March 8, 2013

After lying awake for nearly 3 hours I finally fell asleep.  I wanted so badly to get up and have a cigarette but once you go to bed you're not allowed to leave the sleep room - as far as I know - until the next morning.

Sunday, March 7, 2013

I didn't sleep in my bed last night. Three of us slept in the truck until about 5:30am. By that time the shelter doors were open and I went inside to use the bathroom but came right back out afterwards. While we were sitting in the truck, a police car drove up to the front of the shelter. We couldn't see what was going on and them the police car drove away. We stayed in the truck until a bit past 7 and then we went inside. I couldn't find out why the police car had been here. Cereal and milk were for breakfast but still had half a hoagie left and I ate that for breakfast instead. I'm feeling a lot sleepy now - probably because I slept for a good two hours in the truck. I did manage to get some cigarettes though. Tried to take a nap but someone woke me up because the church breakfast was here. Scrambled eggs, toast with butter, chicken nuggets and French fries was the church breakfast - delicious! The regular lunch was at around 11:45. it was chicken noodle soup and hot dogs. I didn't eat it. I wasn't hungry. I had just had the church breakfast and I had half a hoagie for breakfast. I took a nap until dinner. Dinner was fish, noodles and carrots and I had a second helping of fish. A verbal argument happened over the computer and now nobody can play games on it. Now the computer can only be used for resumes and things like that. Another argument happened between two guys. One was joking around and the other guy said he was dis-respecting him. The weather is starting to get a little bit more warmer and some of the residents are enjoying the outside more. Me? I'm feeling kind of bored and frustrated because I don't have what I want. Things are taking a lo g time and I don't like it one bit! I went to bed at 9.

Saturday, March 6, 2013

The weekend! I got up around 6am and went out to the front. Had a cup of coffee and a cigarette and I took my medications. Breakfast was scrapple and grits. I'm rolling cigarettes now. One of the residents was sick with bronchitis and a staff member drove him to the emergency room and I went along for the ride. Back at the shelter I crocheted a little and then I did some more work on the resume on the computer. I can't think of anything else to add to it so I'm going to show it to the staff member on Monday. Lunch was hamburgers, bread and French fries. There was something else with it. It looked like a meat patty and someone told me that it was turkey. One of the women residents will be moving to her new place on Monday. She's going to have her own room but she will be sharing a bathroom and kitchen with other tenants. I would love to see what her place looks like so I offered to help her move. Dinner was chicken, noodles, carrots and pecan pie for dessert. A couple of us decided we were going to go out. The resident that had the truck was going out to do his laundry and he let a couple of us tag along with him to him company. Well, he got his laundry done and we got some whiskey and get back to the shelter. We slept in the truck.

"I' Am Here Because.................."

Some of the people here have told me various stories of how they ended up here.  The most obvious reasons are those who were let go from their jobs or those who had lost their jobs completely.  So they couldn't pay their rent (or mortgage) and they were evicted from their homes.  One person even told me that they 'lived' in one of those public bathrooms for a short period of time.

A few people had been staying with friends or family but they had been thrown out by those friends and family and they then had no where else to go - but to a homeless shelter.

Then there were the stories that were just out and out heartwrenching.  For example the woman who had all of her money taken out of her bank account by her own daughter!  This woman was left virtually penniless (by her own daughter) and she now has to start her life over again!

"Code Blue"

What is a code blue?

"Cold Blue" means that the temperatures (and wind chills) are so cold that homeless shelters can't turn homeless people away if they come to the shelter.