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Sunday, January 28, 2006
Worked at a local shelter the church runs every other Sunday, the churches out here have worked it so that each church does one or 2 days every 2 weeks. It was a different view for me since I had stayed at a shelter around 35 years ago and was grateful yet embarrassed at the same time. Grateful to have a place out of the weather and something to eat, it wasn’t much but, at the time 2 pieces of bread with gravy on it and ½ a peach was a feast; embarrassed that I had come to this since I had expected better of myself. There were 24 people, 6 were women the majority of the men were Guatemalans. They got chicken, spaghetti and meat balls, rice, peas, milk, coffee, juice, tea, and dessert followed by a movie, then they had air mattresses and cots to sleep on. At 5:30 they got up had breakfast of bacon, eggs, bread, coffee, milk, juice and biscuits, then they were given a packed lunch and a shuttle back to one of the towns, the shuttle was provided for by the veterans. What amazed me about this was that 3 out of the 6 women complained about something to the point where I would have asked them to leave. My first reaction is, if you don’t want the help why come, but when I stop for a moment those are the ones that need the most help because they limit and destroy themselves. Just like when the troops come home, at first it isn’t so bad then they start to deteriorate and you know something is wrong but don’t know what to do and they themselves are in denial or afraid to go for help and it shows up in anger and reclusion. The women that complained felt like someone owed them, in the case of the home coming troops, I owe them and haven’t made good on my promise; shame on me.
Monday, January 29, 2006
Got a call from Congressmen Israel’s office to set up a time to talk to or see him in the near future, this connection was made by talking to a girl that used to work for me and her husband said I should talk to John G. who knows John from Unsung Hero’s helping Hero’s who told me to use his name as well as all the letters people are sending in are making them pay attention. The more I talk to everyone I meet and have them do something they feel is right, the more that happens.
Tuesday, January 30, 2006
We are almost done with a 2nd draft and are looking to get endorsements from high profile people to be on our Advisory Board to give us more credibility and heads of Veteran Groups so that we become United. I am having trouble asking them to endorse something they haven’t seen, so we are sending out copies for them to inspect as soon as possible.
Wednesday, January 31, 2006
Talked to my people in Myrtle Beach and it seems they were at a women’s meeting where one of the ladies was complaining that her step son was back from Iraq (and was going back again) and would invite friends to go out to dinner with his father and leave him with the bill. Beth (who had gone to Washington with us, who is normally a quite person) got up from her seat and yelled how could you say that after what he has done and is going back to do, I WILL PAY FOR HIS DINNER. When good people stand up, things begin to happen; what am I standing up for today, what difference am I making?
Thursday, February 1, 2006
We have a few of the plans complete and on the computer as well, I started sending them out and I am having a friend help me with the computer so that I can fax them out to Congressmen, if we mail them it will take weeks because they have to be inspected, fax gets there immediately. We will have it on our web page soon as we get it updated (we are 3 months behind on that).
Friday, February 2, 2006
Have been getting mail with people volunteering to help and they are helping by getting others to write their Congressmen, getting other organizations involved and soon they will be helping us set up and run our first pilot programs and fund raisers to get these programs in place, staffed and housing for participants.
Saturday, February 3, 2006
One volunteer is setting up connections with other Veteran groups, the more united we are the stronger our voice. |
