Rarely Seen, Nor Heard
the story of Eau Claire’s homeless population
Everyone has different perceptions of homeless people. The cliché depiction is a scraggly man in an oversized coat, sleeping on a park bench with liquor bottle in hand, covered with newspapers. Many don’t think of Eau Claire as a city that would have homeless people; they only exist in big cities like New York and Chicago.
Well, we do have homeless people, and they exist all around you, every day, passing by on the sidewalk, never getting a second glance. They’re people like you and me – students, mothers, fathers, children, men, and women. Some of them deal with mental disabilities and addictions. Others have made bad decisions or suffered the consequences of life-altering events such as divorce or job loss. All of them want you to know that they’re human, just like you and me.
CONTENTS:
• The Homeless
• The Volunteers
• The Help & The Struggles
• Meeting the Need
• Final Thoughts
ALSO:
• Statistics
• Six Months Later … Catching Up with The Homeless
• Support groups, pantries, and shelters
THE HOMELESS
Ken Minto, 54
He leads the way down the bike path off Farwell Street. Just before it curves, footprints in the snow veer off into the forest. He follows them. With houses above on the bluff and Banbury Place across the Eau Claire River, the trail becomes slick as it narrows and winds down the bank. Then suddenly, there it is. The cave.
What used to be an icebox for a local brewery years ago now serves as a shelter. Deep and dark, there is a thick, frozen waterfall in the back, and the ceiling is grey from the ash of campfires. Beer cans, newspapers, cigarette packs, socks, scraps of paper, and blankets litter the sandy floor. The walls are decorated with rough carvings and graffiti. Ken Minto lived here for several months.
Upon his return, Ken stood at the entrance and matter-of-factly recalled the people he’s seen here and how it’s a nice place to block the wind. He doesn’t seem saddened by it; it’s just another place he has slept.
I met Ken at Positive Avenues, a hangout for the mentally ill, many of whom are or have been homeless. It’s operated by Lutheran Social Services. It’s a plain, brick building with no signs, seemingly unnoticed and unknown in downtown except to those who frequent it.
In jeans and a sweatshirt, Ken sat back and reflected on the obstacles he has faced. He has a very friendly personality and kind blue eyes, though his weathered face hints of the hardships he has been through.
“I tried to get help through social services, different community functions, and stuff like that,” he said, “but when you’re a single man, there is no help in Eau Claire. For families and women, yes, there’s all kinds of help, but not for a single man. A single man, it’s useless. About the only thing you can get here is food stamps.”
Ken said he became homeless after giving his wife everything in the divorce, and losing his job soon after. During his three years of homelessness, Ken has slept in many places, such as an industrial garbage chute, under a concrete deck, under the Lake Street Bridge, and at a small homeless camp on the hill below Sacred Heart Church. There, a concrete wall remains where an auto shop once stood, providing blockage from the wind. Trees hide the place from passersby, but if one peers beyond the trees and stone landscaping, they’ll see a place that is obviously inhabited. Blankets, rugs, and scraps of cloth are strewn everywhere – hung on branches, draped over logs and cinder blocks, in piles that resemble beds. There are beer bottles, paper cups, fast food containers, cigarette packs, plastic tarps, shoes, socks, and ratty shirts. Against the wall are the remains of a fire pit. Standing there with my notebook and camera in hand, adequately bundled up against the cold, it’s heartbreaking to think that someone will be sleeping here tonight. That someone calls this home. Minto did so for seven months.
“The stereotype is that we’re under bridges all the time, but we’re actually out in the open more than you think.” He explained that during the day, he would wander the streets looking for change to drink. He drank to dull the depression of being homeless, of being perceived as dirt, of not being able to get a job or ever get ahead.
“So many guys get depressed because they put out so many applications but they don’t even get a return call, like ‘we’re not hiring,’ ” Minto said. “Even that would help. A lot of them would be happy just flippin’ burgers at McDonalds or washing dishes.”
Minto eventually rose out of his depression and stopped drinking. He moved in with his parents, hangs out at Positive Avenues with other people dealing with similar difficulties, and has an interview coming up for a janitorial position at Sacred Heart Hospital. “Understanding somebody that’s homeless is a hard thing,” Minto said, “but just sitting down and listening to them is the best thing that could ever happen to them.”
THE VOLUNTEERS
Steve Rourke knows what it’s like to be homeless. When he was 16 years old, he decided to hitchhike to California for fun. Along the way, he ran out of money and ended up living on the streets and working odd jobs to get home. He now volunteers at Community Table, and can relate to the people he sees there.
“When you hit rock bottom, it’s real hard to bounce back,” he said. “When you get to a certain down part in your life, all the doors close in front of you.”
Rourke enjoys volunteering with his Mason brothers. Besides the Community Table, they also hold brat stands and spaghetti raffles around the community. “I realize some people don’t want to be indoors; some want to live on their own,” he said. “(But) I understand there’s a problem and someone has to help.”
Rourke believes volunteering is very important because non-profit organizations can’t afford to help people and pay employees. When asked what he thinks Eau Claire needs, he recalled a place he saw in San Francisco where individuals could shower, receive nice clothes for job interviews, and make phone calls.
Nancy Riggen used to think people were homeless because they chose to be; they would rather drink and spend their nights on the streets than get a job and be responsible. That was until she started volunteering at Hope Gospel Mission as a receptionist three years ago.
“I see a lot of sadness when men come in,” she said. “They struggle like anyone else in life.”
In her time at Hope Gospel, Nancy has taken dozens of calls from men seeking help, and had conversations with the men staying at the shelter. She has seen men turned away because they were under the influence, she’s seen men walk out, and she’s seen men graduate.
“Sometimes I think some people choose to be homeless. … Overall I feel that there needs to be more help. We need to get to the root and help them through it.”
One of her favorite memories is when she got to personally help a man. He came to the shelter seeking help, but was heavily intoxicated. She encouraged him to go to Luther Hospital and go through detoxification, then come back. He returned later, and thanked her. In another case, Nancy met a resident who had a lot of trouble reading. He went through the mission’s education program, and when he graduated, he was able to read his testimony.
“It’s very rewarding,” Nancy said. “I would encourage people to get involved in any of the programs out there. Sometimes it’s sad, but I think you really develop a good understanding of people and their situations.”
CONTENTS:
• The Homeless
• The Volunteers
• The Help & The Struggles
• Meeting the Need
• Final Thoughts
ALSO:
• Statistics
• Six Months Later … Catching Up with The Homeless
• Support groups, pantries, and shelters
THE HELP & THE STRUGGLES
Sue Howe – Positive Avenues
Sue Howe is the director of Positive Avenues, a safe, warm place for people with addictions and disabilities to pass the time with others like them. Visitors can play pool, computer, board and card games, get help with filling out applications, or just have a cup of coffee and visit. They also have doves for visitors to pet and listen to, which is said to be very calming.
Forty to 60 people visit each day, and while Howe says many struggle with finding help and employment, one of the main problems people deal with is the misconception that they are not a whole person.
“Some of the issues that spring up from having a mental illness or being homeless is the feeling of being inadequate or less than, and depression, which leads to drinking to make themselves feel better, “ she explained. Despite the depression, addiction, and poverty she sees on a daily basis, she knows people feel welcome at Positive Avenues, and that helps.
“They have a name, they are a person,” she said. “They’re just dealing with different issues.” And she does what she can to help them – providing a computer and phone to find jobs, cooking meals, and simply engaging in conversation. Still, the end of the day can be heartbreaking. “I hate telling them to have a good night, knowing that most of them won’t.”
Nora Bates – The Wellness Shack
The Wellness Shack is another Eau Claire agency that deals with mental health and poverty. It is a nonprofit run by individuals with mental health issues who focus on peer support, such as Nora Bates. Nora has been there for five years and now serves as the program manager. The Wellness Shack offers such services as addiction and mental health recovery, support groups, and resources. People are always welcome to drop by, have a cup of coffee, and talk. Nora says they don’t keep track of whether or not people are homeless, but they do get phone calls from people looking for places to go. She also says the general population is unaware of the resources out there.
“We need our name out there so people know we’re here,” she explained. “There’s such a stigma with mental illness. … People need to be educated they we’re not crazy people.”
Nancy Robinson – Inn Towne Hotel
Nancy Robinson and her husband Dan used to be engineers. They made good money and lived in a nice house. Several years ago, she and Dan volunteered at local food banks and discovered a world they never knew existed in Eau Claire – the homeless. When the owner of the Inn Towne Hotel became ill, Robinson said she felt a new purpose in life. They decided to quit their jobs, sell their house, and buy the hotel. “We left that Christmas, and we just said, ‘we’re supposed to buy this place. This is crazy. This is absolutely crazy.’ ”
Since 2005, the Robinsons have committed many hours to restoring the hotel and helping those who walk through its doors. The hotel is a little different from other agencies in the Eau Claire area in that it is the only one that takes in sex offenders.
“The people we need to help the most are the ones we isolate the most,” Nancy Robinson explained. She believes all they need is support to change their lives, and although the hotel does not offer counseling services, the Robinsons are always on hand to listen, and the residents hold each other accountable. “A lot of things are drug- and alcohol-related. You take that away and they’re OK people. They treat each other a lot better than good families do.”
The Inn Towne Hotel has its basic rules: no drinking, no drugs, no pornography, and Robinson will not take more than three men with similar criminal backgrounds for fear they will encourage each other. Residents are free to come and go as they please as long as they abide by the rules and pay their rent. While some stay for extended periods of time, such as Craig Dana, many come and go, and Robinson believes there is not enough adequate help out there.
“It’s never a smooth road. They’re just caught in the depths of depression and despair,” she said. “These are people in our community whether we want them to be or not. We need to support them so they can become regular citizens. We as a community need to do whatever we can.”
Kelly Christianson – The Interfaith Hospitality Network / Beacon House
“Eau Claire as a community doesn’t know about homelessness.”
As director of the Interfaith Hospitality Network, more commonly known as Beacon House, Kelly Christianson deals with a population of people that go largely unnoticed, mostly due to a lack of knowledge.
The Beacon House takes in single mothers, their children, and pregnant women who have become homeless – many due to divorce, break-ups, and/or eviction. Seven hundred people stayed at the Beacon House last year, but the reason we don’t know about this or see them on the streets is because of what Christianson calls “rural homelessness,” a trend that many homeless people hop between homes of friends and family. This makes homelessness tough to track.
The Beacon House holds six families and serves three meals a day. They operate on a 30-day program and assist their guests in finding health care, child care, employment, and housing. After 30 days, the guests are placed in transitional housing and monitored for another six months.
Christianson feels one of the major problems in homelessness is the lack of education. Of the 700 guests last year, only two had obtained anything beyond a high school diploma. “Most of it is people with a low-earning potential to begin with,” she said, explaining that in Eau Claire not having a degree means you’re stuck doing service work, which is often seasonal and unreliable.
Karen Smith – Western Dairlyland
Western Dairyland is another agency in Eau Claire that serves mostly single mothers and families, but also offers a diverse range of programs to help people get back on their feet, such as education and business assistance. Their care isn’t targeted primarily on the homeless.
“Our goal is to help people become self-sufficient,” said Karen Smith, the Homeless Case Manager. Western Dairyland is somewhat unique in that it helps people through various programs, depending on what stage of recovery they’re in, or how much help they need. The agency has four homeless shelters and two transitional units, and also offers services such as energy assistance, house rehabilitation, car loan assistance, work-related and education finance assistance, employment assistance, child care, food programs, health services, preschool and volunteer programs.
Hollie Moe – The Community Table
Hollie Moe graduated from UW-Eau Claire with a degree in Spanish, but soon found her passion was in the non-profit realm. Often dressed in bright colors and bold, dangly jewelry, The Community Table’s executive director always has a smile on her face and is happy to stop and visit with guests.
The Community Table operates on a “no questions asked” basis, meaning anyone and everyone is welcome. They feed about 70 to 100 people per day. Many of the people who eat there are “food insecure,” meaning they do not know where their next meal is coming from. Many of them are also “working poor,” meaning they have jobs, but most of their paycheck goes towards rent, utilities, and transportation rather than food.
Hollie sees a wide variety of people, but said many of them deal with financial struggles, low incomes, and disabilities. She loves the Community Table because it breaks down barriers.
“I see a community. Anyone can come together over food,” she said, explaining that guests and volunteers can sit down and share their stories. “It’s not a place where people sit with their heads down.”
The Community Table just moved to the old Hostess Bakery building on Putnam Street across from Banbury Place. Hollie is constantly striving to increase the services they provide and awareness in the community. She feels everyone can help in simple ways; by coming down to the Community Table to eat, learn more about people’s needs, and educate yourself on poverty and hunger.
MEETING THE NEED
People’s opinions of what we could and should or shouldn’t do to “cure” homelessness are vastly different. Some believe in the use of tough love and religion. Some believe in a strict schedule of treatment and rehabilitation. Others believe in the simple act of conversation.
Nancy and Craig at the Inn Towne Hotel and Sue at Positive Avenues mentioned the need for a basic overnight shelter in Eau Claire. They expressed the frustration of men not having anywhere to go at night if they chose not to enroll in the Hope Gospel Mission.
Over the summer, they worked to resolve this. They connected with other people and formed the Homelessness Partnership Network. It’s made up of Lutheran Social Services, Positive Avenues, The Inn Towne Hotel, and several other faith leaders, community members and elected officials, including City Manager Mike Huggins. As I write this article, they are working on opening a warming shelter in Eau Claire. It will be located in Valleybrook Church downtown and will be designed to meet basic needs – a place for people to rest their heads, use the bathroom, and get a cup of coffee. Sue said they are still unsure as to whether or not they will have beds or serve food. They are hoping to open as soon as possible as winter is approaching quickly.
CONTENTS:
• The Homeless
• The Volunteers
• The Help & The Struggles
• Meeting the Need
• Final Thoughts
ALSO:
• Statistics
• Six Months Later … Catching Up with The Homeless
• Support groups, pantries, and shelters
FINAL THOUGHTS
I originally wrote this article out of curiosity. I knew Eau Claire had homeless, and I wanted to learn about them. What I didn’t know is what I would witness, and what I would feel.
I stood under the Lake Street bridge in the middle of February, fully dressed in boots, coat, hat, scarf, and gloves, while Ken showed me where he and others slept. I knew when this was over, I would get in my car and turn on the heat and return to my warm house. Ken, on the other hand, might be sleeping in the very spot we stood at that moment. It made me sick. Here I was, warm and fed, with no honest perception of what it was like to be homeless, asking questions. If I were Ken, I would be angry. But he wasn’t. Instead, he smiled and held out his hand to help me across an icy rock.
The kindness I found while writing this story amazed me. Here are people caught in the downward spiral of severe depression, alcoholism, poverty, mental issues, and numerous other problems, yet every time I walked into Positive Avenues, they smiled at me. When I sat down at the Community Table to eat, they talked to me.
I only met six people. But meeting those six people made me want to learn more. Over the summer, I volunteered at the Community Table. I got to meet more people, got to sit down and eat with them and hear their stories. These are people just like you and me. People who once had families and owned businesses and lived in decent houses. Now some of them live in shelters, others search for a dry place to sleep every night. Every day they turn in applications, apply for assistance, and walk the few miles to the Community Table to eat. They never know what’s going to happen next, they just try to get through the day. Their bodies are ragged and tired and their eyes are lonely. But they’re always willing to talk. They want you to know that a smile and a kind word goes a long way. They want you to open your eyes. Know what’s around you. Be aware. Educate yourself.
CONTENTS:
• The Homeless
• The Volunteers
• The Help & The Struggles
• Meeting the Need
• Final Thoughts
ALSO:
• Statistics
• Six Months Later … Catching Up with The Homeless
• Support groups, pantries, and shelters
STATISTICS
EAU CLAIRE'S HOMELESS by the numbers
10, 849
average annual income of Community Table guests this summer
411
monthly Fair Market Rent price for an efficiency apartment
188
homeless children in the school district in 2007-08
100
rough number of people helped by agencies last year (another 532 had to be turned away due to limited space)
51
percentage of homeless that were single men in 2006
CONTENTS:
• The Homeless
• The Volunteers
• The Help & The Struggles
• Meeting the Need
• Final Thoughts
ALSO:
• Statistics
• Six Months Later … Catching Up with The Homeless
• Support groups, pantries, and shelters
SIX MONTHS LATER
… Catching Up with The Homeless
The original version of this story was written in spring, when Dave Long and I set out to find out: Who are Eau Claire’s homeless? What struggles do they deal with? What is being done to help them? What needs to change? How can we help?
I later realized that homelessness is a fickle thing. Dave and I knew during the initial interviews that our subjects’ situations could change the very next day, or even minutes after we left.
I saw Ken a few times over the summer, riding his bike around town. He told me that he had started drinking again and no longer worked at Sacred Heart Hospital as a janitor. I didn’t probe as to whether he’d quit or been fired. I haven’t seen him lately, but Sue informed me that he is renting a room at Mount Washington in Shawtown, and roofing houses.
Craig is still living at the Inn Towne Hotel and is a key member in setting up the warming shelter. Terry, according to Dan at the Inn Towne Hotel, decided he needed more help with his alcoholism and went to the Hope Gospel Mission. Jim Coleman graduated from the Hope Gospel Mission in July, but could not be reached for an update.
Judy Basacker and China Lee are still living in an apartment provided by the Bolton Refuge House, and are hoping to soon move into their own house. Judy was in and out of the hospital this summer, dealing with various medical complications, but has received new medicine and is doing much better. China Lee is doing very well in school at McKinley and loves writing stories.
CONTENTS:
• The Homeless
• The Volunteers
• The Help & The Struggles
• Meeting the Need
• Final Thoughts
ALSO:
• Statistics
• Six Months Later … Catching Up with The Homeless
• Support groups, pantries, and shelters
TO GIVE OR TO RECIEVE
contacts for support groups, pantries, and shelters in Eau Claire
Positive Avenues
618 S. Barstow St. • 835-3816
The Wellness Shack
515 S. Barstow St. • 855-7705
The Inn Towne Hotel
678 Wisconsin St. • 833-8769
Interfaith Hospitality Network/The Beacon House
309 E. Lake St. • 834-4357
Western Dairyland
418 Wisconsin St. • 836-7511
www.westerndairyland.org
The Community Table
320 Putnam St. • 835-4977
www.thecommunitytable.org
Hope Gospel Mission
• Men’s Shelter:
8 S. Farwell St. • 552-5566
• Women’s Shelter (Ruth House):
2511 W. Moholt Dr. • 834-4000
www.hopegospelmission.org
McKinley Charter School
1266 McKinley Rd. • 852-6900
www.mckinleycharter.org
Eau Claire Housing Authority
203 S. Farwell St. • 839-4943
Chippewa Valley Free Clinic
421 Graham Ave. • 839-8477
www.cvfreeclinic.org
To volunteer at the warming shelter:
• Lisa Severson, Program Manager
Lutheran Social Services
920-450-0440
• Dana Greicar, Options Counselor
Aging & Disability Resource Center
839-6714
Ambassador Food Pantry
Building 12 of Banbury Place • 835-1155
Tuesdays 8am to 4:30pm by appointment only
Grace Lutheran Church
202 W. Grand Ave. • 832-9713
Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 to 11am and 1 to 3pm
Inn Towne Food Pantry
678 Wisconsin St. • 833-8769
Appointment only
St. Francis Food Pantry
1221 Truax Blvd. • 839-7706
Mondays 4 to 7pm,
Tuesdays and Thursdays 11am to 3pm, Saturdays 11am to 1pm
The Salvation Army
2211 S. Hastings Way • 834-1224
Monday to Thursday 10am to noon, and 1 to 4pm
Trinity Lutheran Church
1314 E. Lexington Blvd. • 832-6601
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 1:30 to 3:30pm
CONTENTS:
• The Homeless
• The Volunteers
• The Help & The Struggles
• Meeting the Need
• Final Thoughts
ALSO:
• Statistics
• Six Months Later … Catching Up with The Homeless
• Support groups, pantries, and shelters
THE HOMELESS (con't.)
Craig Dana, 51
“I never thought I would be homeless.”
Craig doesn’t look homeless, either. Donning a baseball cap, glasses, long sleeve shirt, and sweatpants, he looks just like any other guy relaxing on his living room couch. But this couch is in the lobby of the Inn Towne Hotel, a place where low-income people can pay week-to-week to stay.
He became homeless after going through a divorce and suffering from severe depression.
“I got depressed, really depressed, and I ended up staying in a hotel,” Dana explained. “It just got worse and worse. It got to where I wouldn’t leave for days and days. I would wake up and say ‘oh crap’ first thing in the morning, because I woke up.”
Dana eventually sought help through the Hope Gospel Mission, then ended up at the Inn Towne Hotel, where he’s been living for about a year. His goal is to someday start a non-religious shelter for homeless men in Eau Claire.
“You can’t be cocky,” he said, adding that he believes divorce and eviction are the main causes of homelessness. “You’re just one paycheck away from being homeless yourself.”
Terry
Terry is a middle aged, soft-spoken man. He’s been living at the Inn Towne for 11 days. He wishes to keep his last name and age confidential. After divorcing his wife in 2007, Terry quit his job, started drinking, and became very depressed. He attempted suicide 10 times. In a final act of desperation, he slit his wrists outside a hospital and walked in. After undergoing treatment in the psychiatric ward, he found the Inn Towne Hotel. He feels he is improving, but trying to find employment is disheartening.
“I try to make myself (as) presentable as possible, even when I’m homeless – wash up at a gas station, change or something,” he explained. “But still, the stereotype of being homeless is, you’re worthless.”
Jim Coleman, 57
Jim Coleman is a recovering gambling addict. He is also about to enter the final phase of the Hope Gospel Mission’s two-year program. Dressed in a button-up shirt, he just finished a day’s work at the Mission’s lumberyard, and after grabbing a cup of coffee, tells me to have a seat.
“March 29, 1990 was my first 24 hours sober and I’ve been sober ever since,” he starts. “Within six months of my sobriety, I started gambling.”
Over the next 16 years, Coleman’s addiction led him to lose two houses, three businesses, and attempt suicide several times. He spent two years in jail, slept in his van, lost contact with his family, and claims to have been to every casino in Wisconsin and Minnesota. He explained that it wasn’t about the money, it was the thrill to just keep going and going.
“I won $8,000 one night,” he said. “My last win was at midnight that night and at 7 o’clock the next morning I was digging in the floorboards of my van looking for nickels and dimes so I could buy a cup of coffee.”
Coleman eventually found himself parked in front of Hope Gospel one night and decided to give it a try. Their strict two-year program rooted in tough love and religion has helped Coleman overcome his addictions and get back on his feet. “I can’t blame anyone but myself for being homeless,” he said. He says he’s generally happy and will probably continue to work for the Hope Gospel Mission after he graduates from their program.
Judy Basacker, 64, and China Lee, 11
A car pulls up in the parking lot, where we’ve agreed to meet. A young redheaded girl jumps out of the passenger seat and hurries around to the trunk. She opens it and pulls out a wheelchair. Her small frame doesn’t seem strong enough to handle the bulky contraption, but she calmly unfolds it and pushes it around to the driver door. Her grandmother-turned-adoptive mother scoots out of her car and into the chair, dragging an oxygen tank with her. The girl closes the door and carefully maneuvers her mother across the bumpy lot.
Judy and China Lee are residents of the Bolton Refuge House and have been living in transitional housing for two months. They became homeless when Judy’s husband walked out and refused to pay child support, causing them to lose their house.
“A lot of people take things for granted, and I guess I did, too,” she said. “It can happen to anybody.”
Judy adopted China Lee when she was 3 years-old to get her away from her alcoholic mother. China Lee, a bright-eyed child, knows this, and sits quietly as she listens to Judy tell their story. She knows she’s not like other kids her age; she can’t do all the things other kids do because she is poor and has to help take care of Judy. But she tries not to let it get her down. Judy is aware of this and tries to make their lives as normal as possible.
“Don’t dwell on it,” she said. “Get yourself some good friends who will tell you how it is and help you. … There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. China Lee and I are going to come out ahead.”
CONTENTS:
• The Homeless
• The Volunteers
• The Help & The Struggles
• Meeting the Need
• Final Thoughts
ALSO:
• Statistics
• Six Months Later … Catching Up with The Homeless
• Support groups, pantries, and shelters
THE HELP & THE STRUGGLES (con't.)
Gary Steward – Hope Gospel Mission
The program at Hope Gospel Mission has enough stigmas and misconceptions to go around. Fueled by what people have heard, they’re thought to: have a program that is too strict and too long, often turn people away, kick you out if you don’t believe in God, make you go to a church of their choice, take all your money, etc. I can’t tell you that all of this is incorrect, but I can tell you what I was told when I presented these opinions to Gary Steward, the executive director.
Hope Gospel Mission does have a strict program, based on tough love – breaking a person down to bring them back up again. “The state is using a Band-Aid approach to fix people’s lives,” said Steward, referring to most agencies’ 30-day programs. “We need to take the Band-Aids off and stitch the wounds.”
He explained many of the problems they deal with at HGM are addiction, divorce, anger management, pride (people thinking they can fix themselves), and compulsive buying. Steward said many of the reasons men don’t seek help from HGM is because they are unwilling to follow the rules, such as the requirement to work, take their medication, obey curfews, and turn over their money to the mission’s financial counselors.
Yes, they do take your money. And your car. And you can’t talk to your family for the first few months. Why? Because if one is really, truly ready to admit that they need help, they will be willing to give up everything to start over. They need to be re-coached on how to handle life, how to get through the day without giving in to the old routines and addictions. They need to work to earn back money and learn how to handle it in a responsible way. And, in many cases, family members are enablers, so they say goodbye to the outside world for a little while and concentrate on themself.
Hope Gospel Mission does require its residents to attend church and bible study. The churches they offer are not because they impose certain religions, but because the church has to agree to a contract. Steward explained that they have had every denomination in the past; it’s only recently that it happens to be mostly Catholic. But, he says, they do not impose Christianity. They have had several atheists and non-Christians graduate from the program. According to Gary, a participant doesn’t have to agree with what they read, but must be willing to participate in the readings and follow the rules.
If and when individuals make it through the two-year program (12 will graduate this spring), they are given a car and if they do not already have a job, they are assisted in finding one, as well as a place to live. Steward stressed that men do not leave because of religion, they leave because of old addictions. Those who stay are the ones who have made a commitment to change.
Pete Riley and Dana Claesges – McKinley Charter School
When most of us think of a homeless person, we tend to picture an old dirty man wandering the streets, or maybe a crazy cat lady pushing around a cart full of plastic bags. What we don’t think about are homeless children. Children who are the caught in the mayhem of violent divorces, broken homes, irresponsible parents, left to fend for themselves. Some of these children run away from home and live on the streets or with friends. Others are forced to drop out of school and work to take care of themselves.
When this happens, Pete Riley and Dana Claeges step in. They are from Homeless Liaison, a statewide program designed to keep children in school. They take responsibility by providing alternative schooling hours and transportation. Each school in Eau Claire has a staff member designated to identify homeless children. When they discover a child who has trouble attending school either because of homelessness or problems in the household, they send them to McKinley Charter, a public school focused on giving disadvantaged kids a second chance. McKinley serves sixth through twelfth grades, and identified 188 children last year who were either homeless, staying with friends, or living in shelters.
Dani said many parents don’t see keeping their kids in school as their responsibility. Many of the children they see come from lower-income, uneducated families, and are stuck in the cycle of poverty. “You see your parents survive in a certain way, and hey, they survived, so this should work for me,” she explained as their way of thinking, “and so they continue to live that life because it’s what they know and they just don’t know any different.”
McKinley offers different programs that target kids’ specific needs. For those who need to work during the day, night classes are offered. For those in need of transportation, Riley and Claeges will purchase bus tokens, help pay for gas, or pick them up themselves. Other programs include sending teachers to juvenile halls or homes, drug and behavioral counseling, support for single parents, and transition to secondary education, the military, or the workforce. Pete put it simply: “We’re in the business of taking excuses away.”
Keith Johnathan – Eau Claire Housing Authority
Eau Claire has assisted living, but some community members perceive the homeless population as not using it, or perhaps that there’s not enough. Keith Johnathan, the executive director of the Eau Claire Housing Authority, is aware of the perceptions of their assisted living program.
“We serve different populations,” he explained. “We serve families; we serve the homeless; we serve disabled; we serve elderly; so I’m thinking we’ve got it all covered.”
Johnathan thinks they do a pretty good job, but knows they can’t satisfy everyone. Currently, 25 percent of available housing goes to the homeless. There are 783 housing and rental units available to those who qualify, which takes into account ability to pay rent, criminal background, and meeting Income Eligibility Guidelines. According to the Eau Claire Housing Authority Annual Report for 2007, one person had to have a salary less than or equal to $20,250. A family of four cannot make more than $28,900. When it comes to the homeless, they work with the Continuum of Care to provide transitional housing for people coming out of shelters.
“A lot of people, they don’t want what you have to offer,” Johnathan said. “They want you to gear towards them. Is that necessarily right? I guess it’s human nature. You know – I want what I want when I want it. But when someone else is footing the bill, you’ve got to have rules and regulations that you have to follow and perhaps people don’t want to do that.”
Brent Hafele – Chippewa Valley Free Clinic
The Chippewa Valley Free Clinic on Graham Avenue, open every Tuesday for walk-ins and Thursdays by appointment, offers primary care: exams, labs, X-rays, medications, therapies, socials services, and minor surgical procedures. Their specialties include diabetes, mental health, and (soon) ophthalmology (eyes).
The amount of people who fall in the low-income bracket is rising dramatically because of the recession, executive director Brent Hafele said. From January to September of this year, there was a 39 percent increase in the number of patients, compared to that stretch of time last year. “We’ve had white collar professionals come to us because they lost their jobs and their health insurance,” he explained. “We’ve just been pummeled with patients.”
During an average day, the clinic sees about 40 to 50 people seeking help for issues such diabetes, cardiac conditions, mental health, asthma, strep throat, urinary tract infections, sprains, and the flu. While they don’t keep track of who is homeless, they do record patients’ income levels. To receive services at the clinic, a single person must make equal to or less than $10 per hour working full time. A family of four must have a household income of less than $40,795.
According to Brent’s records from January to June of this year, 270 people were served. Of those, 234 were extreme low income ($13,000 annual income), 29 were very low ($21,700 annual income), and seven were low income ($34,700 annual income).
“There is a direct correlation between your level of wealth and your quality of health,” Brent said. He explained that a person who does not have money will buy Ramen over fruit and vegetables, will not be able to afford a gym membership, and will not take vacations to reduce stress levels because they cannot afford to. They’re also less likely to go to the doctor for coughs or stomach aches because they are afraid it might be something more serious that they can’t afford to fix.
CONTENTS:
• The Homeless
• The Volunteers
• The Help & The Struggles
• Meeting the Need
• Final Thoughts
ALSO:
• Statistics
• Six Months Later … Catching Up with The Homeless
• Support groups, pantries, and shelters
