I would like to clear something up. It is the consensus of some that I am again out to discredit 1st stop. That is definitely not the case. So many times in the recent past I have expressed my approval with the leadership change that was made. That has not changed. It is so much better then before. I also realize that 1st stop is a necessity for many of the homeless and nearby low income residents. I also understand that when you take big government money you are bound by many rules and regulations. The vast amount of brick walls and red tape that those in dire need are subjected to does not help them but hinder them. My concern lies with statements made and actions not taken. In the case of the mother and her 2 sons living in the woods. She has told me that she has tried to get housing through first stop for over 2 months. She would bring her boys into first stop. They all knew that she had no home and that they were living in a tent. To me, that is dropping the ball. When an organization knowingly sends children back into the woods to live they have broken one of the cardinal rules. Not all of there money is given to them by the government. They also get private donations that do not have strict guidelines for helping people. This is not a personal attack on First Stop nor Clete nor anyone working there, Even though I am regularly perceived as ignorant and not knowing what I am talking about by them. The bottom line is within 1hr and a half of meeting these children our group had them in shelter and are working on getting them a job. Just because we dont collect money from the government doesnt mean we dont have a good networking system. I would suggest that Clete have a meeting with his people and tell them to watch what they say and how they say it because it comes back to bite them. I know they dont want to hear this but WE HEAR EVERYTHING. The mother of the 2 boys was told that the only way she could now get help from first stop was if she went on social media and discredited me and our organization. She refused. If that same zeal and enthusiasm was used in making a positive difference for the homeless the homeless numbers would go down instead of growing. They should try working with us instead of against us. (Rusty)
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 13:37:05 +0000
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