Because of this, I wasn’t going to mention that I’d seen some of my homeless friends at Center City Park. But then Clarey wrote about it in YES! Weekly, so I guess the secret’s out. Hopefully, homeless folks will be able to continue to enjoy the park, despite the Orwellian signage. If not… Well, there will be more posts. And they won’t end with one of these: 
Read more on Homeless In The Park…
Sheryl Beach’s daughter is going to D.C. to sleep in a box. Along with 66,000 others, she is laying down to stand up for the children of war-torn Northern Uganda.
>> Read “Invisible Children and NetGenrs”
Read more on Invisible Children…
Speaking at the Salvation Army National Organizations Advisory Conference in Dallas today, First Lady Laura Bush recognized Greensboro’s NightWatch street outreach program in her remarks:
For 150 years, the good men and women of the Army have served their neighbors in need…
Read more on Laura Bush Recognizes NightWatch!…
Yesterday, I attended a meeting of the Lee Street Merchants Association. I was invited by a GPD Community Resource Team sergeant, to talk to the group about the homeless folks who sleep and hang out in the Lee Street area.
Read more on Lee Street Merchants & The Homeless…
We’re driving down a busy stretch of six-lane road when we see him. He is standing on a corner, holding his sign. The traffic is heavy, so we have to circle the block and come back around. We park in the lot next to him. He watches us warily as we climb the hill and walk toward him. He holds his sign at half-mast, his eyes expressionless behind his dark sunglasses, but his body language making clear his unease at our approach.
A local pastor’s blog, links to a post about panhandling on Internet Monk.com, entitled: “Question: Should I give money to people on the street who ask for it?” The post focuses on the need for stewardship on resources; Paul’s teaching that if a man doesn’t work, he shouldn’t eat; and the problem of aggressive panhandling. The writer concludes that we shouldn’t give money to panhandlers. And I agree. But there’s more to the story.
Read more on Giving Is About More Than Money…
I found another blog about homelessness today: “Today at the Mission: Daily Life in a Homeless Shelter.”
An excerpt:
“…The Tiny Mom Lady meets me at the kitchen door and tells me that there’s a guy in the dining room who had been convicted of molesting her daughter. I explain to her that as long as he’s well-behaved here, there’s not much I can do about it. They decide to leave and I can’t say I blame them.”
Read more on Today at the Mission…
At “Homeless Man Speaks,” Tony says:
“So last night I was up at The Local, and this woman I’ve never seen before just asks me if I want anything…”
I often sign emails, comments and posts with the word “peace.” But after attending yesterday’s anti-war rally with Cindy Sheehan and World Can’t Wait, and counter-rally by the veterans’ group Gathering of Eagles, I’m realizing that “peace” means different things to different people.
Read more on Blood-Bought Peace…
The weather was perfect for today’s anti-war protest rally with Cindy Sheehan (sponsored by World Can’t Wait) and counter-protest rally sponsored by the Gathering of Eagles (and attended by some members of Rolling Thunder and the Patriot Guard Riders.) The Greensboro Police Department had a strong presence at the event, and the day was occasionally loud, but generally peaceful.
Read more on Police, Protesters & Peace…
Another blogger pointed me to David Allen’s post questioning whether Chief Bellamy knows that the head of the Intelligence Division is out of town, and expressing his concerns about GPD’s readiness for this weekend’s planned anti-war rally and counter-protest.
Read more on GPD Prepares For Protesters…
Ever wondered what it would be like to be homeless? How you’d spend your days? What it would be like to sleep in a homeless shelter? Hundreds of thousands of people in our country experience this reality every day.
Read more on A Day in the Life…