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You may be aware that WCH has gotten several grants recently, and you may think that cash donations are no longer needed. But these grants are restricted -- they are for construction/remodeling in the WCH buildings at 907 Logan Avenue and 4700 Ocean Loop.

These funds cannot be used for everyday expenses -- while we do not pay rent anywhere we do need funds to purchase supplies used daily by our clients, and for upkeep in both buildings.

Your donations are still very important to us -- whether you donate once a month, semi-annually or annually we need you to continue to come through with these donations that will make it possible for us to continue our program expansions.

We have put in a shower and a laundry in our main building at 907 Logan Avenue -- thus providing, for the first time, a place for homeless to take showers in the day time and a place for them to do their laundry -- all this is free to the clients.

We are in the process of establishing our bike repair shop, sleeping bag "manufacturing", frame shop, janitorial training, art studio, computer lab and repair shop, and art gallery at our building at 4700 Ocean Loop.

The programs established at Ocean Loop will empower and raise the confidence of those participating in them, and provide opportunities for moving forward into permanent jobs.

In addition we are about to start construction on Day Care Center for homeless children at this same location. The center will be run by licensed day care providers and will provide transportation for the childen enrolled in the program. WCH is providing the space for the Center, but will not be managing the Day Care Center -- that will be left up to the providers.

Click here for more information about donations needed at WCH.

Click here for more volunteer opportunities at WCH.

Click here to find out what is happening at 907 Logan or 4700 Ocean Loop

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CHEYENNE - The Cheyenne City Council agreed Monday to use an additional $1 million of proposed sales tax money to help low-income residents.

The council in a unanimous voice vote approved a resolution that supports continuing an optional one-cent sales tax. Councilman Brent Beeman was absent.

The sales tax would be in effect from 2007 to 2010.

Now that the city council has approved the resolution, it will be up to voters to make the final decision.

The voters will decide Nov. 7 whether to approve continuing the sales tax which is called the fifth penny.

About 80 percent of the city's optional one cent sales tax is used to improve streets.

The council on Monday agreed to give an extra boost to human service agencies. The agencies provide help for people with needs like medical, dental, and housing.

The council decided to transfer $1 million that the city staff had originally proposed to replace street lights. The council instead proposed that the $1 million should go to the category for human service agencies.

The proposed $1 million boost comes on top of the $760,000 that city staff originally proposed for human service agencies. That brings the proposed amount in this area to nearly $1.8 million.

The money would not be limited to human service agencies that traditionally have received funding from fifth penny projects.

The resolution the council approved outlines specific uses for the estimated $45 million the city hopes to collect if the tax were continued.

Jackie Smith, director of public works for the city, told the council there was some risk in deciding not to change out the traffic signals.

The oldest signal is about 41 years old and is located near Davis Elementary, he said. If a traffic light did fail, the money to replace it would have to come from street renovation projects proposed in the tax because of the transfer.

It costs anywhere from $150,000 to $250,000 to replace an average signal light.

Councilman Don Pierson made a motion - but later withdrew it - that the council transfer an extra $750,000 to the human service agencies and leave about $250,000 to replace traffic signals.

"It would be a tragedy if it blew down in a windstorm," Pierson said of the traffic signal near Davis Elementary.

The Rev. Jon Laughlin of Grace United Methodist Church urged the Committee of the Whole last week to put more money in the human services area.

He spoke to council members Monday and also urged the approval of the $1 million. Just in the last few days, five more families have been referred to the Cheyenne Interfaith Hospitality Network, of which he is interim director.

"Two (families) are sleeping in cars," he said, because they don't have housing. "These are people who are in desperate need of services," he said.

If housing and medical needs aren't meant, Laughlin said that just about anyone could be in trouble. "Those stories are daily events," he said.

Councilman Tom Segrave made the motion to transfer the $1 million to human service agencies. He said he was confident the city could find the money if it needed to fix the traffic signals. "I'm not confident we'll have the discussion on human services again," he said.

Councilman Joe Bonds said he didn't like the idea of not replacing traffic signals. The costs would only increase, he added.

Councilman Pete Laybourn spoke in favor of the transfer.

Laybourn also proposed amendments that he said would increase accountability for the fifth-penny project.

The council approved one amendment but defeated the other two.

One of those that was defeated was to not allow any overage money - which is any money collected on top of the $45 million - to be appropriated outside the purposes of the resolution until the projects are completed.

Bonds said that the city staff is accountable and that fifth penny expenditures are audited. "I think there is a lot of accountability right now," he said.

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On September 5th living wage advocates all across America will gather on our nation's bridges and fly the banner: Bridge the Economic Gap with a Universal Living Wage. Because of the high cost of housing throughout the United States, the current federal minimum wage of $5.15/hour is one of the major causes of homelessness. The National Coalition for the Homeless predicts that 3.5 million people will experience homelessness this year. At the same time, the federal government states that 42% of the homeless are working at some point during the week. The work ethic seems to be intact... but clearly the wage is not.

Because of the national scope of the problem, Universal Living Wage has decided to solve the problem at the source and fix the federal minimum wage. Rather than just continue to pick an amount our of the air (which is the current congressional practice), we have decided to take a logical approach that relates the wage to the everyday lives of American workers.

Using existing government guidelines, the Universal Living Wage people have devised a a single national formula that indexes the wage to the local cost of housing through the United States. It is based on the moral premise that if a person works 40 hours in a week, they should be able to afford the basics: food, clothing and shelter.

In Cheyenne we'll be by the Norris Viaduct on September 5 from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m.. You'll see our banner. Be sure to honk! Let's put America to work and into housing.

For more information or to participate contact Virginia at 307-634-8499.

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Aug. 11, 2006 — - When Leon Daryl Williams Jr. was homeless a few years ago, it wasn't uncommon to find him digging through trash on the streets of New York City. But he wasn't looking for aluminum cans or leftover take-out food. He was searching for spare computer parts.

From the discards he found, Williams rebuilt computers piece by piece. (Programs at WCH will provide opportunities for clients to learn how to build and repair computers as well as providing computers for low income and homeless people.)

"I was always trying to search out a way to work on computers," he said. "To have something there before me, it was an inspiration."

Williams is part of a growing number of tech-savvy homeless people who use computers and the Internet to stay connected with the world and to reach out to others.

"The overwhelming majority of homeless people are using the Internet as a free, easy and convenient way to hook up with the rest of the world," said Michael Stoops, acting executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, a Washington, D. C. advocacy and service organization for homeless men, women and children.

The Job Seeker

Williams said that after falling on hard times a number of years ago, he was left with a broken life -- no home, no money and no idea how he would get his life back on track.

What he did have was a knowledge of electronics and computers from training he'd received before he ended up on the streets.

He honed his Internet skills at the Bowery Mission in New York City. He'd spend hours in the mission's career center searching online for schools to further his education.

He was eventually accepted at Per Scholas, a technical school in the Bronx, and, after a few months there, got a job with Canon Business Solutions.

"It was [thanks to] my ability to navigate the Internet that I was able to find that school," he said.

Williams now works full-time, and has benefits and life insurance. "I'm still on a high now. It's tremendous that it's actually happening."

Melissa Alcorn, associate director of the Bowery Mission Women's Center, said that Web sites like Monster.com, Craigslist.com and even search engines like Google help make job hunting easier for the homeless.

"They can Google the company to find the HR person and where to send their resumes very easily," Alcorn said. She also said that Google is a helpful tool in making sure that companies that post online are legitimate. "I've been able to stop people who have been pursuing jobs that are scams."

Helping Escape Depression

Kevin Barbieux of Nashville, Tenn., has used the Internet to speak his mind in chat rooms and on discussion boards for years.

Barbieux credits the Internet for helping him overcome his social anxiety.

"My opinionated self started to come out in discussions on every subject from religion to politics to music," he said.

Taking the advice of a few other chat room regulars, Barbieux started his own site in 2002, which quickly rose to become one of the most popular blogs on the Internet at the time.

Although still homeless, these days Barbieux can be found around Nashville, hovering over his very own laptop, which was donated by readers of his blog. He says between 500 and 700 people read his blog, thehomelessguy.blogspot.com daily.

"Whether or not a person suffers from depression, being homeless can be very depressing. It is very easy for a homeless person to just shut down mentally, emotionally, spiritually," Barbieux said. "Being online -- even if just playing online games -- keeps their brains active and keeps them interacting with others."

Besides easing the pain of loneliness, chat rooms can even spark a love connection.

"I knew one homeless guy who met a girl from Canada in an online chat room. They started e-mailing each other. Eventually, she came down here to Nashville to meet him," Barbieux said. "After a couple days, she took him home with her."

Accessibility

While many homeless people are curious about the Internet and want to learn more about computers, they often face almost impenetrable barriers.

"I felt embarrassed to go to an Internet café," Williams said. "People would see my appearance, and it would make me not want to go in."

For others, feelings of inadequacy deter them from logging on to a computer.

"These are people who are vulnerable to discouragement," Tom Basile, associate director of the Bowery Mission, said. "[The Internet] is a technology that they're not that familiar with, and oftentimes it's overwhelming for them. It's already in their minds that it's not in their ability."

To help those who want to learn, many shelters and missions have added computer centers over the years, according to Stoops. (The Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless has a computer center that allows people to get on the internet. For more information on the Computer Center contact WCH at 307-634-8499)

Still, one of the most popular places for the homeless to go online is the public library, which Stoops describes as "the de facto base center for the homeless population."

Giving Hope

Although this technology helps the homeless make many facets of their lives easier, above all else, the Internet gives them hope.

"The Internet is not a cure for anything, including homelessness. But it can go a long way toward improving the quality of one's life," Barbieux said. "And if used wisely can lead a homeless person toward a better life."

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PLEASANTON — Eric Wiste, of Pittsburg, stood in line for lunch Thursday, wearing an orange tank top, suitable for the overbearing heat.

"I'm not looking for a handout," he said. "I'm looking for a hand up."

Wiste is one of about 450 homeless veterans and family members hunkered down at the Alameda County Fairgrounds for East Bay Stand Down 2006, a four-day stop at which participants can enjoy shelter, medical and dental attention, drug and alcohol counseling, and legal services.

Wiste's main goal is to get his driver's license back.

"I need to get my license back," said the 44-year old. "I got serious dental issues, much-needed dental issues — I didn't even know I can do that here. I got legal issues, child support issues I need to clear up."

Veterans were bused in Thursday morning from throughout Bay Area. Though all had a different story to tell, they shared an appreciation for what Stand Down had to offer.

"I was taking care of my parents, and I fell behind. I got a divorce, and then drugs and then ..." said Wiste, as he made a hand motion that suggested a downward spiral.

Wiste's friend, John Stevenson, who was homeless for 10 years, was a working carpenter until he became disabled.

"I've had things in my life where I've had to deal with feelings," he said with a pause, "where I've made mistakes."

The Stand Down organization began in San Diego and has spread to other parts of the country. It is estimated that there are 250,000 homeless veterans nationwide. East Bay Stand Down began in 1997, holding its first event two years later at Camp Parks in Dublin.

Before their arrival, veterans were advised that drugs and alcohol were not allowed. And if they left during the event, they could not come back.

"This is one of the biggest and one of the best," said Bart Buechner, a Stand Down organizer. "I would attribute it to the leadership, just because it's so comprehensive."

Ron Hyde, a retired Alameda County judge, said 14 judges from the Bay Area would be on hand to clear up legal issues, which range from urinating in public to fighting to "sleeping in the wrong place."

On Thursday, they have their heads down, they're shuffling," he said. "When they leave Sunday morning, their heads are up."

Besides counseling, veterans could take art classes, listen to visiting bands and watch movies. Organizers made sure to serve quality food. For lunch, veterans enjoyed pasta, salad and fresh fruit, bread," said Georgia Johnson. "They're giving them the good stuff." As a first-time Stand Down volunteer, Johnson called the campaign "sobering."

"I am a product of the Vietnam era," said Johnson, who grew up in Castro Valley. "Our high school lost a lot of good young men. I feel it's a population that has been ignored and underserved. It doesn't have to do with my politics or how I feel about the war. It's just the least I can do."

Large speakers blared songs from the 1960s, such as "Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man" by The Byrds. Newly arrived veterans intermingled, and some were seen marching in unison.

Rob Keim of Sunnyvale was one of several chaplains on hand to provide spiritual advice.

"It doesn't mean just sitting there and praying with other people," said Keim, who is studying to be a pastor. "It can be a lot of other things. Reflective listening can be spiritual. Allowing someone to tell his life story, especially if it's traumatic, can be spiritual. You're there really to complement what they already believe. You're not trying to change their beliefs."

Also available were medical and dental services, which assist veterans with an assortment of problems, big and small.

"Some come in with big abscesses," said volunteer Sue Kuehn. "The reason teeth are so important is that their smile gives them confidence when they are trying to get employment."

There are 22 people to a tent, with one tent leader.

"I came back from Korea in 1950, and it was totally different than today's world," said volunteer Robert Terry, a tent leader. "I had a family to go to. I had a brother who picked me up when I landed. I had a job set up for me in Oakland. Today, people don't seem to honor or respect veterans."

Organizers say 1,000 volunteers are working at the event. Terry said if he ever were to become homeless, he would hope for the same kind of attention.

"Veterans come back from combat and maybe they don't have family," he said. "If he comes back wounded, he might be S.O.L. — surely out of luck."

The Veteran's Stand Down will be held in Cheyenne on Friday September 8, from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon at the Historic Depot on 15th Street. For more information contact Larry Melka 307-772-7353.

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For the past 14 months Connie Wilkins has called the 1988 Chevy van she lives in and the paved cement parking lot it rests on home.

“Right now it is looking bad for me,” Wilkins said. “I hit rock bottom” Three years ago Wilkins lived in a house with her son, and between the two of them they were able to make ends meet.

“Then my son stopped working,” Wilkins said. “He was assisting me with my rent and it kind of snowballed from there.”

Last November Wilkins lost her job as a caregiver for developmentally disabled adult, which was further compounded by her 10-year bout with severe asthma and limited financial resources to purchase medicine or seek treatment.

“I looked for work but the problem is my health,” Wilkins said.

Wilkins turned to unemployment and social security for help.

“I applied for unemployment but they turned me down,” Wilkins said. “In the meantime I have zero income.”

Shortly after her car was repossessed, but a friend had a used van he no longer needed, but the plum colored shelter had its fill of problems, including engine trouble and no smog check for vehicle registration.

“We have to maintain it,” Wilkins said. “It is home.”

A typical day for Wilkins begins with a trip to a nearby bathroom stall, which doubles as a makeshift shower.

“Sometimes I go to Chevron,” Wilkins said. “They have hot water.”

Later in the day the focus shifts to finding food. When a meal can’t be found at a church or through a generous donation, Wilkins said she turns to her last resort.

“At times I have to resort to the dumpster behind AM/PM,” Wilkins said. “It is amazing what some of these places throw away.”

When basic necessities aren’t a priority, finding a suitable space for her van becomes the biggest concern.

“No matter where I park they threaten to tow away my vehicle,” Wilkins said. “It is a vicious cycle; you can’t win around here.”

Wilkins said the constant struggle to scavenge for food and a new parking lot to call home has pushed her passed her breaking point.

“I cry every night,” Wilkins said. “I don’t feel like a human being; we aren’t treated like it.”

Wilkins said that regular visits from the police department and the awkward stares from passers by are a constant reminder of her disconnect from society. The social stigma attached to homelessness only further complicates her life.

“Sometimes they lock the doors (to the bathrooms) and I have to go into the library, where I get dirty looks,” Wilkins said.

Wilkins lives with her fiance and 3 year old Boxer/Pitbull mix named Sassy and waits patiently each day to hear from the social security office, for a way out of her current circumstance.

“It will be four to eight months before they make a decision and who knows how long before they write a check,” Wilkins said. “I don’t know if I can last that long.”

Wilkins said that there have been times when she has had crisis’s of faith, questioning the motives of her once benevolent god.

“I go back and forth every day,” Wilkins said. “I’ve even contemplated suicide.”

Despite her ordeal, Wilkins said there is one thing that keeps her motivated.

“I want to see my son again,” Wilkins said.

Wilkins said it has been three years since she last saw her son, who now lives in a boarding house in Oklahoma.

“He wants to come home, but I don’t want to bring him to this,” Wilkins said. “I’m hoping it gets better.”

Wilkins said she is relying on a homeless rally that will be held on November 19 at Library Park to be the means to her salvation.

“This is my last hope,” Wilkins said. “If something doesn’t come out of this for me, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

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BRADENTON -- The self-proclaimed "Queen of 14th Street" did not go to law school, has never attended a city council meeting and doesn't even have a steady job.

But years of street living -- a shuffling existence marked by cardboard pillows and soup-kitchen dinners -- have taught Kathy Harrington a thing or two about how cities operate.

"They kick you out of one place, so you go to the next," said Harrington, a scraggly haired 41-year-old who sleeps near a railroad at night, begs for loose change and sneaks a nip of Budweiser whenever she can.

First it was the city of Sarasota cracking down on transients such as Harrington. Next up could be Bradenton, where the City Council on Wednesday is scheduled to take the first of two votes on a controversial ordinance that outlaws lodging and camping without permission. Violators could face up to six months in jail and a $500 fine.

The ordinance strikes a sour note with advocates, but is pushed by city leaders trying to revitalize the 14th Street corridor, turning a strip of cheap motels and labor pools into a vibrant extension of downtown.

The effort includes the creation of a one-stop center for Bradenton's homeless at a facility on 17th Avenue West across from McKechnie Field. Bradenton and Manatee County have both chipped in money for the center.

More important, said Bradenton City Councilman Pat Roff, is the no-lodging proposal, which means the city is finally getting tough to get people help.

Even if that means a long legal battle similar to the one in Sarasota.

"This is something that's been kicked around for many years," Roff said. "I've got to look out for what's best for the taxpayers. So what am I supposed to do -- look out for the citizens or run away scared from an attorney?"

While some advocates complain that the no-lodging ordinance is a veiled device to legalize police harassment, Bradenton Police Chief Michael Radzilowski says his officers have more important things to do than fill the jail with the homeless.

But, he said, there is no mechanism that currently allows officers to deal with transients. The hope, Radzilowski said, is to use the ordinance as a tool to get them help -- if they want it.

"Some of them don't," he said. "To be quite honest, I don't want to put these people in jail. There isn't room for them in jail."

For the area's booming homeless population -- which, by some estimates, tops several thousand -- the latest proposal is another blow in the struggle to get people off the street.

Already faced with soaring rental prices and stagnant wages, many of the area's homeless turn to day-labor pools and short-term jobs for income.

"I mean you've gotta have first and last month's rent, plus a security deposit," said John Wayne Duck, Harrington's sometime partner. "How in the hell are you supposed to save enough money to pay for that when you're making minimum wage?"

For Duck and Harrington, the no-lodging proposal wasn't a surprise.

As she unfurled a sign that asks passersby for change, happily examining its tattered edges, Harrington leaned forward and took a deep drag on her cigarette. She reached for Duck's hand as she stood, and turned into the sun -- it would be a long day, the shade was scarce and so was money.

"We'll find a place," she said. "We always do."

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Al Szekely has a laptop computer, cell phone and e-mail account. It's a roof over his head and four walls to call his own that he's lacking.

For about two years, Szekely, 59, has been homeless. Most recently he has taken up residence on the streets of downtown Bethesda, sleeping in a parking garage stairwell.

Despite losing almost everything he had, being beaten, robbed and generally ignored, Szekely still has hope.

''One thing I do is keep my faith strong with God," said the graying and bearded man. ''The more adversity people face, they're going to gain faith or lose it. My faith is stronger. I can still smile, tell a joke, make someone laugh, make their day better."

Szekely wasn't always this way. He used to have a home and a business. A former mechanic, he came to the Washington, D.C., area two years ago from Dublin, Ga., to fight for disability benefits, following an on-the-job accident that left him in a wheelchair and eventually drained his savings. He had no health insurance.

''I'm still the same human being I've always been," he said. ''I have a heart, I have feelings just like you."

Szekely made his way to Bethesda because he heard it was quiet and there weren't many homeless people. Since settling in, he's found ways to get by.

''If you manage what little you got, you can make do," he said.

He often checks his e-mail at a Bethesda computer store. He gets his coffee from a local coffee shop just up the block, where he said he buys one cup and the second one is free. The guys who sell Italian ices from carts on the corner of Woodmont and Bethesda avenues hook him up with cool treats on hot days. And other employees from area shops generally keep an eye out for him. However, employees at downtown businesses would not comment on helping homeless people.

''There are a bunch of good kids that watch over me and make sure I'm alright," Szekely said.

That's why he prefers the streets to shelters, where he said he's been robbed. He spent a total of a week in shelters in and around Washington, D.C., including a night at the county's men's shelter on Gude Drive in Rockville, which left him with ''a fair impression."

There need to be more shelters, he said. But not of the kind most people think about.

''Shelters are no more than warehouses ...," he said. ''I'm not talking about handouts. Give me an opportunity to go to school. Give me an opportunity for honest work."

Homeless residents need educational resources, job placement and training and ''some form of counseling to get you back into society," he said.

A Washington, D.C., organization, Street Sense, is hoping to expand to Bethesda to give homeless people there an opportunity for job placement and training. The nonprofit produces a newspaper that covers issues surrounding homelessness and is partially written and distributed by homeless people. The organization sells copies of the paper to homeless vendors for 25 cents. The vendors then sell the papers for $1 and keep the profit. It is a way to earn income, and it can sometimes lead to job offers, said Street Sense Executive Director Laura Thompson Osuri.

But Szekely disagrees.

''I was a Street Sense vendor," he said. ''I sold Street Sense. It's hogwash really."

Szekely said it's wrong to make homeless people, who have a hard time getting money, pay for the copies they sell. He also said the product is hard to sell because it is only published once a month.

''The paper doesn't sell that well," he said.

Osuri confirmed that Szekely worked selling Street Sense for a few months, and said the program works for many area homeless. In a 2005 survey of vendors, the organization found 20 percent had started part-time jobs and 16 percent had found housing.

''It works for lots of people," she said. ''Most of the vendors are trying to get off the streets."

Street Sense does not give the paper for free, so as to give vendors a buy-in to the product, Osuri said.

''We could give it for free, but then there's no investment in the product," she said.

Susan Kirk, executive director of Bethesda Cares, a community outreach program for the homeless, said that she wasn't entirely familiar with Street Sense, but thought the group had good goals of teaching homeless people self-respect and some business skills.

''They're trying to teach many micro-entrepreneurial skills," she said. ''It's the baby-step side of it."

Kirk said that many homeless people do whatever they can to begin working and find stability in their lives. But others just aren't ready, for a variety of reasons.

''We deal with the chronic homeless," she said. ''The people who have been on the street for a long time."

Some homeless are mentally disabled, some are addicts and some are scared frozen, but feel safe in Bethesda, she said.

Sometimes homeless people would rather panhandle than deal with their problems that are preventing them from moving out of homelessness, she said.

''We try to discourage the community from giving to panhandlers because that's a way to make them stay."

Kirk said Szekely does not come to Bethesda Cares or use any of the organization's services.

Szekely sometimes carries a sign that says he's a veteran, however he said he did not want to talk about his military service. The Department of Veteran's Affairs has no record of Szekely applying for benefits, said VA spokesman Phil Budahn. But that does not necessarily mean that he is not a veteran, he said.

He's fairly well known in the neighborhood and while some people have reported uncomfortable or even nasty run-ins with Szekely, 2nd District Bike Patrol officers and some managers at nearby businesses said they have never known him to be a troublemaker and have not received any complaints against him.

Szekely said he is waiting to receive a Social Security check, which he expects by the end of the month or early September. Then he plans to go back to Georgia, where he said he'll be able to afford to rent an apartment.

Szekely said he believes that people get what they give in the world and said he's working the best he can to improve his situation.

''I'm waiting to get my check," he said, ''and then I guess you can say I'll be a success story because I'll be off the streets."

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Wyoming Winds is published by the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless
907 Logan Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82001-5247
phone: 307-634-8499
fax: 307-634-9089
email: wch@vcn.com
Views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless, its staff or board.

Editor for this issue: Virginia Sellner.
Copyrights revert back to the author upon publication.
WCH is a 501(c)(3) all volunteer non-profit agency depending upon the community for funding.
© 2005.
Articles from other papers are published with permission of the paper listed with the article.
**In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.**

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