I have escaped work for my lunch hour and have found sanctuary in a local Long Beach Starbucks. Nestled into a corner with my lunch and some coffee, I wanted to make sure I got a post out there about two fantastic readers who would like to help other homeless individuals in need. So, if you or somebody you know could make use of either of these two generous offers, please contact me at info@girlsguidetohomelessness.com, and I’ll hook you up with one of the two awesome ladies in question.
First off, we have Debra:
Hello, my name is Debra and I was very inspired by your blog. I am writing because I have some clothes for children, most of them new in sizes 8 – 10 and new shoes in size 12. I would like to give them to family who has a girl who can wear them – I do not want to leave them at a Goodwill to be sold; they are for free. I have been told there are a lot of families that park at Walmart or other stores. I know how things are, for my husband and I are raising 4 grandchildren on our SS check and sometimes the money is gone before the month is over. There are 6 of us in a 2 bedroom, but I have my faith in God, and feel blessed to have a roof over our heads. So, if you know of someone who can use the clothes and shoes have them email me at xxxx@xxxxxxxx and I can deliver to them!
Thank you so much, Debra, for offering to help homeless individuals by donating clothing, even though you and your family are experiencing rough times like everybody else! I’m sure we will find a really awesome family for you to donate to, who will very much appreciate the clothes.
Next, we have Wendy:
I don’t know if you have many readers in eastern North Dakota/Western Minnesota, but my office has a part time clerical position open. It’s 12-15 hours a week, and starts at $9. If there’s anyone out there who is near the right place geographically and wants more info, please put them in contact with me. There’s too many people who are un- or under-employed out there.
Hi, Wendy! Too, too true. Thanks so much for your offer; I’m hoping some super-deserving reader from North Dakota/Minnesota will be perfect for the job. Readers, anybody out there want to be put in touch with Wendy about the clerical job?
So, yep yep, this is today’s quickie post – gotta get back to work soon! Matt landed safely in Scotland and he’ll be away for nearly 2 months this time (blegh!) so I have to keep myself busy, busy, busy! We’re hoping to be able to get settled into an apartment or small house in Long Beach when he gets back late November-ish. I’ve never had a Christmas before, and this will be my first – so we’re both excited about making it an event, and Matt doesn’t particularly want to have a Christmas in a trailer (to me, it doesn’t matter so much, since I’ve never celebrated before anyway – religious stuff, urgh – and last Christmas, which was supposed to be my first, I found out my boyfriend at the time was cheating on me, which sort of soured the entire deal for me up until now). Besides, the daily commute from Riverside to Long Beach is killing me. That’s four hours of my life, every day, that I’ll never get back – it would be so great to just wake up and drive around the corner to work. Maybe soon.
So, anyone with leads on a small, very affordable place in Long Beach or Lakewood-ish that will allow a BIG dog, please let me know! I’m spending hours each week scouring Craigslist… fun. But we’re so close, we’re in this limbo stage right now; we just want to tip the scales and get me from “quasi-homeless” to “absolutely not homeless at all by any definition, federal or otherwise”.
Thanks, guys! Love ya!
~Bri
I ended up homeless for almost three years because of a divorce. I already loved to travel so I did my best to make it seem like a positive experience. I moved into an apartment October 8th last year and am very happy to be warm in winter and cool in summer…plus have a BIG garden here
There is a fine line between full timing on the road and being homeless. When you are too poor to travel, the van falls apart and you could not possibly afford a place to live, that’s homelessness and it sucks 
I wrote about how I lived cheaply in my van, how I ate, where I camped and parked, etc. I hope this might help someone…
http://wendyusuallywanders.wordpress.com/ongoing-added-to-description-of-how-to-live-in-your-van/
I also have a Yahoo group about van living and camping….
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VanLivingAndCamping/
Hi…If you get into a place by Christmas, which I’m sure you will, let me know your address I’d like to send you some x-mas ornaments for your first Christmas! Let me know if you need anything else, I’m sure I can find some extra’s and help you out!
You need to know the rule about christmas stuff. If someone gives it to you, it is a keeper, no matter how trivial, or off the wall. So buy inexpensive ornaments from, where else, Walmart. But collect the ornaments that mean something. 10 years from now, you will have the most interesting collection!
I want to send you ornaments for your first x-mas tree, too!
There is a place at 842 Alamitos which has studio and a halfs for about $750 (cheap for LB) and I know some of the people there have large dogs. It’s not the prettiest place, or the best neighborhood… but it’s good for transportation, fairly close to the beach, and of course, affordable for that area. You also might want to try down along Pacific in San Pedro, where apartments are less expensive than LB.
Surprisingly, there are a number of nicer large one bedroom condos along E Ocean near Alamitos that are under $1000. I know that’s still too rich for my blood, but a lot of the places allow dogs. My daughter pays $950 (utilities included) for a place almost on the corner, and the residents have large dogs there.
Of course I probably don’t have to encourage you to get on the city’s section 8 waiting list… long as it is. If you get to the top and don’t need it anymore, at least you’ll know it’s there if you DO.
Lakewood is WAY too expensive, but there are also some cheap places to be had just south of Bixby Knolls, and some of those can be quite nice.
Also, there is a program for homeless in LB that will help you with getting a place and has showers and the like you can use… and if you’re still in the Walmart parking lot, you might want to move to the Walmart on Carlton in LB… it’s much closer to Lakewood if that’s where you’re working.
Once you get settled I recommend furniture shopping at the Goodwill on Atlantic and Willow or the Salvation Army on Alamitos just north of E Aniheim. They often have a good selection of furnishings at a reasonable price, and of course the St Vincent DePaul society in LB can also help with home furnishings, bedding, pots and pans and the like.
Good luck. I know that being homeless in LA county really stinks.
Oh, and LB is really cool because there are so many free events and festivals to go to. You’ll never be bored in LB. I don’t recommend swimming there (too dirty) but love going out to San Pedro (even by bus) to Cabrillo beach. It costs to park on the beach itself, but there is plenty of on street parking. The aquarium is free (and a great place to visit) and often has a number of events throughout the year.
MOLA (the Museum of Latin American Art) also has free admission days. It’s located on Alamitos in LB. And I think the busses in the downtown area are still free, including the busses out to Pine St (the restaurant district) and down into the waterfront area (including the Aquarium of the Pacific)
Feel free to contact me directly for more info on living on the cheap in LB. I left LB 2 years ago, but my daughter still lives there and we can probably get together some very current info for you.
We love that you are sharing ideas of how individuals can help others in your situation; what a wonderful way for you to further the generosity of your community!
Hey there lady! I sent you a great long email about my coping with homelessness and tips to help keep you or readers out of the gutter!!! I know you have little to no time at all so I will help us both by trying to publish it here….
A homeless guys two-cents and tips for survivalism
My experience on the streets is here for all to help them overcome the situation in front of them and hopefully save some people from a worse fate.
POSITIVITY- If you stay positive people will notice and they will gravitate more towards you, thus gaining more good luck or kharma…. Also think of how badly other people have it and you might just never need to feel so bad about what is going on in your life….(starvation, AIDS, and also WAR)
RESOURCEFULNESS- If you can make the most of what you have then you will be richer for doing so. I sell my clothing or clothing I have gained from friends who dont want to make the effort at Buffalo Exchange (a hipster clothing joint that will buy your clothing or give you credit).
I use Metro PCS, which is a cellphone service that flashes Verizon phones (which can be bought for cheap used over craigslist.com) or you can buy the brand phones, they have unlimited data messaging and phone service for only $50 a month! Metro PCS may not be the very best but for phone service you do not have to count minutes nor do you have to have a credit card or credit check nor do you have a contract!!!!!
I also make money on the side by finding out when the area I am in has recycling being put out for collection and I go early morning with bags in tow (it helps a lot to have a bike or car for this to maximize collection) and I trash-dive for my earnings. Trash-diving may not be glam but it is an earnest way to gain capital. Be warned though that the city owns the bins and if you get caught you may be subject to fines. Also cans net you the most money but do not solely rely on cans because the pickings can be slim…. A tip for efficient gather is also to squeeze the air out of bottles and to stomp cans (some places wont take squashed cans but others will) so that the space in the bag is better utilized.
CLEANLINESS- Many times when I had explained to people I was homeless, they did not believe me because I kept myself from looking like a BUM. If you look like a bum people will treat you like one. It may not be fair to be treated poorly but people are people (depeche mode for the win). If you can find a gas station that has a bathroom with a lock and also a bathroom on the outside of the establishment, you can lock yourself inside, strip down and (if you have soap), wash yourself out of the sink. It will help you stay so fresh and so clean clean (some rap song I.D.K.). I have been offered a job and been homeless because the employer did not know I was homeless due to my appearance.
NEGATE BAD HABITS AND BAD PEOPLE- I have been robbed in my sleep because I trusted someone. Some people who are in the same boat as you are desperate and will not hesitate to make your situation into their gain. Also if they do drugs they will probably bring about the kind of people who will only bring you trouble. I know all of this from experience because though I only smoked pot, there are potheads who had nicked my belongings when my back was turned. Also be smart about people and try not to trust someone right off the bat because the world is full of smiling people who have a knife behind their back to betray you with (both figuratively and realistically).
GET A JOB- Some people do not know this but it is possible to have a job and be homeless. If you have followed my advice from above, you can turn your life around and make a positive out of a negative. If you do not have an address, either use one from a friends (with their permission of course) or if you really have to- use one that is local but not yours. More often than not, an employer only wants to know that you have a place and seem stable so fibbing might not be comfortable but you are not in the position to give away that much needed job due to an oversight. Also most jobs do not send anything out to the address and you wont have to use the address for long if you make enough to afford your own place.
A CAR CAN BE HOME- For those of you out there lucky enough to have one, a car can be your home. Those looking to buy a car but fear they may have to sleep in it, make sure you get something like a van, which has lots of room for your stuff and enough room to lay down comfortably.
A GYM PASS IS GOLD- I have a 24hr fitness pass. It is invaluable to me. I can work out and I can get a good shower. The cost for a years worth of this pass can be overwhelming at first but if you have enough to spend, it will be a much needed resource out there in your lifes adventure. I remember sleeping in my car near the gym, going to take a shower whenever I needed and then going about my day or even working out for a while (which kept me healthy, sane, and safe)
THE COPS ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS- Whatever you have been taught, the cops nowadays are not your friends. Most cops may be doing their jobs so do not give them any other reason to give you problems. Do not argue with them and being respectful will go a long way, even if the officer is not being so nice, you will benefit. Cops have been trained to spot people living out of their cars and they know the ins and outs of the city, so befriending any of them can be another resource.
I have survived on the good graces of people and I have many to thank for where I am today. Remember- you are not alone and you will survive!
-Henry R Martinez III
PS- I am in the Long Beach area and if you get a place with enough space, I am willing to give you $350 for some space on the floor in the corner. I am rarely home anyways so it would be more like a place to crash mostly. Hit me up for my phone number… defective.angel@gmail.com
CIAO
Hi Orange County girl. Just found your blog and I have to say that you are a very intriguing woman. I have never been homeless, so whenever I read blogs that talk about homelessness, from an up close and personal perspective, I take it all in.
The reason I am posting this, is that I run an online forum here in the Midwest, La Crosse , WI , to be specific…and there is a thread on my site that is talking about being homeless…several of the posters are a couple of my members, who have been homeless at various times in their lives. I will post the URL to your site, on my site, in case any of my forum members would like to come here and post their thoughts.
If permitted, I will post the direct link to that specific thread on my site (La Crosse Chat) here, in case anyone reading this wants to see what other’s opinions are on being homeless, etal:
http://lacrossechat.madmooseforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=18218#18218
Dave
i am a 38 yr old female from uppermiddle tn. i
am currantly homeless. i had a car accident 12-17-08 that wasn’t my fault. i was working for elmo greer & sons driving a 777 cat. which i became state certified to drive. you should google 777’s so you’ll see what i’m talking about. anyway i was able to stay self sustained for 7 months. my savings was gone by that point. i was still in the denial faze so i hadn’t applied for disability. my thoughts were i still needed time to heal. then i could go back to work. so after i couldn’t afford to pay the bills anylonger i moved in with my very selfish brother. at the time i thought he was returning the favor from when he and his family needed a place i was there. but after being there a couple of months and him coming up with the ways he would bennifit from the settlement i’ll get after the surgeries i need. but he didn’t know that it can take a year or more after i moved in to recieve it. so he starts saying how he needs a 2 car garage and that i could have it built and add an apartment on top. then i could live there for 3 yrs and pay my own utilities. after the 3 yrs i’d have to start paying him rent. i told him he was out of his mind and that when ever i do settle i’d buy myself a place . he started bothering me almost daily to go ahead and settle that he wanted his house back. just so you know i stayed in my room unless i used the bathroom or cooked. i tried to be as invisible as possible. i have a friend who pays my phone and car ins. and sends me $100.00 every month so i can get gas for my appts. and prescriptions co=pays. my brother and his wife knew this. i was waiting for my monthly allotment which should’ve come on a friday. by monday i still hadn’t recieved it and was talking to my 10 yr old niece and had mentioned the letter i was waiting on. she said it had come on friday and since i was gone to an appointment she gave it to her mother. which her mother denies. so anyway they stole the money and with my brother constantly riding me i could’t mentally take it any longer and moved into my tiny car. i have been living in it about a month, the pain stays at an 8 out of 10 with meds. there are no programs, churches that can help. i get foodstamps so i’m not hungry. my parents have my oyher bro. and his family living with them so there is no rom. they said if i could some how get a camper they would let me put it on their property. they already have hook-ups. if i could get a camper it woud get me out of this car and i’d be able to get my surgeries and have a stable place to recuperate, once thats done then i could settle with the ins. co. and get on with my life. i have 3 disks in lowest part of my back that are almost completly gone and 5 in my neck that are just a little better. if you could help with a decent camper this can help emensly. thanx c j