Stories and
Poems from the
June 2005
Street Spirit Publication
What is Street Spirit? -Click Here|To read
all articles and poems from this issue of
Street Spirit, please visit Street Spirit's Website at
http://www.thestreetspirit.org/.
Articles, stories,
poems, statements, and such sharing first-person accounts and opinions do
not necessarily reflect BOSS's organizational views. We offer this site as
a forum to share all views, particularly those not generally heard in
mainstream outlets.
St. Mary's Creates a Family for Homeless Seniors -
Life Stories of Homeless Seniors - In the spring of 2004, the staff
of St. Mary's Center in Oakland asked me to collect oral histories of
several of their clients, formerly homeless men and women aged 55 and
over. These elders of different races and backgrounds have survived in
an often-hostile world with creativity and ingenuity, like modern-day
pioneers.
Nationwide Survey of Hunger in America - But
homelessness is only one aspect of poverty in America, only one measure
of the gross inequity between the rich and the poor, of the growing gap
that is making us look more and more like a Third World country.
Getting Lucky - When I say they had no money, I
don't mean because they were budgeting for a two-week vacation, or
because they had their savings tied up in stocks.
Hunger Rises, Food Stamp Funding Falls -
The stunting effects of prolonged hunger on the bodies, brains, and
futures of children are well understood. If lack of proper nutrition
persists, one may feel hunger or learn to ignore it; but in the end, one
loses one's health, and finally one's life.
Dee's Story: The Stigma of Being Homeless -
Dannette Cornelius sells the Street Spirit in front of Ace Hardware
store on Grand Avenue in Oakland. She has been homeless since last
November, though this is not her first bout of homelessness. She is 48
years old and has numerous health problems, but she manages to stay
upbeat.
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