I had an experience the other day I feel compelled to share since I am in a bad situation financially and am working toward helping the homeless situation for others as well as myself potentially. I made a few phone calls the other day to charitable organizations. I was asking for assistance in helping pay my rent for the money of September.
After several attempts at the Catholic Charities I finally got through. I told the person on the phone my story and was told that unless I am already late on my rent there is nothing they can do. I also was told that even if I call the day after my rent is late that there is a 2 to 3 week turn about time before I will actually have my rent paid.
Then I tried another number I was given for an organization that is more localized here in the desert. I was told by this organization that they cannot accept any application until 5 days before the rent is due. I was told the turnaround time was at least 3 weeks before the rent would actually be paid.
Mind you I got these phone numbers from an organization that says to call if you are at the risk of becoming homeless. If I indeed follow this course of action to receive help from these organizations, I will in face end up homeless as I have a 3 day no pay clause in my lease which states on the 4th day after nonpayment of rent, I can in fact be told to leave.
My mission in life is to help others. Lately my mission has been directed towards helping the growing problem of homelessness. I am part of an organization that is working towards stopping homelessness all together. The plan involves putting people in a place to live before they ever hit the streets. As long as the organization that give help for payment of rent have these stops in place that prevent the problem from happening before it actually does, there will continue to be this problem with people being put out of their homes.
I share this story as a way of showing that money donated to an organization is not always available in the way some may want the money to be used. If you know of someone who is at risk of losing their home, please consider helping them directly as that may be actually what saves them from an experience on the streets that will change the entire course of their life.
In God I trust.
Ken Winston