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Friday, 02/22/2013 8:18:38 PM

Friday, February 22, 2013 8:18:38 PM

Post# of 9333
Moscow's Homeless Walk All Night to Avoid Freezing to Death


Dr. Elizaveta Glinka renders assistance to a homeless person inside a medical van in
Moscow in this Dec. 3, 2007 photo. (ITAR-TASS/Landov)

By KIRIT RADIA (@KiritRadia_ABC) and TANYA STUKALOVA
MOSCOW Dec. 24, 2012

It had already dropped well below zero degrees Fahrenheit by the time Sergei arrived at the white medical van near the train station.

A threadbare coat did its best to block the bitter wind. Sergei tugged on a wool cap as cold gusts slammed into gaps of exposed skin. But that wasn't his biggest concern. Night was coming soon and his feet were freezing. He'll need them to keep moving if he wants to survive until morning.

Sergei joined dozens of others crowding around the van. They are among this frozen city's most vulnerable population: the homeless, and they fear freezing to death every night.

Some of them came for the a warm meal, others for medical attention. Sergei opted only for a pair of warm socks.

Nearby another man named Gennady clutched a bag of medicine he picked up.

He has to be careful. Recently a friend was among the estimated 220 Russians who have died during the past three weeks, the longest deep freeze here in 75 years. Temperatures have fallen as far as -14F on some nights. Few days have risen above 2F.

Gennady's story is sad, but not unique.

He arrived in Moscow .. http://abcnews.go.com/topics/news/moscow.htm .. in 1997 from his native Belarus to find work in construction.

"I got a job and everything was great," he recalled.

When new bosses took over the company, however, anyone without a Moscow residence permit was fired. He survived for a while on odd jobs remodeling homes.

But one day he says he was beaten up by a group of drug addicts and was in the hospital for two and a half months. During the scuffle he lost his registration papers, making finding legitimate work impossible in a country where a passport is required for even simple tasks like picking up dry cleaning.

From there it was not long before he found himself on the streets.

Many other men who came to the van that night had similar stories. Most migrated to the Russian capital from the countryside or from neighboring countries in search of work. Many who were lucky to find a job faced discrimination from employers. Some struggled with addiction.

Their plight on the streets is compounded during the long, harsh Russian winter. The cold lasts six months a year and the darkness lasts up to 17 hours a day.

"We try to survive," Gennady said.

During the day he rides the subway for hours. It's one of the few warm places where he can sleep. At night he wanders the streets to fight off frostbite after he and other homeless people are kicked out of the stations.

Sunday was Gennady's 43rd birthday.

After a half dozen years providing medical care to Moscow's homeless, Dr. Elizaveta Glinka, or Dr. Liza as she is known, has seen everything. The most common injuries are frostbitten extremities and burns from unsafe heaters.

The worst, she says, are the frozen bodies she and her fellow volunteers find.

Every day she sees homeless patients in her clinic, part of a charity she runs called "Just Help .. http://doctorliza.ru/ ." Every day about 100 people come there for food. A couple times a week she and her team take the van out to reach more people in need.

As men and women crowded around her van she doled out medicine, clothing, advice, and a hopeful smile. This was a good day. Someone donated a jar of caviar and she was able to spoon out some of the delicacy to the needy.

"This time of year there are a lot more people than in the summer. Now there are lots of people," said Nikolai Belikoff, one of the volunteers.

One of them is another homeless man named Alexander, who came to the van that frigid night in search of medicine and a warm meal.


Page 2 of 2 MOSCOW Dec. 24, 2012

Moscow's Homeless Walk All Night to Survive Frigid Temperatures

He was a welder, but he said one day his employer took his identification documents to issue work permits. He never saw the man or his papers again.

He explained that he cannot get into the city's homeless shelters at night because they are reserved for people from Moscow. He also knows people who have died from the cold, but so far he hasn't gotten frostbite.

"Thank God, not yet," he said.

Alexander comes to the mobile clinic most Wednesdays for warm food and medicine. He says they've help keep him alive.

Stanislav is luckier than most. He has been going to the same building entrance every night for two years. They don't kick him out, he explains, because he doesn't cause any trouble.

"They know me there. They don't touch me," he said.

Others, he said, are expelled from public buildings when they close for the night. He knows homeless people who disappeared after a particularly cold night.

As Dr Liza saw her last patient for the night -- a man who wanted her to inspect his ear -- Nikolai and the other volunteers packed up the van.

The crowd dispersed and Sergei, his new socks still in hand, walked off into the night.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/moscows-homeless-walk-night-avoid-freezing-death/story?id=18057192

======

Hunger and homelessness rise in the US

December 22, 2012 00:49


Bennie Thomas, who is homeless, eats a free Thanksgiving meal for the Skid Row homeless
and needy at the Los Angeles Mission in Los Angeles, California November 21, 2012.
(Reuters/Jason Redmond)

Homelessness and poverty is on the rise, with 84 percent of US cities reporting that requests for emergency food assistance increased in 2012. Of those seeking emergency food, 51 percent were families and 37 were employed.

The news comes just a few days before millions of Americans get together for Christmas. With homelessness and poverty reaching record levels this year, many families may not be able to afford the feast they were able to prepare in the past.

The Hunger and Homelessness Survey released by the US Conference of Mayors states that of 25 cities surveyed, 21 have seen an increase in homelessness this year and the remaining three said it remained at the same level. Cities of all sizes, regions and wealth levels were surveyed, including Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Salt Lake City.

The report found that 46.2 million Americans, or 15 percent of the population, were living in poverty, and the number of homeless people on a single night in January 2012 was 633,782. The struggling US economy has caused many workers to move from full-time work to part-time, scraping by and living from paycheck to paycheck.

“In the last year, we saw a brand-new 26,000 households [about 56,000 individuals] needing food who never did before,” Steveanna Wynn, executive director of the SHARE food program in Philadelphia, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The increase in poverty and homelessness is “the worst it’s ever been,” she added. “These people never in their wildest dreams through they’d have to go to a food cupboard.”

Of those who sought emergency food, more than half were providing for their families, 37 percent were employed but not making enough money, 17 percent were elderly, and 8.5 percent were homeless, the survey found.

To add to the severity of the situation, states are not able to provide the resources that people are seeking. Of the people needing emergency food assistance, 19 percent did not receive it – even though budgets for emergency food purchases increased by 11 percent this year. With a demand greater than the supply and a looming ‘fiscal cliff’ threatening to cut the already-scarce number of benefits, poverty-stricken Americans may be facing a crisis.

With 2012 creeping to an end, struggling families are concerned that the potential ‘fiscal cliff’ could worsen their situation, especially if government funds for safety net programs are reduced and emergency unemployment benefits come to an end. Mayor Terry Bellamy of Asheville, N.C. told the Salt Lake Tribune that she is worried there won’t be enough resources for a growing number of struggling Americans in the future.

“Dealing with growing needs in the face of dwindling resources is nothing new for mayors, but we are especially concerned about what could happen to our emergency food and shelter programs next year, and in the years beyond, if Washington cannot find a responsible way around – not over – the fiscal cliff,” she said.

Carey Morgan, executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger, said she doubts conditions will improve for those in need of food or shelter.

“Congress is considering cutting food stamps,” she said. “Things could all be culminating in a great disaster. It’s all kind of disgusting.”

http://rt.com/usa/us-food-percent-emergency-612/

======

Homeless Persons' Week 2013

Monday 5th August - Sunday 11th August

Homelessness Australia’s 2013 campaign will look at people who often do have shelter but are still homeless. According to the 2011 ABS Census of Population and Housing 94% of people who are experiencing homelessness are not on the streets. HA has identified four key groups of people who are often overlooked and undercounted when it comes to finding the homeless.

• Women (and children) homeless because of domestic and family violence

Domestic and family violence is the single largest reason people present to specialist homelessness services. Statistics show that one in three women will experience violence in their lifetime, with one in six women experiencing violence at the hands of a partner. Not all people will become homeless as a result of domestic and family violence, but there is a clear link between domestic violence and homelessness. Because of threats to their safety women (and children) are often forced, or make decisions, to leave their home, and as a result experience social and personal disruption and financial disadvantage.

• The ‘old’ and the ‘young’ staying with other households

Nearly half the people who are experiencing homelessness are under 24 years of age. Young people experiencing homelessness are more likely to be exposed to factors which are detrimental to their health such as drug use, inadequate nutrition, limited access to medical care and school, unsafe sexual encounters and violence. Research shows that young people who first experience homelessness before the age of 18 are more likely to experience persistent homelessness in adulthood.

Recent estimates have people over 55 years of age comprising of one fifth of Australia’s homeless population. Australia’s population of over 55s is predicted to double between 2010 and 2050, making it very likely that homelessness among them will be a growing issue. A third of those over 55 who are experiencing homelessness are “staying with other households.” Some of the reasons older Australians become homeless include: problems family conflict, poor physical/mental health and problems associated with housing itself (eg private rental housing turned into housing developments, no savings and living off the pension). Older women are particularly vulnerable to homelessness due to family violence and the economic disadvantage related to low income and lack of savings and superannuation, lack of equity in housing and the high cost of private rental and home ownership.

• People in housing crisis

The increasing cost of living means more and more people are in housing crisis and at risk of becoming homeless. In the last 10 years house prices have increased by 147% in comparison to incomes which grew by 57%. Rents in capital cities have risen at twice the rate of inflation and over 150,000 Australians in private rentals are paying more than 50% of their income on housing costs.

More than 1 million Australians are in housing stress. Housing stress means that people cannot financially cover their full living costs or maintain their house. Data from the AIHW shows that there is a great number of people presenting to specialist homelessness services because of housing stress and housing crisis. Not all people who present require accommodation assistance, with a growing number looking for material aid, financial counselling and information and assistance to sustain tenancy or foreclosure.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

According to the 2011 Census, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders comprise of 25% of the
homeless population – a gross over-representation of the 2.5% of the Australian population.


More than 20% of people supported by specialist homelessness services identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander including more than 1 in 4 children aged 0-10.
The concept of home for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders can be different. In addition to physical homelessness, spiritual homelessness (a disconnect from traditional land or country) can be a significant issues for Indigenous Australians.

There is currently a shortage of more than 20,000 properties across Australia that are affordable and appropriate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The shortage of larger houses that can accommodate kin and increasingly children in kinship care arrangements means that high numbers of Aboriginal people are in severely overcrowded households.
Due to the remote locations of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people there is often a lack of specialist homeless services, less workers and substandard housing, which all contribute to severe overcrowding and other forms of homelessness in remote communities.

Need ideas for your Homeless Persons Week event?

http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/index.php/events/hpw/hpw-2013

It was Plato who said, “He, O men, is the wisest, who like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing”

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