this is a repost of what I posted on the SG boards,
in the SGAZ groupit's concerning my need for some sense of what to do in a very troubling situation...
in the midst of all the tragedy that has befallen my family while my hero withers away in breathless demise in the ICU...
I have befriended and given overnight refuge to a blind, nearly deaf, now homeless, weak junk-sick individual in an obviously desperate situation...
Yeah when it rains it pours eh?!?!
And it' a torrent of sorrow and anxiety lately in my lil world!
yikes!
I feel bad for those who are just now getting to know me via SG!
I usually lead a charmed life filled with swoons, sweeties, and swing-dingers of good times..
but one must "deal the cards dealt" every day I believe!
Help me help this man if you can!
~J
Forgive the exhaustive nature of this posting...
I had a few minutes to type this out while this poor blind soul takes a very long, much needed shower and such at my house while I offer him refuge from the hopeless night.
I warn you, it's not a happy tale I tell of his plight,
but I sure could use suggestions for those who care to read on!
I am proud of this SG community, and trust that those with some experience with social work, homeless advocacy groups, and helping the blind
could maybe help me- help him- starting this very morning.
He's suffered from some seriously ineffective social services and I wonder if there are certain foundations anyone has had good xperiences with that are national
and/or specific to my locale-Phx.AZ
~thanks!!!
====================================
I wish the reality of this situation wasn't so truly tragic...
It just that I really could use some earnest suggestion/guidance with this.
I have so very little chance to help since my own family needs me to be the pillar/power of attorney in our own tragedy.
I'll get into the specifics of the story in a moment..
I just ask that you only post helpful comments,
for this is really a desperate situation
for this poor soul and I am willing to do what I can,
I just could use some direction/advice...
You see, I am actually deep into the somber process of
dealing with my own father
dying any hour now in ICU;
and I can only have my heart ripped out
in so many directions at once at this moment!
This is the situation:
I am located in Phx. AZ.
My Hero my father is in ICU and his doctors figured
he'd have passed a week ago.
So I've spent over a week now by his side.
He's a tough one and is fighting for his life and every breath.
(read my very somber journal entries for more on that)
I have literally not slept since Monday since I have been busy picking up
siblings from the airport, dealing with being durable power of attorney,
death of my hero...
all the while basically holding sleepless,anxious vigil round the clock.
So..this is where the homeless Gent comes in...
Today I noticed early on that there was an obviously downtrodden fellow
being shown his release papers from my dad's hospital.
You could just tell he had nowhere to go, no one to pick him up, etc.
I start to leave to take a break from my somber bedside vigil-
and 5 HOURS LATER...
he was still in his wheelchair,
waiting for the taxi that never came-
(taxi drivers NEVER answer a "voucher" call,
as his was, I would soon find out)
and obviousy he was in his own personal Hell!
The hospital, I hear, cannot legally do much more than call a
taxi, and must kick him out when visiting hours end.
All the while, he's crying while rocking himself and
clapping his hands over his ears trying to escape his reality!
This is what I found out:
He's blind, almost deaf, still weak, moneyless,
no ID, no one to pick him up,
no social worker reference, no ride, and basically homeless!
He had an address someone had scrawled down from some source.
He's on fixed income but after rent's paid, I found out that
it leaves him with almost nothing for funds.
Taxi won't take calls to pick hi,m up since it's a hellhole that he lives in,
Dial a rides and the like can't even access the place since it's gated...
so he has to pay top dollar for anyone to fetch him the barest of essentials and even then they usually rob him blind-literally!!!
Oh, and he's been trying to get clearance
to move for far, far too long!
I had a feeling the apt. complex was a bit unsavory when he
told me the address and described his dread for going there.
There were some caring hospital staff who offered to help pitch in on a taxi....
But I had a gut feeling a taxi would only dump in back into a very bad situation.
I drove him there myself and it was exponentially more horrific than I had feared!
It was a gated den of thieves and crack heads and gangstas
who taunted him and I while
we tried anxiously to find his building.
It seems he's stuck there
since his social worker won't act on his behalf
past this certain placement!
He's no chance of moving until he gets an okay from some mystery social service that he has no idea placed him in the first place!
His checks are delivered by various means since he has no mailbox in working condition, and no one will deliver it in person.
How do I find this service?
He doesn't know.
I'll be knocking down the door of the landlord but it seems I'm not the first to try and help him and run into a brick wall of red tape and scorn!
The landlord has locked him out many times in just the few months he's been there.
I don't think I could survive one week in this complex of crime...,
and I pride myself in being a bit of a reformed street warrior!
It seems management consistently ignores his request for info.
The cops only come when he's robbed and beaten and manages to crawl out of the gates.
I truly believe his horror story!
I almost got jumped here and there just now trying to find his apt.!
Now I grew up in a rather tough hoodie myself...
I've exp. in boxing/streetfighting/bouncing/kung fu...
and I was scared out of my wits.
We arrive at his door..
the landlord had again locked him out..
the neighbors were openly deriding his blindness
and taunting me that when I left him there,
they were gonna "roll his ass again"!
Thank the Heavens I happened to be wearing my
Shaolin Master's well known academy logo with mean looking
mo fuckers on it...
an intimidating visual I hear
or I think they'd rushed me full on.
But you don't wanna start something in a gated Hell
with no back up,
a blind guy to lead,
and no hope of getting the cops or paramedics to respond!
I whisked him outta that very tense horror story and never looked back.
I told you it was not a happy situation.
Now I know there are tragedies like this everywhere you look...
I simply couldn't ignore his plight!
I had to help, and not just in some cursory way.
I found out everything I could before posting this very sad tale trust me!
This has been posted already in the SGAZ group boards.
I called 24 hour hotlines...
no use..
the police have no answer,
hospitals tell me they can take him in only if he's basically beaten up again or when he gets
as sick as he has been to qualify for minimal care.
He has no idea who his social worker even is or what service sends out his check that he has then to frantically blindly locate!
He is right now in my spare bedroom
getting probably the first real rest in days,
after a hot meal, and hot, long shower;
both of which I bet he's also not enjoyed in quite a while.
He's so flippin' thankful and cried himself happily to sleep and to a lil Coltrane I put on the stereo.
It soothes his anxieties he told me, before collapsing.
If you feel like jacking this into a humorous thread.
I implore you to use such wonderful wit elsewhere.
I truly need to have some sense of what to do next.
I'll try advocacy groups for the blind and all that..in the morning before I have to
start my shift of a 24 hour vigil for my dad...
The blind gent doesn't want to wake up tommorow and face his Life anymore it's obvious...
even if I could let him stay here, he's blind, still sick, and needing long term help...
he's in sheer fear of shelters and doesn't really qualify anyways since he's fixed income
what a catch 22!!!
It's late into the night,
I need to start my shift at my dad's bedside vigil at dawn,
and since I've yet to sleep in days,
I sure could use even the smallest help or hint of how to help him.
In effect I need to get him a worthy social worker/agency and i haven't a
clue on how to do that.
I know this is an atypical posting for SG...
I am at a loss as to where to start.
I'll try blind advocacy groups and local social work..
I guess what I'm asking is how much red tape is there in these situations..
are there any social workers and/or voluteers who have had experience being an advocate for a blind,
mayb junk sick nearly deaf man with no ID etc..?
I'm not looking for sympathy, politics,
or a witty jacking of the subject matter please!!!
just a little help in what direction to take this tragedy to some sense of a hopeful turn!
Thank you profoundly!
in the SGAZ groupit's concerning my need for some sense of what to do in a very troubling situation...
in the midst of all the tragedy that has befallen my family while my hero withers away in breathless demise in the ICU...
I have befriended and given overnight refuge to a blind, nearly deaf, now homeless, weak junk-sick individual in an obviously desperate situation...
Yeah when it rains it pours eh?!?!
And it' a torrent of sorrow and anxiety lately in my lil world!
yikes!
I feel bad for those who are just now getting to know me via SG!
I usually lead a charmed life filled with swoons, sweeties, and swing-dingers of good times..
but one must "deal the cards dealt" every day I believe!
Help me help this man if you can!
~J
Forgive the exhaustive nature of this posting...
I had a few minutes to type this out while this poor blind soul takes a very long, much needed shower and such at my house while I offer him refuge from the hopeless night.
I warn you, it's not a happy tale I tell of his plight,
but I sure could use suggestions for those who care to read on!
I am proud of this SG community, and trust that those with some experience with social work, homeless advocacy groups, and helping the blind
could maybe help me- help him- starting this very morning.
He's suffered from some seriously ineffective social services and I wonder if there are certain foundations anyone has had good xperiences with that are national
and/or specific to my locale-Phx.AZ
~thanks!!!
====================================
I wish the reality of this situation wasn't so truly tragic...
It just that I really could use some earnest suggestion/guidance with this.
I have so very little chance to help since my own family needs me to be the pillar/power of attorney in our own tragedy.
I'll get into the specifics of the story in a moment..
I just ask that you only post helpful comments,
for this is really a desperate situation
for this poor soul and I am willing to do what I can,
I just could use some direction/advice...
You see, I am actually deep into the somber process of
dealing with my own father
dying any hour now in ICU;
and I can only have my heart ripped out
in so many directions at once at this moment!
This is the situation:
I am located in Phx. AZ.
My Hero my father is in ICU and his doctors figured
he'd have passed a week ago.
So I've spent over a week now by his side.
He's a tough one and is fighting for his life and every breath.
(read my very somber journal entries for more on that)
I have literally not slept since Monday since I have been busy picking up
siblings from the airport, dealing with being durable power of attorney,
death of my hero...
all the while basically holding sleepless,anxious vigil round the clock.
So..this is where the homeless Gent comes in...
Today I noticed early on that there was an obviously downtrodden fellow
being shown his release papers from my dad's hospital.
You could just tell he had nowhere to go, no one to pick him up, etc.
I start to leave to take a break from my somber bedside vigil-
and 5 HOURS LATER...
he was still in his wheelchair,
waiting for the taxi that never came-
(taxi drivers NEVER answer a "voucher" call,
as his was, I would soon find out)
and obviousy he was in his own personal Hell!
The hospital, I hear, cannot legally do much more than call a
taxi, and must kick him out when visiting hours end.
All the while, he's crying while rocking himself and
clapping his hands over his ears trying to escape his reality!
This is what I found out:
He's blind, almost deaf, still weak, moneyless,
no ID, no one to pick him up,
no social worker reference, no ride, and basically homeless!
He had an address someone had scrawled down from some source.
He's on fixed income but after rent's paid, I found out that
it leaves him with almost nothing for funds.
Taxi won't take calls to pick hi,m up since it's a hellhole that he lives in,
Dial a rides and the like can't even access the place since it's gated...
so he has to pay top dollar for anyone to fetch him the barest of essentials and even then they usually rob him blind-literally!!!
Oh, and he's been trying to get clearance
to move for far, far too long!
I had a feeling the apt. complex was a bit unsavory when he
told me the address and described his dread for going there.
There were some caring hospital staff who offered to help pitch in on a taxi....
But I had a gut feeling a taxi would only dump in back into a very bad situation.
I drove him there myself and it was exponentially more horrific than I had feared!
It was a gated den of thieves and crack heads and gangstas
who taunted him and I while
we tried anxiously to find his building.
It seems he's stuck there
since his social worker won't act on his behalf
past this certain placement!
He's no chance of moving until he gets an okay from some mystery social service that he has no idea placed him in the first place!
His checks are delivered by various means since he has no mailbox in working condition, and no one will deliver it in person.
How do I find this service?
He doesn't know.
I'll be knocking down the door of the landlord but it seems I'm not the first to try and help him and run into a brick wall of red tape and scorn!
The landlord has locked him out many times in just the few months he's been there.
I don't think I could survive one week in this complex of crime...,
and I pride myself in being a bit of a reformed street warrior!
It seems management consistently ignores his request for info.
The cops only come when he's robbed and beaten and manages to crawl out of the gates.
I truly believe his horror story!
I almost got jumped here and there just now trying to find his apt.!
Now I grew up in a rather tough hoodie myself...
I've exp. in boxing/streetfighting/bouncing/kung fu...
and I was scared out of my wits.
We arrive at his door..
the landlord had again locked him out..
the neighbors were openly deriding his blindness
and taunting me that when I left him there,
they were gonna "roll his ass again"!
Thank the Heavens I happened to be wearing my
Shaolin Master's well known academy logo with mean looking
mo fuckers on it...
an intimidating visual I hear
or I think they'd rushed me full on.
But you don't wanna start something in a gated Hell
with no back up,
a blind guy to lead,
and no hope of getting the cops or paramedics to respond!
I whisked him outta that very tense horror story and never looked back.
I told you it was not a happy situation.
Now I know there are tragedies like this everywhere you look...
I simply couldn't ignore his plight!
I had to help, and not just in some cursory way.
I found out everything I could before posting this very sad tale trust me!
This has been posted already in the SGAZ group boards.
I called 24 hour hotlines...
no use..
the police have no answer,
hospitals tell me they can take him in only if he's basically beaten up again or when he gets
as sick as he has been to qualify for minimal care.
He has no idea who his social worker even is or what service sends out his check that he has then to frantically blindly locate!
He is right now in my spare bedroom
getting probably the first real rest in days,
after a hot meal, and hot, long shower;
both of which I bet he's also not enjoyed in quite a while.
He's so flippin' thankful and cried himself happily to sleep and to a lil Coltrane I put on the stereo.
It soothes his anxieties he told me, before collapsing.
If you feel like jacking this into a humorous thread.
I implore you to use such wonderful wit elsewhere.
I truly need to have some sense of what to do next.
I'll try advocacy groups for the blind and all that..in the morning before I have to
start my shift of a 24 hour vigil for my dad...
The blind gent doesn't want to wake up tommorow and face his Life anymore it's obvious...
even if I could let him stay here, he's blind, still sick, and needing long term help...
he's in sheer fear of shelters and doesn't really qualify anyways since he's fixed income
what a catch 22!!!
It's late into the night,
I need to start my shift at my dad's bedside vigil at dawn,
and since I've yet to sleep in days,
I sure could use even the smallest help or hint of how to help him.
In effect I need to get him a worthy social worker/agency and i haven't a
clue on how to do that.
I know this is an atypical posting for SG...
I am at a loss as to where to start.
I'll try blind advocacy groups and local social work..
I guess what I'm asking is how much red tape is there in these situations..
are there any social workers and/or voluteers who have had experience being an advocate for a blind,
mayb junk sick nearly deaf man with no ID etc..?
I'm not looking for sympathy, politics,
or a witty jacking of the subject matter please!!!
just a little help in what direction to take this tragedy to some sense of a hopeful turn!
Thank you profoundly!
i looked and could not find any sort of link to a program in your area, but i'm sure there is one.
here is the site for southern az, for what it's worth,.
i guess this isn't a ton of help, but i had to try.
there has got to be something out there. i'm going to keep looking. i'm sorry that you are going through such a tough time right now.random resources and the like from AZ DES.
and thank you for the flower.