Follow Up on Jimmy
May 5, 2008Posted in: 0 Comments
I had so connected emotionally with Jimmy that I was moved to leave my Saturday morning commitment for an hour to go downtown to see Jimmy, to share his success.
Jimmy did not show up.
Someone said “Jimmy gets his check and goes out and ‘do what he do’.”
We will be there for him the next 100 Saturdays…..
That is how and why we roll…..
Why we roll….
April 29, 2008Posted in: 2 Comments
Why?
One of the more frequent questions I get from those not involved with the homeless is “Why”?
As in why do I do this?
Every time I get asked, I tell them it’s not I, it is WE! I am only one of the more visible volunteers, visible servants of a very large network of volunteers (numbering 300 or more right now including a good share of homeless and formerly homeless) who are committed to be 1 that Matters to those that Matter.
Because we are not government controlled or funded, we can actually do stuff, even do it FAST!
For example, since our Town Hall meeting WITH the homeless in January we have started 1Mentors, 1Works, rejuvenated Project Black Bag which gets the homeless 24/7 access to health care, got the Mental Health system to try to figure a way to get access to meds with the establishment of a 24-hour pharmacy, got the Source job center to create “guides” to help those with less capacity get connected, got our 211 to consider funding a voicemail and address system as Cleveland has done, and more.
Probably the biggest and most beneficial result for the homeless from our 1Matters Saturday morning meetings was getting United Way to use their Refer7 system to deliver personalized availability and access points for programs to the homeless individually. In other words, 1 at a time. 1Matters.
Not bad for a bunch of volunteers on Saturday mornings eh? (I often think of what we could do if 1Matters had the money for staff.)
Why do we do this? It is simple.
People are dying out here! Period! Physically, emotionally, and spiritually dying.
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100 to 1 Odds, it’s the 1 that Matters
April 21, 2008Posted in: 0 Comments
ADVERTISEMENT – The comedy benefit “1Night to Matter” is May 15th at Connxtions Comedy club. An exceptional line up is being put together including the perfectly funny and spectacular headliner, Melanie Maloy. There are only 250 tickets. Tix are $20 in advance, VIP tix are $100 (Reserved seating and some special stuff), and VVVIP tix are $500. (Reserved seating, some special stuff, and some more “specialer” stuff) If we sell 5 of the VVVIP tix then I WON’T do my act in a speedo. Those are the advance prices, all tickets will be $17,564.00 at the door. – End Shameless Plug
Poverty Sux
Think about it, not having enough jack to cop some food for the kids because there aren’t enough dollars in the month because the gas man, the utility man and the landlord need their share FIRST!!!, is one of the worst places any parent can ever be, not to mention the malnourished child. Now add homelessness for that child because the parent got laid off. In fact many of us are but 1 paycheck away from becoming homeless.
Poverty sux!
The mayor had a meeting Wednesday dealing with poverty in the city/region. There was this pretty cool group of people assembled and there will be additional brainstorming sessions in two weeks, but a couple really good things happened from our work with the homeless:
1) We shared the pretty remarkable results we have had as a result of our town hall meeting with the customer, the homeless: 1Mentors, Project Black Bag, Refer7, 1Works and the Navigators at the Source and more. It was agreed this will be the model we look at using to attack this issue — ask the customer. And then talk to the institution and help them devise and implement a solution.
2) Everyone in the room recognized the relevance of our laser like focus of 1 at a time, to be 1 that Matters to those that matter. We all realized that every single person ever helped in any of our systems (social service, penal, government, schools, libraries, labor, etc) was helped not as a group, but 1 at a time. We cannot end poverty, but we CAN end poverty for 1 person at a time depending on what the customer needs, not what we think he needs.
How many we help depends on how good and efficient we get at helping that 1 at a time.
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1Matters Saturday Morning Meeting….
April 10, 2008Posted in: 0 Comments
This Saturday morning, 8 am, Cherry Street. Topics will continue the advancement of existing topics, as well as further the jobs/interviewing/resume issues.
As a heads up, the next meeting will be moved to Saturday May 3rd due to the fact it is delivery day for the inaugural Cedar Creek Angel Food Ministries.
GRRRRRRRRRRRR…..
After a second email, still have heard nothing from TLC, other than the fact the Chair, Louis Escobar had scheduled an emergency meeting that got canceled at the last minute to “deal with the Mayors’ appointment” issue.
Rather than accept it and try to work together, Louis chooses to try to fight it. That is his choice. And as the majority of the TLC board has done nothing to change this behavior or his leadership, it endorses this course of action. I do know there are several, albeit a minority who through both their words and their actions have told me they support most of the initiatives we are driving. (They come to this blog to find out what is really going on, no one tells them.)
I have civilly extended olive branches that I feel have been rejected by the current leadership.
As I said before TLC is on a path that is a dead end road come December when the money runs out. If it can’t be saved, my hope is what ever momentum that can be built before then (if any at all), will carry over to the succeeding group that is already being discussed as our community needs a board like TLC to set a vision.
I understand there are a few members that will be resigning as I join the board. My hope then would be that those openings will be filled and evolve into a majority that can create that momentum.
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