If  I want your opinion, I will give it to you, outdoor-citizens?

I have an entire manuscript prepared to respond to an incident that occurred the other day, between I and a long-time, faith-based service provider in the area who is reflective of a few other service-providers and a few of my fellow members of the cloth ... in this region, and it is this: Service-providers, members of the faith community and other would-be helpers of the homeless population in the Southbay region of California, the outdoor-citizens in this region have their own power group.  You cannot tell our organization, that is comprised of outdoor citizens, what it will and what it will not do!  

The reason that we organized, created and incorporated 'our own organization', was and is to help members of our demographic to get going again, as opposed to becoming or remaining, long-term chronic dependents,

something that a few of you seem to prefer, not all, thank God.  

Author Derrick Bell, in his bestseller 'Faces At The Bottom Of The Well', wrote the following:  "If you keep doing, what you've been doing, you will keep getting, what you have been getting".  And that is what, all too often, members of the outdoor demographic, have been getting in this region of the country, what they had been getting before.

Our primary objective, is to help to get our people to get moving again, also to eventually stand upon their own 2 feet again.  Also, to return to economic viability, using their primary resource, themselves, in order to move forward or to regain ground.   We cannot tell you what to do with the resources that you receive or collect from others, so don't tell us what to do either.  On the other hand, if you would like to partner with us, we are available, however, a top-down approach will not be appreciated or tolerated!

Please keep this in mind, the members of our demographic are no different from yours, we are people who hold advanced degrees, are members of the cloth (Jesus would likely be living among us), writers, college students, experts, technicians, engineers, mathematicians, parents, adults, thinkers, planners, doctors, nurses, project managers, engineers  ...

Please be sure that what you are doing, is not being done for yourselves.  And to that I add, most of the monies that are being received, reportedly to help 'outdoor-citizens', ought to be used in a manner, that will help to jumpstart the lives of outdoor-citizens, as opposed to underwriting your protracted programs and long-term dependency.  Unconscious drives and motivations, ask yourselves, why do you do what you do, and who are you doing it for, yourselves, or to help the targeted group?

Sincerely,
President of HOP, Inc., The outdoor citizen's Coalition of Santa Clara County

AND, in the event that you are wondering, we do not claim to speak for all of the outdoor-citizens in the region, some of whom prefer the current supply-side/dependency arrangement.  Any individuals, groups ... who would care to provide seed money, to help jumpstart a few business opportunities that have been engineered by members of our demographic, please phone HOP at 408:216-0711.  We have members who would appreciate minimal one-time assistance!

Two of our slogans are as following;  'Refuse to Give Change (on the streets) To Individuals Who Refuse to Change', instead, "Tell Them Where To Go", places like HOP, where they will be held accountable.  And, if you care to, send your change to organizations that like HOP, believe even in partnering, as opposed to a long-term,  dependency program, that tend to benefit the managers of the program as opposed to the end-user!

If you care to help, I will ask a friend to set up an Escrow Account at the Fremont Bank, from which funds could be dispersed for appropriate and deserving projects!