레이블이 Parkland Community College Housing인 게시물을 표시합니다. 모든 게시물 표시
레이블이 Parkland Community College Housing인 게시물을 표시합니다. 모든 게시물 표시

2013년 11월 26일 화요일

About 'parkland community college'|Community Development 101--Part Two







About 'parkland community college'|Community Development 101--Part Two








Tina               had               13               years               of               sobriety               before               she               relapsed               in               2000.

Since               then               she               has               had               a               hard               time               stringing               together               hardly               any               time               in               recovery.
               This               last               bout               landed               her               in               the               YWCA               downtown.
               Once               a               social               worker,               she               now               works               at               a               retail               store               and               has               lost               everything               again               -               her               car,               material               things,               pets,               money.
               "What               really               messes               with               my               head               is               that               all               of               this               is               self-inflicted,"               she               confided.
               When               Roger               and               Dave               moved               to               Dallas,               TX               they               thought               it               would               be               a               haven.
               Instead,               days               before               Christmas               they               were               on               a               two-to-three-week               waiting               list               to               get               into               the               Samaritan               House,               a               residential               facility               for               those               who               are               HIV-positive               or               who               have               AIDS               (Acquired               Immune               Deficiency               Syndrome).

Luckily,               at               a               Christmas               party               they               met               a               pastor               who               paid               for               them               to               stay               a               week               in               a               motel,               a               respite               from               being               homeless               and               jobless.

Their               belongings               were               in               storage,               also               a               source               of               financial               drain               for               them.

(Source:               Samaritan               House).
               Roger,               now               47,               HIV               positive               since               1996               and               homeless               with               his               partner               Dave               since               November               2003,               lived               in               a               mobile               home               in               Azle               with               Dave               and               is               collecting               Social               Security               Disability               (SSDI)               benefits.

They               sold               their               home               in               May               2003               when               they               moved               to               Dallas.
               "The               bills               just               became               overwhelming,"               said               Roger.

"By               that               time               we               had               pawned               most               of               our               things.

This               past               November               rather               than               paying               the               rent               I               paid               on               our               pawned               items               with               interest.

I               thought               AIDS               Outreach               Center               (AOC)               might               be               able               to               help               but               there's               a               long               waiting               list."
               The               couple               lived               in               their               car               for               about               a               month,               getting               food               from               the               nutrition               center               at               AOC               to               make               sandwiches               in               the               car               and               collecting               non-perishables.

They               also               ate               at               a               couple               of               restaurants               without               paying               because               they               had               no               money               and               were               hungry,               having               not               much               family               support.

Roger               has               two               daughters;               the               youngest               is               also               gay               and               struggling               financially.

His               older               daughter               has               a               daughter               of               her               own.
               The               couple               recently               got               robbed               and               Dave's               wallet               was               stolen.

Since               his               license               was               in               his               wallet               he               couldn't               pay               on               an               unpaid               ticket               or               he               would               have               been               arrested               for               not               having               a               license,               said               Roger.

So               Dave               got               a               disabled               person's               bus               pass               and               applied               for               a               Social               Security               card.
               Dave,               36,               has               applied               for               work               but               is               sick               with               Hepatitis               C               and               was               diagnosed               HIV               positive               in               2003.

He               used               to               enjoy               riding               motorcycles               and               almost               became               a               pilot               at               a               young               age               because               of               his               step               dad's               influence.
               "He               (Dave)               seemed               to               be               sicker               than               me,"               said               Roger.
               The               couple               had               until               Christmas               Eve               to               stay               in               the               motel               the               pastor               paid               for               and               from               there               they               didn't               know               where               they'd               go.

Dave's               mother,               who               lives               in               Michigan,               has               been               very               helpful               and               she               sends               money               at               times               but               that               isn't               always               available.

Roger's               mom               has               helped               them               square               things               away               a               little               financially               regarding               bad               checks.

Dave,               who               used               to               be               in               the               Marine               Corps               and               is               bilingual,               said               he               he               has               all               the               capabilities               of               doing               the               things               he               wants               professionally,               that               he               just               needs               the               opportunity.

He               wants               to               buy               a               house               and               earn               some               equity,               a               place               where               he               and               Roger's               seven-year-old               granddaughter               can               have               her               own               room.
               "She               (my               granddaughter)               misses               us               having               our               own               place.

She               can               never               go               anywhere               with               us.

I'd               like               to               do               that               for               her.

All               I'm               really               looking               to               do               is               just               get               working.

Most               of               our               situation               was               caused               by               the               move               we               made               (to               Dallas),"               said               Dave.

"The               lifestyle               in               Dallas               really               wasn't               us.

It               wasn't               what               I               imagined.

There's               certainly               organizations               that               are               designated               specifically               for               gays.

We               couldn't               stay               at               places               with               no               identification.

We'd               have               preferred               to               stay               in               our               car               compared               to               some               other               places."
               Dave,               who               aspires               to               go               to               school               to               be               a               teacher,               said               there               is               discrimination               with               regard               to               being               gay               and               homeless               and               being               a               white               man.
               "The               discrimination               doesn't               ever               change,"               he               said.

"We               try               to               stick               together               as               much               as               possible.

They               don't               view               us               as               a               couple.

Samaritan               House               has               been               very               different               in               that               way.

They've               been               very               understanding,               willing               to               pretty               much               accept               who               you               are.

Churches               simply               don't               want               to               acknowledge               you               as               person,               pretty               much.

Tolerance               is               always               an               issue.

Compassion               shouldn't               ever               be               different               for               someone               else.

There               always               seems               to               be               just               a               little               bit               more               people               can               do.

I'm               actually               given               only               a               fair               consideration               and               not               equal.

I               don't               have               anything               extra               to               carry               me               through               such               as               ethnicity.

I               haven't               asked               for               a               whole               lot.

I               know               if               I               just               had               a               decent               position               with               insurance               I               would               take               off               without               hesitation.

I've               only               had               one               or               two               good               opportunities               in               my               life.

Once               you               fall               down               you're               going               to               stay               down               without               further               assistance               and               you               go               further               down."
               As               of               Dec.

21st,               James,               who               got               to               stay               with               a               friend               for               only               a               few               days,               couldn't               get               back               in               his               apartment               after               leaving               there               with               the               clothes               he               had               on               his               back               when               he               ran               from               his               boyfriend.

James               can't               find               his               pilot               boyfriend               who               did               over               $250               worth               of               damage               to               their               apartment.

Their               landlord               refuses               to               let               James               back               in               the               apartment               until               he               pays               the               money               which               James               does               not               have.

James'               boss               fired               him               from               his               catering               job               as               a               result               of               the               most               recent               beating.

(Source:               AGAPE               Metropolitan               Community               Church).
               "It               would've               been               a               lot               worse               (when               my               boyfriend               got               out               of               jail)               for               me               if               I               had               him               arrested,"               said               James.

"They'd               have               let               him               go               after               six               hours.

When               you're               in               that               much               fear               for               your               life,               you               don't               say               yes               (to               the               police).

If               I'd               have               been               a               woman               they               would               have               taken               me               right               then.

I               was               going               to               say               yes               to               the               cops               when               asked               but               my               boyfriend               gave               me               a               look               that               meant               I               knew               when               he               got               out               of               jail               he'd               hurt               me.

The               bruises               on               the               outside               have               healed.

The               ones               inside               haven't."
               You               can't               go               in               there               (to               work)               looking               like               that.

I               don't               see               any               hope.

I               would               rather               be               dead               than               go               back               (home).

When               something               like               this               happens               at               first               you               think               there's               light               at               the               end               of               the               tunnel.

Now               I'm               past               that               point.

Now               I               think               the               light               must               be               an               oncoming               train.

Never               did               I               think               suddenly               I'd               be               on               the               receiving               end               of               his               (my               boyfriend's               wrath).

He               was               the               type               of               person               who,               if               anyone,               said               the               'F'               word               in               front               of               me,               he'd               go               off               on               them.

I               didn't               think               he'd               ever               lay               a               hand               on               me.

We               had               the               idyllic               relationship."
               James,               52,               suspects               his               boyfriend               is               doing               drugs               or               met               someone               who               is.

His               boyfriend,               a               200-pound,               six-foot               man               trained               in               full-body               contact               defense               through               the               military,               recently               knocked               a               bedroom               window               out               in               a               fit               of               rage.

The               lease               is               in               James'               name               and               James               had               endorsed               his               paychecks               and               deposited               them               into               his               boyfriend's               bank               account.

James'               boyfriend               didn't               pay               money               to               pay               bills               a               long               time               ago.
               James               said               his               boyfriend's               behavior               changed               in               October,               something               he               he               had               never               seen               before.
               "His               behavior               has               changed               so               drastically               that               drugs               are               the               only               thing               I               can               attribute               it               to,"               said               James.

"I               don't               know               what               happened;               I               can't               tell               you               what               snapped               the               twig               in               my               companion.

He               went               from               being               a               very               self-confident               person               to               a               person               who               had               no               control               over               his               temper.

Next               day               it               was               'I'm               sorry.'               One               week               later               it               happened               a               second               time.

He               said               'Please               forgive               me.

It'll               never               happen               again.'               The               day               I               walked               in               and               saw               what               he               did               to               my               armoire,               I               thought               that               could've               just               as               easily               been               me.

As               much               love               as               I               ever               had               for               him,               I               have               an               equal               amount               of               hatred.

I               never               thought               the               day               would               come               when               it               would               come               to               that."
               James,               who               is               well-educated,               articulate,               and               speaks               a               second               language,               said               before               Thanksgiving               another               argument               ensued.

He               wound               up               with               a               busted               nose,               ribs,               and               lip,               bruised               kidneys               on               the               left               side,               several               bruised               ribs,               and               a               cut               on               his               cheek.
               "I               didn't               report               it               to               the               police               because               he               (my               boyfriend)               is               European.

If               I'd               gone               to               the               police               it               probably               would've               cost               him               his               green               card.

I               didn't               see               any               point               in               ruining               his               career,"               said               James.

"To               suddenly               find               myself               in               this               situation...First               this               happens               then               I               lose               my               job.

I               probably               have               lost               $3,000               worth               of               income.

I'm               down               to               $6.00.

There's               not               a               remote               possibility               I'd               go               back.

I've               got               furniture               I               could               sell               for               the               damages               if               I               could               get               in               the               apartment."
               James               has               no               family;               his               parents               are               deceased,and               he               is               an               only               child.

He               has               been               to               college               and               has               had               three               careers.
               "I               can't               even               get               in               (my               apartment)               to               get               more               clothes.

I've               washed               and               worn               the               same               set               of               clothes               for               nearly               two               weeks.

My               shirt               has               been               washed               so               many               times               that               what               was               once               a               green               shirt               is               now               a               white               one,"               he               said.

"I               have               a               home               full               of               furniture               I               cannot               bear               to               lose.

I'm               an               intelligent               man.

I'm               not               a               bum.

I               gave               this               relationship               every               possible               shot               it               could               have.

The               hell               of               it               is               I'm               not               a               woman,               I'm               not               HIV               positive,               I               don't               have               an               alcohol               or               drug               problem               and               I               can't               find               a               place               to               live.

If               I               were               a               woman               the               city               would               open               its               arms               to               me."
               James'               boyfriend               beat               him               two               other               times               and               made               him               get               rid               of               his               three               pets               -               two               cats               and               a               dog               shortly               after               they               started               dating.

James,               who               was               in               his               relationship               two               and               a               half               years,               has               tried               staying               at               several               shelters               and               talked               to               a               couple               of               attorneys               but               to               no               avail.
               "You               hear               all               about               these               charities               who               are               supposed               to               help               but               when               you               tell               them               you're               gay               they               don't               want               to               help,"               he               said.

"When               I               tell               them               what               I               need               they               tell               me               what               they               can't               provide.

It's               not               just               a               gay               abusive               thing.

There               are               lots               of               straight               men               that               are               being               abused               by               their               wives."
               James               said               he               has               learned               a               good               many               things               out               of               his               experience               and               that               he               will               never               have               another               relationship               or               share               a               bank               account               with               anyone.
               "The               first               time               anyone               lays               their               hands               on               you,               you               leave.

You               don't               buy               into               'I'm               sorry.,               it               won't               happen               again.'               The               only               thing               that               happens               is               it               gets               worse,"               he               said.

"Once               he               (my               boyfriend)               would               get               me               on               the               ground               I               had               no               defense."
               James               said               while               he               was               staying               with               his               friend               there               was               no               chance               of               his               boyfriend               finding               him               because               he               didn't               know               where               he               was.
               "I               think               what               he               (my               boyfriend)               will               probably               do               is               take               his               passport               and               go               back               to               Italy,"               he               said.
               James               had               to               leave               his               friend's               house               the               Saturday               before               Christmas               because               his               friend               had               holiday               company               and               there               was               no               room.

After               numerous               phone               calls               to               several               people,               trying               to               find               a               place               to               stay,               James               took               a               bus               to               the               Union               Gospel               Mission               where               he               hoped               he               could               be               safe               for               now.

But               he               said               there               was               no               room               there               and               he               walked               up               and               down               Lancaster               Avenue               all               night               just               to               keep               warm.

His               next               move               was               to               go               to               the               Salvation               Army               to               try               to               get               a               room               there.

He               hasn't               been               heard               from               since               before               Christmas.
               Rev.

Ken               Ehrke               of               Agape               MCC               in               Fort               Worth               said               his               church               doesn't               see               many               homeless               people               around               since               the               location               isn't               near               the               bus               line.
               "There               are               shelters               for               women               (who               are               being               abused)               but               not               men,"               said               Ehrke.
               The               Salvation               Army               allows               for               a               free               three-night               stay.

(Source:               Salvation               Army).
               The               Presbyterian               Night               Shelter               (PNS)               will               allow               people               to               stay               free               but               requires               them               to               leave               during               the               day.

(Source:               Presbyterian               Night               Shelter).
               According               to               a               1999               article               by               Paul               McDonald,               chief               executive               officer               of               a               youth               substance               abuse               service,               shifts               involving               larger               amounts               of               drugs               such               as               heroin               making               it               into               the               market               are               of               such               significance               that               they               challenge               all               aspects               of               the               provision               of               homeless,               correctional,               health,               and               welfare               services.

He               said               homeless               services               will               need               to               educate               clients               on               harm               reduction               strategies               such               as               overdose               prevention,               resuscitation,               and               injecting               site               techniques,               as               well               as               provide               assistance               with               fundamental               accommodations               and               welfare               support               issues.
               Rick,               43,               who               was               diagnosed               with               AIDS               in               Oct.

1996,               and               now               has               his               own               apartment,               was               once               homeless               for               six               months.

He               used               to               own               a               house               which               he               lost               in               2000               along               with               his               job               before               successfully               kicking               a               cocaine               addiction.

He               went               through               drug               treatment               three               times               and               now               spends               time               at               the               Samaritan               House,               having               lived               there               for               over               a               year.

He               enjoys               movies,               photography,               music,               and               used               to               play               the               piano.

(Source:               Samaritan               House).
               "My               parents               were               supportive               of               me               having               AIDS               but               not               the               drug               addiction               so               I               ended               up               homeless               on               the               streets.

It               (being               homeless)               was               so               beyond               what               I               ever               imagined               I'd               be               at,"               he               said.

"It               was               frightening               sometimes.

There's               so               many               things               that               could've               hurt               or               killed               me               that               didn't.

I               don't               know               if               I               can               make               sure               I               won't               be               homeless               again               because               of               my               illness               but               I               can               always               come               back               here               (to               the               Samaritan               House."
               Rick               said               he               told               staff               at               the               drug               treatment               center               that               he               was               gay               and               it               was               a               positive               experience,               resulting               him               becoming               "the               gay               pet."               He               said               being               homeless               gave               him               a               lot               more               compassion               for               homeless               people               and               that               once               he               became               homeless               he               didn't               talk               to               this               friends               that               much               that               he               had               before               he               lost               his               home.

But               he               has               made               friends               through               his               work               with               the               Health               Education               Learning               Project               (HELP)               and               through               the               Samaritan               House.

He               talks               to               his               parents               on               weekends               but               they               don't               visit.
               "It               makes               me               feel               sad               because               I               see               people               who               are               out               there               (on               the               street)               who               were               out               there               when               I               was,"               said               Rick.

"I               learned               I'm               a               lot               stronger               than               I               thought               I               was.

My               strength               is               my               Higher               Power.

I               never               had               to               access               that               strength               until               I               was               on               the               street.

I               couldn't               find               a               way               to               pull               myself               out               of               being               homeless.

I               understand               why               people               stay               on               the               streets               for               years               and               years               because               it's               so               hard               to               get               out               of               it."
               Rick               said               a               gay               person               can't               be               open               about               their               sexuality               while               living               on               the               street.
               "I               sensed               that               I               needed               to               keep               that               I               was               gay               a               secret.

I               pretty               much               had               to               keep               to               myself               at               all               times.

It's               hard               to               go               from               being               openly               gay               to               hiding               yourself,"               he               said.

"You               have               to               block               off               who               you               are.

Every               once               in               awhile               I'd               hear               (anti-gay)               comments.

I               don't               think               it's               very               safe               for               a               gay               man               to               be               on               the               streets."
               Rick               suggested               that               those               who               want               to               help               should               help               gay               homeless               people               get               in               contact               with               agencies               who               can               give               them               resources               and               offer               rides               to               doctor               appointments.
               "Try               to               be               compassionate,"               he               said.

"It               (being               homeless)               can               happen               to               anyone.

I               never               dreamed               I'd               be               homeless               in               a               million               years.

I               just               went               through               the               motions               to               survive.

I               was               lucky               to               always               have               a               place               to               sleep               and               eat.

You               have               to               learn               the               ropes."
               Other               homeless               people               taught               him               where               to               get               food,               he               said.

Others               tried               to               get               him               to               scheme               by               dealing               in               stolen               checks               and               shoplifting               but               Rick               said               he               didn't               want               to               get               in               trouble.

Once               a               guy               who               was               trying               to               pressure               him               into               returning               stolen               merchandise               for               cash               got               mad               when               Rick               wouldn't               do               it               and               lost               his               temper               while               Rick               waited               inside               a               facility               for               him               to               leave.
               Rick               plans               to               go               to               school               to               further               his               four-year               college               education               and               teach               school.
               "I               didn't               want               to               come               to               Samaritan               House               for               the               longest               time               because               I               thought               it               was               the               end               of               the               road,"               said               Rick.
               Christy               Lavine,               who               was               homeless               for               five               years               with               her               girlfriend               until               June               when               they               moved               into               the               Butler               Facility               in               Fort               Worth               downtown,               said               she               has               never               had               any               money.

Lavine               and               her               girlfriend               lived               at               PNS               for               almost               a               year,               the               Union               Gospel               Mission,               Salvation               Army,               Arlington               Night               Shelter,               and               on               the               streets.

Lavine               said               living               at               the               PNS               was               "bad"               and               that               staff               fed               her               and               her               girlfriend               bologna               three               times               per               day,               the               restrooms               were               dirty,               and               Lavine               was               bit               by               a               spider               twice               and               almost               died.

While               they               lived               on               the               street               Lavine               ate               out               of               trashcans               and               bathed               in               the               Trinity               River.

Lavine's               girlfriend's               family               doesn't               support               the               couple               being               together.

(Source:               Fort               Worth               Lambda               Group).
               Lavine               was               married               to               a               man               for               15               years               but               dated               women               on               the               side,               she               said.

She               talks               to               her               three               brothers               daily               but               her               sister               says               Lavine               "has               the               devil               over               her"               because               she's               gay.

Lavine               said               her               dad               doesn't               care               about               her               sexuality.
               "My               family               won't               help               me               because               I'm               gay,"               said               Lavine.

"My               girlfriend               pays               my               rent               because               my               mom               found               out               I               was               still               with               her               and               she               stopped               helping               me."
               While               living               in               the               shelters               Lavine               and               her               girlfirend,               who               have               been               dating               13               years,               sometimes               had               to               pretend               they               weren't               a               couple.

They're               also               both               former               suicidal               patients.

When               being               admitted               to               hospitals               they               would               have               to               pretend               they               didn't               know               each               other               although               most               of               the               places               know               they're               a               couple.

One               night               director               at               a               hospital               asked               them               to               sleep               in               separate               rooms               after               finding               out               they               were               together.

Lavine               and               her               girlfirend,               who               has               her               own               apartment,               want               to               get               married               one               day               and               maybe               move               to               Dallas               but               neither               of               them               have               a               car.

Lavine               lost               her               SSI               (Social               Security)               benefits               in               2001               when               she               was               sent               to               the               penitentiary.

She               has               been               denied               benefits               twice               since               then               but               applied               for               them               again               in               2003.
               "We               just               want               to               start               fresh               and               live               our               life,"               said               Lavine.

"Hopefully               I'll               get               my               SSI               again               or               my               girlfriend               will               support               me               until               then."
               Lavine               said               she               likes               living               at               Butler               and               that               she               and               her               girlfriend               don't               drink               or               do               drugs.

She               enjoys               dancing,               fishing,               reading               her               Bible               sometimes,               going               to               movies,               going               out               to               dinner               once               a               month               when               she               can               afford               it,               and               playing               Bingo.

Her               girlfriend               gives               her               money.
               McDonald               said               new               collaborations               may               be               needed               in               housing               and               support               options               between               alcohol               and               drug               services               and               homeless               services.

He               added               that               meeting               the               challenge               of               providing               emergency               accommodations               to               an               actively               drug-using               homeless               population               is               an               idea               that               has               been               placed               in               the               "too               hard               basket"               for               too               long.

The               development               of               a               secure               environment               for               rehabilitation               is               fundamental               for               those               seeking               a               path               out               of               drug               use,               said               McDonald.
               Randy               Kruse,               who               was               diagnosed               with               AIDS               in               1987,               has               Carcinoma               (a               form               of               cancer),               and               lives               at               the               Samaritan               House.

He               came               close               to               being               homeless               once,               he               said.

He               moved               to               Dallas               at               20               and               lived               there               20               years.

He               said               he               was               an               alcoholic               and               got               involved               with               crack               cocaine.

He               also               has               a               gay               brother               in               Dallas               who               lives               with               his               partner               who               he               met               on               Randy's               birthday               19               years               ago.

(Source:               Samaritan               House).
               In               1995               Kruse               went               through               chemotherapy               for               five               months               then               local               radiation.

He               had               tumors               all               over               his               body               injected               through               individualized               lesion               treatment               for               six               months,               each               tumor               being               injected               with               chemotherapy.

He               then               went               through               Interferon               treatment               when               he               had               insurance               then               continued               through               Parkland               Hospital               in               Dallas               after               losing               his               coverage.
               "People               try               to               make               you               ashamed               of               who               you               are,"               he               said.

"I               wasn't               talking               to               my               brother               when               I               was               diagnosed               (with               AIDS).

My               parents               were               the               most               educated               about               AIDS.

My               brother               and               his               partner               were               so               paranoid               about               it."
               Kruse               ended               up               overdosing               a               lot               on               prescription               drugs               to               get               his               boyfriend               to               come               over.

He               had               just               moved               into               a               new               apartment               he               couldn't               afford               when               his               boyfriend               got               fed               up               with               his               behavior.

Kruse               had               done               crack               that               weekend               and               someone               beat               him               up               from               head               to               toe.

He               also               had               scabs               in               the               same               areas               from               cancer.

His               mom               told               him               he'd               have               to               be               put               in               a               nursing               home.
               "My               only               concern               was               my               dog,"               said               Kruse.

"My               mom               said               she'd               take               the               dog."
               Kruse               was               in               the               hospital               for               two               or               three               weeks               then               transferred               to               a               psychiatric               ward               at               Parkland.

His               apartment               manager               didn't               want               him               to               move               back.
               "After               I               got               involved               with               crack               things               just               got               so               chaotic,"               Kruse               said.

"I               was               diagnosed               as               Bipolar.

My               brother               refused               to               take               me               home.

They               didn't               know               what               they               were               going               to               do               with               me.

My               whole               fear               for               all               my               life               was               dying               and               becoming               homeless."
               Kruse               was               then               admitted               to               the               Pride               Institute,               an               Arlington               treatment               facility               and               mental               institute               for               gays               and               lesbians               for               three               weeks.
               "My               main               concern               was               finding               a               place               to               go.

Two               nursing               home               representatives               said               I               could               live               there               but               I               would               only               get               $45               a               month.

That               scared               me               to               death,"               Kruse               said.

"You               think               of               homophobia               being               in               the               shelters.

You               hear               the               name-calling               all               your               life               and               then               you're               homeless               and               you               have               to               hear               it,               too.

For               me               the               thought               of               being               homeless               made               me               think               of               killing               myself."
               Kruse               then               got               the               telephone               number               for               the               Samaritan               House               and               was               interviewed               by               three               staff               members               there.

He               relapsed               on               drugs               one               month               after               moving               into               the               facility               in               August               2000               then               went               to               drug               and               alcohol               rehab               treatment.

His               brother               and               his               brother's               partner               refused               to               talk               to               him.

He               saw               his               mom               only               three               times               from               2001               to               2003               and               his               dog               twice.
               "I               have               made               the               best               friendships               here               (at               my               new               home)               I               ever               had,"               said               Kruse.

"I               would               tell               the               public               not               to               be               so               judgmental               and               critical               until               you've               been               in               that               person's               shoes.

People               look               down               on               homeless               people.

People               are               so               judgmental               even               with               the               education               of               AIDS.

There               are               ignorant               gay               people               about               AIDS.

It's               not               'Philadelphia'               (the               movie)               where               you               have               insurance               and               you               can               afford               lawyers.

You               have               to               go               to               John               Peter               Smith               (JPS               Hospital)               where               you               have               to               wait               six               hours."
               By               some               estimates,               gay               youth               represent               at               least               20               to               40               percent               of               homeless               youth,               which               included               500,000               to               one               million               young               people               who               run               away               or               are               forced               from               their               homes               each               year               as               of               Dec.

2001.

(Source:               Homeless               Coalition).
               One               homeless               man               was               told               by               one               Fort               Worth               shelter               that               if               personnel               had               known               he               was               gay               and               HIV-positive,               they               wouldn't               have               allowed               him               to               stay               there.

(Source:               Southwest               Group).
               Holidays               are               extra               difficult               for               gay               runaways.

Homosexual               kids               flee               to               San               Francisco               then               find               the               cold               reality               of               homelessness               and               AIDS.

This               time               of               year               the               city's               population               of               gay               runaways               tends               to               swell.

No               one               is               sure               how               many               young               gay               people               are               living               on               the               streets.

(Source:               The               Advocate).
               In               2003,               The               National               Gay               and               Lesbian               Task               Force               estimated               26               percent               of               gay               youth               were               forced               from               their               homes               because               of               conflicts               surrounding               their               sexual               orientation.

The               Larkin               Shelter               in               California               serves               about               3,000               gay               youth               per               year.
               Gay               males               ages               13               to               24               made               up               51               percent               of               the               nation's               AIDS               cases               reported               in               1998,               according               to               the               Centers               for               Disease               Control               and               Prevention               (CDC).

While               many               believe               San               Francisco,               CA               is               the               best-equipped               city               to               handle               gay               and               homeless               issues,               the               city               struggles               to               deal               with               the               onslaught.

Once               runaways               arrive               in               that               town,               they're               often               surprised               by               the               cold               northern               California               temperatures               and               the               astonomical               cost               of               living.

(Source:               The               Advocate).
               Homeless               gay               teens               were               the               focus               of               an               ABC               "20/20"               show               in               Sept.

1999               which               noted               that               almost               63,000               gay               teens               are               kicked               out               of               their               homes               each               year               by               their               parents.

The               show               also               looked               at               how               they               survived               on               the               streets.
               Homophobia               is               still               prevalent,               support               services               are               almost               non-existent:               homelessness               for               gay               people               is               traumatic               at               best               and               sometimes               life-threatening.

This               group               has               been               variously               (but               not               very               often)               described               as               a               subpopulation               within               a               subpopulation;               a               "multiply-oppressed               community"               without               a               sense               of               community               because               people               need               to               be               closeted               for               survival               on               the               streets.

(Source:               The               Advocate).
               The               problem               is               compounded               by               a               serious               lack               of               services               for               gay               homeless               people.

But               most               people               say               that               any               institutional               response               other               than               the               provision               of               support               groups               and               safe               spaces               for               gay               homeless               people               would               just               create               more               of               an               "us               and               them"               dynamic,               would               just               deepen               the               divide               between               homeless               gays               and               lesbians               and               others               in               the               community.

(Source:               POZ               Magazine).
               Project               Recovery               in               Fort               Worth               is               one               treatment               facility               that               allows               those               who               are               gay               and               homeless               with               substance               abuse               isses               to               get               help.
               In               certain               support               groups               for               alcoholism               and               drug               addiction               there               is               a               subtle               and,               in               some               places,               not               so               subtle               homophobia               and               bigotry               toward               gay               members               trying               to               get               sober               or               clean               from               drugs.

As               a               result,               many               gay               and               lesbian               alcoholics               and               drug               addicts               turn               back               to               what               they               know               best               -               drugs,               alcohol,               and               sometimes,               the               streets.

Or               they               move               in               with               someone               in               the               community               who               is               also               abusing               alcohol               or               drugs.

Often               they               live               with               their               families               until               they               are               turned               out               on               the               street,               only               to               pick               up               their               drug               of               choice               again.

Some               wind               up               in               mental               institutes               temporarily               until               they               can               find               a               place               to               live.

(Source:               Fort               Worth               Lambda).
               Alcohol,               drug               use,               mental               illness,               and               domestic               violence               are               said               to               be               the               many               causes               of               homelessness,               according               to               a               University               of               Alabama               study.
               Participants               in               the               study               were               141               homeless               people               with               substance               use               and               other               non-psychotic               mental               disorders               seeking               drug               treatment               at               a               a               metropolitan               health               care               agency               for               homeless               persons.

They               were               72.3               percent               male,               27.7               percent               female,               82.7               percent               African-American,               and               17.3               percent               Caucasian,               with               an               average               age               of               37               years,               and               had               13.1               average               years               of               education.






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      ...NYC has 29,000 acres of parkland most of which is in the Bronx...free recreational treat. Welcome to mine. Bronx Community College (B.C.C.) in New York City acquired...
    7. larryjamesurbandaily.blogspot.com/   04/14/2006
      ...Department of Health and Human Services Parkland Health and Hospital System Dallas Police Department... (including the Dallas County Community College District , University of Texas at Dallas and...
    8. looseyfur.blogspot.com/   02/19/2012
      Saturday was a special Carrie Busey/Westview School event at Parkland Community College. The Men and Women's Basketball Teams were playing...
    9. sewbabynews.blogspot.com/   10/06/2011
      ... classes for our local community college, Parkland College , and for the Urbana Adult Education...information, you can contact either the Parkland College Community Education or Urbana Adult Education...
    10. heart-of-romance.blogspot.com/   07/25/2011
      ...or organizations. I used to teach fiction writing at Parkland Community College in Illinois. I did belong to a couple groups, but when a few less than...



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