Mike Moradian of the LaLoma Neighborhood Association is creating a Homeless committee and asked if anyone is interested in sitting in or helping out to let me know. We are just getting interested people at this time. People who think that they can help. It is a big chore, but my main concern is to get them out of our parks, but having a place they can go. We will keep in touch. After meeting with Mike Moridian of the LaLoma Neighborhood Association, we both decided to put the brakes on a "Homeless" Committee. This is a fight that we are not ready for yet, or prepared for. Homelessness is a major social issue that a little committee cannot fight. What we have decided to do, is to start of small. We are going after the vagrancy in our parks. That way, we do not need to use the term "homeless". We, here in Modesto, have lost some park space to the "vagrants". So, that is the plan for right now. Once this small battle is fought and won, it will lead to the issue of what Modesto is going to do with homelessness and we can THEN work on that issue. I got to run, but I will keep you updated. Reading the Modesto Bee yesterday, 12/19, I noticed the article where "do gooders" are making things better for the homeless by providing them blankets and stuff. "We look for the homeless in and around Modesto like downtown and Graceada Park." (In similar terms). So, now we are the starting point for the homeless here at Graceada and Enslen Parks. WHEN THE DO-GOODERS START AT THOSE parks, we have an issue. The issue is, these parks are now known to house the homeless. The other issue is the fact that these people who are only looking to help out come to the park with these goodies. It only enables the homeless to stay when all these goods and services are brought to them. But of course these Do-Gooders and church groups do not LIVE in this neighborhood, so they do not GET it. "It's not in OUR neighborhood". If you want to provide goods and services, then get a damn "Happy Bus" or something and pick up all the homeless and take them for a ride to go GET THE blankets and free meals. What about taking these blankets to the shelters? These folks in Enslen Park are WANTING to be there! They do not want to GO home. These people have a home but it is their CHOICE to be "homeless". They are "Renting" the park, hence, "Hotel Enslen." I have talked with them! Take those blankets and meals to TRULY homeless folks in the shelters. It is NOT those folks choice to be homeless. So there has been the development of the College Area Neighborhood Alliance (or Association) which among the different committees has the Transient/homeless committee. What to do with the abundance of homeless people in the college area parks and streets is the focus. It is a huge issue and there is no "fix it" answer for now. At least there is an awareness of the situation. Hopefully as CANA progresses I can chronicle what is happening. The first thing I want to point out, is that half of the problems in the parks with the homeless are not the homeless folks causing them. Homeless breeds vagrancy. So there are two components here: Homeless and Vagrancy. The majority of the problems are the vagrants who cause the drama and issues. What I mean by vagrants are the wanderers or folks looking to cause trouble and mischief who have no gumption to abide by the laws. These vagrants just try to enclave themselves into the homeless population and then point at the homeless when it comes to crimes. So my initial thought as I move forward in the Homeless committee is to stress that it is the vagrancy that is the main problem and that is what needs to be rid of first. |
