20 years of Tent City and working towards a better future…
I wanted to draw your attention to a recent blog post on 1Matters, 20 Years Down, 20 to Go & Tent City Updates for a variety of reasons. First, for those of you following what’s going on and what is still needed as far as donations, so you’d still have time to donate and/or volunteer. Secondly, because of what’s happening at today’s Toledo City Council meeting as far as the resolution being offered. If all goes well I plan to be Downtown to be able to witness a resolution that I helped craft, pass. That’s referenced in the part of Ken’s post under “Advocacy” — which specifically addresses some of the crimes and alledged crimes we have not been able to find out more about yet and today’s resolution which asks for Council’s support via a resolution to urge the Ohio General Assembly to consider legislation that would make certain violent crimes against the homeless have a stronger legal penalty than is currently on the books, as well as to encourage public education since a majority of the crimes committed against those who are unhoused are described as “thrill seekers” identified as being under the age of 25.
Toledo city council will be joining the statewide effort to enact such a bill. Rather than getting us a T-shirt, they have agreed to vote on a resolution asking the state legislature to enact a law increasing the penalties for those harming our unhoused friends. The purpose of this resolution is to send a very important message to three constituencies:
To the state legislature it says: We, the community of Toledo Ohio want to have Ohio matter to those who matter.
To those who desire to harm the weakest among us, they will hear that in our community it will not stand, because in our community, everyone Matters in Toledo Ohio.And to those, the unhoused citizens of our community who are our fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers, it says have faith and hope, because in the City of Toledo, you are the community, you really do matter.
Thank you. Onward, 20 years to go.
I’m very happy to have the opportunity to get involved in this.
So many people think that they care about the less fortunate – let’s see if they show up
But by the Grace of God,go I. This is an adaptation from the written words of John Bradford. He’s a man who is well worth researching.
Many of us who were somewhat wealthy but are not anymore.
Many of us who felt secure are now living paycheck to paycheck.
Those people had ought to show up and help those folks who are exactly like themselves. Just another week or two short.
But by the Grace of God,go I. So if you won’t help the needy, why should anyone expect help if they become needy?
October 28th, 2009 at 1:32 am[...] The staggering statistics are that Toledo is the eighth poorest city in the United States. Let me repeat that—the EIGHTH poorest city in the ENTIRE United States. Poverty and homelessness isn’t something that happens only in places like Detroit and Cleveland, it’s happening right here in our backyard. The reality is that it can easily effect any of us, especially in these difficult economic times we are facing. “First the electricity got turned off. We got that turned on. Then the gas got turned off. And once you start to get behind…You get to the point where you get behind on your rent as well and soon we were evicted. We came home one morning and found most of our belongings in our front yard.” All of us have missed a payment or two at some point in our lives. For some, it’s more than once or twice, and if a child is sick or the family car breaks down, then what? If you’re living paycheck to paycheck, (as the majority of us are) there’s nowhere for the money to come from. Many of us are that one paycheck away from poverty ourselves. So if you won’t help the needy, why should anyone expect help if they become needy? [...]
October 30th, 2009 at 11:23 am