He stood there on the grassy mound, looking down at the river as it surged towards the old bridge. The sun felt warm on his face and a gentle breeze caressed his hair. It was a glorious day and this was his favorite place to come every morning. It was where he felt closest to …
Amos’ Story
People who are homeless are not social inadequates. They are people without homes - Sheila McKechnie My name is Amos. I became homeless because an untreated bipolar disorder. I lost my job and ended up on the streets. I was afraid to go to a shelter because I heard so many stories of how dangerous …
The Winter Coat
It was a bit mild today, compared to yesterday, he mused as he walked briskly down the sidewalk. He was making his annual visit to the homeless youth shelter. As he was approaching the nondescript building, he noticed a young woman sitting on the steps. She wasn’t wearing a coat. Instinctively, he thought of the coats he …
Love in Greece Crisis: Prostitution
It's the oldest profession in the world. It existed since biblical times. What causes a woman to turn to prostitution? Women become involved in prostitution for a variety of reasons such as homelessness, child sexual abuse, mental ill health, trauma, previous sexual violence, drug and alcohol misuse, money pressures and poverty. According to an article …
Service: When Women Come Marching Home
Last month, my husband and I watched this documentary about women veterans who bore the scars of war. They suffered from post traumatic stress syndrome, sexual assault, rape and homelessness. CPL (ret.) Sue Downes lost both of her legs and was struggling to get the help she needed to integrate back into life. She had her …
Whitney Houston
I was shocked and sad when I heard that Whitney Houston was dead. She was only 48 years old--just a few years older than me. As I watched coverage on CNN and saw clips of her video The Greatest Love of All my heartfelt condolences went out to her mother Cissy Houston who was featured in …
Homeless Beauty Contestant
On Friday night I read the touching and inspiring story of Miss Colorado USA Blair Griffith. Blair and her mother were evicted from their home last November, just a month after she received her crown. This was the latest of the misfortunes the 23 year old has had to deal with. In an interview with TODAY’s Meredith Vieira, …
Notes to Women 