The other day, an old friend sent me the link to a story from NPR that while not shocking is still sad and a little sickening. It seems that as South Africa was preparing itself for the World Cup, it began to force homeless people from one of the areas in which the event is…
The Aliens: Watching Black Poison Spread
We had to move our space ship to another part of what you call the Gulf of Mexico. It’s hard for us to believe that, for all the technology you have, you humans haven’t stopped the gusher of Black Death. Upon monitoring your television channels, we see very little about the major catastrophe that is…
Who is Homeless? The HUD Annual Report to Congress and Homelessness Pulse Project
Counting and categorizing the homeless is a difficult task, both practically and theoretically. Every year or so, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) prepares a report for the Congress—called the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR)—on the state of homelessness in the country. It attempts to do just that: demograph the homeless…
Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Assisting Boston's Teenagers in Need
Teens on the streets of Boston have very critical needs. Unlike many adult homeless persons, these youths are not necessarily there because of socioeconomic reasons. Instead, most end up on the streets as the result of emotional or family dysfunctions. A local agency that effectively meets the critical needs of homeless and runaway youth is…
Life on the Streets of Charlestown
[img_assist|nid=280|title=|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480] Charlestown is a small city with a two square mile radius just outside of Boston. The brick sidewalks are known for their historical significance, but what many people don’t commemorate are the several homeless men and women who call Charlestown’s streets home. On the June 13th, after watching the annual Charlestown Bunker Hill Day…
'Out of This World' Efforts of Mother of 93 Little Wanderers Honored
[img_assist|nid=276|title=|desc=|link=none|align=center|width=640|height=457] This past May, the nation’s oldest non-profit child and family service agency honored a woman who has cared for 93 children at an event that was out of this world. The Home For Little Wanderers held their annual Voices and Visions Gala at The Seaport World Trade Center on May 26th. During this year’s…
Homelessness…Mindfulness and Meditations
[img_assist|nid=274|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=397] Seventeenth century English poet Francis Quarles is credited with having expressed the thought, “Meditation is the life of the soul; action, the soul of meditation; and honor the reward of action.” Now in the twenty-first century, the relationship between meditation and action is being reexamined in the context of homelessness. A June 6th column…
Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services
ambridge and Somerville Legal Services office (CASLS) offers legal assistance in a number of areas to residents of Cambridge, Somerville and surrounding towns.
Boston College, Legal Assistance Bureau
Boston College Legal Assistance Bureau (BCLAB) is a community legal services office. The bureau can advise and represent clients with a variety of legal problems, including primarily domestic violence prevention, family law, landlord-tenant disputes, Social Security disability appeals.
St. Francis House
St. Francis House offers basic health, daytime shelter, showers and hot meals to homeless individuals.