Poverty In The OC

CORPORATIONS ARE PEOPLE. SOCIOPATHIC PEOPLE.

2011-12-05T16:57:00.000-08:00

Created by: Online MBA Programs

If the World Lived Like America We'd Need 5 Earths

2011-12-01T11:47:00.000-08:00

Created by: Masters Degree Online

FOOD CRISIS: Two Sides of the Issue Explored

2011-10-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Created by: Public Health Degree

WHY AMERICANS PAY SO MUCH FOR DRUGS

2011-10-12T22:13:00.000-07:00

Created by: Medical Billing and Coding

GUEST BLOG: DWIGHT SMITH - Civic Center Camping Ordinance

2011-09-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

To: Ms. Lara
Public Law Center
Santa Ana, California

From: Dwight Smith
OC Catholic Worker
occatholicworker.org

Dear Ms. Lara,

The City of Santa Ana has for the last fifteen years knowingly engaged in a deliberate and cancerous falsehood unbecoming any City in this nation. I'm speaking about the our Camping Ordinance and it's non-existent permits.

Copying a U.S. Forest Service law reasonably intended to ration access to our National Parks, our City Council enacted a pair of "camping ordinances" the first of which required a permit to camp on any public land within the City, and a similar law whose scope was limited to the area immediately adjacent to the multi-jurisdictional government plaza known as the Civic Center.

Two years ago, through the offices of Matthew Fletcher of Fletcher, Connor, Blake, I requested such a permit, asking Mr. Fletcher to make sure through his good relationship with our City Attorney that my request was not ignored on First Amendment grounds: "I want a permit to camp about camping, and not about the right to camp. Sort of a camping celebration of camping, only." Mr. Fletcher did as I asked, and Deputy City Attorney Sandoval made it clear to Mr. Fletcher that the City had never intended to issue permits for camping and would not.

In a recent blog post attached below, I outline my religious argument:

I'm currently soliciting counsel to sue the City of Santa Ana on behalf of all the persons arrested under the camping ordinance. I maintain that they have been illegally detained, prosecuted and imprisoned in a process in which both City Attorneys and County Prosecutors made material mis-representations to the Court in that the permits upon which the law depends were in fact, callously and fraudulently withheld from those persons who would gladly have paid for the permit to avoid conviction. The County and City's fraudulent misrepresentation of the availability of permits and their subsequent mis-representation, through illegal prosecution and imprisonment of the homeless, that such permits were, in fact and in law, possible to obtain, was a material fact denied the Defense as a mitigating factor in these persons' innocence.

(As an aside, a permit to camp at Yellowstone throughout the same era would have averaged $7 per night. I just purchased 100 $7 money orders to facilitate the homeless' acquisition of California ID's. We'd have gladly done the same to obtain camping permits for the Civic Center. From the defense perspective, we could argue that permits would have been made available, at least for some of those convicted, had they been made available at a price derived from appropriate campground marketing practices.)

Cities and Counties cannot be allowed to invent lawful and yet impossible ways to control human behavior, and then deny such impossibilities in later prosecutions. This is carnage, not justice.

If the State of California had made it imperative that every patient in an emergency room obtain a patient permit, and then failed to make such permits available, as a way of circumventing federal Hill-Burton ER regulations, we'd never hear the end of it.

Recently, I contacted the County Auditor and filed a fraud charge against Julia Bidwell, who is in charge of counting the Emergency Shelter Bed Inventory in Orange County, attached. She had invited me to the 2020 Planning Committee Meeting which would "develop guidelines" for disclosing to the public the number and kind of Emergency Shelter Beds available in Orange County. I insisted that it was fraudulent for her to assign (one of her) duties as Director of Homelessness to an as yet unformed and unfunded public-private partnership. I insisted that her own employees had already publicly advised first responders and the hospital ER community that there were, in effect, no County emergency shelter beds at all in the OC, and that the "trial census" she had gifted me, showing a total of over 500 such beds being available, was yet another fraud.

A year ago April, I received an open records response from Kelly Lupro showing that no County funds had been allocated for "low-threshold, non sub-population restricted emergency shelter beds like those at the Armory" anywhere in the County. Privately, the Salvation Army provides 56 such beds, my wife and I about twice that many. Since we provide more Emergency Shelter Beds than everyone else in the OC, we are deeply involved in a religious commitment of long duration to confront this duplicity.

Orange County provides not a single Emergency Shelter Bed of the type discussed in Jones v. Los Angeles.

The Director of Homelessness is disseminating xls. spreadsheets and other data that would incline a City PD to believe that such beds do exist.

The City of Santa Ana is arresting people for camping on public property without a permit that is impossible to obtain, based upon the availability of the beds the County pretends to exist.

If we assume, however, that America belongs first to the people, and then to the landlords who stole it from likewise illegitimate predecessors (all they way back to us Franciscans, who like Israelites, got the State from God) it begs the question "Why can't the public repose upon the commons when necessary?" Even the misdirection involved in falsely pretending the City is a campground harkens back to this ancient right. Were the city to declare "No sleeping on public property" every drowsy judge in the Courthouse would rise up with a constitutional challenge, and if the American Campground Association discovered that there are no public restrooms between 8PM and 8AM in our "campground" we'd be closed on order of the Public Health Department as a menace to the health of the public.

(I have long cautioned against obtaining coffee anywhere near the Civic Center. A fair number of the homeless, who are forced to use leaves and bushes, carry fecal contamination bearing the Hepatitis C virus, contaminating the cups, lids and stirrers in every shop in town.)

Were it not for unobtainable permits, the City would have to arrest people for sleeping or loitering, both of which are constitutionally permitted. It seems that, in Santa Ana, complying with the law depends upon the performance of a deliberate impossibility, and as such, makes the enforcement of such a law "unconstitutional as applied." The law has already been deemed facially constitutional.

I am just an orthodox Catholic who knows that many homeless people lie and cheat. What is surprising is how many City Attorneys and County D.A.'s prosecuting "camping" do exactly the same, and by so doing, avoid a similar fate. Is that all justice for the poor means?

Kristen, In Eichorn v. Santa Ana and Tobe v. Santa Ana, the Court decided that the Camping Ordinance was facially constitutional, but might be unconstitutional as applied. Is it possible that the deliberate witholding of permits makes compliance with the law impossible, and therefore unconstitutional? I daresay that permits are the only thing that make the Civic Center a "campground." If they're never issued, by intention, then the intention of the Camping Ordinance is to deny the citizens their constitutional right to sleep upon public land when necessary through the deceit of permits.

Please help us.

Sincerely,

Dwight Smith,
OC Catholic Worker
occatholicworker.org

THE CRUEL WORKING WORLD

2011-09-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

Created by: Online Masters Degree

The Sick Cost of Medical Paperwork

2011-07-27T09:32:00.001-07:00

Created by: Medical Transcription

Dwight Smith: Hard Questions for SAPD Chief Walters

2011-05-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

Subject: A Newsworthy question regarding Chief Walters suitability for his End Homelessness Presentation at 2PM on Thursday the 12th, 2011 at the SAPD Community Room.

SAPD Chief Walters c/o 2020 End Homeless Board

Dear Chief Walters,

I have great respect for you, and I very much wanted to see you defeat Marshal Carona in the race for Sheriff. My respect, however, is necessarily limited to your outstanding performance as Police Chief. It is for that reason I find it both misrepresentative and unfair that you will be holding your 2020 Presentation at the SAPD Community Room and presumably, in uniform. It is with great temerity, therefore, that I intend, as both a loyal supporter and homeless advocate of long standing, to call into question your fitness to end homelessness, since you, Mayor Pulido and the SAPD have done far more to destroy long-term opportunities for permanent housing than any other agency in America:

From the OC Weekly,

For years, Catholic Worker's Dwight Smith has railed against the exotic financing behind the opulent, $107 million Santa Ana Police Department headquarters and adjoining city jail—what one wag dubbed the "Glamour Slammer." The jail was partly built with a loan from the federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agency; the final installment is due in 2006.

The deal was perfectly legal, but with so many working poor in Santa Ana, using block grants from a low-income housing agency to pay off a loan for a marble-encrusted police/jail complex is shameful, Smith believes. Worse, he sees it as part of a pattern in Santa Ana to screw the poor. There was the city's infamous tent city breakdown in 1992, followed by ordinances that force the poor to move out of motels every month and forbid camping on public land. "Even their blankets are illegal," Smith said. Agencies like Catholic Worker are left to deal with the fallout.

So the 11th through 14th Stations of the Cross—the ones in which Jesus is nailed to the cross, placed in his mother's arms and laid to rest—were enacted with about 30 children, many homeless, sitting on the steps to the shiny Santa Ana PD. After the final prayer, Smith told the adults, "Now you all go on. The children are going to stay here for a moment and enjoy the housing the city purchased for them."

As the kids goofed around, adults lined up to kiss the cross propped up a few yards from the jail entrance.

"I want you to look over at all the children who are sitting on the steps of this building," said Leia Smith, Dwight's wife. "I want to remind you that on Easter Sunday, the armories close—all the armories close. And many of the people in this crowd know exactly what that means. People will not have a place to sleep. Look at the sky, feel the weather, and you notice it is cold, even though it may be the end of March. And we invite you to continue to ask some questions: Why—in a county that can afford a marble-covered building—are there men and women and children who have to sleep outside, exposed to the elements, for any reason at all?"

I have submitted to the OC Weekly and to Mike Anton of the LA Times, copies of those documents which show the result of your persuading Mayor Pulido and then HUD Secretary Cisneros to convince the Clinton administration to approve a 1996 Section 108 Transfer of $60 million dollars worth of subsequent low-income housing grants from Santa Ana's poor to the Chemical Bank of New York. This was to repay a $14.7 Million construction completion loan for your palatial HQ, necessitated by the OC BK. Had that $60 Million not consumed virtually half of all the low income housing funds sent to Santa Ana for the next decade, we might have built some long-term, low-income housing of the type you're going to be "presenting options for" in your talk today. All those millions, and pre-boom 1996 millions, to boot!

It's astonishing to me, of all the people in the OC, that you were handed the 2020 Board Role least suited to your CV. If I were to insinuate that you'd been set up by the very person who needs this to fail badly, that would probably be slander. What is self-evident, however, is that the OC Partnership is so dumb, and held in such little regard by the rest of OC's governance, that such really wonderful self-disclosing mistakes will continue to happen. I'm just sorry that you ended up the fall-guy for the OC Partnership's Karmic blunder.

I'm hoping that with this much advance notice you'll be able to completely address your role in the 1996-2006 debacle that robbed so many families of their "option for permanent housing" since you're now the one in charge of developing the same! Was there any thought, after the Chemical Bank loan was in place, to perhaps downgrade the quality of marble festooning the HQ is favor of squats for just a few tykes, or did the general "Cone of Silence" atmosphere surrounding the whole enterprise make charity problematic?

Does it still?

Or will your frank and disingenuous revelations finally let the voters know how important homeless children really are to Jim Palmer and the OC Board of Supervisors? Chief Walters, the real tragedy here is that, as always, really great public servants like you and the rest of the SAPD get "volunteered" by the likes of City Manager Reams and his good friend Jim Palmer. There's a reason that Mr. Palmer, until recently, publicly eschewed any association with Government, proclaiming loudly his utter reliance upon the Lord! He will never bear the humble "yoke" of public service. He will instead, rope the humble servants of the people into serving his selectively "anti-government" designs. The enduring problem, as demonstrated herein, is that he will do it badly. Jim probably isn't even aware of your involvement in the transfer of millions from the poor to the SAPD. That we would hold an "Options for Permanent Housing" presentation in the Community Room of the very "palace" that robbed poor families of their slim chances is ironic in the extreme. Perhaps no one would notice if you changed the venue to Jim Palmer's palace, and wore civvies.

Only in Partnership with the OC!

Dwight Smith

PS I'll be bringing a few students from the OC College Amnesty Chapter, and a score of homeless people.

THE COST OF BEING POOR IN THE USA

2011-04-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

Via: Online Sociology Degree

US Government Cuts $75 million Homeless Veteran Benefits, Adds $27million for NASCAR Sponsorships?

2011-04-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

READ THE FULL STORY AT TIME MAGAZINE
HERE

Unfortunately, in the recent round of intense budget cuts in Congress, this small funding for the homeless-shelter project was slashed, along with a total of $75 million in homeless-veteran benefits. As both a veteran and an American, I don't believe that veterans' programs should ever be isolated from budget cuts. After all, if the nation is hurting, it is we veterans who have sacrificed and will sacrifice first to protect her. But when I turn the pages of the budget to find a $7.4 million guaranteed commitment to fund a U.S. Army NASCAR sponsorship — and $20 million more from the National Guard to do the same — my blood begins to boil.

5 STAR CHEF COOKS MEALS FOR HOMELESS KIDS IN ANAHEIM

2011-03-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

Anaheim, California (CNN)
In the shadows of Disneyland, often referred to as the "happiest place on Earth," many children are living a reality that's far from carefree.

They are living in cheap motels more commonly associated with drug dealers, prostitutes and illicit affairs.

It's the only option for many families that are struggling financially and can't scrape together a deposit for an apartment. By living week to week in these cramped quarters, they stay one step ahead of homelessness.

"Some people are stuck, they have no money. They need to live in that room," said Bruno Serato, a local chef and restaurateur. "They've lost everything they have. They have no other chance. No choice."

While "motel kids" are found across the United States, the situation is very common in Orange County, California, a wealthy community with high rents and a large number of old motels. In 2009, local authorities estimated that more than 1,000 families lived in these conditions.

When Serato learned that these children often go hungry, he began serving up assistance, one plate at a time. To date, he's served more than 270,000 pasta dinners -- for free -- to those in need.

"Kids should not be suffering," Serato said. "[I had] to do something."

Serato, 55, has always given back to the community where he achieved his American dream. When the Italian immigrant arrived in the U.S. 30 years ago, his poor English skills forced him to settle for a job as a dishwasher. But within five years, he had become chef and owner of the Anaheim White House, an Italian restaurant that is now a local hot spot.

In 2003, he created Caterina's Club, which raises money for underprivileged children. The charity is named after Serato's mother, who taught him how to cook at the family's trattoria in Verona, Italy.

When she came to California in 2005 to visit her son, he took her to the local Boys & Girls Club, the main recipient of the charity's funds. There, they saw a small boy eating a bag of potato chips and learned that this snack was his supper.

Bruno said his mother was shocked by the boy's meager meal. She had raised seven children and always made sure food was on the dinner table, even during the lean years after World War II.

"My mama ... her whole life was to feed kids," he said.

The Seratos found out that the boy lived in a motel with his family. The situation was so common in the area that the Anaheim Boys & Girls Club had a "motel kids" program, where vans pick up the children after school and drop them off at the motels every night. While these children receive free breakfast and lunch through school programs, their parents often don't have the resources to give them dinner.
Caterina found it unacceptable that the children would go to bed without supper.

Speaking in rapid Italian, she made her feelings clear to her son. "Mom said, 'Bruno, you must feed them the pasta!' " Serato recalled. When he discovered that this meant feeding around 70 children, he demurred. But his mother insisted. He went back to his restaurant and prepared 70 pasta dinners to serve at the club.
His mother helped him that first night, and Serato has maintained the ritual nearly every night for more than six years -- even through the recession.

The economic downturn was a challenge, though. Serato lost 30% to 40% of his customers, and the number of children he fed each night more than doubled. He often found himself giving away more meals than he served in his restaurant, and he was forced to refinance his home to keep going. But Serato found that his work with the children helped sustain him, at least on a personal level.

"So many nights ... it was not too many customers," he said. "[To] know that I served 150 kids ... it made me feel better."

This spring, Serato plans to expand his program to an additional 100 kids a night, and he will partner with another organization to give 100 children three meals a day.
He is also calling on other restaurants around the country to work together to feed "motel kids." He believes that providing just a few dinners a night could make a significant difference.

"Every restaurant in the country -- Chinese, Indian, Mexican, French -- let's do it all together," Serato said. "We would have no hungry children."

Serato's love for the children is clear, but he's quick to give all of the credit to his beloved "mama" back in Italy. Although she suffers from Parkinson's disease, he still talks to her via Skype every morning and believes that if she knew how their work has grown, she would be proud.

Although his mother made him start the work, he now says he could never stop helping the children.

"They're customers," he says with a smile. "My favorite customers."

Want to get involved? Check out the Caterina's Club website
HERE

READ THE FULL STORY
HERE

Constructive Alternatives to Food Sharing Restrictions

2011-02-14T13:58:00.000-08:00

Despite the prevalence of food sharing restrictions that hinder access to food for individuals experiencing homelessness, there are examples of positive ways hunger is being addressed.

These examples include the expansion of existing federal nutrition programs, innovative new programs, and collaboration between cities and local service providers.

Some examples include:

*The city of Ft. Myers, Florida abandoned plans to limit food sharing programs that serve homeless individuals in public parks, due to a negative public response to the proposal, in 2007. Subsequently, a city council member and local service providers collaborated to address community concerns surrounding public food sharing. Ultimately, the city council promised to work with local homeless service providers to create a Hunger Task Force, which has strengthened local alliances and resources.

*In Los Angeles, California Jonathan Lee, while a student at UCLA, recognized that there were hundreds of unused student meal plan meals at the end of the semester and
identified those as potential meals and snacks to be donated to people experiencing
homelessness and hunger in the community. He recruited help and started Swipes for the Homeless, a quarterly program that collects hundreds of donated meal card swipes from their peers.

*A federal program, the EBT Restaurant Meals Program, allows people experiencing
homelessness to use SNAP/Food Stamp benefits at authorized restaurants. Participation
is up to each state, and while many states do not take advantage of the program, it has expanded in the several states that do. California’s Los Angeles County has 477
restaurants participating in the program, including Subway, Dominos Pizza, El Pollo
Loco and Jack in the Box. Michigan and Arizona also have restaurants participating, and Florida is in the process of implementing a pilot program.

**Taken from "A Place at the Table", June 2010

A PLACE AT THE TABLE (an excerpt)

2011-02-13T19:49:00.000-08:00

Three years after the 2007 publication of Feeding Intolerance: Prohibitions on Sharing Food with People Experiencing Homelessness, cities still choose to implement measures that criminalize homelessness and, at times, penalize those who serve homeless persons.

These measures, such as anti-camping laws, often target activities homeless people are forced to do in public spaces because of their lack of a home or shelter.

This report specifically focuses on ordinances, policies, and tactics that
discourage or prohibit individuals and groups from sharing food with homeless persons. Uncomfortable with visible homelessness in their communities and influenced by myths about homeless people’s food access, cities use food sharing restrictions to move homeless people out of sight, an action that often exacerbates the challenges people experiencing homelessness face each day just to survive.

The report also highlights constructive alternatives to food sharing restrictions, in the form of innovative programs that both adults and youth are implementing to share food with people experiencing homelessness in their communities.

Increasing Homelessness and Hunger Across the U.S.
Many people are confronting homelessness and hunger in the current economic recession, some for the first time. The 2009 Hunger and Homelessness Survey conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found:
*82% (22 of 27) of cities surveyed, in 2009, reported having to make adjustments to
accommodate an increase in the demand for shelter over the past year.
*25% of requests for emergency food assistance went unmet in 2009.
*26% was the average increase in demand for assistance reported by cities in 2009, which represents the largest average increase since 1991.

Growing Restrictions by Cities on Food Sharing
More cities have chosen to target homeless individuals by restricting groups or individuals who share food with homeless people in private and public spaces, since 2007. Examples of these measures include:

*Gainesville, Florida began enforcing a rule limiting the number of meals that soup
kitchens may serve to 130 people in one day.

* Phoenix, Arizona used zoning laws to stop a local church from serving breakfast to
community members, including many homeless people, outside a local church.

*Myrtle Beach, South Carolina adopted an ordinance that restricts food sharing with
homeless people in public parks. Although permits are free, groups may only obtain a
permit four times a year.

Legal Challenges and Human Rights Implications
Such restrictions raise legal issues, and some have been challenged in court. For example:

▪ In Orlando, Florida the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the City of Orlando on behalf of local organizations, challenging a 2006 law requiring a groups sharing food with 25 or more people to obtain a permit that was only available twice a year per park. A federal district court found the law to be unconstitutional and in violation of Free Exercise of Religion and Freedom of Speech in October of 2008. The city has appealed the decision and the appeal is pending.

▪ In San Diego, California the zoning department attempted to prohibit a local church from serving a weekly meal to community members, many of them homeless. In 2008, attorney Scott Dreher successfully defended the church's First Amendment right to practice its religion. The weekly meal continues to take place on church property and serves 150 to 200 people each week. Such restrictions also raise human rights concerns. The right to food is a recognized human right, explicitly addressed in over 120 instruments of international law since 1920 and included in the
domestic constitutions of 22 nations. The International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) explains that states have an obligation to respect, protect and fulfill certain rights. For the right to food this means a state, or nation, must not take action resulting in preventing access to food, must ensure that enterprises or individuals do not deprive someone of their access to food, and must take proactive action to increase access to food.

*Taken from "A Place at The Table" - A Report by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, July 2010

HOW TO START A MINISTRY TO THE POOR IN YOUR COMMUNITY

2011-02-04T17:27:00.000-08:00

Part 2 of 5

By Keith Giles

This week I want to share a long list of valuable lessons I've learned over the last few years when it comes to serving others. Keep in mind that a lot of what I learned here had to be experienced. Even as I share this with you I understand that reading about this is no substitute for actually experiencing it for yourself. Hopefully as you move forward in your own journey with serving people you'll discover the truth of these observations in your own heart.

A LONG LIST OF VALUABLE LESSONS
As you take your first tentative steps into compassion ministry, you'll need to know what to expect. Here are some basic things I've discovered in my journey serving others in our community:

*Consistency Is Vital - We started ministry at the motel in Santa Ana almost 8 years ago. Over time we've consistently come every month with a bounce house, games, snacks and a puppet show for the kids who live in this motel. For over four years we only blessed them. We never preached a sermon or passed out maps to our Church. (Although we weren't shy about sharing with them if they had need or if they asked us why were doing this for them.)

Recently, in our fifth year, we started passing out free groceries and asking them if we can pray with them about anything. Why? The goal of the ministry is to show the love of Jesus to them in tangible ways. Not to market our church or to get them to buy something. We have intentionally withheld a sermon or an evangelistic message so that we create the question in their minds- "Why?" We want people to respond to our compassion by asking "Why would you come out here and bless us like this every month?" When they ask us (and they eventually do) we then share with them the difference that Jesus has made in our hearts and lives.

Having no agenda disarms them and, more importantly, demonstrates that we really are only interested in loving them and blessing them in practical ways.

*You WILL Get Burned. It's Part Of The Process - A fellow compassion ministries pastor once suggested that we publish a guide to help local churches serve the poor. He wanted to include a section that would help prevent them from getting burned by some of the poor who take advantage of our goodwill. I protested against this quite vocally because the best lessons I've learned in loving the poor have come from the numerous times I've been played like a violin. Without those experiences of being lied to, taken advantage of and played for a fool I wouldn't have a shred of discernment regarding the poor. Getting burned is part of the process. Try to learn from it. The biggest challenge is to get burned and continue to love people and bless them, even knowing they might be playing you.

*Bigger Is Not better - For the longest time our ministry to the families in the motel was pretty much my wife, my two elementary-age sons and one other woman from our church. We still managed to put together great games for the kids, snacks, puppet shows and a meaningful ministry to the families who live in this motel. Sometimes having a massive ministry footprint means that the people you're ministering to get lost in the hype. I'd rather sit down and share a sandwich under a tree with one homeless guy than have a massive army of people running a huge event where the poor feel like outsiders.

*Don't Pet the Poor - Early on I was warned not to treat the poor as a project or an outreach. When we do this we end up treating them like people who are less than the rest of us. The goal in serving the poor is to make them feel like an equal human being. Look them in the eye. Laugh with them. Learn their story. Pray for them during the week. Get to know them. If you can think of your ministry as being more about making new friends (who happen to be living in poverty) and less about fixing these poor people you'll be fine.

*Don't Attempt To Cure Poverty In Your City - This is a common mistake for those who start off doing compassion ministry. In their zeal to bring justice to the poor they get off target and begin to see their ministry as a grandiose scheme to end poverty forever in their city. The sad thing is that when we do this we stop caring for the actual people who are in need. If our focus can remain on finding a few people and learning how to love them we'll be closer to the heart of Jesus. One of my early mentors, David Ruis, used to communicate it this way: "What do you see and what do you have?" Meaning, start with the people in front of you who have a need. Ask yourself what you have that you could share with them. Befriend people and learn to love them.

*It's About Sharing, Not Giving - Giving to the poor, although important is not what we're necessarily called to as followers of Jesus. We're called to share. Giving means writing a check and walking away (and taking the tax break on our IRS return). Sharing means taking something that is mine and giving it away to someone who needs it more than I do. That's an investment. That's also about friendship and relationship, not compassion from a distance.

*Befriend A Few and Learn To Love Them Deeply - When we first started our Motel Ministry I had grand visions of leading huge outreach teams to lead worship and preach the Gospel and rescue hundreds from the despair of poverty. God quickly corrected my vision and showed me one small family living in the motel. Love them, He said. Get to know them. Invite them to your house for lunch.

For the first two years or so that was the main focus of our ministry in that motel. The difference was that this ministry soon became less about ending poverty in that motel and more about the struggles of my new friends, Mike and Pam and their two children.

*You Will Learn More From Them Than You Teach - My relationship with the families at the motel has taught me more about courage and forgiveness and humility than I could have ever learned from reading a book or a blog or listening to a sermon. The things I've heard and seen and experienced by being in relationship with these wonderful people has impacted me greatly.

[END PART 2]

Federal Homelessness Program Runs Out Of Money As Need Rises

2011-02-03T22:40:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON -- Homelessness has significantly risen in the U.S. as a result of surging foreclosures and joblessness caused by the recession, but a new federal program designed to nudge people back from the brink of life without shelter is on the brink itself.

A new report, released by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty on Jan. 26, found that a homelessness prevention and re-housing program funded by the 2009 stimulus bill needs more money to meet rising need. Instead, the program will likely be left out of the new federal budget.

In response to the 20 percent increase in foreclosures that occurred from 2008 to 2009, the Department of Housing and Urban Development used $1.5 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to create the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP), which helps keep people in their apartments by subsidizing their rent.

The program is quickly running out of money, however, and having a number of administrative difficulties trying to keep up with demand. In Detroit, for instance, about 50,000 people filled out applications for only 3,500 grants on the first day the money was available, and a number of major U.S. cities have already used up more than 80 percent of their allotted funds, which were supposed to last until 2012.

When the NLCHP report surveyed local service providers and legal assistance organizations to determine the overall effectiveness of the program, about 61 percent said that "program bureaucracy" resulted in over half of people applying for HPRP not receiving assistance. About half of the respondents said there was no clear appeals process to give people a second chance when their initial application was denied, and in many communities, eligible families were not even aware of the program because of a lack of outreach efforts.

Sheila Crowley, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, told HuffPost she is not surprised the program is having difficulties meeting demand because it was only supposed to be an emergency band-aid for victims of the recession.

"The program was basically created fairly quickly, and the idea was to put some cash into the hands of the service providers in communities who are there when people knock on the door and say, 'I'm about to be evicted,'" she said. "It's a program that was seen as a one-shot deal in response to what, in 2009, people hoped was a short-term crisis. Here we are two years later, and unemployment is still high, and foreclosures continue, so it's sort of the story of what happens when you do programs like that."

According to a December report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, 52 percent of U.S. cities surveyed reported an increase in people experiencing homelessness in 2010, and emergency shelters in 64 percent of those cities said they've had to turn away families with children due to a lack of available beds.

The NLCHP is recommending that HUD allocate $1 billion per year in additional funding to the re-housing program to respond to the ongoing needs of communities that are quickly running out of HPRP money. But Maria Foscarinis, executive director of the Law Center, said Congress has asked all government agencies to deliver a reduced budget this year that will likely not keep the HPRP program afloat.

If the program goes by the wayside, it will join the ranks of a number of effective stimulus programs that Congress has deemed unworthy of deficit spending, including a $2.5 billion work subsidy program that one Washington think tank estimated had created nearly 250,000 jobs.

"The bottom line is this is an important program that really does prevent people from being homeless and get people back into housing, but the need greatly outstrips the resources that were allocated," she told HuffPost. "We're seeing tremendous increases in homelessness as a result of the foreclosure crisis and economic downturn, and we're afraid that programs that help prevent homelessness will be cut at a time when their funding needs to be increased."

READ THE FULL ARTICLE
HERE

HOW TO START A MINISTRY TO THE POOR IN YOUR COMMUNITY

2011-02-02T17:35:00.001-08:00

by Keith Giles

Part 1 of 5

Over the last several years I have been involved in serving the poor here in Orange County, California. During this time I have learned a lot about what to do, and what not to do, when it comes to serving the least and the forgotten.

In the upcoming series of articles I will do my best to provide practical insights and information about what serving the poor looks like. I hope to inspire many of you to step outside your comfort zones and begin to serve the poor in your own community.

Whether you volunteer at a local soup kitchen or if you lead a small group or a church team to go out and minister to the poor I hope you can benefit from these articles and catch a vision for serving others.

I am very excited about this new series of articles. My prayer is that this will inspire many of you to take first steps into an outward expression of God's love for others. I welcome your feedback and your questions as we take a few weeks to explore this subject and wrestle with these ideas.

BEFORE WE START
This series will not be about building a case for the "Why" we serve the poor, instead I will assume that most of you reading this have already come to terms with the overwhelming Biblical evidence regarding God's command to care for the poor and the example of our Lord Jesus towards the sick, the broken and the outcast.

It is my firm belief that, as a follower of Jesus, serving the least and the forgotten in our culture is expected of us. Jesus was our blueprint for living the Kingdom life. His example to us compels us to leave our comfort zones and to seek out the lonely, the forgotten, the least and the lost in our society. Jesus himself made it very clear that those who sincerely love him will be found caring for the hungry, the poor, the lonely and the imprisoned (see Matthew 25).

For more on the Believers Biblical mandate to care for the poor please refer to the numerous Scriptural references (over 2,000) concerning Gods heart for the poor and His expectation of compassion and obedience from us.

CATCHING THE VISION
So, with the assumption of an understanding regarding our personal calling to serve the poor and to love them as we love Jesus, (and as Jesus has loved us), I will try to share some of what I've learned over the last few years regarding God's heart for the poor and how we can step forward in obedience to care for them.

HOW DO WE BEGIN?
One of the first things I did when I realized that God was calling me to lead a ministry to the poor, (or Compassion Ministry), was to seek out other leaders who were already caring for the poor around me. There was a church in my neighborhood that hosted a weekly luncheon for the poor in their parking lot. I was also aware that they had started a Men's Shelter and opened a local Thrift Store to fund the ministry. After a few phone calls I got in touch with the pastor in charge of this ministry and took him to lunch.

Over a cheeseburger I took notes and asked a lot of questions. From there I took this pastor's advice and got in touch with the chaplain of our local rescue mission. A meeting with this amazing gentleman proved very insightful and provided further understanding of what poverty in our community looked like and how best to help.

FIRST STEPS
If you feel called to start a ministry to the poor through your church, or small group, or just want to get involved in some way, here's what I recommend:

*Understand that this is a Spiritual Battle - Some of the people you are about to minister to are trapped in the most unbelievable darkness you can possibly imagine. They are bound by drug addictions, sexual perversion, demonic possession, mental illness, physical sickness and more. You will need to recognize that you are not enough. You are perfectly inadequate in every way. You will need the power of the Holy Spirit. You will require a complete dependence upon God for help. You will not last a second without Jesus as your example, friend and constant strength. Pray.

*Don't reinvent the wheel - If there's already a dozen ministries in your area who are serving the homeless there’s no point in starting another one. Partner with them and work together.

*Find out what causes poverty in your community - In Orange County there are several non-profit organizations who conduct annual surveys and publish community index reports on everything from education and crime to employment rates and homelessness. A call to your local Rescue Mission and/or the area Salvation Army office can probably put these reports into your hands. Learning what the specific causes of poverty and homelessness in your community are goes a long way to providing
your next step. NOTE: If you live in Orange County, California you can search www.PovertyInTheOC.com to find more resources and info to help you understand poverty in the OC.

*Become an expert in what causes poverty in your city - Soon you'll be teaching others about the problem, and the solutions. Because I've taken the time to study the causes of poverty in Orange County, I've had numerous invitations from local churches to come and share what I've learned. Part of my personal mission is to help others to see what I see and to catch a vision for serving the poor. This is a great way to do that.

*Piggy-back with others who have more experience and learn from them - When our group wanted to minister to prostitutes we did our best to find others who were experienced in dealing with this issue. When we felt called to minister in motels we partnered with the local Rescue Mission who was already organizing church groups to address the issue. Don't assume you know the needs, or the best methods for helping the poor. Every city is different. Every category of ministry (homeless, elderly,
veterans, prostitutes, drug addicts, battered women, etc.) is unique. Learn before you step out.

*Build a team who can serve with you - Don't start out alone.
Even if it's only one other person, you need to have a partner in this adventure. Pray together. Research the needs and brainstorm your approach to ministry.

*Don't blindly copy what someone else is doing - Every community is different, and I believe we need to begin caring for "our poor" first. The homeless or the low-income family in your area is not the same as the homeless or the poor in San Francisco, or New York or Chicago, etc. Take cues from others, but don't assume you can "cut and paste" what one ministry does into your community and be
successful.

*Start close to home - The poor who live within ten miles of you are "your poor" and getting to know them, and understanding their needs and what keeps them in poverty is crucial. Try not to do long distance ministry to the poor. Find ways to be in fellowship with those you are serving.

[END PART 1]

Resources for the Homeless in Orange County

2010-10-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

Housing Shelter Resources

*American Family Housing, Transitional Housing Program 714-897-3221. Shelter for the Homeless offers transitional and affordable housing for singles, singles with children, families, and emancipated youth between the ages of 18-21. Must be working. Does not accept mentally ill.

*Friendship Shelter 949-494-6928. Transitional housing for single men & women plus limited emergency facilities for those needing immediate response. No children, no couples.

*H. I. S. House, Transitional Living Center 714-993-5774. Transitional living center for the homeless.

*Laura's House Emergency Shelter 949-498-1511. Provides housing up to 45 days with a comprehensive therapeutic program for women and children.

*Mercy House 714-836-7188. Serves single males, females and families in need of transitional housing. They also provide a variety of services to the downtown Santa Ana homeless population.

*O. C. Rescue Mission 714-247-4300. Serves the homeless and needy in Orange County with shelter, food and clothing. Faith-based organization.

*Salvation Army 714-832-7100. Call the Salvation Army for information on all their programs & services in Orange County.

*Serving People in Need (SPIN) 714-751-1101. Serves the homeless population.

Emergency Assistance/Basic Needs

*Assistance League Assistance League is a national nonprofit organization that puts caring and commitment into action through community-based philanthropic projects.

*Catholic Charities Outreach Family Center Provides emergency assistance for crisis intervention including food, clothing, shelter, and financial assistance to individuals and families at risk of homelessness. Faith-based organization.

*Family Support Network, Emergency Needs Fund This program provides items that a family cannot afford but are needed to keep their special needs child safely at home.

*Share Ourselves (SOS) SOS provides services to Orange County's most impoverished families including the homeless.

*Working Wardrobes Working Wardrobes® serves CalWORKs recipients, clients of social
service agencies, and adults in 55 shelters/programs in Orange County including residents of safe shelters, emancipated and at risk youth and chemical dependency centers in Orange County

*For more info go
HERE

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2009 OC COMMUNITY INDICATOR'S REPORT (CHILDREN & FAMILIES)

2010-10-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

[NOTE: YOU MAY DOWNLOAD A FREE PDF COPY OF THE 2009 OC COMMUNITY INDICATORS REPORT HERE]

Children Living in Low Income Families Trending Upward

Description of Indicator
This indicator measures Orange County families’ progress toward self-sufficiency and economic stability by tracking enrollment in
core public assistance programs and the proportion of children living in low income families.

Why is it Important?
While most families in Orange County do well, the families
struggling to get by are the focus of this indicator. The
challenges associated with poverty – stress, strained family
relationships, substandard housing, lower educational
attainment, limited employment skills, unaffordable child care,
and transportation difficulties – make it hard for low income
families to obtain and maintain employment. Economic stability
can have lasting and measurable benefits for both parents
and children.

How is Orange County Doing?
Enrollment in cash assistance programs remained steady, while
food and health insurance program participation grew:
• The number of people receiving CalWORKs cash
assistance (38,498 in 2007/08) remained the same for the
first time in more than 10 years of steady declines.
• Welfare-to-Work participation in employment, education
and services remained largely unchanged.
• The number of people receiving Food Stamps continues to
grow, currently at 88,284 people, or 2.8% of the total
county population.1
• Medi-Cal enrollment grew 3% last year, while Healthy
Families enrollment rose 8%.
• The increasing enrollments for programs without time
limits reflects expanded eligibility and increased efforts to
enroll income-eligible people.

While the proportion of children living in low income families
fluctuates each year, the long-term trend is upward:
• 40% of students were eligible for free or reduced price
school meals in 2007/08, an increase of 6% over the past 10
years.2
• Wide disparities within the county are evident.

[Page 49 – FAMILY HOUSING SECURITY]
**

Housing Assistance Scarce; More Families Live Doubled-Up

Description of Indicator
This indicator measures Orange County families’ progress
toward housing stability by tracking availability of rental assistance,
and children that are homeless or living in unstable housing
arrangements. For additional countywide housing trends,
see Housing Demand, Housing Affordability, and Rental
Affordability.

Why is it Important?
High housing costs in Orange County force many families into
living conditions they would not choose otherwise. Living
doubled- or tripled-up with another family due to economic
constraints can place stress on personal relationships, housing
stock, public services and infrastructure. When shared housing
is not an option, or if other factors arise, such as foreclosure,
financial loss, or domestic violence, the result can be homelessness.

How is Orange County Doing?
Most residents seeking rental assistance will wait many years for
a voucher unless conditions or funding levels change:
• At the end of December 2008, there were 11,654 applicants
waiting for a Housing Choice Voucher.
• During 2008, the Orange County Housing Authority used
all of its allocated vouchers to assist an average of 9,619
households each month, and issued 671 vouchers to applicants
on the waiting list to replace families that terminated
from the program.
• The voucher supply remains limited because housing
authorities have not had the opportunity to apply to the federal
government for additional housing vouchers since 2003.
Federal law requires public school districts to report the number
of students living in shelters or unsheltered in cars, parks or
campgrounds, as well as in motels or with another family due to
economic hardship:
• In 2007/08, 17,051 Orange County students (mostly in
grades K-12) were identified as living in one of these unstable
housing conditions.1 This is a 30% increase over the past
year.
• Families living doubled- or tripled-up in a home due to economic
hardship are the largest cohort with 15,817 students
living in these conditions.
• Additionally, 789 students live in motels, 385 live in shelters,
and 60 live unsheltered in cars, parks or campgrounds.

EVEN MORE: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2009 OC COMMUNITY INDICATORS REPORT

2010-10-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

HOUSING AFFORDABILITY NEARLY DOUBLES

Description of Indicator
This indicator measures the value and change in value of the
median-priced existing single-family detached home. It uses the
California Association of Realtors Housing Affordability Index
to measure the percentage of households that can afford the
existing median-priced single-family detached home in Orange
County. It also compares homeownership rates.

Why is it Important?
High relative housing prices adversely impact businesses’ ability
to attract and retain workers. A shortage of affordable housing,
particularly for first-time buyers, discourages young workers
from moving to or remaining in Orange County. In addition,
a lack of affordable housing results in longer commutes, leading
to increased traffic congestion and pollution, decreased productivity
and diminished quality of life. Homeownership increases
stability for families and communities and is a significant means
of personal wealth creation.

How is Orange County Doing?
The single-family median home sale price is significantly less
than the previous year, although still out of reach for many:
• In July 2008, the median sale price of an existing singlefamily
detached home in Orange County was $537,570, down
$172,150 or 24% since July 2007.
• This price is still nearly $200,000 more than the state median
price for a comparable home in July 2008.

Housing affordability nearly doubled since last year:
• The minimum household income needed to purchase a median-priced
single-family home in Orange County is approximately $78,100.1
• As of the second quarter of 2008, 41% of households in
Orange County could afford an existing single-family
detached home that was priced at 85% of median (or
$456,900).
• This is significantly higher than the 23% able to afford the
same home in 2007.
• Orange County’s affordability rate is consistent with San
Diego and Los Angeles counties.
• Neighboring Riverside and San Bernardino counties remain
more affordable with housing affordability rates of 59% and
63%, respectively.

Homeownership rates rose slightly:
• Homeownership rates for Orange County rose from 62.4% in
2006 to 62.7% in 2007.
• Orange County has similar levels of homeownership as many
of our peer regions, but still lags behind the national rate by
approximately 4.5%.

[from page 23]
**
Housing Wage Drops for First Time

Description of Indicator
This indicator measures the Housing Wage – the hourly wage a resident needs to afford “Fair Market Rent” (the median rent in the Orange County market).

Why is it Important?
Lack of affordable rental housing can lead to overcrowding and household stress. Less affordable rental housing also restricts the ability of renters to save for a down payment on a home, limiting their ability to eventually become homeowners and build personal wealth through housing appreciation. Ultimately, a shortage of affordable housing for renters can instigate a cycle of poverty.

How is Orange County Doing?
Orange County’s Housing Wage decreased in 2009:
• For the first time since tracking began, the hourly wage needed for a one-bedroom apartment fell – from $25.57 in 2008 to $24.92
in 2009. This Housing Wage is equivalent to an annual income of $51,840.
• The hourly wages needed to afford two- and three-bedroom apartments also declined.
• Despite decreases in Housing Wage levels, Orange County has the second highest Housing Wage (less affordable rental housing)
compared to state and national peer metropolitan areas.

Renting in Orange County

Fair Market Rent (Monthly)
----------------2008 - 2009
One Bedroom ----$1,330 $1,296
Two Bedroom ----$1,595 $1,546
Three Bedroom --$2,282 $2,188

Amount a Household Earning Minimum Wage
Can Afford to Pay in Rent (Monthly)
2008: $416
2009: $416

Number of Hours per Week a Minimum Wage
Earner Must Work to Afford a One-Bedroom
Apartment
2008: 128
2009: 125

Source: Orange County Business Council analysis of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rent (www.huduser.org/datasets/fmr.html) using the methodology of the National Low Income Housing Coalition (www.nlihc.org), and California Employment Development Department (www.calmis.ca.gov)

[from page 24]
**

MORE HIGHLIGHTS: 2009 OC COMMUNITY INDICATORS REPORT

2010-10-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

[NOTE: YOU MAY DOWNLOAD A FREE PDF COPY OF THE 2009 OC COMMUNITY INDICATORS REPORT HERE]

Largest Clusters Split Between Growth and Decline

Description of Indicator
This indicator shows employment and salaries in 10 major
Orange County industry clusters. The clusters were chosen
to reflect the diversity of Orange County employment,
major economic drivers within the county, and important
industry sectors for workforce development. Approximately
40% of all Orange County jobs can be found in the 10 clusters
described in this indicator.

Why is it Important?
Employment change within specific clusters illustrates how
Orange County’s economy is evolving. Tracking salary levels
in these clusters shows whether these jobs can provide a
wage high enough for workers to afford to live in Orange
County.

How is Orange County Doing?
Between 2006 and 2007, employment grew in seven of the
10 major industry clusters:
• Two of the largest clusters –Tourism and Health Services
– were part of this growth.
• The other two largest clusters – Business and Professional
Services, and Construction – experienced employment declines.
• Computer Hardware also experienced a decline.
• The largest employment gains occurred in Communications
(19.2%), Energy and Environment (11.5%), and Computer Software (6.4%).
Eight of the 10 major Orange County industry clusters
experienced salary increases between 2006 and 2007:
• The largest salary increases occurred in Communications
(11.8%), and Energy and Environment (8.8%).
• The two industries experiencing salary reductions were
Computer Software (-1.1%) and Biomedical (-3.1%).
• As presented in the Housing Affordability indicator, the
annual income needed to purchase a median-priced home
in Orange County is $78,100, affordable only to the top
three paying clusters.
• Despite salary increases, three of the four largest clusters
do not have an annual income high enough to afford
median rent on a one-bedroom apartment (estimated at
$51,840 in the Rental Affordability indicator).

**
Average Annual Salaries in Orange County Clusters
Orange County, 2007 Job Market

------------------------------------2007------------Change 2006-07
Defense and Aerospace -------------$95,199 -------------------6.7%
Computer Software -----------------$82,630 -----------------(-1.1%)
Biomedical ------------------------$80,198------------------(-3.1%)
Computer Hardware -----------------$70,432 --------------------1.7%
Communications --------------------$69,694 -------------------11.8%
Energy and Environment ------------$59,292 --------------------8.8%
Construction ----------------------$53,581 --------------------7.3%
Business and Professional Services $51,349 --------------------5.2%
Health Services -------------------$47,124 --------------------3.0%
Tourism ---------------------------$20,197 --------------------5.8%

Source: Orange County Business Council analysis of data from the California Employment
Development Department

[from page 21]
**
Economic Contraction Narrows Housing Gap

Description of Indicator
This indicator shows the ratio of new housing permits divided by new jobs created in Orange County compared with peer metropolitan
areas across the state and the country.

Why is it Important?
When an economy is growing, new housing is needed for the additional workers employed. When the housing demand is unmet, it can drive up home prices and apartment rents beyond what is affordable to many workers and residents. An expensive housing market
affects Orange County’s desirability as a business location partly because businesses have greater difficulty attracting and retaining workers — particularly young workers. In addition, residents face longer commute times due to people moving out of the county or to a small concentration of affordable areas within the county. Orange County’s housing deficit is the result of a long-term chasm between the amount of housing built relative to the number of jobs created. Even when the economy contracts, the gap is so wide that demand for new housing does not disappear. To begin to close a gap of this size, housing construction must increase and remain high in times of economic growth as well as contraction.

How is Orange County Doing?
Despite a significant decline in employment, the long-term housing
shortage that has existed in Orange County since the late-1990s
continues due to weak housing development:
• In 2007, employment dropped by 28,200 jobs while 7,372 new
housing permits were granted.
• The resulting ratio of -3.83 leaves Orange County with a
negative number of jobs (job losses) per new housing permit.
• This is in contrast to peer regions around the country (except for
the Inland Empire and Los Angeles) where job growth continued
in correspondence with housing permit growth.
• Still, since 1999, a total of 162,100 new jobs were created (including
losses) compared with 78,800 housing units permitted.
• In other words, for every 1.8 jobs created since 1999, one housing
unit has been permitted. The standard “healthy” ratio of jobs to
permits is 1.5 jobs per housing unit.
• All peer areas compared granted more housing permits than Orange County in 2007.

[from page 22]
**

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2009 OC COMMUNITY INDICATORS REPORT

2010-10-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

[NOTE: YOU MAY DOWNLOAD A FREE PDF COPY OF THE 2009 OC COMMUNITY INDICATORS REPORT HERE]

Housing Continues to Drive High Cost of Living
2009 ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS CLIMATE

Description of Indicator
This indicator uses a cost of living index to compare prices of housing, consumer goods, and services for Orange County and peer
metropolitan regions. The weighted index compares local market prices in the following areas:
• Housing (28%) • Groceries (13%)
• Utilities (10%) • Transportation (10%)
• Health care costs (4%) • Miscellaneous items (35%)

The average for all 300 metro areas analyzed equals 100 and each area’s individual index is read as a percentage of the average for
all places.

Why is it Important?
A high cost of living relative to peer markets can make Orange County less attractive
as a destination for businesses and workers. In addition, businesses already operating in Orange County may opt to relocate or expand elsewhere. Current residents – particularly young workers – may decide to move to more affordable areas.

How is Orange County Doing?
In the second quarter of 2008:
• Orange County’s cost of living was the third highest of our peer regions, which are
among the highest of the 300 metro areas analyzed in the index.
• San Francisco and San Jose were the only markets more expensive.
• With 100 being average, Orange County measured 155.8 on the index (up from
154.9 last year).
• Orange County’s cost of living measures for groceries, utilities, transportation and miscellaneous items tended to rank in the middle among peers, but high housing
costs significantly affected the index, making Orange County’s score among the
highest.

[from page 19]
**
High Average Income and Growth Rate in 2006

Description of Indicator
This indicator measures per capita income levels and income
growth. Total personal income includes wages and salaries,
proprietor income, property income, and transfer payments, such as
pensions and unemployment insurance. Figures are not adjusted for
inflation.

Why is it Important?
A high per capita income for residents is crucial in the context of
Orange County’s high housing costs. In addition, a higher relative
per capita income signals greater discretionary income for the
purchase of goods and services.

How is Orange County Doing?
Orange County boasts fast income growth in recent years:
• In 2006, Orange County’s per capita income of $48,209 was
higher than the state and national averages and up 6.0% from
$44,465 in 2005.
• When compared to peer and neighboring markets, Orange
County has the fourth highest per capita income, trailing only
San Jose, Boston and Seattle.
• Between 1997 and 2006, Orange County posted a per capita
income growth of 5.1%, which is faster than all peer regions
compared except for San Diego.
• Over this same 10-year period, the average inflation rate was
2.5%, which should be taken into account when interpreting
these income growth percentages.
• As the country slips into recession, per capita income is
anticipated to decline.

[from page 20]
**

SAYING GOODBYE TO THE MIDDLE CLASS

2010-09-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

The following are 15 shocking poverty statistics that are skyrocketing as the American middle class continues to be slowly wiped out....

#1 Approximately 45 million Americans were living in poverty in 2009.

#2 According to the Associated Press, experts believe that 2009 saw the largest single year increase in the U.S. poverty rate since the U.S. government began calculating poverty figures back in 1959.

#3 The U.S. poverty rate is now the third worst among the developed nations tracked by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

#4 According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on a year-over-year basis, household participation in the food stamp program has increased 20.28%.

#5 The number of Americans on food stamps surpassed 41 million for the first time ever in June.

#6 As of June, the number of Americans on food stamps had set a new all-time record for 19 consecutive months.

#7 One out of every six Americans is now being served by at least one government anti-poverty program.

#8 More than 50 million Americans are now on Medicaid, the U.S. government health care program designed principally to help the poor.

#9 One out of every seven mortgages in the United States was either delinquent or in foreclosure during the first quarter of 2010.

#10 Nearly 10 million Americans now receive unemployment insurance, which is almost four times as many as were receiving it in 2007.

#11 The number of Americans receiving long-term unemployment benefits has risen over 60 percent in just the past year.

#12 According to one recent survey, 28% of all U.S. households have at least one member that is looking for a full-time job.

#13 Nationwide, bankruptcy filings rose 20 percent in the 12 month period ending June 30th.

#14 More than 25 percent of all Americans now have a credit score below 599.

#15 One out of every five children in the United States is now living in poverty.

As millions more Americans continue to climb on to the "safety net", how long is it going to be before it breaks?

The reality is that the system can only support so many people. We are now at a point where our anti-poverty programs are clearly unsustainable in the long-term, but nobody has a solution for how we are going to get all of these people off of these programs or how we are going to provide good jobs for all of them.

The cost of every U.S. government anti-poverty program is absolutely soaring. Meanwhile, the U.S. government is already running a budget deficit that is approaching 1.5 trillion dollars every year. If you cannot understand that we have a very serious problem on our hands then you are probably not awake.

[TAKEN FROM THE ARTICLE LINKED BELOW]
HERE

POVERTY IN THE O.C. (One Family's Story)

2010-08-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

SAN CLEMENTE – Allen Pederson pulls into a parking slot at San Clemente State Beach, hoping he gets a meter with a little time left.

Renting by the hour with a few coins is all he can do now. This 1998 white Ford van is Pederson's real estate reality; 25 square feet he calls "our little apartment."
Beside Allen is his wife of 21 years, Regina. This was her vehicle, the one she used to drive the couple's three kids to church, the one with the "Best Mom" license plate frame intact.

It's sunset on a recent Thursday, and the couple sits down on a park bench on the bluff overlooking the ocean, and Allen jokes that this is his living room. Dinner is from Taco Bell, a tostada, burrito and Diet Coke eating up most of the last $5 Allen had in his wallet.

This is all the Pedersons have left of what Allen called "the Orange County Dream." They have lost everything since Allen lost his job in 2005, an event that triggered a domino effect of decline for the family, down to being homeless and what Allen admits is now day-to-day survival.

"It's just kinda like, where did it go? It was just there. It happened so fast! You think, 'It will never happen to me.' I think back, how did it happen?" Allen says. "How did this happen?"

READ FULL ARTICLE FROM THE OC REGISTER
HERE

THE CHARITABLE GIVING DIVIDE

2010-08-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

Who gives more to those in need; the rich or the poor?

[EXCERPT FROM ORIGINAL ARTICLE]
For decades, surveys have shown that upper-income Americans don’t give away as much of their money as they might and are particularly undistinguished as givers when compared with the poor, who are strikingly generous. A number of other studies have shown that lower-income Americans give proportionally more of their incomes to charity than do upper-income Americans. In 2001, Independent Sector, a nonprofit organization focused on charitable giving, found that households earning less than $25,000 a year gave away an average of 4.2 percent of their incomes; those with earnings of more than $75,000 gave away 2.7 percent.

This situation is perplexing if you think of it in terms of dollars and cents: the poor, you would assume, don’t have resources to spare, and the personal sacrifice of giving is disproportionately large. The rich do have money to spend. Those who itemize receive a hefty tax break to make charitable donations, a deduction that grows more valuable the higher they are on the income scale. And the well-off are presumed to have at least a certain sense of noblesse oblige. Americans pride themselves on their philanthropic tradition, and on the role of private charity, which is much more developed here than it is in Europe, where the expectation is that the government will care for the poor.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE
HERE

THIS MONDAY: HBO FILMS PRESENTS "HOMELESS: THE MOTEL KIDS OF ORANGE COUNTY"

2010-07-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

Premieres This Monday, July 26th at 9pm on HBO

About this documentary
HOMELESS: THE MOTEL KIDS OF ORANGE COUNTY explores the world of children who reside in discounted motels within walking distance of Disneyland, living in limbo as their families struggle to survive in one of the wealthiest regions of America.

The parents of motel kids are often hard workers who don’t earn enough to own or rent homes. As a result, they continue to live week-to-week in motels, hoping against hope for an opportunity that might allow them to move up in the O.C.

For more information on the show - AND TO WATCH A TRAILER OF THE FILM:
GO HERE

O.C. workers' costs are twice minimum wage

2010-06-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

June 24th, 2010, 2:33 pm
by Mary Ann Milbourn
[FROM OCREGISTER.COM]

[EXCERPTS]
Lower-income working adults and families face tough times making due in Orange County where costs for just a modest lifestyle are twice the $8 state minimum wage — and in some cases more than four times, according to a new report released today.

By the California Budget Project's count, a single parent in Orange County with two children must bring in $72,373 a year to cover basic household costs. That means a single parent working two full-time jobs at minimum wage would fall short. Even a single parent earning California's $19.01 median hourly wage and working a 40-hour week would not be able to meet expenses.

Families with one working adult must make $57,809 yearly. Single adults need $34,932 a year.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE
HERE

HOW TO LIVE OUT OF YOUR CAR

2010-05-04T09:18:00.001-07:00

[FROM BOINGBOING.NET]

# Staying clean is very important. Trust me on this. People trust you more when you're clean and you'll have an easier time spinning yourself as "adventurous" rather than "destitute." More on this later.
# If you can find a restroom with a lock, you can take a fairly complete bath with a washcloth and a sink.

# If you can't actually bathe, do a whore's bath once a day. Get some hand sanitizer, the gel with high alcohol content, and rub yourself down, especially in the stinky areas. It won't get you clean per se and the alcohol will dry out your skin, but it'll disinfect you and kill all the smell-causing microorganisms. Follow this with deodorant and baby powder.

# The easiest way to LOOK clean and safe is to keep your hair and beard trimmed. The simplest and cheapest way to do this is to get some inexpensive hair clippers and clip it short once or twice a week.

READ THE FULL STORY
HERE

Current Statistics on Homelessness in Orange County

2010-03-19T09:00:00.001-07:00

*From the OC Community Indicators Report 2008

How is Orange County Doing?
Orange County’s Housing Wage rates increased in 2007:
• The hourly wage needed for a one-bedroom apartment rose from $23.81 in 2006 to $25.57 in 2007 – equivalent to an annual income
of $53,185.
• Among state and national peer metropolitan areas, Orange County has the highest Housing Wage (less affordable rental housing).
• According to employment projections, most of the occupations likely to have large gains in the county’s high-growth industries (services,
manufacturing, and retail trade) have hourly wages far below the Housing Wage.

(from page 26)

**

MORE FAMILIES ARE LIVING IN OVERCROWDED CONDITIONS

Description of Indicator
This indicator measures Orange County families’ progress toward
housing stability by tracking availability of rental assistance,
residential overcrowding, and homelessness. For additional countywide
housing trends see Housing Demand, Housing Affordability,
and Rental Affordability.

Why is it Important?
High housing costs in Orange County force many families into
overcrowded living conditions, which places stress on personal
relationships, housing stock, public services and infrastructure.
When sharing housing is not an option, or other factors such as
foreclosure, financial loss, or domestic violence arise, the result can
be homelessness.

How is Orange County Doing?
Residents might have to wait as long as seven years for rental
assistance vouchers unless conditions or funding levels change:
• In 2005, when the Orange County Housing Authority’s Section 8 waiting list was opened for the first time since 2001, 18,600 families applied for vouchers to help defray high housing costs.
• Santa Ana and Anaheim each have their own housing authority
and their vouchers are similarly in high demand.
• The voucher supply is limited because housing authorities have
not been given the opportunity to apply to the federal government
for additional housing vouchers since 2003.

In response to No Child Left Behind, public school districts now
report the number of students identified as homeless, which the law
defines as children living in shelters or unsheltered in cars, parks or
campgrounds, as well as students living in motels or
overcrowded conditions:
• In 2006/07, 13,130 Orange County students primarily in grades K-12 were identified as homeless or unstably housed.1
• This is a 13% increase over the past year.
• Families living doubled- or tripled-up in someone else’s home due to economic hardship are the largest cohort with 11,639 students living in this kind of overcrowded condition.
• Orange County school districts report an additional 813 students live in motels, 473 live in shelters, and 144 students live unsheltered in cars, parks or campgrounds.

(FROM PAGE 49)

SCHEDULE AN INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION ON POVERTY IN THE OC

2010-03-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

"Poverty in the OC" - Interactive Presentation
Over the last five years I've put together a brief interactive presentation that educates people about what poverty looks like in Orange County, as well as what God's Word says about how we should respond to those in need around us, combined with practical suggestions about how to get started serving the poor in our community.

TRACK RECORD
So far God has blessed me to share this interactive and informative presentation with several groups ranging from mega-churches in Costa Mesa (RockHarbor), to house churches throughout Orange, and at conferences in Tustin ("The Heart of Jesus") and Newport Beach ("Soul Survivor: Engage").

HOW IT WORKS
The presentation is the easiest thing I've ever done because, the way it's structured, I hardly have to teach or speak at all. Instead everyone who participates draws one slip of paper from two different piles- one is a stack of stats on poverty in the O.C., the other is a verse from Scripture regarding God's heart for the poor.

I ask each person to take one of each and write a reaction to these two randomly drawn bits of information. After they're done I ask each person to read their stat, read their verse and share with the group their reactions.

THE RESULTS
Every time I have lead one of these presentations I have always been amazed at how these "random" verses collide with the statistics on poverty. We never get through the presentation without someone breaking into tears or having a serious moment with the Holy Spirit concerning the very real issues of poverty families face here in our community and the heart of God for His people to love them and respond.

Each time God has amazed me with what He's done in people's lives and how He's touched the hearts of many to step out and serve others.

SCHEDULE YOUR INTERACTIVE "POVERTY IN THE OC" PRESENTATION TODAY:
If you, or any other group or church you know of, would be interested in having me come and share this presentation with you, I'd be happy to do so. This will work with both large and small groups of people.

My heart's desire is to see God's people here in Orange County step out of their comfort zones and begin to love the least and the lost in the community around us.

Let me know if you have any questions about this or if I can serve you in this area.

Blessings,

Keith Giles
Email: "Elysiansky" (at) "hotmail" (dot) "com"

A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

I highly recommend Keith Giles’ interactive presentation on “Poverty in the OC”. First Keith knows his topic. He brings together careful research with the practical wisdom and undiminished compassion that comes with years of first-hand experience.

Secondly, he has a gracious approach to teaching his topic that shames nobody, and engages everybody – young and old. He was able heighten our awareness of the serious problem of poverty, and at the same time to inspire in us a new sense of possibility that ordinary people like us, with God’s help, could make a difference in the lives of those in need. Keith’s compassion for the poor in Orange County is infectious, and by the time he had finished we had all caught the bug.

Marti Clark
Regional ALPHA Ministries Event Coordinator

OUR POOR

2010-03-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

Poverty in our country may not be as severe as what we see in Africa or India or Mexico, but that does not mean that it is any less poverty.

For example, if you were to give air conditioning or color television to one of those families living in a cardboard box in the Sudan, would they cease being poor? Of course not. And families in America with color tvs and air conditioning are no less poor because of their level of comfort. They are still poor. And they are "Our Poor".

I belive that there is a Biblical difference between how we are called to serve the poor in other countries and "our poor". The poor in India, Mexico, Ethiopa, etc. are seriously, desperately poor. No one argues that. This is why I've served on the board for groups like Arms of Love (www.armsoflove.org), a ministry that builds orphanages in the poorest nations of the world to provide homes for street children who live in the city dumps and are forced into prostitution, etc.
So, please, let's be clear; I'm not saying don't help the poor who are "out there".

But the poor in your city, in my city, down the street from me, they are "our poor", and what we're called to do, Biblically, is something about it. Not to solve poverty. Not to cure it. Not to erase poverty forever, but to do what we can to help a few, in the name of Jesus and with the compassion of Jesus.

Actually, as I've said before, the point of serving the poor is not to "cure" or "solve" poverty, but to befriend people who are in need and to learn to love and serve them as we would serve and love Jesus. We are the one's who are most changed in that relationship, by the way.

The quote from Jesus in Matthew about "the poor you will always have with you" was Jesus referencing Deuteronomy 15:7-11. You should seriously read this passage. The point is that God, the Father, is commanding the Jews to not have a hard-heart or a closed fist towards the poor, the stranger, etc., but to give generously, freely to the poor among them. At the end of the passage, God say, "There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land."

That's what Jesus means when he says what he does in Matthew.

Read Matthew 25. At the Judgment Seat of Christ the one criteria is whether or not those who call him "Lord" had any regard for the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the prisoner. The Sheep almost unconsciously care for these poor, not because they think it will get them into Heaven, but simply because they have genuinely been transformed into the people of God. The Goats, who also call Him "Lord", have the same unconscious attitude, but towards the existence of the poor or their needs.

The people of God, redeemed by the Blood, saved by Grace, seem to have an inability to walk past someone who is naked, poor, hungry, thirsty, lonely, etc. and do nothing. They cannot do that. It's not in their new nature.

We have a Biblical mandate (and it's alllll over the Scripture, both Old and New) to care for the poor..."our poor"...and that takes more than writing a check.

Again, this is my very biased conviction. I've been hammered by God on this issue and I cannot let it go because it won't let me go.

Do you know what the sin of Sodom is? Read Ezekiel 16: 49. It's not what you think. "Now this is the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were proud and did detestable things before me. Therefore, I did away with them as you have seen."

Wow.

How about this one?

Galatians 2:10- "All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." (Paul being sent out as the first missionary by Peter, James and John).

or...

{God is speaking of King Josiah:}
"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" (Jeremiah 22:16)

Wow.

"Is that not what it means to know me?"

What does it mean to "Know" God? This verse suggests that it means to care for the poor and the needy.

and of course we could also look at, Isaiah 58:6-7, Amos 5:21-24, 1 John 3:17-18, James 2:14-17, etc., etc.

God has called us to care for the poor, not to justify their poverty or our lack of compassion by comparing them to the "real poor" in third world countries.

So..how are we doing with serving and loving and befriending "Our Poor"?

-Keith Giles

OC POVERTY SUMMIT - Saturday, March 20th

2010-03-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

This will be a small, in-home gathering of about 25 different social justice practitioners and a few seekers who are interested in learning more about God's heart for the poor and how poverty in Orange County is affecting people around us.

Here are a few of the people who will be joining in this unscripted conversation about poverty in Orange County:

Brandt Russo (WheresBrandt.com)
Crissy Brooks (MIKA CDC)
Jarred Romley (de la Soul)
Tommy Nixon (Solidarity Rising)
David Ruis (Basilea Church)
Ron Wilbur (Saddleback Motel Ministry)
Thomas Crisp (Biola)
Wendy McMahan (Poverty Unlocked)
Chase Andre
Keith Giles (PovertyInTheOC.com)
....and others
**

Looking forward to what God will do as we gather together.

More later...

Fire Destroys Santa Ana Soup Kitchen

2009-12-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times / December 15, 2009)
Staffers at the Southwest Community Center in Santa Ana grieve over a fire at the facility, which has been serving meals to the needy for more than 30 years and was getting ready to host its annual Christmas meal this Saturday. At center is Connie Jones, director of the center, with longtime volunteers Elsa Alvarado, left, and Jessie Allen. Jones is the granddaughter of Annie Mae Tripp, the center's founder.

VIEW SLIDESHOW
HERE

IDEAS FOR SERVING THE POOR IN YOUR COMMUNITY

2009-12-03T14:18:00.000-08:00

I want to stress that most of these do not require a large budget, or a team of thousands. Most of these can be done with families, including children of all ages, and two or three adults who are willing to listen, love and share what they have with people in need.

Idea for Ministry to the Poor

*Lower-income families (Housing projects, apartments, motels, etc.)
*Motel Ministry (especially for kids and families)
*Food/Grocery Distribution
*Homeless Ministry (Hot Dogs in the Park)
*Senior Home Visitation
*Prostitute Ministry
*Single Moms/Widows (Free oil changes, yardwork, grocery assistance, etc.)

Details:

*Lower-income families (Housing projects, apartments, motels, etc.)

This ministry works best when you get to know the management of the apartment or motel, etc. Explain to them that you're not there to preach or to promote your church. Disarm them with the idea that you really just want to bless people. Explain to them that your ministry will involve giving away free groceries (if possible) or hosting game times for the children (or puppet shows, crafts, etc.). Help them to visualize a monthly or bi-weekly carnival that they get to help bring to their residents. It makes them look like heroes and it gives you an opportunity to express the love of Jesus in tangible ways.

*Motel Ministry (especially for kids and families)

Essentially the same as above. I'd only add that befriending people is the key here. Pray for them. Listen to their problems. Find ways to help them that are practical. This should not be about money. It should be about helping them discover resources in your community, hooking up with other ministries doing work to help with education, rent, health concerns, etc.

Also, ask God to highlight one or two people or families that He wants you to focus on and love them with all you've got. Invite them to your house for pizza and a movie. Hang out with them. Learn to love them. This is where you realize that the real ministry is being done to you, not by you.

*Food/Grocery Distribution

Find a food bank nearby. Second Harvest is a national food bank, but you may have another in your area. Our small house church can purchase a week's worth of groceries for twenty or thirty families for under $100 a month.

As I've said previously, don't distribute the food after you preach. Just give them the food up front and bless them. Ask them at the end of the food line if they want prayer. Most will say yes. If not, just smile and bless them as they go back into their rooms. Consistency is vital.

*Homeless Ministry (Hot Dogs in the Park)

Again, this is very cheap and it's more about getting to know people who happen to be homeless and less about throwing food at the poor and running home.

We found a park where a lot of homeless hang out that also had barbecue stations at each picnic table. Our group set up the grill, cooked the dogs, laid out the fixings and then fanned out to invite the homeless to join us for a picnic. We sat with them, ate with them, asked them their names, where they were from, etc. Even our kids enjoyed getting to know our new friends.

*Senior Home Visitation

You will not believe the treasures that are hidden away in the senior homes near your house. Former Generals in WW2, former actresses, singers, engineers, writers, and even regular people who have amazing stories to tell. All they need is someone to listen. Give it time and you will soon find yourself falling in love with these people.

*Prostitute Ministry

This one is waayyy outside my comfort zone, but I've been out around 3 times with small teams to try to connect and pray for these girls. I'll write in more detail about the challenges and dangers of this ministry next week. Not for the faint of heart.

*Single Moms/Widows (Free oil changes, yardwork, grocery assistance, etc.)

This is more of a Men's Ministry thing, but it can be awesome to bless single Moms and Widows who need assistance around the house, with the yard, the car, etc.
Oh, and it's Biblical too.

Other Ideas for Ministry

*Local Newspaper/Community Response Ministry -
This is one I've always wanted to do but have yet to attempt. Basically it involves reading the local paper and responding in compassion to people in your city who experience the death of a loved one, is the victim of abuse or rape or violence, tragedy, etc. This is one that I feel could have a huge impact on your community if your church or small group could consistently respond to people in need of comfort and prayer support.

*Community clean-up (graffitti cleaning, trash pick-up, etc.)
Steve Sjogren and Mike Pilavachi have championed this form of "no strings attached" service to the community. When I was at Soul Survivor I was involved with massive groups of teens taking to the streets and cleaning up parks, neighborhoods, etc. This may involve contacting city officials and cooperating with them to discover their needs and partner with their employees.

*Clean toilets for local businesses
Again, Steve Sjogren championed this one a long time ago. It's an amazing way to demonstrate the love of Jesus in practical ways to local business owners. Most will be blown away that you show up with a bucket and cleansers to do the ugly job that none of them wants to do. When you explain to them that you're doing it because Jesus washed feet and this is the closest thing in our modern society to that, you'll be amazed at the reactions you get. Worth it for the stories you get to tell later, if nothing else.

*Free Car Wash
Be careful. People will argue with you to take their money. They simply cannot bring themselves to receive a free blessing with no strings attached. Do it anyway.

**
NOTE: Taken from my series, HOW TO START A MINISTRY TO THE POOR IN YOUR COMMUNITY (PART 4 OF 5).

-See link at left for the entire series

THE END OF POVERTY? (Think Again)

2009-11-29T08:48:00.001-08:00

On December 4th at Edwards University Town Center 6 at 4245 Campus Drive, the documentary "The End of Poverty?" will open.

I encourage you to visit this website about the film and to consider taking a group to go and see this important film.

Visit TheEndofPoverty.com
HERE

**
ABOUT THE FILM

-With so much wealth in the world, why is there still poverty?

The End of Poverty? is a daring and thought-provoking documenary by award-winning filmaker Philippe Diaz. This film reveals that poverty is no accident. It began with military conquest, slavery and colonization that resulted in the seizure of land, minerals and forced labor.

Today, global poverty has reached new levels because of unfair debt, trade and tax policies - in other words, wealthy countries exploiting the weaknesses of poor, developing countries.

-Why do 20% of the world's population use 80% of its resources and consume 30% more than the planet can regenerate?

Can we really end poverty under our current economic system?

Think again.

**
TRUE SOLUTIONS - TAKE ACTION

Ending poverty is a daunting challenge. However, since it was made by human rules and institutions, new ones can unmake it, right?

The intention of the film is to change the dialogue so that concerned citizens will blame the system that creates poverty, not the people caught up in it. That requires a shift in our thinking.

The solutions touched on in the film are based on justice and not charity, solutions that will change the system that grinds down the poor.

This section will soon present specific campaigns that work towards changing the system, but the following is our call to action:

First, forgive international debt unconditionally and stop other predatory tactics. End the use of economic power as a means by which the wealthy control the poor.

Second, change the tax system in every country of the world. If justice is to be done, most of the taxes should fall on property ownership and not on the wages of working people.

Third, the poor should demand land reform, restoring land (or its value) to the people who actually work on it, instead of a few landowners.

Fourth, end privatization of natural resources and share these in common. Land, air, water, and oil are the common inheritance of all of humanity, not the stockholders of companies that have managed to grab these resources.

Fifth, "degrowth" in the rich nations--a radical cut in consumption of resources and production of waste--is necessary for the poor nations to survive. As Gandhi said, "Live simply, so others can simply live."

Visit TheEndofPoverty.com
HERE

HOMELESS DOLL - $95 AT AMERICAN GIRL STORES

2009-09-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

[FROM HUFFINGTON POST ARTICLE]

There's a fine line between advocacy and, well, poor taste. The ever-popular American Girls brand has released a controversial new doll named "Gwen," a character who's actually homeless.

CBS sent correspondent Hattie Kauffman to an L.A. shelter to gather some reaction to the doll:

[One homeless advocate] observed to Kauffman that she finds "the whole concept to be extremely disturbing. It's not a doll I would ever buy for a child."

There are between 7,000 and 10,000 homeless children in L.A. alone, Kauffman notes, and it's doubtful many, if any, could afford Gwen's $95 price tag.

One homeless woman in a shelter Kauffman visited said Gwen touched her heart when she saw the doll in its box.

The women praised the doll, Kauffman reports, until they learned Gwen isn't a fundraising device for the homeless.

Read more
HERE

MIND THE GAP: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RICH AND POOR GETS WIDER

2009-09-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — The recession has hit middle-income and poor families hardest, widening the economic gap between the richest and poorest Americans as rippling job layoffs ravaged household budgets.

The wealthiest 10 percent of Americans — those making more than $138,000 each year — earned 11.4 times the roughly $12,000 made by those living near or below the poverty line in 2008, according to newly released census figures. That ratio was an increase from 11.2 in 2007 and the previous high of 11.22 in 2003.

Household income declined across all groups, but at sharper percentage levels for middle-income and poor Americans. Median income fell last year from $52,163 to $50,303, wiping out a decade’s worth of gains to hit the lowest level since 1997.

Poverty jumped sharply to 13.2 percent, an 11-year high.

“No one should be surprised at the increased disparity,” said Richard Freeman, an economist at Harvard University. “Unemployment hurts normal workers who do not have the golden parachutes the folks at the top have.”

Analysts attributed the widening gap to the wave of layoffs in the economic downturn that have devastated household budgets. They said while the richest Americans may be seeing reductions in executive pay, those at the bottom of the income ladder are often unemployed and struggling to get by.

Large cities such as Atlanta, Washington, New York, San Francisco, Miami and Chicago had the most inequality, due largely to years of middle-class flight to the suburbs. Declining industrial cities with pockets of well-off neighborhoods, such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Buffalo, also had sharp disparities.

Up-and-coming cities with growing middle-class populations, such as Mesa, Ariz., Riverside, Calif., Arlington, Texas, and Henderson, Nev., were among the areas showing the least income differences between rich and poor.

It’s unclear whether income inequality will continue to worsen in major cities, said William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution. Many Americans are staying put for now in traditional cities to look for jobs and because of frozen lines of credit.

“During the years of the housing bubble, there was middle-class movement from unaffordable metros with high-income inequality,” Frey said. “Now that the bubble burst, more of the population may be headed back to the high-inequality areas, stemming their middle-class losses.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE
HERE

Does poverty make people obese?

2009-09-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

Does poverty make people obese, or is it the other way around?
As a matter of public health, it might be more important to help poor people than fat people. According to epidemiologist Peter Muennig, the relative risk of mortality for being obese is between 1 and 2. That means that, controlling for other factors, someone who's really fat is up to twice as likely to die early as someone whose body mass index is in the normal range. But if you compare people from the top and bottom of the wage scale (with everything else held constant), the risk ratio goes up to about 3.5. In other words, it's much better for your health to be rich and fat than poor and thin.

Those in greatest need, furthermore, tend to be both poor and fat. We know, for instance, that the lower your income, the more likely you are to inhabit an "obesogenic" environment. Food options in poor neighborhoods are severely limited: It's a lot easier to find quarter waters and pork rinds on the corner than fresh fruit and vegetables. Low-income workers may also have less time to cook their own meals, less money to join sports clubs, and less opportunity to exercise outdoors.

If poverty can be fattening, so, too, can fat be impoverishing. Paul Ernsberger, a professor of nutrition at Case Western Reserve University, lays out this argument in an essay from The Fat Studies Reader, due out in November. Women who are two standard deviations overweight (that's 64 pounds above normal) make 9 percent less money (PDF), which equates to having 1.5 fewer years of education or three fewer years of work experience. Obese women are also half as likely to attend college as their peers (PDF) and 20 percent less likely to get married. (Marriage seems to help alleviate poverty.)

When it comes to public health, the relationship between poverty and obesity gets more convoluted. Being fat can make you poor, and being poor can make you sick, which means that being fat can make you sick irrespective of any weight-related diseases. Fatness (or the lifestyle associated with obesity) also creates its own health problems, regardless of how much money you have—and health problems tend to make people poor, through hospital bills and missed days of work. So fat can be impoverishing irrespective of any weight-related discrimination.

The point here is that sickness, poverty, and obesity are spun together in a dense web of reciprocal causality

READ THE FULL ARTICLE
HERE

NEARLY 40 MILLION AMERICANS NOW AT POVERTY LEVEL

2009-09-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

Our Recession: More in poverty, without health coverage

WASHINGTON -- The early impact of the worst recession since the 1930s pushed median incomes down, forced almost 40 million more people into poverty and left more Americans without health care in 2008, according to new annual survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Poor people, working people, blacks, Hispanics and children bore a disproportionate share of the hardship. The new figures, however, likely understate the severity of the economic downturn because a large portion of nation's job losses and unemployment rate increases occurred after the Census survey data was collected in March as part of the annual Current Population Survey.

-Along the way, the nation's real median income - the point at which half the nation earns less and half more - fell 3.6 percent from $52,163 in 2007 to $50,303 in 2008. That was the first such decline in three years and the worst in the first year of any recession since Census Bureau began collecting the data during World War II, said Lawrence F. Katz, an economics professor at Harvard University.

-Men and women were both affected. Full-time working men saw their median incomes fall by 1 percent from $46,846 to $46,367, while female earnings declined by 1.9 percent, from $36,451 to $35,745.

-The worst is yet to come. "This is just the beginning, or the tip of the iceberg, because 2008 was not nearly as bad an economy as 2009," Katz said. The average unemployment rate in 2008 was 5.8 percent, up from 4.6 percent in 2007. That pales in comparison with the 9 percent average unemployment rate so far this year, and it's likely to increase. August unemployment was 9.7 percent, and it's expected to peak above 10 percent in the months to come.

The national poverty rate also hit its highest level since 1997, jumping to 13.2 percent in 2008 from 12.5 percent in 2007. The increase dragged 39.8 million people below the poverty line, the most since 1960. That's up from 37.3 million in 2007. For children, the poverty rate hit 19 percent, or 14.1 million youngsters in 2008. That means 35.3 percent of the nation's poor in 2008 were under age 18.

Meanwhile, the number of people without health insurance increased from 45.7 million in 2007 to 46.3 million in 2008, even though the percentage of uninsured Americans didn't change, at 15.4 percent. About 46 percent of the nation's uninsured are non-Hispanic whites, but as a group, 11 percent of non-Hispanic whites lack coverage, compared with 19 percent of blacks and 31 percent of Hispanics. About 45 percent of noncitizens lack coverage.

READ ENTIRE STORY ONLINE
HERE

Another Solution: Ignore Them

2009-08-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

Nashville is one of several U.S. cities that these days are accommodating the homeless and their encampments, instead of dispersing them. With local shelters at capacity, "there is no place to put them," said Clifton Harris, director of Nashville's Metropolitan Homeless Commission, says of tent-city dwellers.

In Florida, Hillsborough County plans to consider a proposal Tuesday by Catholic Charities to run an emergency tent city in Tampa for more than 200 people. Dave Rogoff, the county health and services director, said he preferred to see a "hard roof over people's heads." But that takes real money, he said: "We're trying to cut $110 million out of next year's budget."

Ontario, a city of 175,000 residents about 40 miles east of Los Angeles, provides guards and basic city services for a tent city on public land.

A church in Lacey, Wash., near the state capital of Olympia, recently started a homeless camp in its parking lot after the city changed local ordinances to permit it. The City Council in Ventura, Calif., last month revised its laws to permit sleeping in cars overnight in some areas. City Manager Rick Cole said most of the car campers are temporarily unemployed, "and in this economy, temporary can go on a long time."

Full Story
HERE

Our Solution: Criminalize the Homeless

2009-08-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

From an op-ed by Barbara Ehrenreich in the New York Times, which examines the moral and social impact of ordinances against the publicly poor. The op-ed is based on a new study from the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty which found that the number of ordinances against the "publicly poor" are rising. More American cities, according to the report, are enacting and enforcing laws against "the indigent."

"How do you know when someone is indigent? As a Las Vegas statute puts it, "An indigent person is a person whom a reasonable ordinary person would believe to be entitled to apply for or receive" public assistance.

That could be me before the blow-drying and eyeliner, and it's definitely Al Szekely at any time of day. A grizzled 62-year-old, he inhabits a wheelchair and is often found on G Street in Washington -- the city that is ultimately responsible for the bullet he took in the spine in Fu Bai, Vietnam, in 1972. He had been enjoying the luxury of an indoor bed until last December, when the police swept through the shelter in the middle of the night looking for men with outstanding warrants.

It turned out that Mr. Szekely, who is an ordained minister and does not drink, do drugs or curse in front of ladies, did indeed have a warrant -- for not appearing in court to face a charge of "criminal trespassing" (for sleeping on a sidewalk in a Washington suburb). So he was dragged out of the shelter and put in jail. "Can you imagine?" asked Eric Sheptock, the homeless advocate (himself a shelter resident) who introduced me to Mr. Szekely. "They arrested a homeless man in a shelter for being homeless."

Full story
HERE

Unemployed in the O.C. -Santa Ana Hardest Hit

2009-07-07T11:38:00.000-07:00

The number of unemployed in Santa Ana is 22,300 and in Anaheim, it is 19,700, so these two cities account for a much more significant representation of unemployment in human terms.

The numbers indicate that about 1 out of every 6 unemployed people in the county live in Santa Ana.

Full story and statistics for the entire county
HERE

NEW STUDY: POOR GIVE MORE TO CHARITY

2009-05-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

The less you have the more likely you are to give; that's what new research from the McClatchy group shows, backing up this long-held belief with hard data.

According to the group's research, the poorest Americans give above their capacity, donating more in comparison than the most well off upper fifth of society.

FULL STORY
HERE

SOME THINGS COST MORE THAN YOU REALIZE

2009-05-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

"All I Need" by Radiohead, from the album "In Rainbows"

DO YOU SEE ME?

2009-04-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

CLICK TO EXPAND IMAGE

CLICK TO EXPAND IMAGE

THE INVISIBLE HOMELESS OF ORANGE COUNTY

2009-04-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

Two of America’s Worst Charities Call OC Home

2009-04-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

STORY FROM OCREGISTER.COM

Two of the 10 charities on a national “hall of shame” list are in Orange County - The Association for Police and Sheriffs in Fullerton, and The Association for Firefighters and Paramedics in Santa Ana.

Both claim to help those in need - victims of violent domestic abuse, and survivors of traumatic burn injuries - but actually spend the overwhelming majority of their money to raise money, and not to do good works.

This earned them the No. 4 and 5 spots on nonprofit watchdog Charity Navigator’s “Ten inefficient fundraisers” list. Orange County really stands out here; no other state in the nation - not even New York! - managed to contribute two charities to this list. (Way to go, OC.)

The Association for Police and Sheriffs in Fullerton spent 88 percent of its money - $1.2 million - raising money. It only spent 4 percent - a measly $60,000 - to “end domestic violence and help women and children whose lives are devastated by abuse.”
The Association for Firefighters and Paramedics in Santa Ana spent 92 percent of its money - $3.6 million - raising money. It only spent 2 percent - a measly $80,500 - ”to help the survivors of catastrophic fires.”

FULL STORY
HERE

Call to Action: 50 Ways To Love Your Neighbor

2009-04-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

A compelling list of tangible ways we can love others as Christ has loved us.

Read it all
HERE

Some highlights from the list:
13. Look up the closest registered sex offender in your neighborhood and try to befriend him.

26. Organize a prayer vigil for peace outside a weapons manufacturer such as Lockheed Martin. Read the Sermon on the Mount out loud. For extra credit, do it every week for a year.

29. Go through a local thrift store and drop $1 bills in random pockets of the clothing being sold.

32. Go to an elderly home and get a list of folks who don´t get any visitors. Visit them each week and tell stories, read the bible together, or play board games.

34. Create a Jubilee fund in your Church congregation, matching dollar for dollar every dollar you spend internally with a dollar externally. If you have a building fund, create a fund to match it to give away and by mosquito nets or dig wells for folks dying in poverty.

35. Become a pen-pal with someone in prison.

41. Cover up all brand names, or at least the ones that do not reflect the upside-down economics of God’s Kingdom. Commit to only being branded by the cross

43. Eat only a bowl of rice a day for a week to remember those who do that for most of their life (take a multivitamin). Remember the 30,000 people who die each day of poverty and malnutrition.

49. Serve in a homeless shelter. For extra credit, go back and eat or sleep in the shelter and allow yourself to be served.

BONUS: Come up with your own list of ways to love your neighbor. Do at least one of them before the end of the week.

-kg

Recession Increasing Interest In Homelessness

2009-03-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

This week the homeless population of the United States received a profile boost. On Tuesday, during President Obama's primetime press conference, a reporter from Ebony magazine asked about the rise of tent cities across the country and a new study showing that every fiftieth American child is homeless.

"Part of the change in attitudes that I want to see here in Washington and all across the country," the president said in response, "is a belief that it is not acceptable for children and families to be without a roof over their heads in a country as wealthy as ours."

A change in attitudes may be underway. While the recession has exacerbated homelessness, it has not created a new phenomenon. Take it from Obama: "The homeless problem was bad even when the economy was good," he told the Ebony reporter.

The headlines about shantytowns and homeless children may reflect more of an increase in interest in homelessness than the impact of the recession. Those tent-dwellers sunk their stakes before this recession started, and the child homelessness study is based on data from three years ago. The tents and the homeless kids are indicative not of the current economy, but of a long-standing problem.

READ FULL STORY

ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT: HOMELESS IN THE OC

2009-03-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

Homelessness in Orange County
Over 35,000 people in Orange County California are homeless and 80% of those are families with children. Most of these live in motels because they cannot afford first and last month's rent, and a security deposit. They are faced with the choice of food on the table or a table on which there is no food.

ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT recently did a report on the "Hidden Homeless" living in OC Motels:

ABC 7 News - "Hidden Homeless In OC Motels"
(Features interview with Jim Palmer of the Orange County Rescue Mission)
WATCH HERE

ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT - "Motel Homeless" segment
WATCH HERE

The segment mentions that church groups have been helping with food and resources and Jim Palmer, founder of the Orange County Rescue Mission, is interviewed in both the National and the local segements.

-kg

10 Reasons Why Homeless People Choose To Be Homeless

2009-03-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

A question that has often been brought up here amongst the comments is the question of choice. Are homeless people who appear to be homeless by choice less deserving of compassion or assistance than others? If they do indeed choose this lifestyle why should anyone interfere, why should anyone go out of their way or put their hands in their pockets to help them?

Rarely does anyone ever choose to become homeless. I won’t deny the existence of a tiny minority of Robinson Crusoe types that put on their backpacks and drop out of society, favoring a simple lifestyle of woodland living. Some people do this for a relatively short period, more like an extended camping trip but there are very, very few indeed that maintain this lifestyle for a protracted amount of time. Of the remaining ninety-nine percent the reasons for becoming homeless are many and varied but whatever the initial cause of their homelessness and despite all the programs and shelters and missions that are available today some do appear to remain homeless by choice. If you actually ask homeless people why with all the services available do they prefer to stay on the streets, some will even tell you that they choose to be homeless. But do they really? The reality is a lack of suitable alternatives.

The following are some of the main reasons why homeless people choose homelessness over the available services:

1. Safety

Many homeless people avoid using shelter services for fear that their personal safety could be compromised. Whilst most shelters take precautions where practical they are often run, through necessity, on skeleton staff levels of volunteers who are likely not professionally qualified to deal with violent conduct and as such cannot guarantee personal safety. There may well be violent offenders, addicts and mentally imbalanced individuals sharing the room in which you would be expected to sleep.

2. Personal belongings

Homeless people travel light. They own very little and you can be sure that the few things they do possess and carry are either necessary for their survival or they consider the items very precious. They protect the few belongings that they do have tenaciously. Most shelters do not have secure storage available which means that personal belongings can be left lying around and vulnerable to theft.

3. Pets

Homeless people are socially excluded. If they are spoken to at all by the general population it is more often than not to be jeered at. Sometimes they can go weeks, months or even years without speaking to a single soul. This isolation can be one of the most difficult aspects homeless people have to deal with. Many would rather share what little food they can gather with a dog in exchange for the companionship they provide than be completely alone. It is not hard to understand why they would be reluctant to give this up but very few shelters or state supported accommodation programs make provisions for pets.

4. Health Hazards

Death and homelessness go hand in hand. The average age at death of a homeless person in America can be as low as 41 years depending on the state you live in. Homeless people often have difficulty in accessing medical care. Poor diet and exposure to the elements can mean that a relatively minor injury or disease could prove fatal. The risk of picking up an infection is massively increased when using shelter services.

5. Control

Shelter living effectively means being told what time you have to go to bed, what time you have to get up, what you are going to eat and what time you are going to eat it at. It likely also means limited availability as to what times you are able to use washing facilities. In essence your freedom is restricted and your life no longer your own.

6. Daytime Hours

Most shelters are nighttime only. This means that come the morning (and it is usually very early) you have just a short time to get your gear together before being turned back out onto the streets. It matters not whether it might be rain, sleet, snow or hail, you have to leave and you may not return prior to the time allotted for opening the following evening. If you show up late, no matter what the reason may be, this will usually result in missing your spot for that night. That is, of course, if there were any beds left available in the first place.

7. Addictions

Although the common held stereotypical myth that all homeless people are addicts and alcoholics is not true, there is a significant proportion that do suffer from alcoholism and/or substance abuse issues. There are also a great number of them trying desperately to kick these habits. In order to have a realistic chance of breaking the cycle it is necessary to avoid associating with other addicts wherever possible and staying away from places where they are likely to hangout. For many, this means staying away from shelters.

8. Privacy

People need personal space. Staying in a shelter means sharing a dormitory, sharing a meal room and sharing bathroom facilities with fifty or so other residents. Ever tried sleeping in a room full of fifty other people all chatting, laughing, coughing, snoring and breaking wind? It is worth remembering that some of these emergency ’shelters’ consist of no more than a mattress on a church floor. It may be warmer than the streets but it doesn’t necessarily mean you will be able to get more sleep.

9. Intrusion and Anonymity

Many state programs require a very intrusive application process. It can mean disclosing highly personal and potentially embarrassing information. Personal history, family background, police and medical records and financial history are all fair game. There are many reasons why anybody would prefer to keep certain things quiet. Some maybe sinister but others can be tragic. It is widely believed that a significant proportion of missing persons are homeless people.

10. Required Religion

A large percentage of homeless shelters have a religious affiliation. Not all but many of those that do have one impose a requirement to attend religious services in order for a person to be granted access to their food and shelter facilities. This can, of course, be offensive to some and particularly those who belong to an ethnic minority, which tend to be over-represented amongst the homeless population.

This is not intended in any way to be an attack on the services offered by rescue missions and shelters. In fact, I strongly believe that they do a fantastic job of providing an invaluable service with very limited resources. The truth is that they do their best to fill a huge void caused largely by societal and political shortcomings and the homelessness situation would be very much worse than it already is were it not for their efforts. Unfortunately though they cannot realistically be expected to provide an effective solution with the available finances and other resources at their disposal.

Do homeless people ever really choose to be homeless? No, not really. Still not convinced? Well next time you see a homeless person sleeping on the streets try dangling the keys to your nice plush suburban home under his or her nose. Inform them that the central heating is fired up, the fridge is fully stocked and there is fresh linen. Tell them Fido is welcome, they can have their friends over and they can come and go as they please. I can guarantee their will be a dozen proverbial shopping carts parked in your driveway come lunchtime.

*
THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED
HERE

**
COMMENTARY: This article is largely helpful in understanding the challenges faced by people who live on the streets. I disagree that these factors prove that some homeless people do not choose this lifestyle. I (Keith) have personally worked with homeless people who absolutely prefer to be homeless and will only accept assistance to maintain their homeless lifestyle, they will refuse assistance connected with getting off the streets - and not for any of the reasons the author of this article above has listed.

Mainly, those who prefer to remain homeless are either stubbornly clinging to the "I Did It My Way" principle, and/or are mentally challenged and cannot get the help and housing they need due to lack of state/federal funds, etc.

Still, a good article with an accurate snapshot of what life on the streets can be like for many.

-Keith

**
To contact the author of this blog:
"elysiansky" at hotmail

As Jobs Vanish, Motel Rooms Become Home

2009-03-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

*An article on the motel homeless families in the OC published in the NY Times

As Jobs Vanish, Motel Rooms Become Home
By ERIK ECKHOLM
Published: March 10, 2009

COSTA MESA, Calif. — Greg Hayworth, 44, graduated from Syracuse University and made a good living in his home state, California, from real estate and mortgage finance. Then that business crashed, and early last year the bank foreclosed on the house his family was renting, forcing their eviction.

Now the Hayworths and their three children represent a new face of homelessness in Orange County: formerly middle income, living week to week in a cramped motel room.

"I owe it to my kids to get out of here," Mr. Hayworth said, recalling the night they saw a motel neighbor drag a half-naked woman out the door while he beat her.

As the recession has deepened, longtime workers who lost their jobs are facing the terror and stigma of homelessness for the first time, including those who have owned or rented for years. Some show up in shelters and on the streets, but others, like the Hayworths, are the hidden homeless — living doubled up in apartments, in garages or in motels, uncounted in federal homeless data and often receiving little public aid.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE
HERE

EXCERPTS FROM THE ARTICLE LINKED ABOVE:

"...like many other families, they cannot muster the security deposit and other upfront costs of renting a new place."

"Still, a source of turmoil for motel families is a California rule that after 28 days, residents are considered tenants, gaining legal rights of occupancy. Some motels force families to move every month, while others make families stay in a different room for a day or two."

"(Motel families) are especially prevalent in Orange County, which has high rents, a shortage of public housing and a surplus of older motels that once housed Disneyland visitors."

“The motels have become the de facto low-income housing of Orange County,” said Wally Gonzales, director of Project Dignity, one of dozens of small charities and church groups that have emerged to assist families, usually helping a few dozen each and relying on donations of food, clothing and toys."

"(These motels) look like any other modestly priced stopover inland from the ritzy beach towns. But walk inside and the perception immediately changes.

In the evening, the smell of pasta sauce cooked on hot plates drifts through half-open doors; in the morning, children leave to catch school buses. Families of three, six or more are squeezed into a room, one child doing homework on a bed, jostled by another watching television. Children rotate at bedtime, taking their turns on the floor. Some families, like the Malpicas, in a motel in Anaheim, commandeer a closet for baby cribs."

LOCAL HOUSE CHURCH HELPS SENIOR WOMAN

2009-03-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

*from the OC Register article HERE

Miracle on Piper Place by Lori Basheda (OCRegister.com)

It all began the day the fires raced up over the hills toward Piper Place. Suddenly a megaphone was blaring: neighbors had 10 minutes to evacuate.
Darcie Campbell and her husband Ken scrambled to get in the car when they saw a neighbor walking slowly to her car two doors down.

The Campbells knew that Sandy Maitlen lived in that house, the one with the overgrown weeds. But no one ever really saw Sandy. And the less people saw of her, the more the tales grew. "We all sort of shunned her," Darcie says.

But now here she was walking to her car in the smoke, looking shaken. Ken ran over: Do you need help? he asked.

And she started crying.

After the fires, after everyone on Piper Place was safe to move back, Darcie and Ken made a decision that they would get to know Sandy. “And actually, our minds were blown,” she says. It turns out Sandy, now 66, is a perfectly friendly lady who has lived on Piper Place since the mid ’70s. Divorced, she raised her two children alone. One daughter died after surgery five years ago. She now has a grown daugther who lives with her, along with a granddaughter.

One day Sandy let Darcie into her house. ”That this was in my neighborhood, on my street, and we never even noticed her need,” Darcie says, trailing off.

In one bathroom there was a hole in the floor, no toilet. In another bathroom, the toilet overflows. There were pipes leaking in the ceiling, black mold, no heat, two broken windows and the front door was hung upside down, on one hinge.

Darcie is part of a Thursday night fellowship group that meets behind Sandy’s house at the home of Julie and Noel Cruz. ”Can we all come together?” she asked them.

And come together they did. This weekend about 50 people are converging on Sandy’s house, carrying cans of paint and tool boxes.

"It's sort of unbelievable," Darcie says. "People used to tell stories if they saw a shadow in her house, and behind that was this very sweet lady."
Sandy chuckles at the idea. "I just tried to do things myself. I didn't want to be a bother to people, so we kind of kept to ourselves."

And now: "It is just beyond my wildest imagination," she says. "I'm just overwhelmed with all the goodness and kindness."

If you want to join the gang of people helping Sandy or donate anything, call Darcie’s daughter Stacie at 714-507-0859 or staciedthomas@yahoo.com

**
NOTE: Some of Darcie's neighbors and friends from a house church on her street will be painting, sanding and doing an "Extreme Home Makeover" of Sandy's house from March 20th - 22nd. For more information and to help out go HERE

Orange County poised to lose 43,200 jobs in 2009

2009-02-25T15:54:00.000-08:00

February 24th, 2009, 1:30 pm
by Sarah Tully

Orange County is projected to lose about 43,200 jobs this year and employment will continue to drop in 2010, but at a slower pace, according to a new report on the economy.

The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. predicts a bleak situation for Southern California, including Orange County, in its 2009-2010 Economic Forecast and Industry Outlook released last week.

This year's 2.9% Orange County job loss is expected to mostly be in finance and insurance, construction and retail, said the forecast. Next year, LAEDC expects Orange County to continue to bleed jobs, the employment loss will slow to 0.9% or 12,400 positions.

Orange County was hit hard by the collapse of the subprime lending industry, as well as a slowdown in tourism and the flattening of new home construction projects, said LAEDC economist Jack Kyser, who oversaw the forecast.

"That's why we're rather bearish about the economy in 2009," Kyser said.

Earlier Orange County economic forecasts ranged widely about the depth and length of the recession here:

Chapman University estimated a loss of 9,000 Orange County jobs this year in a report released in December.

"Negative forces" that will continue to be a drag on Orange County:

*A downturn in tourism.
*A loss of manufacturing jobs.
*A decline in non-residential construction.
*A decrease in new home construction permits.

LAEDC estimated the loss of nonfarm jobs should bottom out statewide by the end of 2009, dropping by about 3% for the year. The California unemployment rate could reach 10.5%.

READ FULL ARTICLE ALONG WITH MORE INFO
HERE

O.C. Home Affordabilty 9th Worst in Nation

2009-02-24T09:12:00.000-08:00

February 23rd, 2009, 5:56 pm
by Jon Lansner/ocregister.com

An Orange County home was four times as affordable in 2008's fourth quarter as it was a year earlier — as measured by an index of the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo Bank.

Still, O.C.'s "affordability" was 9th worst among 222 big U.S. communities tracked by NAHB/Wells. (We were 11th worst in the third quarter!)

Details on O.C. stats from NAHB/Wells:

Just 33.5% of the homes sold in O.C. in the fourth quarter were affordable to the typical local household. (A year ago, 8.4% of the homes were "affordable.")

A 27% price drop in O.C. homes in the past year clearly drove increased local affordability.

So did a 7% increase in local incomes, according to NAHB/Wells math.
Nationally, 62.4% of U.S. homes selling were "affordable" as 2008 ended. New York City metro area was least affordable at 14%; Indianapolis was best at 93%.

Full Article HERE

2008-12-29T08:29:00.000-08:00

SOME OC CHURCHES "GET IT"

Churches get back to basics for Christmas
Economic downturn inspires many faithful to give, not get.
By ERIKA CHAVEZ
The Orange County Register

As the twinkling lights and merry music made their dependable yearly debut, pastor John Thomas sensed a shift in the mood of those around him.

It came up time and again with members of his Soul Survivor Church in Costa Mesa: the consumerism, the commercialism, the Black Friday shopping sprees for the biggest, newest, next big thing. "It all strikes an uncomfortable tone," he said. "People were feeling like something's not quite right. The true spirit of Christmas has been hijacked by our culture."

It's a sentiment that's increasingly common in churches throughout Orange County, especially as job losses mount, home foreclosures rise, and most everybody is feeling the pinch.

Many churches responded by calling on their members to focus on giving instead of getting.

READ THE FULL STORY

OUR POOR

2008-11-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

As I hear what people are saying about poverty in America, I always have to mention that, although poverty in our country may not be as "severe" as what we see in Africa or India, etc., it is not any less poverty.

For example, if you were to give air conditioning or color television to one of those families living in a cardboard box in the Sudan, would they cease being poor? Of course not. And families in America with color tvs and air conditioning are no less poor because of their level of comfort. They are still poor. And they are "Our Poor".

I belive that there is a Biblical difference between how we are called to serve the poor in other countries and "our poor". The poor in India, Mexico, Ethiopa, etc. are seriously, desperately poor. No one argues that. This is why I've served on the board for groups like Arms of Love (www.armsoflove.org), a ministry that builds orphanages in the poorest nations of the world to provide homes for street children who live in the city dumps and are forced into prostitution, etc.
So, please, let's be clear; I'm not saying don't help the poor who are "out there".

But the poor in your city, in my city, down the street from me, they are "our poor", and what we're called to do, Biblically, is something about it. Not to solve poverty. Not to cure it. Not to erase poverty forever, but to do what we can to help a few, in the name of Jesus and with the compassion of Jesus.

Actually, as I've said before, the point of serving the poor is not to "cure" or "solve" poverty, but to befriend people who are in need and to learn to love and serve them as we would serve and love Jesus. We are the one's who are most changed in that relationship, by the way.

The quote from Jesus in Matthew about "the poor you will always have with you" was Jesus referencing Deuteronomy 15:7-11. You should seriously read this passage. The point is that God, the Father, is commanding the Jews to not have a hard-heart or a closed fist towards the poor, the stranger, etc., but to give generously, freely to the poor among them. At the end of the passage, God say, "There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land."

That's what Jesus means when he says what he does in Matthew.

Read Matthew 25. At the Judgement Seat of Christ the one criteria is whether or not those who call him "Lord" had any regard for the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the prisoner. The Sheep almost unconsciously care for these poor, not because they think it will get them into Heaven, but simply because they have genuinely been transformed into the people of God. The Goats, who also call Him "Lord", have the same unconscious attitude, but towards the existence of the poor or their needs.

The people of God, redeemed by the Blood, saved by Grace, seem to have an inability to walk past someone who is naked, poor, hungry, thirsty, lonely, etc. and do nothing. They cannot do that. It's not in their new nature.

We have a Biblical mandate (and it's alllll over the Scripture, both Old and New) to care for the poor..."our poor"...and that takes more than writing a check.

Again, this is my very biased conviction. I've been hammered by God on this issue and I cannot let it go because it won't let me go.

Do you know what the sin of Sodom is? Read Ezekiel 16: 49. It's not what you think. "Now this is the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were proud and did detestable things before me. Therefore, I did away with them as you have seen."

Wow.

How about this one?

Galatians 2:10- "All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." (Paul being sent out as the first missionary by Peter, James and John).

or...

{God is speaking of King Josiah:}
"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" (Jeremiah 22:16)

Wow.

"Is that not what it means to know me?"

What does it mean to "Know" God? This verse suggests that it means to care for the poor and the needy.

and of course we could also look at, Isaiah 58:6-7, Amos 5:21-24, 1 John 3:17-18, James 2:14-17, etc., etc.

God has called us to care for the poor, not to justify their poverty or our lack of compassion by comparing them to the "real poor" in third world countries.

So..how are we doing with serving and loving and befriending "Our Poor"?

-Keith Giles

HOW THE OC BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SPENDS YOUR MONEY

2008-10-21T13:27:00.001-07:00

The Orange County Board of Supervisors has voted to spend the following amounts in the new $5.56 Billion Budget:

$54,463 for a company to test fire alarms at Juvenile Hall once during the year.

$45 an hour through 2009 for one man to perform "Rodent Control Services" at the county's flood-control channels.

$165,655 bonus to ACS State & Local Solutions (formerly Lockheed Martin) for the company's work on a lucrative $22,087,278 information technology contract.

$22.6 million for 3 Anaheim parcels the assessor's office says are worth less than $9.5 million.

$100,000 to the private Orange County Business Council which lobbies for the Irvine Co. and other local corporate giants so that it can produce a "Workforce Investment" Study.

$99,000 bonus to a Newport Beach consultant (Lisa Burke) who was already getting $100,000 to write a "Community Indicators Report" that the Business Council will use to track "key indicators of economic, social and environmental well-being in an effort to assess the overall quality of life in Orange County."

$240,000 to local Republican Party boss Scott Baugh, a self-styled fiscal conservative for lobbying in Sacremento.

$60,000 a year until 2010 for a company to shred documents at just one county department: Social Services Agency

$136,000 to build a canopy at the entrance to a county building.

$135,000 for a company to perform art exhibhition packing services at John Wayne Airport.

$268,000 for a company to test and (if necessary) repair the fire alarm system at Theo Lacy Jail over the next 12 months.

$93,000 to a private firm that will pick up mail at post office boxes for two county departments.

$435,000 for just two IBM office laser printers - $102,000 for the machines and an astonishing $333,000 for maintenance.

$67,000 for consultant Mike Mount to determine whether the county's purchasing operations are wasteful.

--Source: The OCWeekly

Family makes 200K a year and gives most of it away

2008-10-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

MORNING READ: How rich is rich? The Hsieh family donates most of its earnings to others.
By LORI BASHEDA- The Orange County Register

Who on earth would make $200,000, and give away all but $48,000 of it?

Who would hunker down in the hood when they can afford the heights?

Tom and Bree Hsieh. That's who.

The couple belongs to a club made up of people who donate at least half their salary to charity for at least three years straight.

It's called the 50 % League and it grew out of Bolder Giving, an organization started in 2007 by Boston suburb philanthropists Anne and Christopher Ellinger. The mission: To encourage people to publicly proclaim their stories of giving in hopes that it inspires others to give boldly.the 120 club members are millionaires, often folks who inherited giant sums of money and, feeling either burdened or guilty or unbelievably generous, decided to give most or all of it away.

Folks like John Hunting, who is quoted on the Bolder Giving website, saying this gem: "When I got a $130 million windfall in 1998, I decided to give it away quickly."

But as admirable as that is, its one thing to give away windfalls when you're still left with enough money to live comfortably (Hunting kept $10 million). It's another thing to give away so much money that you wind up wearing 99 cent thrift store ties to corporate meetings. Cheerfully, we might add.

**
READ THE FULL STORY AT ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER'S WEBSITE
HERE

SCHEDULE AN INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION ON POVERTY IN THE OC

2008-09-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION - POVERTY IN THE OC

2008-07-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

I highly recommend Keith Giles’ interactive presentation on “Poverty in the OC”. First Keith knows his topic. He brings together careful research with the practical wisdom and undiminished compassion that comes with years of first-hand experience.

Secondly, he has a gracious approach to teaching his topic that shames nobody, and engages everybody – young and old. He was able heighten our awareness of the serious problem of poverty, and at the same time to inspire in us a new sense of possibility that ordinary people like us, with God’s help, could make a difference in the lives of those in need. Keith’s compassion for the poor in Orange County is infectious, and by the time he had finished we had all caught the bug.

Marti Clark
Regional ALPHA Ministries Event Coordinator

**
Schedule your free, Interactive Presentation on Poverty in the OC today. It's specifically designed for small groups, leadership and pastoral teams, or any group that's interested in learning more about poverty in Orange County and how to get more involved helping people in our community.

To set up your Interactive Presentation please email Keith Giles at
"Elysiansky" (at) "Hotmail" (dot) com
*Use the subject heading "Poverty In The OC"

POVERTY IN THE UC

2008-07-14T21:39:00.001-07:00

Welcome To The OC Where We Manufacture Homelessness

2008-06-25T14:43:00.001-07:00

Orange County is second only to Los Angeles for the largest number of homeless people in the State of California. The difference is that homelessness in LA County is caused by drug addiction, mental illness or substance abuse related factors.

In Orange County, out of our 35,000 homeless, 80% of them were forced into this lifestyle because of the lack of affordable housing and rent controls.

Think about that. 80% of the people in Orange County who are currently homeless could be living in an apartment anywhere else in the Nation. It's only because of the cost of housing here that they remain homeless.

We make our own homeless.

This means we can also un-make them.

Here are a few more statistics courtesy of the County of Orange Community Indicators Report:

* There are 5,389 homeless children in Orange County under the age of six.

* There are less than 900 emergency shelter beds in all of Orange County.

* There are 30,000 homeless who need a place to sleep each night.

* 60% of the homeless in Orange County go regularly without meals.

* 81% of the homeless in Orange County feel severe hunger each night.

* Hundreds of families in Orange County face a dilemma. Living on an extremely limited income forces them to choose between food on the table and a table on which to eat food. They can eat or they can pay rent, but not both.

-kg

WHY CAN'T THEY JUST GET A JOB?

2008-06-19T15:06:00.001-07:00

You've no doubt heard someone say this whenever the subject of homelessness and poverty comes up in conversation. Maybe you've even said this out loud yourself.

The amazing thing about the poor in Orange County is that 80% of those who are classified as "Homeless" have a job.

Yes. That's right. They already have a job.

Even though 80% of those who live in motels week to week, or in their cars, have a job in Orange County, they don't make enough to afford first and last month's rent, a security deposit and money for a credit check each time they put in their application.

The fastest growing job market in the OC is in the service industry, which means jobs flipping burgers, taking orders at Fast Food joints or bagging your groceries. None of these jobs pay enough to afford a one bedroom apartment in Orange County (as the entries below illustrate).

Find out more by downloading the free PDF file at the left and read more about the conditions of living for the 35,000 homeless in California's second largest economy - Orange County.

-kg

How is Orange County Doing?

2008-06-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

Orange County has the second highest number of Homeless in the State (LA County is #1), but the difference is that Orange County creates their own homeless thanks to a lack of affordable housing, zero rent controls and scarcity of jobs paying enough to afford even a one bedroom apartment.

For example:

Fair Market Rent (Monthly)

One Bedroom $1,161 (2006) - $1,238 (2007)

Two Bedroom $1,392 (2006) - $1,485 (2007)

Three Bedroom $1,992 (2006) - $2,125 (2007)

Estimated Orange County Median Family
Income (Annual)

$78,300 (2006) - $78,700 (2007)

Amount a Household Earning Minimum
Wage Can Afford to Pay in Rent (Monthly)

$351 (2006) - $351 (2007)

Amount a Household Earning 30% of Median Family Income Can Afford to Pay in Rent (Monthly)

$587 (2006) - $590 (2007)

Number of Hours per Week a Minimum Wage Earner Must Work to Afford a One-Bedroom
Apartment

141 hours (2006) - 154 hours (2007)

Source: Orange County Business Council Analysis of HUD statistics using the methodology of the National Low Income Housing Coalition (www.nlihc.org)

2008 ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY INDICATORS REPORT

2008-06-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

The County of Orange funds an annual community indicators report which examines the conditions of living in the County and, of course, identifies trends regarding the economy, affordable housing, job rates, salary comparisions, etc.

Here is the 2008 OC Community Indicators Report
PDF FILE HERE

Be sure to read over the following sections:
*COUNTY PROFILE - "HOUSING"; "EMPLOYMENT"

*SPECIAL FEATURES - "HOUSING TRENDS"

*ECONOMIC & BUSINESS CLIMATE - "COST OF LIVING"; "PER CAPITA INCOME"; "HOUSING DEMAND"; "HOUSING AFFORDABILITY"; "RENTAL AFFORDABILITY"

*COMMUNITY HEALTH & PROSPERITY - "FAMILY INCOME SECURITY"; "FAMILY HOUSING SECURITY"

Most revealing is the fact that the county is fully aware that they create their own homelessness due to a lack of rental controls and a scarcity of jobs that pay enough to afford a basic one bedroom apartment.

Here's one of the most telling set of statistics (under "Rental Affordability"):

*The hourly wage needed for a one-bedroom apartment rose from $23.81 in 2006 to $25.57 in 2007 – equivalent to an annual income of $53,185.

* Among state and national peer metropolitan areas, Orange County has the highest Housing Wage (less affordable rental housing).

* According to employment projections, most of the occupations likely to have large gains in the county’s high-growth industries (services, manufacturing, and retail trade) have hourly wages far below the Housing Wage.

POVERTY IN THE OC - INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION

2008-06-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to schedule a "Poverty In The O.C." interactive presentation for your church or home group please feel free to contact me directly at "Elysiansky" (at) "Hotmail" (dot) com.

-Blessings,
Keith Giles