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What steps do I need to take to not become
homeless anymore or at least make things a little less stressful?
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Social Services – SNAP, Emergency Assistance,
Temp Assistance programs
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Apply for every program possible. Better to get
a no from social services rather than realize, you could have gotten some help,
compared to nothing at all. Just be prepared to explain your life story,
personal life, and list everyone known relative, whether dead or alive.
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Expect to spend 3 to 4 hours at Social Services
minimum!
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Homeless Shelters – Social Services may already
recommend this to you. However, what they don’t tell you is many of these
Homeless Shelters are already full.
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When Shelters are full make your own – A lot of
stores throw away pallets, boxes, even building materials. When, in doubt,
build your own shelter.
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Know who you can trust – Police are there to
enforce the law. There is no law against being homeless, however, there are a
lot of laws against where you can put up your “shelter”, park, or sleep for the night.
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Where is a safe place for your shelter – Whether
you have pallets, boxes, tents, or tires for your shelter you need a safe place
to put it up. Sometimes there are other encampments around your area, you can find them. Some are in plain sight, others, the woods.
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Time to Face Facts – If you’re on your own or
with loved ones. You are homeless, your personal belongings are no longer
personal, everyone can see you. You no longer blend in with the crowd. You stick out, the one people will point
at, stare at, laugh at, and even feel sorry for you. Not many people are going
to step out of the crowd to help you. The only thing they can do is stare,
gossip, and point.
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Theft – it’s not a matter of when stuff will be
stolen from you it’s a matter of, people will steal from you. You are at the bottom
of the totem pole, so-to-speak. What values most to you, keep with you always.
When you are able, get a backpack. Stuff is going to get stolen if you're not careful.
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Journal – If you are alone, get a journal and
start writing daily. You can lose track of days quickly. This will help to keep track of what day it is and help keep some of your sanity.
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The on-lookers: If you live in your car, guess
what, you are now a target. When I mean a target, I don’t mean someone is going
to walk up and shoot you. What I mean is local and state police are going to keep
an eye on you for your safety and the public.
Also, if your personal belongings are in plain sight, especially electronics,
your car will be broken into. Keep valuables out of plain sight. When in doubt,
find a Tint Wizard to Tint your windows. However, make sure the tint stays
legal, of course. If you can’t afford to get your windows tinted, buy sunshades
from Walmart. During the winter, sunshades go on sale for $.50 - $3.00 each and
they work great for keeping peeping toms out of your windows.
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Nightly knocks – If you don’t have permission to
be there, don’t stay there. For example, if you are camped or parked on
someone’s property you need their permission! If you don’t have their
permission, you are trespassing and can potentially be arrested for it. Walmart
offers overnight parking, call the store manager up and ask. Better to ask and
know than not know and spend the night in
jail for loitering. Also, remember those peeping toms? Well, they like to come knocking
nightly so be prepared for restless nights.
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Sleep during the day – It’s easier to sleep
during the day but harder to work during the day and stay awake at night. Learn
tricks to help you sleep. If you must sleep at night, go somewhere public.
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