Extra, extra, read all about it! Click here to read our Fall 2012 Newsletter. Highlights include spotlights on GMC’s psychiatrist and general practitioner, progress with housing our guests and helping them with benefits, and a management retreat with a team of MBA students.
Categories: Newsletters, What's New
Many of us encounter the same scenery every day during our regular commute: the street team sweeping sidewalks, the throng of people crowding the metro during rush hour, the same homeless individual at the same street corner every day. That homeless person often becomes a fixture of the landscape and is sometimes acknowledged, sometimes not. Nonetheless, there is always a feeling that something is missing, something different, when that person disappears from the landscape. Such is the case for those who passed by and knew Peter Bis, a homeless man who spent his days close to Union Station and Capitol Hill.
Read about Peter Bis and the lives he touched in the Washington Post.
And though Peter was not part of our Georgetown community, there are many individuals just like him who are. Whether it’s the quiet man with the cane outside of the Foggy Bottom metro during the evening commute or the skinny guy hanging out inside Starbucks, these people are part of our community and there, rain or shine. Next time you pass by, why not take a moment to make eye contact and say hello.
Categories: In the Press
Many people are often surprised to discover that many homeless people have cell phones. Even more surprising to many is that homeless people are also on Facebook and Twitter. A new study has found that homeless people are using their cell phones to connect to each other and to non-homeless people via Facebook and Twitter.
A recently published article in The Atlantic cites several statistics regarding homelessness and cell phone use, including one statistic from 2009 that states 30-45% of homeless people have cell phones. We can only imagine that that number has grown significantly with the widespread availability of pay-as-you-go phones and allure of smart phones.
At GMC, we have five beautiful computers for our guests to use. While a handful of our guests use the computers to search for jobs, the majority of our guests are on Facebook and YouTube. They are talking to their friends, homeless and not, and their family. They are watching the news and Tweeting about it, watching sports, nature documentaries, etc. I think this article in The Atlantic aptly describes why we see so many people in our center on social media sites:
It may just be that being able to connect through social networking and media sites makes it both easier to be homeless and easier to escape homelessness.
Categories: In the Press
Last week, we posted about Judy’s new apartment. She is settling in wonderfully in her furnished apartment, but she could use some help acquiring some basics, such as bedsheets. We’ve put together a wish list with Judy, and she would greatly appreciate any help in acquiring these simple items! If you are able to help her out, please call Stephanie or Roy at 202-338-8301 or bring donations to GMC Monday-Friday between 8am and 5pm.
Judy’s Wish List
Categories: Help, Needs, Success Stories
Last winter, it looked like we were finally going to get Judy, one of our longtime guests, into housing. We found her two places she could live, and everything looked good: applications accepted, interviews passed. All that was left was for Judy to say yes to one of the housing options. Then, at the last minute, Judy told us, “Thank you, but no thanks.”
Everyone who knew Judy was sad and confused. Why would someone go through this entire process only to walk away at the last minute? Still, we didn’t give up hope. Roy, our Outreach Director and Case Manager, worked steadily with the Department of Human Services to get Judy into housing. And finally, this past Monday, Judy signed her lease.
Judy came back to visit us a few days after she moved in and was so excited. The best moment was when she turned to us and said:
I never thought of me and success together, but man, you can now consider me a success!
We are happy and proud of Judy, but must also give major kudos to Roy, who drove Judy to and from many apartment showings and meetings with DHS, and who never gave up hope that we could get Judy a place of her own. People like Judy motivate us to keep trying and persisting, day after day. Congratulations, Judy!
Categories: Success Stories