I believe that my aforementioned plan is very viable in this community, IF you can get the COC to look into it. They will approve goofy stuff like cleaning bricks from the brick roads that need to be re-surfaced, but never think twice about an issue as strong as this one.

I only hope to add light to a situation that I feel is going to get worse before it gets better.
Again, God Bless the homeless and their families. Please keep them safe.

Thank you!
( Backwoods Mentality 2012! ) Ha Ha

Well…here we go again with small town mentality. Mt. Vernon is so backwoods to what is really going on in the world. It is also very politically biased. When I read the article on the poverty “simulation”…”I was enraged!” How dare them to hold such a thing just to “see what it would be like!” If they really “cared”, then get off your velvet sofa, get out there, and find out!

Anyone who thinks homelessness is not conceivably possible in his or her future is an idiot. Considering world economics, political issues, (like unqualified people in the government) and the inability of people to obtain an education for entry-level career positions in the community, we should be lucky this problem is not on a much grander scale.

So you open up a shelter…that is just the band-aid. Get them in there, help them with personal grooming, get them some suitable clothing if needed, (thrift or otherwise)…and THEN…SIT THEM DOWN AND SHOW THEM HOW TO INTERVIEW! If they cannot present themselves in a reputable fashion, it is going to be much harder.

Next, you keep them there until they have banked up some funds. In addition, when they are not working, they are working with a Counselor to set up specific goals for their immediate future.
Once they obtain a place of residence, be it a room, efficiency apt, or otherwise, you follow up, keep them on a set course and eventually move them into quality education in a field that will offer some permanent solutions to their problems. But do not bail out on them at that point.

See…you people think that sticking these people in a shelter is going to solve the problem. We need a full cycle approach. Remember when you got married. The preacher said “this ring is an endless symbol of your love. It has no beginning and no end.” This is the way we need to think about this issue…not the cheapest quickest way out that is such a Mt. Vernon way of doing things!
God Bless the homeless and I pray for their safety and future…..IN A BETTER TOWN!

I dropped out of high school at age 17. I later finished and now have a college degree. To do that I worked two parttime jobs during the school year and one fulltime and two parttime jobs during the summer. At the same time my wife was a stay at home mom with two small children. All of these jobs were in Knox County. So, I have a hard time buying hard luck stories. You make your own luck. It’s called hard work.
You may have to work for low wages while preparing yourself for something better.

My experience (as a social worker) is that the VAST majority are by choice, or they perceive their situation as hopeless. Many do not want to move, take a lower paying job, or work at a job they do not like. They do not want to ’start over’ when there is someone out there to give them money. Think of how americans got through the economic downturns in the past 100 years. They worked hard and made responsible decisions.

For instance, when jobs disappeared in their area, they moved. A good example today? Jobs abound in northern Virginia. Someone who drives a truck or can paint a room can have a job tomorrow at about $50K per to start. I’ve done it myself so I know of what I speak. I also worked two jobs and raised kids, put them to college (college loans), maintained a tight family and just did what I had to do. Come on America!

There are also many instances of true hardship without much in the way of choices. These people need help and most times get it. Some are too ‘proud’ and don’t seek it out.

The reality is that the USA has become a country of opportunity through government assistance which is a prescription for poverty. All of our anti-poverty programs have succeeded in promoting poverty as a lifestyle and they have trapped many millions and prevented them from any real opportunity to excel. I have worked for a number of these programs and believe me, if you saw what I saw you would be horrified to know what we have done to these poor program participants.

Maybe the best example of what THE INDIVIDUAL can do to overcome despair, hunger, and cold is to talk to someone who lived through the depression. That period was FAR MORE SEVERE than we will ever know. And the bottom line is most made it through and came away in far better condition than they ever imagined. The number who did not make it and either died or remained in severe poverty is far less than the number we have sentenced to poverty through our ridiculous social programs.

Come on America, learn from your past. Talk to your grandparents!

I’ve never been starved. Never been out of work out for more than a couple months. Raised a couple families and lived as if I may be homeless tonight.

It’s all in how you want to live your life. It takes a lot of planning and sometimes compromising your ideals.

Oh yes, Once in a while you have to take a job that isn’t your cup o tea and not so fancy of a house. Just thought I’d share. I’ve met a lot of homeless. Still looking for the one that it wasn’t a choice.