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.org HomelessRx.org - it's NOT about the money

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ThatNameGuy

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I just registered the domain HomelessRx.org as a result of a very personal experience that occurred in my life this week. On Wednesday of this week I got a call from a realtor friend of mine who asked that I post a "No Trespassing" sign on a vacant wooded lot that I've had for sale for over 10 years. The lot is under contract with a cell tower company, and they had noticed there were several tents on the property that were occupied, and they needed for me to have the occupants removed....now this is where the story gets interesting. First I went to Lowes and bought a "No Trespassing" sign for about $3. Then I drive to the lot, and while I was nailing the sign to a tree with the tents in the background, a petite lady (about 65 years old) emerged from one of the two tents. I later learned "Barbara" was her name, and she asked me, "Can I please stay one more night?" To which I said I think so, and then she told me there was a man named Jeff living in the other tent (he wasn't there at the time), but could he stay also? I said yes to that too, and drove away.

I only had a couple of dollars in my wallet, and I thought maybe I'd get $20 from the ATM down the road and go back and give it to her. I got the $20, went into the bank asked for an envelope and wrote on the envelope, "I hope this helps, and have a nice Christmas" When I got back to the property I called for her and she came out of her tent. I went to hand her the envelope saying here is a little something I hope will help, and much to my amazement she wouldn't take it...she told me she was on food stamps, and all she needed was someone she could help take care of. I ended up convincing her to take the money and telling her she could stay through the weekend if that would help. So then I leave again, and I literally drove in circles for hours not knowing what to do, but knowing I needed to do something.

I return to the property for a third time, and this time Jeff (the guy living in the other tent) was there and he too thanked me for letting them stay a few more nights. I ended up staying with them for an hour just before it got dark, and I began to learn why it was they were homeless. As it turns out, I spent the next two days trying to help them find shelter and learning more about their situations. Barbara didn't have heat in her tent and the temp was dropping to about 20 degrees over the weekend so I was able to get her a room for two nights that was $50 a night and Jeff was able to stay warm because he had a larger tent he heated with a propane heater.

Jeff who is also about 65 years old is/was a psychologist. He's was hooked on cocaine/crack, just got of jail in January, but has been clean for 4 and 1/2 years. Both Barbara and Jeff have income of about $1,000 a month, but in Barbara's case, $600 of her income goes to pay for three storage units where she keeps some of her stuff and some of her daughters stuff. Barbara has never used drugs, but her daughter is an alcoholic, and it's more important to her that her "stuff" stays warm then she does:xf.rolleyes:

Barbara and Jeff are in a hotel for the next week while I take care of their business which I've now made my business. They really should have never been homeless......the "system" failed them. I've put a lot of pressure on myself by promising them I won't fail them.....thus HomelessRx.org....God Bless!
 
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Thanks for that. Can relate to the story. You made a Christmas miracle happen.

I wish more people would be this kind-hearted. God bless!
 
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I liked the story and the gesture. When I saw the domain name, my initial thought was a pharmacy/prescription-filling facility for the homeless.

Thanks for sharing.
 
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Thanks for that. Can relate to the story. You made a Christmas miracle happen.

I wish more people would be this kind-hearted. God bless!
Thanks...prior to this happening, the only thing I've done for the homeless was serve meals at a local shelter. What this taught me is that many of the homeless really don't need to be in
Thanks for that. Can relate to the story. You made a Christmas miracle happen.

I wish more people would be this kind-hearted. God bless!
Thanks NameDeck...i feel pretty blessed because of what I learned about the plight of some of the homeless. I'm sure it was an anomaly of sorts, but I needed to get to know them in order to be able to help them. Every situation is different, but when I found out they knew some of the people I know (like my auto mechanic), and I learned about where they were from and more about them personally, I was better able to help them.

While helping them isn't just finding shelter for just a night or two, I intend to follow through enough that this doesn't happen to them again. One thing I know, if you can get them to smile and laugh with you it helps. There's a book titled "Smile for No Good Reason" by Dr. Lee Jampolsky that I highly recommend for anyone having any sort of rough time in their lives. I hit a rough spot in my life when I was 50 years old and lost most everything I'd accumulated with the exception of my wife and our home. I spiraled into depression, and one of the best things that helped bring me back was a good friends wife giving me this book, and I haven't stopped smiling since.

Finally, this situation found me hand registering the domain HomelessRx.org knowing there is no quick fix for most things in life, but I'm hoping that someone younger than me might be able to use it for a "non profit" to help some of the homeless who fall through the bureaucratic cracks in our system. Thanks, and have a Happy New Year!
 
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I just registered the domain HomelessRx.org as a result of a very personal experience that occurred in my life this week. On Wednesday of this week I got a call from a realtor friend of mine who asked that I post a "No Trespassing" sign on a vacant wooded lot that I've had for sale for over 10 years. The lot is under contract with a cell tower company, and they had noticed there were several tents on the property that were occupied, and they needed for me to have the occupants removed....now this is where the story gets interesting. First I went to Lowes and bought a "No Trespassing" sign for about $3. Then I drive to the lot, and while I was nailing the sign to a tree with the tents in the background, a petite lady (about 65 years old) emerged from one of the two tents. I later learned "Barbara" was her name, and she asked me, "Can I please stay one more night?" To which I said I think so, and then she told me there was a man named Jeff living in the other tent (he wasn't there at the time), but could he stay also? I said yes to that too, and drove away.

I only had a couple of dollars in my wallet, and I thought maybe I'd get $20 from the ATM down the road and go back and give it to her. I got the $20, went into the bank asked for an envelope and wrote on the envelope, "I hope this helps, and have a nice Christmas" When I got back to the property I called for her and she came out of her tent. I went to hand her the envelope saying here is a little something I hope will help, and much to my amazement she wouldn't take it...she told me she was on food stamps, and all she needed was someone she could help take care of. I ended up convincing her to take the money and telling her she could stay through the weekend if that would help. So then I leave again, and I literally drove in circles for hours not knowing what to do, but knowing I needed to do something.

I return to the property for a third time, and this time Jeff (the guy living in the other tent) was there and he too thanked me for letting them stay a few more nights. I ended up staying with them for an hour just before it got dark, and I began to learn why it was they were homeless. As it turns out, I spent the next two days trying to help them find shelter and learning more about their situations. Barbara didn't have heat in her tent and the temp was dropping to about 20 degrees over the weekend so I was able to get her a room for two nights that was $50 a night and Jeff was able to stay warm because he had a larger tent he heated with a propane heater.

Jeff who is also about 65 years old is/was a psychologist. He's was hooked on cocaine/crack, just got of jail in January, but has been clean for 4 and 1/2 years. Both Barbara and Jeff have income of about $1,000 a month, but in Barbara's case, $600 of her income goes to pay for three storage units where she keeps some of her stuff and some of her daughters stuff. Barbara has never used drugs, but her daughter is an alcoholic, and it's more important to her that her "stuff" stays warm then she does:xf.rolleyes:

Barbara and Jeff are in a hotel for the next week while I take care of their business which I've now made my business. They really should have never been homeless......the "system" failed them. I've put a lot of pressure on myself by promising them I won't fail them.....thus HomelessRx.org....God Bless!

Thanks for sharing.

It is humbling to hear such stories.

I think the real challenge for such folks is how to restore them to some kind of sustainable economic model when the system is increasingly rigged against them.

The pattern is being repeated around the world -- a winner take all economic model that prevents intelligent people from being able to fully realize their potential.

I would not underestimate the power of prayer, in particular the power of deliverance prayer, as a foundation for transformed lives.

Anyway, good on your for being a Good Samaritan.
 
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