blah, blah, blah ...
Hi. I am getting interesting emails from different people all over the place. Here is a project for homeless people in New Hampshire. It is run by a professional psychologist named Cindy and it is call the Under the Bridge Project. They have very little to work with but at least it's something. India has at least something. We have a drop-in centre and some beds that are overcrowded. We have no one that I know of who is working with the mentally ill. Here, as in almost all other places, there is no access to medical care for the mentally ill on the street.
Here's something Cindy sent me:
The Under the Bridge Project
Since 1998 The UTB outreach team has attended to the needs of the unsheltered homeless in Manchester. Our volunteers collect usable goods from community resources to redistribute. We also provide advocacy and referrals. We receive help with our goals through community members who respond responsibly to help us address immediate needs and God's Providence.
The Dance of Outreach
Since 1998 The UTB outreach team has attended to the needs of the unsheltered homeless in Manchester. Our volunteers collect usable goods from community resources to redistribute. We also provide advocacy and referrals. We receive help with our goals through community members who respond responsibly to help us address immediate needs and God's Providence.
The Dance of Outreach
Outreach is primarily directed toward finding homeless people who might not use services due to lack of awareness or active avoidance and who would otherwise be ignored or underserved.
Outreach is viewed as a process rather than an outcome, with a focus on establishing rapport and a goal of eventually engaging people in the services they will accept.
Outreach is first and foremost a process of relationship building and that is where the dance begins...
Outreach by peers, meaning "children of God" forgoing the titles or degrees, is an essential connection for the ignored, abused or otherwise sheltered and unsheltered and the formerly homeless.
Outreach connects us to one another, places care and humanity into our own hands and builds community amongst us.
Outreach with our peers is non-judgmental. It builds understanding it values programs that work and steers clear of those that don't. Outreach by peers doesn't waste time. It doesn't pass out bus tickets to other towns and it doesn't let people starve because of their "inappropriate behavior" which may have put them out of shelters, nor do they freeze in bad weather.
Outreach by peers, allows baby steps and coaxes when appropriate the step toward the hospital, the rehab, the shelter, and mental health. It doesn't side step real issues and, can confront when needed
And Outreach is to dance with grace, when the stakes are high as the challenge for all of us.
Outreach is viewed as a process rather than an outcome, with a focus on establishing rapport and a goal of eventually engaging people in the services they will accept.
Outreach is first and foremost a process of relationship building and that is where the dance begins...
Outreach by peers, meaning "children of God" forgoing the titles or degrees, is an essential connection for the ignored, abused or otherwise sheltered and unsheltered and the formerly homeless.
Outreach connects us to one another, places care and humanity into our own hands and builds community amongst us.
Outreach with our peers is non-judgmental. It builds understanding it values programs that work and steers clear of those that don't. Outreach by peers doesn't waste time. It doesn't pass out bus tickets to other towns and it doesn't let people starve because of their "inappropriate behavior" which may have put them out of shelters, nor do they freeze in bad weather.
Outreach by peers, allows baby steps and coaxes when appropriate the step toward the hospital, the rehab, the shelter, and mental health. It doesn't side step real issues and, can confront when needed
And Outreach is to dance with grace, when the stakes are high as the challenge for all of us.
Bruce We also help plan annual Gimme shelter which is a sleep-out on our state capital- file attached. we work with colleges and churches to raise awareness. we get people experiencing homelessness that we have met to attend and speak and for at least one night thaty have a place to sleep without getting woken up and told to move on or be arrested.
and we annually plan Homeless memorial day vigils as we keep track of street deaths and help community grieve as other families would.
. there is awesome national group website where you can get lots of ideas.
peace, gotta work the streets as you know its getting cold and need to stock up folks with blankets and coats
cindy
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"... everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence." Mourning Dove (Christine Quintasket), Salish.
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"... everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence." Mourning Dove (Christine Quintasket), Salish.
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