urbanSTL

Thanks to this forum, I have learened how to deal with panhandlers.



"Hey man can I.."

"I dont have any change."



A guy tried getting me to buy some clothes from him the other day at the Shell at Skinker and Delmar so he could get some "diapers and Enfamil" (read: crack).

The shortest response is always the best: NO.

Some commentary from City human services director Bill Siedhoff about three years into the 2005 ten-year plan to end chronic homelessness in St. Louis:

The number of homeless people in St. Louis compared to other large cities is remarkably low in that we are far below census counts in other communities. In fact, based on comparative figures we have one of the lowest rates of homelessness in the country standing at .37% with a total count on any given day of 1,322 people. That compares favorably when you consider that Atlanta has over 5 times as many homeless people with 6,832 constituting a homeless rate of 1.4%. Washington D.C. is another example with a total of 5,518 homeless people with a rate of .95%. At the meeting in Washington D.C. last week, Los Angeles reported that they had 80,000 homeless people!



An even more dramatic picture in terms of the number of homeless people is provided when you combine data from St. Louis City and County. St. Louis County in their most recent McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance application submitted to HUD, reported a total of 336 homeless people which when combined with the City adds up to a total count of 1,658. The homeless rate then drops to .0012% of the population of the City and County, an incredibly low number based on a total population of almost 1.35 million.



Since our 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness was introduced in 2005, we have seen a dramatic drop in the homeless population in the City of St. Louis.

http://www.mayorslay.com/news/display.asp?prID=858

I got the same email today. Doesn't matter. It's an organizational goal, no matter how idealistic it is. Improvement is a good thing.

With the Downtown Children's Center moving, the homeless are starting to take over the fenced off area of the children's park.



Also, they are starting to setup "camp" in front of the entrance to the old Downtown Children's Center. Several residents have started taking their children and dogs to just the fenced off area to let the dogs run and children play. We are also attempting to clean up the park (fenced off area) so that the pets and children are safe.



However, the homeless keep trashing it each and every day. They are leaving their clothes in and on the playground equipment and throwing their trash in there.



Is there anything we can do to reclaim just this little part of the park for downtown residents to use without having the homeless trash it?



Chicken bones and other "gifts from the feeders" abound and have made my pet very sick, I try to call the police to send a cruiser each time the "church" sets up a feeding, but the response doesn't seem very helpful.



We really need a children's park where they can play in safety with their pets not a hobo park. I know Larry has a lot to do with it, but this is getting out of hand.

but this is getting out of hand.

Is it? Or is this your first summer here? Hot weather always draws more people to the park.



Compared to last summer: a daily park curfew is being enforced, a daily clean-up is being undertaken, an active district police captain responds to calls and commits resources to patrolling the park, the homeless census is down, the drop-in homeless center is operational, the Health Department responds to weekend calls about impromptu feeding stations.



The first new business FACING Lucas Park will open in a month.



Innov8ion, who posts here, has assumed leadership of a neighborhood-based NFP that is trying to find ideas and (especially) resources to make the park friendlier for residents.



Neighbors and their dogs shared Boston Common with the homeless in the 1980s (and, for all I know, still do). Believe it or not, sharing public space can work. Generally, likes congregate. I use Lucas Park's benches and jungle gym for exercise almost every morning to start or finish a walk. (No, I am not the screaming guy.) You should do the same.

publiceye wrote:The first new business FACING Lucas Park will open in a month.

Good deal - what's in store?

It's the space right at 14th and St. Charles.

publiceye wrote:Neighbors and their dogs shared Boston Common with the homeless in the 1980s (and, for all I know, still do). Believe it or not, sharing public space can work. Generally, likes congregate. I use Lucas Park's benches and jungle gym for exercise almost every morning to start or finish a walk. (No, I am not the screaming guy.) You should do the same.

I suspect the number of homeless per square foot at Lucas Park is an order of magnitude or two higher than that at Boston Commons.

I guess Crepes in the City is the new business in question? Actually, I've wondered if they're planning any outdoor seating overlooking the park, and how well that's gonna work out.

if they're planning any outdoor seating overlooking the park

They are.

how well that's gonna work out.

Don't know.



They have been doing a great job in an awkward space. Now, they will be in a space they have designed for themselves.

New press release



After three years and 140,000+ meals…….

Centenary Cares Outreach is changing their name to:

The Bridge…….guiding the way home

The change of name came about once the program became a

separate 501 © 3 from Centenary UMC earlier this year. The Bridge

connotes a connection, and this program connects guests to each other

to help them form community. As an integral part of the City of St. Louis’

Continuum of Care it connects other agencies that work with homeless

individuals. It also connects churches, organizations and businesses that

work together towards the goal of ending the cycle of homelessness.

The Bridge, besides serving 3000+ meals per week through its food

program, also provides homeless individuals a permanent mailing address,

helps them to obtain state ID’s and birth certificates, and offers access to

phones and restrooms throughout the day. This summer there are plans to

implement an identification program where guests will register emergency

contact information and will allow them access to additional services

such as a computer bank with internet service and lending library to

improve their opportunities for employment and education.

Rev. Kathleen Wilder, Exec. Director of The Bridge stated, “I’m proud

of our past accomplishments and very excited about our future.”

On Wednesday, June 17th, 2009, to officially launch The Bridge’s

new name, The Little Caesar’s LOVE KITCHEN will be serving 1000 pieces of

pizza from their semi-truck “pizza oven on wheels” to 500 homeless

individuals and veterans. The LOVE KITCHEN will arrive early the morning

of the 17th and start serving fresh, hot pizza at 12 noon at Centenary UMC,

1610 Olive St. (between 16th & 17th streets) in downtown St. Louis, the

location of The Bridge.

For more information on how you can be involved with The Bridge,

please contact: Lu Oros, Association Director of Community

Development, 314.238.4056 or 314.421.3136, ext. 110

Perhaps Bridge could look into providing a "bridge" to this or a similar voice service for the homeless. Note, GrandCentral is now under the Google umbrella and branded as, "Google Voice." It's currently in beta but will be free and mainstream soon.



http://www.google.com/support/voice/bin ... &lev=topic

Google Voice Basics: How it works



With Google Voice, you get all your calls through a single number. Just add your other numbers to Google Voice and then make your own rules for how your phones ring. Click the Settings link on the right side of the page and click the Phones tab to change your phone settings and add the numbers you want to foward your calls to.



You can access and make calls from the phone and the Web, block annoying callers at will, and record custom greetings for different callers or groups of callers.



With Google Voice, you'll get all your voicemails in one place, saved for as long as you want. If you don't answer a call to your Google number, your callers will be sent to your Google voicemail. You can check messages by calling your Google number, by signing in to Google Voice, or by opting in to receive notifications.



You'll also get more handy features that work across all your phones:



* ListenIn as callers leave you a message

* Record calls on the fly so you never have to fumble for a pen again

* Switch phones mid-call without your caller knowing

* And more...

http://www.grandcentral.com/about/projectcare/

Project CARE Program Overview

What is Project CARE?



At GrandCentral, we believe that everyone has a right to be connected. Regardless of their circumstances, every individual deserves the ability to be in touch with family, friends, potential employers - anybody. This need is particularly great, and largely unmet, in the homeless community.



GrandCentral is commited to helping those in need stay connected by offering individuals a local phone number and voicemail box for life. Through our Project CARE initiative, GrandCentral is providing, free of charge, a local phone number and voicemail box to members of the homeless community in San Francisco. We hope to extend this program nationwide as we build out our services.



Project CARE (Communications and Respect for Everybody) recognizes the desire for those in need to get back on their feet and begin a new life. An essential element to that proposition is a consistent and reliable phone number - a place where anyone (family, friends, social workers, health care providers, potential employers, etc.) can leave you a message.



No longer will the pay phone at the local shelter be the only way to reach a homeless client. Whether applying for a job, waiting for medical test results, or trying to get in touch with family, Project CARE provides homeless clients with link to the real world and an ability to connect.

We see the bums doing laps in the fountain and at one point one lady removed her pants. My kid saw it and said, "Daddy why isn't that woman wearing any pants?" lovely. Funny how if a car gets a boot the city can get a tow truck out in a matter of minutes but they can't enforce basic codes and ordinances.

gopher wrote:We see the bums doing laps in the fountain and at one point one lady removed her pants. My kid saw it and said, "Daddy why isn't that woman wearing any pants?" lovely. Funny how if a car gets a boot the city can get a tow truck out in a matter of minutes but they can't enforce basic codes and ordinances.

Because the city can obtain revenue from the former but not the latter (particularly when the people are homeless.) Not saying I condone it, but it's true.

Panhandlers want your money; advocates say don't give

From:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/s ... enDocument



Some choice quotes:

She pulled a bankroll from her pocket — mostly ones and some fives, more than $100 in all. "That's just from today, a couple hours," Martin said. "You watch me for 20 minutes, I can come back with $20, easy."



A good panhandler can average $40 an hour, some said. Of course, they rarely beg for more than a couple of hours a day.





— Dan Buck, chief executive of St. Patrick Center, puts the onus on the public: Stop giving your change and you'll stop people panhandling for it.



"It's supply and demand," Buck said. "Dry up the supply. Instead of giving, have a conversation with that person. Ask who he is. Maybe encourage him to get help."