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I talked to a friend about his thoughts on the structure for the proposed day center for homeless people in Greensboro.  My friend suggests that for every day center task force member who is “paid to care,” that there be a member who is not paid to care, to balance it out.  He suggested using the same approach for other committees working on the day center concept.  He commented that he, for example, would have no interest in serving on a funding committee, but that we could find someone else who is not paid to care who would want to serve in that way.  I agree with his ideas.

Read more on Not paid to care…

The free fireworks show at the baseball stadium:

Note:  The fireworks look a lot better in real life than they do in my camera-phone photos.  But still, you get the general idea…

Read more on The best part about downtown Greensboro at night…

Picked up the donated coffee from Port City Java (thank you!) and juice from our supplies at Salvation Army and then got to the HIVE. Lenslinger from Fox8 was there and Amanda Lehmert from News & Record. But not many homeless folks. So Tim and I went and got Grace’s van and headed to the library to pick up some folks. We got back with a vanful and Marsha was pulling up with some recently housed friends. Pastor Willis Johnson (Shiloh Baptist) was providing an update on the day center committee’s progress when we came in. Dianne Bellamy-Small is here. Ed Whitfield is going to facilitate the discussion.

Q. “Is the voice of the [currently/formerly] people… going to be heard?”

Pastor Johnson gave a very long answer that started with acknowledging that homeless people will not have a vote on everything and won’t like every decision. Pastor Johnson used the phrase, “going from a movement to an institution,” which, quite frankly, sounds my alarm bells, and “those who are our neighbors, those who are indigenous to this reality,” which I think means, “homeless people.” Referring to the structure committee’s suggestions for the make-up of the board, and having a certain number of homeless people on the board, he said, “Those are all things that we’re going to have to have real conversations about.”

Read more on Liveblog: Day center meeting at the HIVE…

This year’s National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week will be Nov. 16-22, 2008. It’s co-sponsored annually by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, and is observed one week before Thanksgiving. The week is intended to bring awareness and promote efforts to end homelessness and hunger in communities across the nation.

Read more on National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week 2008…

On Thursday, August 28 the committee working on plans for a day center for homeless people will have an opportunity to report to the homeless community on their progress. The August 28 meeting will be an opportunity for homeless people to hear a progress report and offer their feedback.

Read more on Day Center Reportback…

Driving a friend home from church:

Me: “Is that dude really flying a sign right there?”

Her: “Yep.”

Me: “He ain’t gonna make any money at that intersection.”

Her: “Nope.”

Me: “I don’t even panhandle and I know that.”

Read more on Panhandling: Location, location, location…

From the News & Record, letters to the editor, 08/20/2008:

Urban Ministry serves homeless breakfast

Your article, “Discovering a need, blogger takes action” (A1, Aug. 14), contained incorrect information. It stated, “Hospitality House is the only place in the city that serves breakfast to the homeless.”

Read more on Homeless breakfast: Getting served…

From Guilford Center news release,* 08/20/2008:

The Guilford Center received notification on August 15, 2008 from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR), Mental Health Licensure and Certification Section, that the Guilford County Substance Abuse Treatment Center at 5209 West Wendover Avenue, High Point, had been issued two Type A Administrative Penalties for violation of North Carolina General Statutes related to Medication Requirements and Facility Design and Equipment, and a Type B violation related to staff issues. These findings resulted from an onsite Annual Survey completed on June 19, 2008…

Read more on State suspends admissions at Guilford County treatment center…

“After 13 years and 50,000 meals Food Not Bombs is moving from St. Mary’s House near UNCG to its own brand-new kitchen at the Hive (1214 Grove St.) in the Glenwood neighborhood. Please join Food Not Bombs diners and volunteers past and present in one last meal at St. Mary’s House — a night of homecooked food and homegrown Food Not Bombs talent!”

This Friday night. Details on Facebook, here.

Read more on The last supper: Food Not Bombs leaves St. Mary’s…

Update: Photo at left was taken on 08/21/2008 and shows the back parking lot of the Ethan Allen property. There’s evidence of people hanging out and/or sleeping all around this property and in the wooded area behind the store, as well.

Read more on Body of homeless man found in Greensboro…

Reading about the death of Steven Sabock, a patient at Cherry Hospital, a state-funded psychiatric hospital in Goldsboro, N.C., leaves me nauseated, disgusted, outraged and heartbroken:

“…The hospital’s security video recorded Sabock’s care from April 28, when he choked on his medicine while a nurse stood by without helping him, and through his day without food until his death from a heart problem. Health care technicians, according to the report, are seen on the recording watching television through the night, playing cards, and talking on a cell phone while they were in the room with Sabock.

Read more on Staff ignores dying patient at Cherry Hospital…

Tim, Lowell and I spent Friday afternoon in the kitchen of the Salvation Army church cooking and preparing the evening meal.  Tim and Lowell cook regularly for Food Not Bombs, and they are pros in the kitchen.

Read more on Friday night dinner…