God's Love Homeless Shelter

For a heartwarming story of someone who has been fortunate tirelesslyhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif and successfully helping those who are not fortunate read the story of God's Love Homeless Shelter in Helena, Montana. (Helena is not all that far from where our oldest daughter, Lizzie, was born in Hamilton, Montana many years ago. We loved Montana -- good country, God's country, good people, God's people.)

Thanks to Michael Lee McDonald for sharing this link on his Facebook page!

Homeless Man Learns He Is Rich

Here is some interesting news from national news services. In the event that readers of this blog may not have seen it in spite of the story have received national attention, I am repeating here. It is not every day that someone who has been living on the streets has a fortune that is reversed overnight although many are able to get off the streets through the help of relatives and kind strangers and their own efforts. Any success story, regardless of the source of the success, is worth trumpeting.

SALT LAKE CITY -- A private investigator says he has tracked down a homeless Utah man and delivered some good news: He's inherited a lot of money.

David Lundberg said he found Max Melitzer pushing a shopping cart filled with personal possessions in a Salt Lake City park Saturday afternoon.

Lundberg declined to disclose how much money Melitzer will be receiving, but said the man's brother who died of cancer last year left him a "significant" amount in his will.

"He'll no longer be living on the street or in abandoned storage sheds," he told The Associated Press. "He'll be able to have a normal life, and be able to have a home, provide for himself, and purchase clothing, food and health care."

The story about Lundberg's two-month search for Lundberg has been reported by the Deseret News and KSL of Salt Lake City.

Lundberg said he was hired by the family's New York law firm to locate Melitzer, and some family members plan to meet Melitzer next week in Salt Lake City. He declined to identify them.

Melitzer's family wishes to remain private, and lawyers are deferring questions to Lundberg.

The investigator said he broke the news to Melitzer while they were sitting on a bench at Pioneer Park. While Lundberg said he didn't tell Melitzer how much money he was inheriting, the man was excited.

"He's still in shock. This came out of nowhere," Lundberg said. "He's a really mellow guy in his 60s, very sweet and more articulate than I thought for a man in his position."
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Melitzer has been homeless for years and last had mail correspondence with his family in September. But when family members gave him a number to phone, he never called.

Don Hill, house manager at the Rescue Mission of Salt Lake, told Lundberg on Friday that he had seen Melitzer near the facility two days earlier.

Hill said he has known the homeless man for four years, and Melitzer stayed at places like the Rescue Mission when he's not roaming between Salt Lake City and Ogden.

"During the summer, I'd imagine, once in a while he'll stay out nights – outside," Hill told the Deseret News.

Earlier this month, a police officer found Melitzer sleeping in a car in an Ogden salvage yard.

Lundberg said Melitzer was taken Saturday to an undisclosed location in Salt Lake City and doesn't want to talk to the media right now. But Lundberg said he would talk to family members about possibly holding a news conference next week.

The investigator said he found Melitzer with the help of a tip. He received about 60 or 70 such calls after news about his search went out Friday.

"Someone called today (Saturday) and said they saw him at Pioneer Park. I thought it was another crazy tip, but sure enough, there he was," Lundberg said.

More on Pandhandling

This has been a week rich in good posts by various bloggers.

Among these is a beautiful post about a panhandler by Anne Bender (Panhandler) on her blog, Imprisoned in My Bones, which I have listed on my 100th Lamb site as a recommended blog. Her posts and thoughtful and touching. I recommend that you take the time to read Pandhandler, as well as the comment made there by Mary, who describes a remarkable homeless man.

Enjoy!

Invisible People

I would like to bring readers' attention to one of the blogs/websites that I list on my blogroll, whence came the picture above. (I am sure I will be forgiven for "borrowing it.") The site is called "Invisible People," and it accomplishes the intent of H2 Helper perfectly.

Each blog post focuses on an individual. Through a video, the individual is introduced to blog visitors. No longer is the individual just a face in the crowd. The individual is now a person with whom visitors can identify.

Poverty, whether it be felt through hunger or homelessness or both, is not without a face. However, it often is easier to drop a few coins into an outheld hand than to invite that person to share a meal. When we take in the former action, we fail to engage with the people whom we are helping. Our charity takes on an impersonal nature. When we take the latter action, we do engage with the people we are helping. Our charity not only takes on a personal nature, but the rewards are two-sided: the helper is rewarded along with the helped. Getting to know someone personally is always a reward, no matter who that person is.

People should not be invisible. The poor, the homeless, the hungry, the ill -- they are not all that different from those of us who have not had to carry these crosses. Looking the other way makes them seem invisible, but it does not make them invisible. They are real, and they deserve our respect and personal attention (and, if only for a brief time, our friendship). That thinking is what the Invisible People website hopes to catalyze by introducing real people to readers.

Stroll on over and meet some fine folks!

Homeless in America

I recently happened across a wonderfully informative blog called Homeless in America. I have added it to my blogroll and invite you to consider doing the same. Below is just one of the interesting posts that you can find there. This one came from October 10. Many thanks to Br. Gary for allowing me to re-post it here word for word. If you have any time at all, please click on the link to see more of the posts -- they are all inspiring, both in terms of what others have done or in terms of what we should consider doing. Now, here is that post:

"It’s a story nothing short of amazing. A handful of homeless men lifted a 2 ton Cadillac off a little girl who was pinned beneath it. One of the heroes is a New Mexico man (photo) who credits his tribal heritage for saving the girl’s life.

The man who helped save 9-year-old Robyn Rubio’s life is not only tearful, but humble when he talks about his act of bravery.

“I don’t want to be called a hero,” said Stanford Washburn.

Washburn, a person who has nothing, gave everything he had to rescue Robyn. He even credits his Navajo heritage with saving her life.

“I chanted for her, ‘Please don’t leave us, be with us, be well, be well.’ That’s my chant,” said Washburn.

Washburn calls Shiprock, N.M., his home, but right now he’s homeless. The rescue took place while he was drinking in an alley near the Las Vegas strip in Nevada when he saw a Cadillac hit Robyn head-on. Washburn and several other transients jumped up and ran to help, miraculously lifting the 5,000 pound car off of Robin’s tiny body.

“I know she was scared, I know she was real scared,” said Tina Rubio, Robyn’s mother. Her daughter had to undergo treatment many days in intensive care.

What Robyn will know one day is that a homeless man from New Mexico saved her life. But it’s likely he won’t be the one to tell her. He’s much too humble.

“I’m just one of you guys, a red-blooded human being,” said Washburn.

A spokesperson for the Las Vegas Police Department said he doubts the men could have picked up the car if a child had not been underneath it. They also said it shows how humans regardless of their circumstances react to saving a life."

- From Homeless in America

Rickshaw Wala

Amrita, of Yesu Garden, recently posted the following heartwarming story that is fully in keeping with the H2 Helper challenge. Here is the situation:

During the cold season a rickshaw wala sought shelter in our church porch. He is a street dweller and usually camps beside his rickshaw with his few possessions .His means of livelihood is ferrying passengers and earning a few rupees everyday. He eats at cheap roadside food stalls and uses public places to wash. One night someone stole his clothes and blanket an elderly couple in our neighbourhood had given him...

Read the rest of the story at Yesu Garden: Rickshaw Wala.

Homeless in Hunterdon

For the past year and a half, five high school students have worked with Interfaith Hospitality Network of Hunterdon County, Inc. to produce a film called “Homeless in Hunterdon.” This is a documentary film depicting the stories of 12 formerly homeless residents of Hunterdon County. This is a story of struggle and hope and compassion. All 12 families received shelter and services from Interfaith, which is the only homeless shelter for families and single women in Hunterdon County.

This extraordinary film, directed by Voorhees student Brandon Rowe, was premiered at the Voorhees High School in Glen Gardner on Saturday, June 5th, 2010 at 7 pm. This film was selected for the Queens International Film Festival in November, 2009. There were also musical performances by local artists and students. All 12 film participants were there for a question and answer session after the film. The Voorhees National Honor Society hosted the event for the evening.

For more information and a clip, click here.

I just happened across this story, found it fascinating, and wanted to share it. I hope you found it interesting, as well.

Stand Downs

Here is an interesting idea from the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans: a "stand down" for homeless vets (or for homeless people in general). From the coalition's website comes the following description:

The Stand Down for homeless veterans was modeled after the Stand Down concept used during the Vietnam War to provide a safe retreat for units returning from combat operations. At secure base camp areas, troops were able to take care of personal hygiene, get clean uniforms, enjoy warm meals, receive medical and dental care, mail and receive letters, and enjoy the camaraderie of friends in a safe environment. Stand Down afforded battle-weary soldiers the opportunity to renew their spirit, health and overall sense of well-being.

That is the purpose of the Stand Down for homeless veterans, and achieving those objectives requires a wide range of support services and time. The program is successful because it brings these services to one location, making them more accessible to homeless veterans.

Stand downs in May are taking place in Lakeland, Tucson, Minneapolis, Buffalo, Lansing, and San Luis Obispo. Here is the schedule for 2010 Stand Downs.

Let's spread the information!

National Conference on Ending Homelessness

The National Alliance to End Homeless is hosting a conference. The image above gives the most important details. Here are some more:

(1) Registration can be accomplished on line at the Alliance's website: click here.

(2) Events include pre-conference meetings, workshops, institutes, and keynote speakers.

(3) Unfortunately, at least for me, the registration fees are a bit steep: $450 for early registration and $700 for on-site registration. Scholarships are available, but they must be requested by May 21: click here for the link. In addition, volunteers receive free registration.

(4) Hotel accommodations for those who do not live in the DC area have been arranged at $205 a night.

It sounds like an interesting and useful way to spend three days!

Twitter Transforming Help for the Homeless

I recently came across an interesting post about someone twittering about a homeless situation and people stepping forward as a result to help. Here is an excerpt:

An LA mother and her nine-year old son have been homeless and living out of their van. Earlier this week, their van was towed by the city - along with all of their clothing and belongings. Horvath, who works during the day as an outreach worker for an LA-area shelter, tweeted the following message:

That message was received by several thousand followers. One person responded to Horvath's message, and offered to purchase clothing, food, and even a few toys for the family. Needless to say, the family was thrilled; the young mother said it was the first time she and her son had received new clothes in a very long time. Horvath documented much of the event on video, and has since blogged about the entire ordeal here.

You can read the whole post here: Will Twitter Transform Homeless Services in 2010?

This is not the first time I have read about a Twitter comment bringing out the best in people. It is good to know that social networking can be used effectively for something other than chatting. What a great idea it will become if everyone starts using it this way.

Readymade Packets for the Homeless

Jennifer Schmidt recently wrote a post for the (In)Courage site called The Hidden Face of Homelessness. I found her post so appealing that I would like to bring your attention to it. You can find the full post at (In)Courage: The Hidden Face of Homelessness.

What Ms. Schmidt is suggesting is so obvious but unlikely to have been thought of very many people. She prepares "care packages for the homeless" that she carries around with her and hands out when she happens to run into a homeless person. Here is what she suggests including in a care package:

1. Hand warmers, gloves
2. Snacks
3. Wet Wipes
4. Toothbrush/toothpaste
5. Water bottle
6. Mints/gum/cough drops
7. Kleenex
8. Chapstick
9. Note/bible verse
10. Pillar candles

This is something we can all do, both for those that we take to dinner and those we just occasionally run into. I will say "yes" to her question: "Will you join me [in carrying and giving out care packages]?" How about you?