....So we are still going to the shelter and feeding the homeless guys there. I so wish we could rent a bath house for one day and just take the homeless there. They never get to wash up. Especially when it's cold they just wear the same clothes all the time. And they get lice... Their clothes get filthy, and don't keep them warm. They start scratching and get sores on their bodies.
It's just a thought.
I took three homeless guys to the rehab center. The one I took couple of weeks ago is doing great. He looks a lot better already. I thought he would have a lot of problems with quitting smoking, but he has done fine.
This week, Azamat and I took two other homeless men to the infectious deceases clinic. Got them checked if they have any deceases or HIV. They were found clean, so we took them to the rehab center.
I truly believe to make a change in their lives, first they need to quit drinking. So rehab is the only place I could think of taking them.
Then we went to a manhole to find Sergei. A homeless man who had Syphilis. We got him treated last week, but this week we went to get him checked. But unfortunately we weren't able to find him. We stuck our heads into the manhole where he lives but he wasn't home (if you can call it a home). Oh that manhole reeked! It reeked of human waste and trash and bunch of other unpleasant stuff. I hope he is fine. I hope to see him soon.
It's just a thought.
I took three homeless guys to the rehab center. The one I took couple of weeks ago is doing great. He looks a lot better already. I thought he would have a lot of problems with quitting smoking, but he has done fine.
This week, Azamat and I took two other homeless men to the infectious deceases clinic. Got them checked if they have any deceases or HIV. They were found clean, so we took them to the rehab center.
I truly believe to make a change in their lives, first they need to quit drinking. So rehab is the only place I could think of taking them.
Then we went to a manhole to find Sergei. A homeless man who had Syphilis. We got him treated last week, but this week we went to get him checked. But unfortunately we weren't able to find him. We stuck our heads into the manhole where he lives but he wasn't home (if you can call it a home). Oh that manhole reeked! It reeked of human waste and trash and bunch of other unpleasant stuff. I hope he is fine. I hope to see him soon.
Until next time... Jengish
Many of the stories like this one that we bring to light here on this blog, are repeated all over the world... these troubles do not only exist in Central Asia, or in third world countries, they happen right here under our own noses... In our society, we are so concerned about peoples right to choose for themselves, that those that make what we consider the wrong choice, are often left out in the cold... sure if they could "conform" , there are agencies that are willing to step up and help them. What ever the problem was that brought some one to the street will keep there until HOPE and DIGNITY arrives.... If you feel stirred by any of our stories, why not take some concrete steps right in your own home town.... sometimes we walk past a situation for years and give it no thought, but I have a challange for you... if you say to yourself... "Today, I will notice"... you will be amazed at all the places that you could make a difference.
Here is a blog post from my sons blog. He is a pastor, he has worked in soup kitchens, he has worked in shelters on the streets of Vancouver, he has worked with the local food banks, and he packs hampers to support the needy in his community, yet Today, he realises that he can do more....
He came in from the cold, wet...
I’m sitting in the International Reading Room at the downtown branch of the Oshawa Public Library. It’s my favorite room in the library because of the big windows that allow for the perfect amount of natural light, the comfortable chairs that seem to allow for endless hours of work without a cramp in my lower back (the same cramp I get after about 30m of work in most other chairs), and its close proximity to the coffee machine (enough said). It stinks in here today.As I walked through the door my nose was assaulted with a rank odor - the kind of smell you expect upon entering a horse stable, not an International Reading Room. I did a quick scan of the room, looking for the source of the stench. It had to be either a horse, someone who works with horses, a pile of horse manure, or…By the look of his attire I’d say he hadn’t changed his clothes in a week or two. His coat was stained with coffee and dirt - the kind of stains you get from sleeping under bridges and park benches. His black matted hair was partially concealed by an old toque and his face was covered with several days of stubble. I chose a stable, I mean table, not too far from his and began to unpack my bag. I did a quick tally of what it cost me to buy all the “stuff” that now sat in front of me and realized that the contents of backpack alone could have paid for his room and board for a month with enough left over to buy him a clean set of clothes, a new pair of shoes, a water-resistant coat, and a warmer hat.I decided: instead of focusing on the smell I would just start working on my paper. It is, after all, due on Monday.Before too long, however, the library staff caught a whiff of the situation and sent a janitor to deodorize the room with a surprisingly pleasant can of Lysol spray. I watched as my smelly homeless friend put the pieces of this tragic puzzle together, “He’s deodorizing the room with that spray because of me.”Before I knew it he was gone. Nobody asked him to leave; not in so many words.The library can’t be blamed. They took a course of action appropriate to a public library. I guess I got frustrated because I realized that there aren’t too many places where he can go to get rid of the stink - and I’m not just talking about a shower. The fact that he smelled like a horse stable is representative of some much bigger issues:-homelessness-joblessness-poverty-a lack of friends-a lack of people who care enough to do something about the plight of the under-privileged, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised...
I’m sitting in the International Reading Room at the downtown branch of the Oshawa Public Library. It’s my favorite room in the library because of the big windows that allow for the perfect amount of natural light, the comfortable chairs that seem to allow for endless hours of work without a cramp in my lower back (the same cramp I get after about 30m of work in most other chairs), and its close proximity to the coffee machine (enough said). It stinks in here today.As I walked through the door my nose was assaulted with a rank odor - the kind of smell you expect upon entering a horse stable, not an International Reading Room. I did a quick scan of the room, looking for the source of the stench. It had to be either a horse, someone who works with horses, a pile of horse manure, or…By the look of his attire I’d say he hadn’t changed his clothes in a week or two. His coat was stained with coffee and dirt - the kind of stains you get from sleeping under bridges and park benches. His black matted hair was partially concealed by an old toque and his face was covered with several days of stubble. I chose a stable, I mean table, not too far from his and began to unpack my bag. I did a quick tally of what it cost me to buy all the “stuff” that now sat in front of me and realized that the contents of backpack alone could have paid for his room and board for a month with enough left over to buy him a clean set of clothes, a new pair of shoes, a water-resistant coat, and a warmer hat.I decided: instead of focusing on the smell I would just start working on my paper. It is, after all, due on Monday.Before too long, however, the library staff caught a whiff of the situation and sent a janitor to deodorize the room with a surprisingly pleasant can of Lysol spray. I watched as my smelly homeless friend put the pieces of this tragic puzzle together, “He’s deodorizing the room with that spray because of me.”Before I knew it he was gone. Nobody asked him to leave; not in so many words.The library can’t be blamed. They took a course of action appropriate to a public library. I guess I got frustrated because I realized that there aren’t too many places where he can go to get rid of the stink - and I’m not just talking about a shower. The fact that he smelled like a horse stable is representative of some much bigger issues:-homelessness-joblessness-poverty-a lack of friends-a lack of people who care enough to do something about the plight of the under-privileged, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised...
Not doing my part,Ben
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