WITH PROPER ATTIRE, HOMELESS NOT SO HELPLESS; CLOTHES CAN TAKE PEOPLE OFF BEACH, STREETS.Byline: Dennis McCarthy Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
A few people slowed their leisurely walk on the Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. pier Sunday to read the cardboard sign posted next to the man sitting on a beach blanket below. ``Homeless but not helpless,'' it read. ``What's that supposed to mean?'' a young woman asked her friend. Neither of them could figure it out. Whatever it meant, they agreed, it was too nice a day to be worrying about such things. They kept walking. A few others, though, seemed to get it. They reached into their pockets and purses for some change to throw down from the pier to the blanket below. Quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies surrounded the middle-aged man sitting on the blanket, just staring out at the ocean. He never turned to look up at who was throwing him change, never said ``thank you'' or gave any sign of recognition. He just sat there staring straight ahead - homeless but not helpless. ``What do you think it means?'' my wife asked. I didn't have a clue. If it was a pride thing, the guy should have been out looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. work, not sitting on the beach - quasi [Latin, Almost as it were; as if; analogous to.] In the legal sense, the term denotes that one subject has certain characteristics in common with another subject but that intrinsic and material differences exist between them. begging. If it was a con, it was a good one because there had to be 20 or 30 bucks covering that blanket, and it was hardly noon. Not bad for a day at the beach. Homeless but not helpless. I liked it. Had a nice ring to it. ``You're getting jaded jad·ed adj. 1. Worn out; wearied: "My father's words had left me jaded and depressed" William Styron. 2. ,'' my wife said. Maybe, but who isn't? I made a mental note to call Janet Lavender lavender, common name for any plant of the genus Lavandula, herbs or shrubby plants of the family Labiatae (mint family), most of which are native to the Mediterranean region but naturalized elsewhere. The true lavender (L. on Monday for some sensitivity training. Janet's been there, done that, as she likes to say. Touched bottom before clawing her way back to where she could survive in society again without sticking her hand out. Today, she's one of those successful, well-dressed women working her way up the corporate ladder in the banking industry. A few years ago, she was one of those people who would walk up to you in front of a supermarket and ask for a few dollars because her car broke down. It was a lie, of course. She had already lost her car, along with the townhouse town·house or town house n. 1. A residence in a city. 2. A row house, especially a fashionable one. and everything else she owned - including her clothes. ``Things just fell apart on me,'' she says, trying to explain. ``My mom died, I got depressed, I got into drugs. I was a college grad with a business degree and a good job, now living in a women's shelter A Women's Shelter is a place of temporary refuge and support for women escaping violent situations, such as rape, and domestic violence. Having the ability to leave a situation of violence is valuable for women who are under attack because such situations frequently involve an , down and out.'' Janet can't speak for the mind-set and motivation of the man sitting on that beach blanket Sunday claiming to be homeless but not helpless, but she can speak for the concept. She can help clear up a few things that are bugging a lot of people, including me, when they see perfectly able-bodied people - men and women - begging when the newspapers are filled with want ads. ``For many of the homeless and people on welfare, it's the lack of training and ability to land any of those jobs that's the main thing,'' she says. ``For people like me, with the job skills, it was first finding my self-esteem again, then looking presentable pre·sent·a·ble adj. 1. That can be given, displayed, or offered: presentable gifts; presentable attire. 2. Fit for introduction to others: presentable relatives. going out on job interviews.'' Appearance and the right clothes. It's as simple and basic as that, Janet says. ``When I finally got back into the work force, I had the education to get the job, but not the money to buy the proper clothes. It was intimidating in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. working with other women with the corporate look you didn't have. ``I don't care
"Don't Care" is a 1994 (see 1994 in music) single by American death metal band Obituary. if you're a secretary. Secretaries still have to look good. Nobody in the banking industry was dressing casually, which was the only clothes I could afford after paying all the bills.'' Now, she can afford the right clothes, but the memory of what she went through to get this far has prompted Janet to begin a nonprofit A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive. Nonprofits are also called not-for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations are created according to state law. program called Dress 4 Success in North Hollywood. It seeks to provide professional clothing for low-income women looking for employment. She is reaching out to all professional women with the slogan ``Recycling your business clothes today moves another (woman) up the ladder to success tomorrow.'' Some of the women who will be helped are coming from the state Employment Development Department and a private, nonprofit program called Greater Avenues for Independence, which trains women living in shelters and on welfare to get ready for the work force. The Phoenix House, a shelter for children in Lake View Terrace, is serving as a drop-off point for business clothes in the northeast Valley area, and Janet is looking for additional drop-off points in the rest of the Valley. She also is looking for mentors for these women and local businesses willing to get involved. Homeless but not helpless. Maybe that's what the cardboard sign meant. Anyone interested in helping Janet can reach her at (818) 753-8245. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion