So, I bought a homeless person a motel for two nights...

[Ladyhawk]

...but I don't know what to do next. Hope this doesn't get buried under the election coverage. Read this, please and if you have any ideas, please let me know.

Ladyhawk: Hey. I need to talk.

Ladyhawk: Can you make a couple of minutes?

Ladyhawk: (make time)

Ladyhawk's Friend: I have a couple, i'm about to go vote :D

Ladyhawk's Friend: Whats up?

Ladyhawk: Vote D ( as if it matters)

Ladyhawk: :)

Ladyhawk's Friend: im voting green :D

Ladyhawk: OK.

Ladyhawk: I totally understand why

Ladyhawk: I would have too except I'm really afraid of Republicans

Ladyhawk: Why I'm afraid of Republicans is why I need to talk.

Ladyhawk: Last night at chorus practice, a woman asked if she could come in out of the cold.

Ladyhawk: I saw she had a couple of bags and seemed distraught.

Ladyhawk: We actually got a break (rarely happens) and I started talking with her.

Ladyhawk: I asked if she was waiting for someone to pick her up and she said no.

Ladyhawk: She had nowhere to stay for the night.

Ladyhawk: So I told her I'd buy her a motel room for the night.

Ladyhawk's Friend: :(

Ladyhawk: I asked a few people to pitch in and got enough for 1 and half nights. I paid the rest for two.

Ladyhawk: But it kind of upset me that the only one who bothered to talk to her was the hated atheist.

Ladyhawk: So I asked the pastor of the Episcopalian Church (a she) if she had any place for the woman to stay. No.

Ladyhawk: Pastor didn't even contribute toward a motel room

Ladyhawk: I talked to the woman some more and there's something wrong with her.

Ladyhawk: Something mental, probably.

Ladyhawk: She's either on drugs or has something that's making her paranoid

Ladyhawk: bipolar disorder or paranoid schizophrenia--something like that.

Ladyhawk: Maybe even something physical manifesting as something mental

Ladyhawk's Friend: awww :(

Ladyhawk: So I asked her not to call me until afternoon and considering her state of mind, you can imagine how that went. :)

Ladyhawk: I got a call around 2 a.m. (she thought she was calling the front desk) and a call at 8 a.m.

Ladyhawk: I just got up because of fatigue

Ladyhawk: I'm really in no position to really help this woman because of my own health problems (hypothyroidism, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, sleep apnea, degenerative disc disease, fibromyalgia, etc.)

Ladyhawk: And you know the story: Any contact I would have had is gone

Ladyhawk: My psychologist friend was laid off and won't answer my phone calls.

Ladyhawk: My psychologist was laid off and Tuolumne County Behavior Health is basically dead.

Ladyhawk's Friend: :(

Ladyhawk: The inpatient health care is gone. It sucked, yes. But it's gone

Ladyhawk: My psychiatrist was laid off.

Ladyhawk: I have NO ONE to call.

Ladyhawk: So I'm relying on the churches

Ladyhawk: And they aren't doing their job

Ladyhawk: Fucking asshole fundies voted this woman onto the streets. Now they should man up and take care of her, but they won't

Ladyhawk's Friend: i agree

Ladyhawk: I feel like getting really angry and calling my fundy "friends"

Ladyhawk: Telling them to man up or shut up

Ladyhawk: John XXXXX, XXXXX the "Pastor", several churches

Ladyhawk: I don't know what to do.

Ladyhawk: I've heard it before: "but we have FOOD."

Ladyhawk: Food won't keep her from freezing to death.

Ladyhawk: I don't think she is competent to help herself

Ladyhawk: And I'm so fucking tired. So full of fatigue all the time.

Ladyhawk: And mostly broke.

Ladyhawk: I can't save her

Ladyhawk: I'm so mad at those smug, fucking fundies right now

Ladyhawk: they won't let the gov't take care of her, but they won't either.

Ladyhawk: So fucking what if she's on drugs

Ladyhawk: Everyone deserves food and a place to stay

Ladyhawk's Friend: wow

Ladyhawk's Friend: Dont let it get to you too much :(

Ladyhawk: too late

Ladyhawk: I'm afraid of her using me, but I'm also afraid of what will happen to her

Ladyhawk: Something is WRONG with her

Ladyhawk's Friend: do you think you'll run into her again

Ladyhawk: Most likely she'll call me tomorrow morning.

Ladyhawk: And I won't be able to answer the phone because I'm so, so tired.

Ladyhawk: I had chorus, which usually wipes me out for a week

(On edit: I didn't know it would format the way it did. Let's try this.)

[Uben]

1. Got any of that stuff left? nt

nt

[gateley]

2. Any ideas to help her further, you mean? And what's with your post?

[Ladyhawk]

4. Yeah, it's FUBAR. I'm trying to fix it. It looked fine while I was pasting it. nt

[slackmaster]

3. I believe the code is based on musical notation

[Beaverhausen]

6. LOL!

:rofl:

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

34. Cute

I noticed that a lot of people are making GIF movies lately.

[obxhead]

5. hmmm ..... ideas.

Well I guess for starters, I have no clue where you were trying to go with this post outside of the lounge? :shrug:

[Ladyhawk]

7. Try reading it again. It didn't format properly.

I'm braving the DU smartasses because this is actually important. I had to post a couple of days ago, but other than that, I've been staying away because of smartass comments, general incivility and outright vitriol.

There may actually be a few good people left at DU, so I'm willing to take your inevitable flame wars, your stupid attempts at humor and your general bad attitudes to find those few good people.

Many, like me, have probably left.

[RainDog]

8. if you want to help -

call around to liberal churches and ask them what social services are available for people where you live - for psychological health services and for basic needs like shelter.

you can also contact your local public library and ask a reference librarian to help you find out the names and locations for local services.

then ask the churches if they have plans to help fill the gap left by our govt - this is the argument from conservatives - that the govt should not be the one to offer these sorts of services. so, if they don't, the churches need to step up to do so.

the callousness with which this society treats those who are in need is stunning. why don't you contact the office of whoever wins the election for your district and ask what this woman's options might be.

[Ladyhawk]

10. We don't have liberal churches here.

I think the Episcopalians are probably the most liberal and the pastor, who was actually there when the homeless person showed up, didn't do squat.

I will, however, call fundy churches when I'm able to. They might feed her and house her if she listens to their tripe. Thing is, I don't think she knows the difference between what's real and what isn't, anyway.

[Ladyhawk]

18. BTW, the winners will all be Republicans. Fundies and Republicans here. nt

[bobbolink]

26. Churches don't do shit. That is soooo last century.

Libraries?

Are you kidding me?

Some of us have tried and tried to get the rest of you to understand reality, but you insist on believing there is "help".

Do me a favor... do a search for "help" in your local area, then do a search to find out how many people those "helpers" turned away in the last year.

I think it may be an eye-opening exercise for you.

[REP]

9. Here's some info

http://www.scribd.com/doc/13318917/Tuolumne-County-Public-Health-Resource-Directory

[Ladyhawk]

12. Wow! Thanks. In my angst I forgot Google is my friend.

She's been saying stuff about local shelters being out to get her, along with the Hell's Angels. I may not be able to get her help because she's so paranoid. But if I can get back to her, I will.

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. If she is so bad off that you think she could be a danger to herself, you might try calling your

local ER and see what they advise. It's possible they might take her into the hospital, and perhaps they even know her from past visits.

Just a thought. (Not sure about calling the police in if things get to absolute dire straits given that she's already paranoid, but don't take my word for it as I am not a professional medical person and my advice is therefore questionable.)

[Ladyhawk]

19. I've thought about it. The county shut down the mental health ward, so

...she would be shipped off to another county. I've heard the care there is just as atrocious as it was here.

I could take her to the ER, but she's spouted paranoia about police, owners of women's shelters, the local Hell's Angels, etc. She is not functioning rationally. I can make guesses as to why, but I can't help her.

I'm pretty fatigued lately, so oddly, I need help to help her. My mother (who is a fundamentalist and a Republican) is going to help me help her, which is good. Jon Stewart was right when he said we have to work together. It just galls me that the California State legislative body is responsible for this.

God, I hope my absentee ballot made it to its destination on time (forgot to put a stamp on it the first time). I voted the lesser of two evils (Democrats), even though my heart is no longer in it. Last night I got a good reminder: Republican-"ish" policies create horrible situations.

[bobbolink]

28. If she is "spouting off" about the police, shelters, etc., she may be the only sane one in the bunch

"She is not functioning rationally."

I hear you saying that, but I haven't read any real indication of that. Admittedly, I haven't read all you have written here, but it is too damn easy to make that accusation, so I am not forming a negative opinion of her based on what you have said.

[bobbolink]

27. I wouldn't do that to my worst enemy.

Well, maybe I would to Palin, et al. It would be fun to see them locked up and losing ALL their rights.

I am very sad to see that people still believe it is "helpful" to lock people up and take away all their rights. It is all about $$$$$... it is time to wake up to that fact.

:(

[GreenPartyVoter]

29. I hear what you are saying. I'm on the fence about that one myself, which is why I

left it with "if you think she is a danger to herself."

I guess I can only speak for my own bipolar self here but if I or someone I loved was manic to the point of being dangerous, I (as I am now on meds, but probably not when I am manic unless I'm not in euphoria) would be grateful to the people who got me or my loved one the medical assistance we needed. I definitely wouldn't want to be left where I am likely to participate in risky behavior that my healthy self would regret if it lived long enough to remember that I did it.

[bobbolink]

30. "assistance" That is the assumption that people go on.

WEre you to actually experience it, your opinion would be different.

Snake pits are not "assistance".

I hope you will do some reading. There are good books written by people who have experienced this tragedy personally. It is worth your read, if you are to continue pressing this point of view.

[GreenPartyVoter]

32. So is the issue not that people don't need help, but that the help offered is

abysmal?

Because my concern is that mental illness is real. I've experienced its hell personally, so I don't think lack of treatment is the answer, at least in my own case. So is better care facilities then the answer? Because if the only help being offered is the choice between two different kind of hell, staying sick vs. "snake pits", that's no "help" at all. :(

[bobbolink]

33. Sadly, that is right. And as I keep saying, it is all about the profits.

The tragedy is that many people, especially poor people, who are forced into the "system" are lost forever in that hell that you are talking about.

There is more profit in keeping people "sick".

As I said, there are books by people who have been through it, and it is ..... how many ways can I say "tragic"?

I was at a conference to hear the stories of these people, because I wanted to do a book about it. I will never forget the suffering... the impossible traps that people are in. That some figure out ways to get out is a miracle. Then they have to figure out ways to improve their lives, usually alone.

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. Damn. Somewhat similar thing happened to us once. We were playing b-ball at the church after service

just my family. No one else around. A young man drives up and asks to talk to our pastor, who is gone by this time, so we ask if we can help out.

Turns out he's living in a motel room after selling off almost all of his stuff to move to our state. He's got his mom there with him, so they have shelter for a short while yet but no food. The local shelter won't feed them because they are from out of state. Contact with whatever churches he has had resulted in no help whatsoever. We saw cars in the lot of the church across the street, so we went over there.

We went in and someone rushed out to say they were having an important meeting, so we didn't get far into the building. We and the young man explained the problem and fortunately since they had just had a BBQ, there were some leftovers that they packed up. But we could see at most they would get 2 meals out that. We left, and one of the men there was in the parking lot watching us like we were dangerous somehow. I am 99% sure he was taking down the young man's license plate mentally!

So my husband and I were very upset at this point that we had been unable to help these people more, so in the end we took him grocery shopping for foods that would store well in a motel room and help his mom's stomach when she took her meds. At that time buying groceries for ourselves wasn't easy but we knew it was the right thing to do.

I never saw him again, but every once in a while I wonder how they made out.

As for your situation I suggest getting in touch with Bobbolink. She is a really knowledgeable person about homelessness resources.

[Ladyhawk]

13. It's heartbreaking to know this goes on.

I've been in similar straights when it comes to getting proper medical care. No one and nothing to turn to. Luckily, thankfully, I've never been hungry or homeless and seeing how this nation "takes care" of the problem is breaking my heart.

The last time I sobbed like this was when the county laid off all my health care providers. I very nearly didn't make it through that time. But now I've discovered I have hypothyroidism and it's being treated. Except for the past two weeks, I've felt better overall.

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. Everyone considers the vulnerable in society to be "S.E.P." Someone Else's Problem

I'm glad you are doing all right for now. I lost some of my health care support this summer when I no longer qualified for medicaid. I'm gonna be on my own there from now on. :(

[Ladyhawk]

17. Sorry about that. I try not to think about the future.

Today is enough.

[EFerrari]

16. These folks have helped me more than once:

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/

[Ladyhawk]

22. Thank you so much.

I'm making use of this info.

[deaniac21]

20. I didn't know a motel could bre bought for 2 days.

[Ladyhawk]

21. You know what I mean. Lose the snark. nt

[Obamanaut]

23. I don't understand the script of the scenario. Looks like Ladyhawk

has all the lines.

[Le Taz Hot]

24. This may not be a popular answer but I would suggest

going to the Mormons. I've been in this situation a few times and, after calling on Catholic Charities (I had given talks there about parolees and knew the people there) and them turning me down (they didn't meet all the 48,395,205 qualifications to receive food for the weekend) I called the Mormons. They showed up with enough food for the family for a week. Yes, I'm still exceedingly pissed at them for Prop. H8 but, at least in my area, they are the ONLY church that came through.

[GreenPartyVoter]

25. Checking in today to see how things are going. *hugs*

[Liberal_in_LA]

31. kick