Monday Night feed re-satrts!

Out of the box

Humanity for Homeless started as a food program, where I fed along with volunteers every Monday night in Front of New Leaf Market. Through donations, we fed about 60-100 people a week at its peak. Music was sporadic but at times, we had some good music flowing. We took over public space and often used it as a place to hand out information against laws such as the Sleeping Ban and other issues that the poor face in our city.

We also took on issues here, such as the new Scotts valley Sleeping Ban and the plethora of draconian Santa Cruz laws that make being poor illegal.

We threw special nights like on Thanksgiving, where we had a huge meal, gave out sleeping bags and new jackets and cloths. Over the year, we kept a free cloths going, and gave out truckloads , all from donations. Most of the volunteers were homeless. At the end of the food program, the homeless themselves funded 40%. We never sought permits, as I feel it is my right to feed any hungry human being on public property. We supported other organizations and they supported us, and these relationships are still intact.

After a few weeks shy of a year, I had to quit due to some serious health reasons. My days are limited in time where I feel good enough to accomplish much. I realized I was making myself worse, and after a trip or two to the hospital, I had to stop.

It was always my dream that this program would become an organization run by the homeless and poor. I certainly fall in the poor category, although I have only been homeless for a short time in my life. Only because I have caring family and friends here, do I survive at all.

I searched for someone to continue the feeding. It is a large commitment and although many people are willing to donate, and help, few were willing to agree to cook and haul everything down and feed every Monday as we did.

Then Swami and Val offered to continue it, really they just started on a smaller scale. They have done many things on the street and their dreams and endeavors are large in scale. I have seen positive things happen from there presence downtown.

Humanity for Homeless is now donating $100.00 a month, to help keep this night going. It is now 100% run by the people it serves. I hate that word, “homeless” but for the sake of making my point, and because that is what the search engines pick up, I use it here often. Others are helping with different things. They need many things to get to the point of providing the amount of food we did, and keep this dream going. One is a kitchen near or on the mall that they can use. I hope they will allow others to join in and take part in this.

Because they have little space for storage, and because Humanity for Homeless is not dead, we will continue to get cloths and bring them to the Dharma Blanket, the homeless shelter and to the people directly as I often as I can. So please, continue to donate cloths and anything that a human being could use living on the streets. I will pick up donations nearly anywhere in the County.
Humanity for Homeless will continue to fight the good fight as long as my fingers can type. This country will be hit by a wave of homeless and poor Americans, not just from the war, which will have a HUGE impact and already does, but also from the 23% of people who feel they may loose their house to foreclosure. Their fear is not unfounded.

Apartments being turned into condominiums, which affects, negates and outweighs the little bit of affordable housing the county builds each year, will also add to this wave. Swan Lake Apartments is a perfect example. Once semi affordable and nice apartments, Berry Swenson though it would better for him, if they were condominiums. The people who could not find another place in time, are now wondering what they are going to do. I know of one family who may end up homeless. Nevertheless, he is a developer, and does not see how his business directly affects the housing in this county or simply does not care. The county, who is supposed to make sure this impact is minimal, does not do their job. We have to demand they do. Until we all demand they end the sleeping ban, stop gentrification, create doors and avenues that work, for people to create a life of dignity, -- we will only get the same old thing from our County and City officials.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly, expecting different results. This is where we all can do better and start thinking oUt Of ThE BoX.`