Category: Homeless

Elevated Denver

One of my current roles is as an Advisory Board Member to Elevated Denver, a new nonprofit in Denver dedicated to finding new solutions to our homelessness crisis. We are focused on humanizing the issue and testing new solutions driven by diverse stakeholders and our homeless neighbors. We are working on Season 2 of the podcast, where you can hear from our unhoused neighbors and local experts, as well as hear about bright spots in the system of support. We are also doing research to understand how clients engage with and move through the system, what needs are and are not being met, and where they are getting stuck. Together these will help inform new solutions. The end goal is a more effective and responsive system that meets peoples’ needs so they can move into stable housing more efficiently.  

I believe in this work and I hope you will consider supporting Elevated Denver for Colorado Gives Day: https://www.coloradogives.org/story/Elevateden.

Holidays for the Homeless, Disabled, and Mental.

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There are so many things happening. One of the biggest is this Project Homeless Connect: Denver. This is the Thanksgiving event. They provided haircuts, clothing, food, and much more yearly. They use our convention center because it is large enough to house homeless and low-income families that need assistance as well.

I went to a local one in my neighborhood at the local EZ Pawn. They had hygiene packs, hot drinks, and food, plus clothing. Last year I was able to get a pair of snow boots that are still working this year. This year and the previous ones, I grabbed some hoodies and clothes for the winter. I can’t always afford clothes but most importantly, I have friends that are in more need than I. This is one of my favorite events for Thanksgiving.

There are two more events that are important to people who are in need. There is a shoe drive outside of the Denver Rescue Mission. I am not sure what day it happens but lots of people show up and get shows for the winter or just better shoes. The other event is the coat drive called Coats for Colorado provided by Dependable Cleaners.

Christmas has lots of things as well. There is this big event downtown at the Civic Center Park where you can get a winter coat, sleeping bag, hot drinks in line, and much more. They do this on the day of Christmas as well. All around the downtown area they will dinners served from local business to provide for the homeless and low-income families.

There are plenty of people around the Denver Metro Area driving around giving holiday cheer by providing money, clothes, gift cards, and whatever they can. I suggest that we all provide this kind of love for someone this year. I have a list of people but I have limited means. I will give where ever and whenever I can.

Please leave a comment or leave feedback down below. I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

Air BNB Travelers

I started the day with running errands and ran into a few people that was currently using the #airbnb for a place to stay. One was a South American sounding individual. He said him and his wife was paying monthly about $600 for rent. They said it was way cheaper than renting. They started with traveling with it but now they are just living here in Denver paying these prices. I think it would be cool to rent out a room or a place without a major lease.

The second person was young and decided to travel while he was young. His destination is Las Vegas but for now he his going from place to place. He started in California then used AirBnb there then traveled by bus to Phoenix, Arizona. He stayed with his grandparents but moved to an Airbnb paying weekly rates. He then traveled to Denver to try things here for a while. He lost his ID and had to revert to day labor as a form of income to pay for his place to stay for the week. Once he has acquired his identification he will then travel to Las Vegas use AirBnB again until he gets a job and permanent housing.

The third person I met was and older one on the bus traveling to her home. She said that after she retired from her job, she decided to travel around the world. She used planes, trains, buses, and AirBnb to live. She said she used her Social Security Income to do this and she wants to write a book about her travels. She said it was going to be called a face looking adventure not Facebooking because the traveling was making her look at people faces and talking to them. Not the opposite which was looking at faces on social media and posting messages.

Finding A Purpose

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Starting a project, career, or a business is a big step in life for what I call normal people. To start as a person coming from mental illness, substant abuse, and homelessness is even more challenging. I want to write to get my voice and others heard as a project that may turn into something bigger. I want a career in technology because I enjoy learning about it and having an excuse to have the latest. I also would like to start my own business which will help the homeless with everyday needs and give back to a community that I came from. This is a lot to ask a person who is already middle-aged and just starting to see the potential of life. Here I go anyway.

I want a project that can last forever or just for now and it will be writing. I want to write either professionally or just to have readers that understand where I am coming from. I started this blog a while ago but wasn’t sure if I should keep this name or change it to a more professional one. I want to make it original by giving it its own address. I want to talk about whatever I find interesting or just what my day is like. I may even start a small series where I need followers. I am not sure but this writing may be just the thing I need to put myself where I feel that I can be heard by everyone. I want comments, criticism, and advice from whoever has an opinion. My project could just be this blog or writing a book but whatever it is, it will help me through this tough time.

I want a career in technology because I enjoy using it. This area is vast because it is ever-changing and in almost everyone’s life today. I got offered a training for a certification in this field. I am not sure how far I should go but I at least want some of the toys that will come with the career. I also would like to do some work with people that don’t have experience and bring them up to date, maybe for a minimal price. I think this would help with my project and a small business as well because technology is going to keep progressing and I want to be near the top of that field. A career in technology help desk or something similar might be the perfect job for me and leave me plenty of time for other things.

Here is the biggest thing I want in my life, a small business. I want to make some items to sell to keep a little money in my pocket. I want to use most of the money to help the homeless community. I also want to help my family with something they can do without stressing themselves out. Maybe, I could have a distribution place here (my home), and have one in California (where my family lives). The worst that can happen is that I will only have time for an online store and not for two locations. It is hard to say if any of this will get going. I have the time right now to make some crafts from home to sell but my mental conditions slow me down. This is a dream I want to fulfill.

My mental issues may not allow me to do all the things I want. I can probably write and doing some crafts but a career may be out of my reach. I will not give up on my dreams because there are plenty of people who have dreams and are afraid to pursue them because they are afraid to fail. I found out from one of my weekly groups/classes is that I might have a talent for writing. I know I am good with technology and helping people. I know I can sharpen my crafting skill. Most importantly, will I let myself be discouraged by the obstacles that may hold me down for the rest of my life? The simple answer is no! My mental conditions and other issues are things I will have to work on daily. I will keep my dreams alive.

Please fill free to live comments, advice, or just say what comes to mind. I am always open to learning from anyone, something I have just started learning that could help me in life.

BTW, here is a link to one of the stores I tried to start: http://www.cafepress.com/Chacalitsstuff

 

This Blog and Contents

This blog may have been originally for things I thought people wanted to know about. I then thought I would post things about my website and share them on here. I finally thought that I could use this site to help improve my writing skills to eventually write a book or something I could make money from. I think now I should do all of the above.

I have a separate blog on #Blogger that I use for interesting stories. I post them here with a link to the original blog because I want to get comments from #WordPress users as well as share them on my social media. That blog is called Myra’s Crazy Blog because there is no consistency to what I write other than unexpected stories. I want to use that blog to see how generating income from Blogger would work. I am not sure yet because I just started posting on a regular basis.

I think this is a wonderful place to make posts that I can get feedback from all types of readers, including experienced writers. I took the blogging course on WordPress to help me learn about posting. I know that some of my classmates were really awesome writers but wasn’t too familiar with the social media aspect of writing. I know that I will eventually get the feedback I need with the posts I put here.

I created a website earlier this month to start upcycling some clothing that I have laying around my home. I wanted to make some things that wouldn’t take much time but will be well needed in the economy today. I also wanted to create so products that could be used for the homeless or by the homeless. Let me explain, I wanted to make a travel kit that homeless people could use but I wanted it to be an option for the customer to buy to distribute themselves or donate the funds for me to distribute the product for the homeless. I wanted my products to be limited at first and then eventually offer homeless people the option of making money with creating some on their own. I wanted to post about that on this blog to give people an idea about the site since this blog is named after the site.

Now I feel that I can do all of the about above. I will post about my other blog to share those posts that can be shared on my personal social media. I will just do a little writing, like this to get opinions from readers/ writers that love to help with beginner writers. I will also post about my website adventures and how the process is progressing. I think I will benefit from all of these post here on this blog.

I would like to thank all the readers that commented on their opinions in advance. I would also like to show my appreciation to all the writers that gave wonderful advice that will help me in becoming a better writer. Please feel free to leave your comment on any of my social media places as well as on the blog. Have a wonderful day!

Vactions

California

I used to go to visit my family and best friend every year. Sometimes I would stay with my family and sometimes I would stay with my best friend. I usually go around the Christmas holiday and leave after the Egyptian Christmas to cover everything. Go to vineyards, local casinos and the beach. I haven’t been there in almost three years.

Vegas

I would also meet my friends in Las Vegas once a year for a girls weekend, but I have not done that in probably 5-6 years. We usually stay at a nice hotel, go to a club, buffet Sunday brunch, have some gambling, and the weekend is over. It is a nice visit.

Cruise

I would love to go on a cruise anywhere for a three to four-day vacation that only costs about a few hundred dollars. Mexico, Caribean, or Uk. Four people experiencing life together. Taking pictures making memories and new found friends.

Overseas

This vacation would be anywhere out of the country. I would love to see the Colosseum, the green grass of Ireland, Stonehenge, pyramids, and Asia jungles. I think experiencing things that we take for granted may change someone’s perspective in life.

Right now I can’t even afford to just to see my family. I want the inspiration to make it important to do or a regular basis. I do have a link for my friends and family to help me with building a travel fund.

Oxnard Christmas 2015