Topic : 12/21 One Paycheck Away

 How true!!  Life has not always been easy for me either but I too believe that if you really want to you can pull yourself out of most anything.  I'm a firm believer in the statement "you determine your own destiny".  Also, I might add that I was recently interested in further schooling but since my husband and I make "too much money" I didn't qualify for any Grants or help.  It's the poor with 5 too many children that qualify for the free education, not the hard working class people.  There are no excuses!

You have a great deal to learn about homelessness.

I will not deny that a small portion of this population may be the types who panhandle for a living, but the VAST majority do not fit this description.

Homelessness is something very personal to me as I experienced it as a young teenager when my mother lost her job. She was a single parent receiving very minimal child support from my father. We lived for a few weeks out of a car. It took several years before we were in a stable housing and employment situation again. It has had a long term impact on my life, even 20 years after the fact.

Most people are homeless short term (less than 3 months). These are usually due to loss of job, medical issues, etc. They are often not counted homeless due to the fact they stay with friends and family until they can get on their feet again. They are the lucky ones since they have resources and reserves to fall back on.

Some are homeless due to a bad domestic situation. Women with children have to flee to women's shelters due to abusive husbands, thousands of times daily. Often they have longer term housing issues as their abusers were the ones who controlled the money in their homes. It takes alot of courage for them to leave that situation without monetary resources, but its often a decision based on saving their lives. (Men can also experience this in reverse, but its much rarer that they would be without monetary resources).

Some are homeless due to things that could happen to everyone. Loss of job or longterm illness can devistate a family's resources. So the next time you see a family living on the streets, why don't you ask them what happened instead of screaming "GO GET A JOB".

Many of the long term homeless are mentally ill. They cannot hold steady employment due to this situation. They are in a catch 22. The courts have ruled that if someone is not a danger to themselves or to others, they cannot be held against their will for medical treatment. Without access to regular medical treatment, they will often not take their medications which are the only things that might let them live a regular life with steady employment. If they have no family or a family that has given up on them, they are left with very few options. Telling someone with paranoia or schizophrenia to "GO GET A JOB" is as useful as talking to a wall. It does no good.

Some of the long term homeless have addiction issues with drugs or alcohol. Many use these addictive substances to deal with underlying mental issues such as depression or bi-polar disorder. They might get locked in a drunk tank once in awhile, but long term prospects for homeless people with these addictions is not good unless they have families that care.

The fact that you see the homeless as lazy bums who secretly own cars and homes off of panhandling proceeds, says alot about the state of information in this country. Please educate yourself before you start spouting off nonesense.

Watching 7 mos. pregnant Stacey as she sat there looking miserable, I really had to wonder about the new baby. Will be loved, will it have a chance at a happy life, or will he or she just become another financial burden? The fact that Stacey thinks she deserves a brand new car while living off Mom and sleeping around without committment doesn't exactly show that she puts any child's well being first. It isn't good for any of her young children to see different men coming in and out of their mother's life.

I wondered why adoption to a loving 2 parent, stable family was never discussed? The new dad is "there" for her, in a way, but doesn't seem to be responsible. They both sound selfish about their wants, instead of thinking about what would be best for the new baby.

I have viewed the show video and read through page after page of this "blog."  What I find most amazing is that all of the people, including the guests on the show, have internet service, knowledge of internet use and watch enough TV to know Dr. Phil might be able to help them.  I have no doubt most of these people hope that Dr. Phil's help will include some type of "freebie" or better yet, money.  If all of those on the show and writing on this board put hafl the effort into improving their life as they do in writing to Dr. Phil and whining for help, they would already be better off.

I live in Cincinnati and about two years ago a local editorial writer criticized homeless people living under a bridge, calling them an eyesore.  I could not imagine calling ones felloe human beigs eyesores.  My reaction was to call the Cincinnati Homeless Coaliton and Volunteer to educate myself onthe issue of homelessness.  I have been volunteering since and have gained a wealth of knowledge about the homeless from the homeless themselves.

One stereotype is that the homeless are dirty and look different from the rest of us.  Most homeless people are clean and take pride in their appearance.  There is  a shower house where the homeless can clean up and get clean clothes.  Most do not like to be dirty.  Those that do usually have a mental health illness.

The reason many homeless chose to live on the street is the local homeless shelter needs improvement.  Just yesterday a man in the coalition office said he would rather sllep in an alley thanstay at the shelter.  This is an issue that needs to be addressed.  Many of my homeless friends do not look forward to the cold winters when they are forced into the shelter.

Many of the homeless do work, they just don't make a living wage.  Dr. Phil's staff member earned $20 for an hour of panhandling.  This is far more than he could earn working in foodservice, day labor, or other "legitimate jobs."  We need to look at this as a problem.

There are many reasons why people end up homeless.  Divorce often leaves many homeless.  Men cannot pay child support and afford a place to live and therefore end up homeless at which time they loose their job.  They cannot pay any child support and end up incarcerated.  Menawhile the woman and her children may also end up homeless.  Couples cannot afford divorce unless they have a good salary.

Other reasons for homelessness include drug and alcohol addiction and mental illness.  Many of the homeless are military veterans with these issues.  Mental illnes and addictins are problems that exist in the larger society.  We have seen drug and alcohol problems in high provile entertainers and politicians but we do not demean them in the same way we do the homeless.  They can receive treatment at first class residential treatment centers.  The homeless receive treatment in a facility in the hart of the drug selling district and when they are released are given a room with drug deals being completed just outside their door.  The same is true with mental health issues.  I have suffered from my own battle with major depression and anxiety.   I had health insurance and a caring friend who took me to a Psychiatrist and therapist where I got the help I needed for my illness.  Many of the homeless receive no treatment or are only given an antidepressant medication with little continued care.

I consider the homeless my friends and hope they view me in the same way.  We as a society need to look for societal problems that contribute to homelessness in addition to individual issues.  We need to support living wage jobs, affordable housing, and universal health care, including mental health care, in our bountiful society.   I hope more people will educate themselves on the issue of homelessness and work to move our society toward ending it. 

I am a single mother of 2 boys and I have always lived paycheck to paycheck. I worked 60 to 70 hrs a week so my kids could have what they needed because I brought them into this world and it is my responsibility to care for them financially and emotionally. I do not have sympathy for someone that decides to have a child then expects someone else to support them. We all make our choices in life and having a child knowing you have no way to support them is the most irresponsible thing anyone can do. Of course the fathers are supposed to help but ulitimately it falls to the person that made the decision to bring the child into the world. You obviously were struggling to support yourself before you had the baby so what made you think you could provide for a child. It makes me sick to watch people on welfare have child after child when they can't support themselves in the first place. Also moms that say they need to be home with their children instead of working are crazy. You only get that luxury if you have the money to do it not live off the money I pay into the system. So stop complaining that you can't get anything if you work because life isn't supposed to be a free ride. Maybe you should "volunteer" to support yourself and child on your own and stop blaming the government and society for what they haven't given you. 

Also I can't believe Dr. Phil would listen to the pathetic excuses of the RV family. I feel so bad for the children and they deserve alot better than parents that makes excuses for why they can't support their children and themselves. Putting your children through that should be a crime!!!  Dr. Phil why don't you send my kids and me some free stuff. People that help themselves should be the ones that benefit not lazy excuse making losers!