Monday, August 16, 2010

Normal Life?

Staying Positive



One of the most difficult things to do in a shelter, any kind of shelter is staying positive. It really amazes me how many of the women here have and are taking advantage of the shelter. I’m not saying this is the norm for all shelters just the one I happen to be in. My roommate and I both truly appreciate and understand how lucky we each are to be here. We understand that the shelter is paying for the roof over our head, the food we eat and the utilities we need to cook food and do laundry. However, the current residents seem to only take advantage of these offerings... and yes I have my own complaints but I still understand how lucky I am to be here instead of on the streets literally.


Communal living isn’t for everyone so when you feel you have no other choice but a shelter you have to be prepared for making sacrifices that you may not like. Communal living means pitching in for everything - that includes cleaning, cooking, conserving resources and even watching children playing outside. I’m not saying free babysitting but if you see a child doing something not safe, tell the mom or tell the child no. What I am witnessing is that the residents do not seem to recognize that they are part of a hive that depends on the entire hive working together as one and not constantly bickering about what one person doesn’t like.

These two distinctly different attitudes and or approaches are what I believe will be the difference between “normal” life success and potential future returns to a shelter. I’m still attempting to locate a transitional housing program for a non addict female who is not a single mom.

I’m discovering new articles across the US that show there is obviously a need for both family and single person shelters. However, what I am discovering in my own search is that single parents and addicts are still the outreach targets for programs. While homelessness has been a big problem for more years than I could research, the new crop of homeless are people that anyone could claim as neighbors or friends… and the resources for this new crop of ‘Homeless’ is not being met. The new crop of homeless has just as much chance (possibly more) at becoming profitably employed. Not because of their current skills but because they too are willing to learn new skills and get back into “normal” life.

4 comments:

  1. Dearest Ms. Shelter,

    I Discovered your most interesting web log whilst glancing through an article on homelessness I caught in the online edition of the Fort Collins Coloradoan, a minor and most provincial news publication of Northern Colorado. An area I imagine you have some ‘experience’ with in your past. Yes?

    I must say I found your brief comments posted against their story regarding the nature and possible remedy of homelessness. Your comments were absolutely to the point. So much so, that I was moved to follow-up by taking the effort to visit you very personal blog, ‘socialshelterlife’. Well, to be absolutely truthful, I was quite taken by what I discovered therein.

    Your writings form a remarkable tableau filled with colour! A most remarkable aspect of this is certainly the sheer quantity, as well as quality, of what you’ve managed to generate and post for what amounts to be a mere fortnight or so of time. You have won my admiration, and I compliment you on such productivity. I fear I should never be your equal in such apparent stick-to-itiveness. I shan’t go on more here about such things, save to say I should very much wish to know more about the spirit that could produce such quality prose, yet become and remain essentially a homeless woman. Is this not still so?

    At any rate, perhaps you would enjoy exchanging more details of your writing technique. I should very much like to have your critique of my own feeble efforts in the ‘blogosphere’. If you’ve an interest, I maintain a collection of my own writings and experiences at: http://maroonedontortola.blogspot.com/ I’ve others of course, but that one would be as good a starting point as any in understanding all things Elisha.

    I look forward to discussing your review with some candour, to be sure.

    Ms. Elisha.moor@gmail.com

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  2. I read your comment in the newspaper today, as they are doing a series on homelessness. I will keep reading your blog and see how things are going.

    By the way, how are you able to put "labels" on your posts? I heard that will trigger more hits on your blog.

    Good luck to you~

    Jessy

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  3. Labels

    In your Blogger acct in New Post... At the bottom of the box where you type your posting you should see on the left side of the box Labels:

    Type in the words that best fit your posting is about. Example: this posting is about normal Life. So I typed in the word normal life in Labels. Every time you type in a new label it is saved by Blogger. Once you have a set of labels you can click on Show All and chose which ones you want.

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  4. Elisha Moor - WOW.... I'm not sure what to say. I started this blog because I needed (and still need) an outlet to rant, rave and hope. Yes, I am unfortunately still homeless - anyone want to hire a blogger :P

    Everything I'm writing is current. Every morning I call transitional shelters to see if there is an opening. Then I search different job posting websites. The shelter does not provide transportation assistance for job searches so I can only do web job searches and am literally stuck here until I am employed or move to a transitional shelter with job transportation assistance. After the two searches are done I have A LOT of time to do nothing.

    Nothing sucks - there is only so much news you can read and I'm not a big fan of today's television shows.

    Having not much else to do, I thought I would let others know that not all homeless people are the ones you see on the street and read about in criminal reports.

    ReplyDelete