Homelessness in Arlington, VA

Community News

I met Bill Sharpe in 2006-ish through the local blogging community. In the years that followed, the more I was out & about looking for stuff to write about (or just living the good life), the more I saw Bill. 


He published the South Tampa Community News & last year launched the Tampa Epoch in response to the ban on panhandling. 


The Epoch benefits our homeless & near-homeless neighbors. It received considerable coverage from the local mainstream and alternative press and blogs.  


"I'm doing the right thing," Sharpe said on Rob Lorei's Radioactivity call-in show late last year.


Bill passed away earlier this month. Again all forms of media in Tampa Bay covered his work, life and death. The local circles on social networking sites continue to rattle with condolences. Both online and off, this is a community at its finest. It's unbearably sad, however, that we're one citizen less.


Celebrate Bill Sharpe Tuesday, April 17th at 5 p.m. at the Hyde Park United Methodist Church, and after 6 p.m. at MacDintons. 

For God, Country and Lunch

Trinity Cafe's Chef Alfred Astl and Program Director Cindy Davis.

"Kindness, love and compassion is the most important thing we do today," Program Director Cindy Davis told a circle of about 20 purple-aproned volunteers on Monday at the Trinity Cafe.
  
It was a few minutes before the 11:30 a.m. serving time at Trinity, where the homeless and hungry of downtown Tampa can go for lunch on most weekdays.

"Any time is a good time for pie."

The 4th of July special was double beef burgers and apple pie. A mix of pop and indie songs from Springsteen, the Eagles and Rhett Miller played in the background. 

A seasoned volunteer led a group prayer and then the doors opened for business. 

The volunteers worked two per table; one served while the other chatted up the guests. Cindy explained that because the homeless are among society's most shunned, acknowledging them is as important feeding them.

Several years ago Cindy was working for the Tampa Tribune when she read an article about the Trinity Cafe, no ordinary soup kitchen.

She envisioned volunteering there after retirement, which came earlier than expected when she was laid off on a Tuesday in 2009. 

"The following Monday I was down here volunteering," she said. Now she's one of two full-time employees, the other being Chef Alfred Astl.

Volunteer Rachel Coleman is the co-founder of High Hopes in High Heels, a networking and volunteering group for young professional women. 

Coleman said the group does five to seven charity events a year, including partnering up with the Shriners for their upcoming Glam Jam at the end of July. 

The group also does monthly community events, so Rachel and HHinHH member Andrea Balboa took this holiday to volunteer at Trinity. 

Rachel also recruited her fiance Frank Luis.

Orlando Gutierrez, 28, is an Air Force veteran who ran supply delivery convoys from post to post throughout Kuwait and Iraq during the current war. 

Orlando on volunteering: "Just paying it forward, as they say."

"I've been in this spot and needed help," he said when asked why he volunteered his time today.

"I got out of it and am doing well."

Orlando is currently a full-time student at USF majoring in social work. He's interested in volunteering with transitional housing programs and was told that the Trinity Cafe was a good way to get started. 

Trinity Cafe's Cindy Davis said the month of July is almost completely booked with volunteers. "Incredible," she adds, "It wasn't this way when I first started." 


They recently went to an online volunteer sign up, which Cindy said is more efficient, prevents overbooking and keeps volunteers coming back. 

Jesus Was Homeless

 One of my (many) jobs includes working p/t at the library. I interact with homeless people daily. Some crazy, some awesome, some crazy awesome. 


A few keep to themselves but most wave to me and smile as I go about my duties. So many of the familiar faces are happy to chat when we pass on downtown streets or even when I'm stopped at a red light in my car and they're on the corner panhandling. 

Isn't there a famous quote that goes something like: the value of a nation is reflected in how they treat their most vulnerable citizens...?

With all the hubbub in the past few months on banning panhandling in Tampa, there sure has been a shortage of voices from homeless folks. I was determined to change that. 


So I called a few social service agencies around town. Metropolitan Ministries referred me to a young single mother of two who was near graduation from their transitional housing program. 


As far as I can see the family is now getting the chance to live their happy ending, which is very heartening considering the hell they've lived through. 


When your life does not provide you with a safety net, thank goodness we have places like Metro Min. 


You can get your hands on my story in Friday's St. Petersburg Times (Tampa edition). Or online here. 


Also, Metro Min is always looking to build relationships with new landlords offering affordable rent. For more info, contact Kelly Fuller at 813-209-1053 or email kelly.fuller@metromin.org. 

WWNKD? (or Blame It on My Bleeding Heart)

I remember not liking to eat alone in my 20's, but taking myself out to lunch on a work day has become one of my favorite things about being alive (and employed).

I like the feeling of being a regular, counting the servers & owners among my friends. I also cherish the break from work that I spend noshing, scribbling, or just plain being.

After months of my weekly joyful lunching, Saturday was the first time I completely broke down upon returning to work to see a man who obviously was going without the basic necessities on a regular basis.

This was not a completely unanticipated event. I frequently walk around downtown and pass by plenty of people who panhandle; on every corner of every major (and minor) thoroughfare in this town, there stands a sad-eyed soul in a neon vest asking for help or money.

At the library, my coworkers and I know the names of many of these folks, we know their taste in movies, books, and music. We know which shelters they stay at, we know their names and faces when we see them out on the streets after the sun goes down and the library closes, when we get to go home.

During lunch on that particular Saturday, I had been thinking about a book I'm reading, Not on Our Watch. Lots of the photos in the book were taken by Nick Kristof, who writes about poverty, globalization and human rights for the NYT. I wondered how really hard core do-gooders can see this stuff (and much worse) day after day and still get through their days/lives without drugs/drink/breaking down.

Also fueling my tear ducts was an earlier conversation with co-worker/friend Emi, about how much we want to use our skills and ambition and energy to do good, but just can't seem to come up with exactly how or what we should do.

I don't think it's naive to care about others, but I'm getting increasingly frustrated because this is a case where action, not thoughts, counts most.