of a house where some friends lived. The house was full of slugs, and every morning I'd wake up to find slug trails criss-crossing the floor, getting closer and closer to my 'bed', until the inevitable day came when I found a slug on my pillow.

What I did during the day: sleep a lot. I would get so tired I'd have to have a nap in the afternoon. (I remember reading about an experiment where they locked people in rooms, fed them, and otherwise left them with nothing to do, to see what would happen, and they ended up sleeping for about 17 hours a day. I wasn't that bad, but it's exhausting having no structure to your day).

I used to try to find cheap things to do - going for long walks, for example. But then I'd get thirsty, and have a crisis about whether I could afford to spend 30p on a can of drink, becuase 30p was actually quite a significant chunk of my daily budget. I used to get a newspaper every day, and read it in detail from cover to cover, sometimes more than once; I decided I could justify paying for it if I spent that much time reading it. I used to go to the library a lot.

The interesting thing is that it's only in hindsight that I would recognise this as being homeless and unemployed; at the time I was in a sort of denial dream-state where it all seemed perfectly normal and I was going to sort it all out soon, really, I was.

Enireh, nothing like a sweeping generalisation is there?

We have a friend staying at our house at the moment, he doesn't drink or do drugs and he isn't working because he's disabled.

There was a program on BBC not too long ago called 'Filthy Rich and Homeless." Very eye-opening. The program makers took five very rich people, and put them on the streets with nothing but a sleeping bag and the clothes they stood up in. One of the guys tried to sell flowers on the street to make money but was moved on by the police every time he tried (no street sellers license). They discovered that you can't get a job without an address, you can't get a place to live without money. They met with homeless people who were doing it for real. One guy was living in a tent in the middle of scrubland, he too kept being moved on by police because he was camping illegally. Only one of the volunteers tried begging for money, he wasn't that successful and he was gutted that he was reduced to that.

During the day they caught up on sleep - it was warmer and safer than the night, they walked miles to the nearest soup kitchens, they spent their time in libraries and parks, trying to keep warm as the program took place in winter. They met up with other homeless people, and yes, they did drink but I didn't see any that were drunk; not enough money. One of the 'real' homeless people spent a lot of time in the pub, but I think that was more for the warmth and company rather than a desire to get drunk every night.

It was a very bleak situation, and not an easy one for someone to claw their way out of.

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Reality is a hallucination caused by sleep deprivation.

We turned to family who due to regilgious convictions said that "god was punishing us" and they than refused to help us because they "would not get in the way of god's plan"; they continued by saying that "god intended man to be self-sufficiant", meaning that we had to help ourselves.

Wow. I literally cannot conceive how a person would come to have an attitude like that.

Fortunately, I don't have any personal experience with being homeless. But a significant portion of the day could be spend panhandling, I would think. First you'd have to find a spot, then after so long the police would make you leave, so you'd have to go find another spot, etc, etc. Come to think of it, one of my coworkers had an uncle who made a lot of money panhandling in New York City because he knew where all the choice areas were.

Your MC could just wander the city, sightseeing or people watching. Or maybe he doesn't panhandle, but is a street performer of sorts.

---..---
I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of a witty signature block.

There is a local coffee shop where a couple homeless people come in during the day in the down hours and sit in the chair in the corner and sleep or read whatever someone left behind and drink just coffee (no frappawhosawhatis). (As long as no one complains and they aren't being jerks to the employees they are pretty much left alone, but bugging the employees is a really fast way to get kicked out of there.)

Many people who end up homeless end up pretty depressed and depression often leads to fatigue so sleeping a lot is not uncommon.

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Does not read and follow label directions.

I work at a public library and there is a homeless couple that come in almost every day. They get on the computers for a while, read the newspapers, magazines, etc., drink coffee. They are always very polite, very quiet but shy. They are dressed very neatly and are clean. I believe that they sleep at the local Salvation Army shelter, eat dinner are given clothing but they are not allowed to stay there during the day.

an*no*ta*tion
http://annotatedbooks.blogspot.com/

ellefire,

ur right, i realize that comes off as a terribly mean post. i didnt mean it that way. im just sore because things with him didnt end terribly well and because in his situation, he could have done much more. i actually do feel genuinely bad for the homeless people that most of the people here are describing. but i am confused because, aren't there shelters and such for people like this? i know that there are in nyc. it's not the most glamorous thing in the world, but it's a way to get back on ur feet. also, arent there other support programs? not to mention the money that im sure they raise at different functions (especially in new york).

with this in mind, i bet these would be at least some of the questions that ur MC would be asking and actively pursuing with their time. perhaps at first it would be a bit of denial as well and almost refusal to accept it.

also, kateel,

i really feel for you. i cannot believe that that was allowed to happen to u and im absolutely appalled by people who would look at religion in that way. it was my understanding that god put us all here on this earth to help each other. hope you're doing better.

Some ride the bus for much of the day. Get on, sleep until you reach the end of the line and the driver kicks you off; if you have the money for another, or had enough at the start for a transfer (good for four hours here), switch to the next or nearest bus. It's a cheap way to stay warm/cool during winter or high summer, and bus drivers usually don't kick people off unless they're being a nuisance to others or they're at a stop-over point.

It's not exactly an activity, but it'd present some interesting possibilities for interaction for your MC--get him moving all over town and bumping into all sorts of people.

There was a homeless woman around here a little while back (she died maybe a year ago) who we nicknamed the Lurking Luncher because she knew when all the church suppers were and when the gallery openings and recitals were at the university and you could always find her there. She would chat with people. I often saw her in the law building on campus, reading the paper and stuff, and when she died someone put up a memorial bulletin board there in her honor.

Sit down at a typewriter and open a vein, huh? NaNoWriMo: my annual hemorrhage.

Wow, what a cynical take on people based ona bad experience.

Is your unemployed/hoeless character staying in a shelter, or is he on the streets? Having been at one time homeless and unemployed, and later on a volunteer at the very shelter that took me in, This varies based on the person, not the situation. Your character, like those in reality, can spend his days hanging out at Labor Ready, a company that provides day to day work and pays cash at the end of the day. He can go hang out in the local library, perform tricks/music/other entertainment on the sidewalk for tips. he can hang out at the unemployment office, welfare office, town clerks office, etc. He can look for a job or just walk around town. Many people, particularly the older people, often stayed in the shelter.

Many shelters have a no-return policy, meaning that residents must vacate the premesis by a certain hour every morning, regardless of age or infirmity. You are only allowed to return to the shelter after a certain time in the evening, and that point you have to register fo ra bed. If you are late, you may miss out.

I hope this helps. You can also email me if you have any more questions.

Breathlessly,
Annje Davis-Walker
___________________________

Scripfrenzy '08 - Planning, "Unknown Variables"
NaNo '07 - Winner, Paying The Piper
NaNo '06 - Winner, A Softer Silence
http://Writing.Com/authors/worldweaver

I am a homeless shelter volunteer and I talk a lot with the women that I work with. In the town where I live, there is only one shelter that is open during the day (and it opened within the last few weeks or so, so I'm not sure how that will change things). The ones who don't have jobs spend much of their time in the library, as there is free heat, public restrooms, and lots of books to read. I could say more, but most of it seems to have been answered by everyone else. If you have any more questions, feel free to Nano mail me, though.

ScriptFrenzy 2008: Push
Nanowrimo 2007: Feral (won!)
Nanowrimo 2006: The Inhuman (won!)

In my story, one of my MCs is homeless(though this is in a old fantasy setting), was homeless for most of his life. He'd beg and try to scrouge up anything. then when he got older and angry, he started pickpocketing, but then he got caught... Jail only taught him to be sneakier and how to really use a knife... Of course, then he got back on the streets and no one would trust him because he had been to jail(in that universe, criminals were branded, like how in Europe, they'd brand people with the fleur-de-lis.)). So he pickpocketed more and refused to go back to just begging. He does just about anything to earn money.

2006 - 'The Heart of Argres" - FAILED - 8K
Fav. Quote- 'The sun tried to burn out my corneas." - Andrew

Character Quotes for 2007
"I hate pirates." - Aisu
"You're a long way from the mountains, dragon." - (Lady)Sir Kathryn

I used to work in an independant bookstore. There was a homeless woman who would come in every single day for about a month, pick a book, and sit at a table in the cafe and read it. It was cold out, and she was always polite and quiet and unitrusive. Sometimes the cafe staff would give her a coffee, if it was slow.

She stopped coming one day all of a sudden. I've always wondered what happened to her.

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"I need to get out of this tree with a serious badlyness."
--My NaNonovel, circa 2002

"Ha. Rock on! If penmage is bringing her laptop out, then those people in other cities are definitely in trouble!"
--fshk, circa NaNoWriMo 200

i used to volunteer at an inner city food bank. Lots of homeless clients there. Some missions have drop in coffee times, people hang out in the subway/pedway system, coffee shops and libraries. If there are free concerts or events, people go to those.

And just trying to get what they need from bureaucracies can take up most of a day. Hours at emergency at the hospital to get medcial care, then waiting to see a social worker or a housing counsellor or the food bank intake worker, or a mental health professional. Or a pastor. Sad to say, no one minds making poor people wait for help.

Kathy

"Done is better than perfect."

thanks everyone. the bus and library ideas are what I plan on using... and maybe the nice neighborhood bookstore. ;) I just didn't want him to be begging on street corners, not because he's too proud, but because he's too shy... he had run away at 14 and knew to keep his head down so as to not be picked up by social services/police, and is now 22. I want him to have settled into a routine so that he has become a bit of a wallflower that everyone sees, but no one notices. Anyway, thanks again!

The above post is for literary purposes only and is NOT LEGAL ADVICE, no matter how know-it-all I sound. ;)

Uh... in November? Write novels. *sigh* Yeah, it's not that bad yet. I have a house, but my job, now that's a more fluid concept. :)

Though, seriously, I think they would probably do a lot of sleeping and talking. I would talk to everyone.

Luckily, I have no personal experience with this, but I just wanted to add this little tidbit:

Here we have a "Homeless Magazine/Paper" that the homeless sell themselves. They buy them really cheaply and get to keep whatever money they make. As far as I know, it worksout quite well. They don't get rich or anything, or even make close to minimum wage, but they make some money ... and they earn it themselves, which is also rather important I can imagine. Keeping a sense of self-worth.
(As far as I know, London has a similar paper)

This is incredibly ... thorough. No, not long-winded at all, thorough!

You do sleep a lot, yes. I was homeless in a college town, which is the best place to be if one is homeless, it seems. I strongly suggest putting your character in one. I spent a lot of time sneaking into classes. At Yale, at least, you can sit in on a lecture without being noticed. If the professor notices you and asks why you're there, which is unlikely, say you're auditing the course. I don't even know what that means, but they say "Oh, okay," and leave you alone. You might have to butter the professor up a little, say "Yeah, I hear good things about you all the time and was looking forward to auditing a lecture or two," but that's all you'll have to do.

I also spent a lot of time in the admission-free museums and in the libraries, hung around in bookstores a lot. (Not a bad life, all things considered.) Writing on scraps of paper, yes. In the public libraries, and often in the college hallways, there would be piles of fliers or sign-up sheets for whatever. I would nick a couple dozen and write novel/short story bits on the back of them. Sometimes I'd take one, write a poem, and then bring it straight to the poetry readings in the ghetto. I don't know if the college kids ever held poetry readings, but frankly, I wasn't too interested in what a bunch of Yalies had to say.

If it's in a city like New Haven, where almost everybody is either wealthy and educated or very poor, your character will become highly attuned to the differences. I remember I wandered into Yale's Slavic Department because I wanted to meet a friend at the end of his class and needed a schedule. I asked the secretary for one and she asked, languidly, if I were a Yale student. I said no, and she looked up at me with this deer-in-the-headlights expression and, with total contempt in her voice, said "Well, who are you then?" Not "what do you need this information for" but [i]who[/i] are you, [i]who.[/i] As if I weren't a human being! I was seeing red for days.

Then there are issues with getting into the Yale libraries. I spent most of my time at one massive, dozen-story library full of every book I could possibly imagine, including thousands in my native Russian. I spent most of my time there, but it was hard getting in. They let civilians into the reading room, which is nothing but a few dictionaries and papers, but they won't let them touch the books. There are security guards posted at the entrance to the building and the entrance to the stacks that will enforce this rule. From the reading room, I found a side door I could use to sneak into the stacks, but then they started locking it and I couldn't jimmy it open.

Sometimes I was able to borrow the keycard of my lover, who looked vaguely like me in his ID photograph. Later, I stole one for myself. They don't usually scrutinize the photo ID. All you have to do is wave the card in their general direction with one's thumb strategically placed over the picture. (The photos are right-aligned, so hold the card by the side or upper corner and the thumb will naturally fall over the photograph. It doesn't look suspicious at all.) However, there are stickers noting the expiration date. Towards the end of the semesters, the guards will want to have the keycard in their hands to verify that you're still a student. That's when you'll want your identical friend. If your character is in a similar situation and has no identical friends, have him steal the ID of a member of the opposite sex. If asked, bashfully explain that he's on hormones. Somehow this works.

This will also help you get into the college dining halls. There's a security guard posted at the entrance to the kitchen, like at the library. But be careful with this, because they swipe the card so as to make sure you only have three meals a day. (Jerks.) Usually when someone's card is stolen, it'll be deactivated before too long. Better to borrow a friend's who can afford to have dinner out that night. If you're good at measuring character, sum the guard up. If they seem even remotely cowardly, you can bully your way in if they ask why you're not using your own ID. Fortunately, I'm Russian and have a +2 advantage for intimidating people old enough to remember the Cold War. If you don't walk around with a Dostoevsky under your arm and a fur hat on your head, simply eyeball the guard and say in your best menacing Eastern European accent, "Kohhmplicated raisons." If they ask again, say, very slowly, [i]"Kohhmplicated ... raaaaisons."[/i] This will get you in. However, this never works with women. (In homelessness, as in life, never try to intimidate a woman.) If the guard is female, look embarrassed, smile bashfully, and mumble something about taking the wrong IDs when we were getting dressed this morning. They'll think it's sweet and will let you in with a motherly, understanding smile, awash in the warm fuzzies of young love.

If you absolutely can't get ID to swipe, try to clandestinely slip into the dining hall while the guard is looking down at somebody's card and sit somewhere crowded. After a while, get up, and, making sure the guard is distracted, sneak into the kitchen's [i]exit[/i], where everyone is leaving with their full trays. The exit is not guarded. If they noticed you sitting in the crowd and see you enter by the exit, they may just assume you want to get dessert or a refill, etc. So, if at all possible nick somebody's half-eaten tray (for instance, ask somebody "Hey, I'm going over to the kitchen, want me to bring your tray back?") and bring it in with you. If not, go get a new tray, pile it up with food, and exit normally. Go back to where you were sitting and eat as quickly as humanly possible. This is tricky and a lot depends on the guard's timidity and lack of observational skills. You do get caught sometimes. But if they confront you, they'll just ask you to leave with a note of irritation, and all you have to do is repeat the process at another college's dining hall tomorrow, or at the same hall except with lunch instead of dinner, at which time there will be a different guard who doesn't recognize you.

I also liked poking around the colleges, especially the music college where I could hide near doors and listen to students practicing instruments and singing. But the college buildings are all protected by massive cast-iron gates, and you can't get past them without keycards. There are also keycard-locked doors that come up out of nowhere in the middle of the hallway, to prevent you from going further if you don't belong there, and also the entrances to the college libraries are locked. Fortunately, Yale students are naive and will let you in if you stand there passively waiting for someone to come by. Someone will come by within fifteen minutes, even if it's four A.M. on Christmas Eve in a snowstorm. I've done this hundreds of times and not once was I asked if I had any right to be there. But it's unnerving. After a while all you see are a series of interlocking gates. Once inside, though, there are common rooms with billiards tables and television sets, and pianos if you know how to play. I didn't spend a lot of time there because I'm not fond of TV, I have no musical training, and pool on your own gets boring. Still, Yale students don't know whether they're coming or going, so there are books and clothes lying around ripe for the taking, and you can pass out on the couches without suspicion if you make sure a scholarly-looking book like La Bruyere is somewhere near your person. Additionally, the bathrooms are never locked, and the students keep their toiletries right there in the bathroom, so you can take care of business and have long hot showers at your leisure. You won't want to get friendly with the students, though. You start to feel like you give off a stink wave of perceived inferiority, and you begin thinking that the entire upper class is secretly laughing at you.

Seriously, you want to start walking around with a sandwich board announcing your intellectual accomplishments. I speak several languages (English is my third), am an accomplished poet translator, a balletomane, an aesthete, and it's likely I know more about French and Russian literature than any professor in their respective literature departments. No exaggeration. I've read most of the Western canon and beyond. Of course, I also have an 8th grade education and no job experience, which seems to make me a fundamentally worthless human being.

I noticed that I spent a lot of time hanging out in stores that I would never in a million years need to buy anything from, such as camping goods stores ... not so much for the shelter but to have something new to look at, and to feel slightly purposeful. To exist in some sort of social context, the context of going into a store to buy something. The worst part of it is the sense of purposelessness and alienation. You go through life with no indication that tomorrow will be different from the next day.

The following is a rather unorthodox way to spend the day, but highly effective for the right character.

Dropping by big company functions or larger than large family reunions works. For some reason, most people are embarrassed to ask about a name at these shindigs and will grin like fools while scooping you up a portion of broasted chicken and tater salad. It isn't until that night when they crawl into bed that they begin questioning who you are. *Sally, who was that tall guy with the orange shirt? He kind of hung out by Suzie what's-her-toes and won the sack race contest. * ~Oh him, must have been Suzie's new boyfriend. I heard it's her fourth in the last six months. She's a little bit of a tramp. I mean you did see her outfit...~ Of course, by then it is too late. You're belly is full and you're still shaking sand out of your shorts from the rousing volleyball tournement.

I personally know two young men who perfomed this feat a number of times the summer they were homeless. Once they even helped set up for the day long event. Another time, they had a whole slew of women "remembering" them.

On the other hand, my cousin was homeless and unemployed on the streets of Seattle before she passed away from complications with alcohol at 35. I know that her life was not filled with volleyball games, but with drugs, prostitution and self-abuse. Like everything else, the experience is as diverse as individual personalities. My prayers to anyone in that situation.

~Lex

Having been homeless and jobless, and knowing lots of others who do, I can give you some idea. Also, it's different if you live in a rural area (like me) where there are no shelters. In New York State, that means you go to a hotel (because you can't live on the street in rural areas).

1) Going to the Library. Lots of homeless people do this to use the internet, and also just to see people
2) Going to twelve step meetings, like NA or AA. Some homeless people got that way due to alcohol, drug abuse (note I said some, not all)
3) Going to mandatory treatment at a drug treatment facility, mental health clinic, etc. In NY state, getting public assistance depends on this.
4) Searching for Jobs. Public assistance is often dependent on this, as well, unless you are classified disabled.
5) Going to food pantries.
6) Going to churches. (Sometimes just to see people, to go to worship services, to talk to ministers, etc.)
7) Hanging out at "clubs" for the homeless like the local "Federation for the Homeless"
8) Hanging out with friends
9) Going to thrift stores
10) If they live on the street, going anyplace warm in the winter and cool in the summer (so, malls, stores, etc.) Also, places where they can wash up (store bathrooms, and truck stop showers).
11) Going to free mobile clinics for health care and medications
12) Window shopping.
13) People watching.
14) Volunteering, especially at soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and, believe it or not, nursing homes

Hope that helps.

I recommend a book called Same Kind of Different As Me. It's a TRUE STORY told from two people's perspectives... a homeless man and a rich man who volunteered at the Union Gospel Mission. It's a fast read, and will give you some good insight. It's especially interesting to me because it takes place in Fort Worth and Dallas, where I live. It was just published recently, and the story itself is very recent as well...

JackieDoss
Today is a gift. That's why they call it "The Present."

Can anyone help out here, just wondering if the UK has hostels/flophouses & whatever they're called in the UK?
Yes, I know I'm from the UK, but I only know US information...
Thanks!

Yes of course the UK has hostels.

There are many different types-

-some are first come first served kind of shelters- you turn up at a certain time of the day and they let you in. You get a bed for the night (and in some places a hot meal) but they can only accomodate a certain number of people so everyone else is turned away. You might get a place one night but not the next, and there might be a small token fee.
- some allow you to stay for a few days and have advisors who can help you look for somewhere more permanent.
-some are refuges for people suffering domestic violence. People can stay here for longer because they are often fleeing from someone and need a place of safety. These are divided into homes that only accept single women, or single men, or people with kids and so on.
-some are semi-permanent residences in which everyone has their own small room and shares the other facilities.
-There are specific hostels for people with drug or alcohol problems with staff on hand to give support. Some help people with mental health issues who are fairly independent but not quite able to live completely alone. Yet more are places for people on bail/just released from prison to give them an address while they find work and get themselves back on track.

I would call it a homeless shelter if it is somewhere you stay one or two nights, a hostel if it is something a little more long term, or a refuge if it is for someone fleeing domestic violence

I saw a really awesome documentary called Dark Days. It's about a group of homeless people who lived in the subway tunnels in NYC.

The director was homeless himself for something like 5 years. He taught the homeless people he was doing the documentary on to use the cameras and stuff so they could help him shoot it. And they didn't get to see any of the footage the whole time it was being shot because he couldn't afford to send the raw film to the lab. It's incredible.

And they aren't the norm, because they had built these houses down in the tunnel. But you should watch it anyway. Lot of perspective about how people got there and how they get out. And it talks about what they do all day.

Patridge- if you don't want to be a part of this site anymore, then don't. No one is making you post. Cybele has already took you off the emailing list. There's no need to be nasty to people for doing research and if everyone only wrote about things they had first hand experience of whole genres such as sci fi, fantasy and historical fiction would not exist.

Thanks, The Why Bird. Good info :)

Thank goodness for all of the writers who write beyond what they know and create magical and wonderful worlds for us to read, to sink into, to escape what is real and what is known and let us, for a little while, experience the magic of what is not known.

Can you imagine if someone had said to Isaac Asimov, Michael Moorcock, or (a popular example) J.K. Rowling, "Write what you know"? We'd be without so many beautiful, wondrous tales then!

~~Dana~~
tri_cities_mi@nanowrimo.org

The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.--Robert Cormier

James Brausch recently started a series in his blog of what it was like for him to be homeless, and what he'd do differently this time around if he found himself in that situation again - mostly going to one place for lunch, another place for dinner, Narcotics Anonymous meetings, trying to find a place to spend the night, lots of time in the library, lots of praying… And good detail, too, like how many people could get into the shelter on any given night, the order people were served food, how the Catholics made better food than the Baptists, etc.
The posts on being homeless are password-protected but it's easy to get the pass, you have to sign up for his e-mail mailing list but you can unsubscribe as soon as you get the pass and will still be able to read the posts (i'd just give it here, but i'd feel kind of guilty, giving out the password to someone else's protected posts…)

And Patridge, i'm pretty sure accounts are deleted after a year of inactivity (read: not posting), even more sure that you can opt-out of the e-mails, and 100% sure that any decent e-mail client includes the ability to set rules to block and/or automatically delete any e-mails from a certain address. Why waste your time bugging other people when you can just click a "block" button?
Meh, ey're probably not going to come back to read this anyway.

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