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Volume XI, Issue 9
Buying into a Christmas without presents
Sean’s Story
Lois Lane By Lois Cross
Me? Thankful for WHAT? That might very well be the answer to a question on what we should be thankful for. We’re coming to the close of yet another year. It seems like yesterday that we were worrying about Y2K and what catastrophe that could wreak. Sometimes I think that 2009 has done the job but I won’t get into that. (Continued on pg 7)
* Little Ryan * Earnest Bowens & Family * Ed & Ruth * Rudy * Lisa * John McLean * Darren * Jan Cerrito * Rev. Patrick O’Shen * Angela Forrest & Family * Angelo * Maria Dragon * Blanch Lake * Dave Nerau * Megan * Theresa * Allen Rosenthal * Gloria Parker * Carlos * Adeel Jamal
Cathy’s Prayer List To add a name please call 954-410-6275, no menetary donations needed
By Sean Cononie The month of November I had the lovely experience of taking my lovely three grandchildren to Disney. It was for sure a magical week as they say in the world where dreams come true. I needed the rest because it has been the first real vacation I have been on in like ten years. Plus I just got out of the hospital for high blood pressure. It started off as a rest but also one of the best vacations I have ever been on. For my three little grand girls I just love so much were by my side for most of time. I had to get a scooter because I am still dizzy from the high blood pressure and still trying to find the best meds for me to take. I have been in and out of the hospital three times in the last twenty days. I am surprised I made it this long working like I do. You know how it is to try to give your kids everything they want when it comes to them being the little ones you love so much. Dresses, rides, rides again, rides a third time and of course every little snack that had Mickey’s little ears on it like the ice cream sandwiches. Then of course having their own private lunch with snow white, and every other fairytale princess that Disney ever created. Nothing was too good for them not to have. I am lucky because when I was young at 19 and got hurt I was given a very large sum of money and even though I have my own disabilities I do have a decent amount of income from my investments from when I got hurt. This allows me to be a little more generous when I can. So this
trip was to be a vacation and a rest and a little work and several days of having my cardiac incidents that required EMS to show up at the hotel I was staying at. Even with the medical issues I still had joy each and every day, but all this joy did bring some sadness. I love to watch people, I love kids and I just loved seeing the little princesses dressed up in their little costumes. But because I am a watcher of people, I sometimes do what I am not supposed to do and that is to eaves drop on conversations between parents when their kids want something on the shelf of a Disney or any other store. I soon became sad because I heard so many times the parents saying “honey we can’t afford this” or when talking with the kids, they would tell their little ones that, “mommy and daddy do not have any more money.” On one occasion I saw daddy go in the corner and actually count out his money and he even wrote down some figures he even picked up his cell phone to call mommy who was just a few feet away and ask her how much the room was for each night, then he said they were going to run out of money and maybe have to cut one day off their trip. I wanted so bad to go over to the dad and tell him that I was going to buy their little one the dress she wanted so much but I thought maybe I would embarrass him even if I did it in private way. I finally went up to the dad and said to him, I could not help but to over hear that they were short on funds on their trip. He said they would be ok that they would come back (Continued on pg 7)
www.PayItForward.cc
By NEDRA PICKLER AP WASHINGTON -I’m not a Scrooge, really. I embrace almost all of Christmas. Except for one time-honored tradition that brings so much stress and expense that eliminating it has made the holiday even more magical. Join me — and others who are signing on in times of tight budgets — in the wonderful simplicity of a Christmas without presents. If 2009 taught us anything, isn’t it that we can live with less and actually maybe even live better that way? My family stopped exchanging Christmas presents when I was a teenager and my single mother was out of work. We thought of it as a sacrifice that we had no choice but to make. We didn’t realize at first that getting back all the time we spent shopping, wrapping and stressing out over gifts was the best present we could give each other. But we’ve never gone back to the old way of presents stacked under the tree. We haven’t missed the bottles of scented lotion that cluttered our bathrooms but didn’t get used, the Santa Claus pajamas that were out of season after a couple of weeks, or the myriad gadgets that we didn’t really want or need. Instead of going to the crowded mall, we spent quiet evenings at home together, listening to holiday music and playing games. Money saved could be spent on a lavish Christmas dinner — and we had a New Year free of holiday bills. I’m not the only one promoting the no-gift idea, especially as the economy gets worse. Deloitte predicts holiday sales will remain flat compared to last year, when spending fell 2.4 percent in the first decline in holiday sales since the financial services firm
(Continued on pg 11)
8 Ways to Cut Costs in Your Garden Kelli B. Grant www.smartmoney.com
Done right, caring for your yard and garden leaves you with two kinds of green: the kind you tend and the kind you spend. As it turns out, few amateur gardeners are doing it right. Most homeowners base their watering and planting habits on what their neighbors do, says Bruce Butterfield, the research director for the National Garden Association. That’s a big mistake. You could be misinterpreting your neighbor’s advice. He could be working with an entirely different ecosystem. Or he simply could be wrong. Odds are good you’re over-watering – and
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Friends of the Homeless For just $15 a month you can keep a homeless family off the streets for a day Adam Staler Adriana Fernandez Adriana N. Quila† Adrienne and Mike Al & Barbara Liebmann Al and Annie Albert J. Hamilton Ph D Albert J. Taragowski Allen Yancy Amanda Reynolds Amber Rowan American Express Charitable Fund Amparo L. Korey Amy Curic Andre Johnson Andrea Brown Andrew N. Daly Ann M. Hamilton Ann-Marie White Anna Marye Levier Anthony Ralph Anthony Rhodes Antione Collins Armando Reyes Arnold Reemer Atkinson and Bartley Barbara Desanto Barbara Robinson Barbara Strong Baumann Family Beatriz C Perez Beth Farans Bill and Priscilla La Gasse Bob Hall Bobby Neal Bonita L Akinji Brad and Krystal Kelly Brian Herrmann & Aura Herrmann Bruce Wethersoon C.R. Gallagher Calvary Chapel of Doral Carl L Miller Carlo Harrison Carol Lockette Carol Murray Carolyn and Family Casandra Thomas Cathy and Kids Charles J. Youngman Charles K. Wilson Chris Sanchez Christine M Wilson Christine McAuliffe Clark Rogers Claudia K. Tapolow††† Collectron of Atlanta Comet Couriev† † Connie & Ginger Murphy Constance Lessoff Constance M Fast Corinne James Covenant of Goddess, Elibet Hanson Crime Watch Dalal Hammoud Almeida Dallan Michele King Dan Gilcert Danbareli Holdings Inc. Daniel Harrison Danny and George Darla King Darren Nolf David Thawley David V Torlone
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Mail check to: COSAC Foundation P.O. Box 292-577 Davie, FL 33329 Please include on memo what name should appear in paper. In Memory of Steven Maderman In Memory of Martha Hughes In Memory of Bill Sledge In Memory of Billy Corwin In Memory of Brian Groleau In Memory of C.T.R. In Memory of Charles Horton In Memory of Chief George J. Hodges In Memory of Dan Holland In Memory of George Ericson In Memory of Gertrude Chong In Memory of Irene Grady Johnson In Memory of Martin Grey In Memory of Maxima† In Memory of Melba DeSanto In Memory of My Good Friend Pat Gibson In Memory of My Mother Pearl McCann In Memory of Scott Paul Cooper In Memory of Stanley Smolen In memory of Wesley H. Woodall† In Memory of William F. Judge Intercontinental Management Consulting Group, Inc. Isabelle J. Henry Ivonne Fernandez J. Coffee Jackie Johnson Jacqueline M. McCarty Jacqueline McCarty James & K. Heather Molans James Black James D. Potter JR Jamie F. Flores Janet Campbell Jason Emrik Jason T Korose & Marie D Plett Javier Perez Jeffrey and Veronica Bujold Jennifer Hicky Jennifer S. Nickel Jenny Curic Jessica Padilla Jesus Diaz Jim Johnson Jim Lentz Jimmy Daniels Joan Futscher & Kids Johanna T Law Revocable Intervivous Trust John & Ruth Mautino John C. Burt John Criasia John Dinielli John Evans & Family John Gaeta Johnís Plumbing Service Jonathan Burger Joseph Raymund Joseph Soares Joseph Yagbes
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Sandra K Stevens Sandra L. Wilhelm Sarah R Currin Savoia Sweig Sebastian Parks Sergio Cobo Sheila Holder Sheldon Jones Sherline Cyriaque Southern Financial Title Services Inc. Steinhardt Family Steve Dillan Steve Goolsby Surfiní Seniors Inc Susan C Humeston Susan P Brady Suzette M. Rodriguez Tailored Advertising, Inc Tamara Southard Tara Hunter Temple Aron Hakodesh Temple Beautiful Thank you so much Sean & Lois for all your help. Thank You Winn Dixie The Baldwin Family The Baptista Family The Chilsons The Davis Family The Geise Family The Herrmann Family The Herrmann Family The Kunicki Family The Ladueís The Maione Family The Martinez Family The Matsuura Family The Monserrate Family† The Morabito Family The Nicaraguaís The Ramos Family The Rionís Family The Savir Family The Schneider Family The Strikowski family The Swartout’s†† The Verny & Stewart Families The Watsons Thomas A Kramer Thomas Rua Thye Rencurrellís Timothy and Barbara Wilson Timothy L. Whitelaw Timothy Lukehard Todd Palgon Tom Thumb Food Stores, Inc. Tressie W. Osborne Uylna Quadrino Vance Gunn Virginia H. Bailey Wendy Bryan Wynona A Thompson Yorick and Bonita † Yvonne Fischer Zlata and Alfredo Jr Salazar
Volume XI, Issue 9
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Our Homeless Voice readers:
We are always looking for ways to bring more money into the shelter- the more money we have the more we can do with our various agencies. Besides the generous donations that are sent directly to the shelter we are also able to make money when you use GoodSearch online. This month through January we have also teamed up with Avon. If you go to www. youravon.com/stargett and use promotional code: HOMELESS we get 20% of the proceeds! So before you head to the mall, check out Avon for your stocking stuffers, home goods, and cosmetics. Every penny makes a difference here and every donation is greatly appreciated! Season Greetings and God Bless! -Mark Targett
One of the best tools we have in staying healthy is prevention and early detection. Women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year, and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health. A mammogram is an x-ray exam of the breast. It is used to detect and evaluate breast changes. Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam (CBE) as part of a periodic (regular) health exam by a health professional, preferably every 3 years. Monthly they should perform a self breast exam. For step by step instructions on how to properly perform a self brest exam ask your primary health care provider/ gynocologist or use this link: http://www.cancer. org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_6x_how_to_ perform_a_breast_self_ exam_5.asp
We at the Homeless Voice are establishing a new subscriber list in the event of an financial emergency. Most of you all know we take the most chronic homeless individuals.
Funded shelters have very strict rules on who they can take, we don't. Most of you also know the reason why we can take the hardest of the hardest cases is because we and you fund our shelter system. This is great, we can buy what we need now not five months later trying to get approval. We can do outreach in the street and find a way to help them right then and there. We can do all of these great things because of you all who donate money to us allowing us to continue to treat the most difficult cases in the community. However there are some down sides as well. We have always saved money for emergencies like hurricanes. Now we are trying to prepare for a pandemic. This swine flu I was watching the kill ratio and the amount of people in Florida who were infected so I could start our own procedure of pulling the vendors off the street so they don’t get sick coming in contact with all those people. Most of you know that I have been trying to educate as many people as I could with our own paper telling each and every one of you to be prepared. With a pandemic comes social disruption where food is not always at Publix and jobs are not always available and that also means charities and churches are at risk of going out of business. In fact with so much turmoil charities and churches do not even want to ask for money at the time of a major crisis where thousands will lose their lives. Sure we do it for disasters but doing it for a pandemic is going to be difficult for most of us who depend on your support. What I wanted to do was to secure our supporters emails in case there was a
THANK YOU AGAIN LORD FOR SUCH A WEAK FLU!
Publisher (middle) Sean Cononie meeting with Rain Wilson and his wife discussing poverty in America and the continued world hunger problems and the efforts the Homeless Voice is making in Haiti. major issue such as a pandemic where we could reach out and send an email to each supporter for them to please send in their $2.00 donation each and every month we are not on the streets. The government has already instructed businesses to keep money saved for a pandemic so they can continue to serve people and to pay their staff. We have a very detailed plan on how to cut costs and cut our own expenses where we could cut our budget down from the 100,000 a month to about 65,000 a month where we could survive even longer but that is the lowest possible budget we can live on. You can send in a one time donation today for $16.00- this would allow us to run for the worst type disaster for a period of
up to eight months. If you want to send in your donation today please see the below instructions. Before I go, please even if you do not wish to help us reach these goals or you just can't help us now please remember the need for you and your family to be fully prepared in case there is a pandemic is essential. Please each and every month stock up on supplies and if you are prepared you will not have to panic. Please go to our Pandemic web site at: www.PandemicBirdFlu.ws COSAC EMERGENCY FUND P.O. Box 292-577 Davie, Florida 33329
Members of the Florida based band Creed with Homeless Voice Staff Mark and Sara Targett
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When giving gift cards, understand the pitfalls
8 Ways to Cut Costs in Your Garden (Continued from pg 1)
therefore over-paying, Butterfield says. Instead of peering through the fence for help, try these eight tips for a more energy- and water-efficient yard: Collect Rainwater Take advantage of rainy days to cut your water bill. Venkappa Gani, a Houston-based master gardener with the technology trade association IEEE, uses a rainwater harvesting system that filters rain from roof gutters into a large tank. Just as effective: Put a rain barrel or other container outside to collect a few gallons -- enough to round the flower beds with a watering can. A gardener in Providence, R.I., using 10 gallons a week at 29 cents a gallon could save nearly $70 over six months. M o w sparingly Grass that’s cut too short will struggle to grow and require more water, Butterfield says. Never chop off more than a third of its height at a time, and keep it at least three inches tall, he says. Don’t bag the clippings, either; they provide the lawn with water and nutrients. Super-size containers With houseplants, window boxes and other potted plants, make sure there is plenty of room in the container for growth over the course of the season, says Karla Chandler, the curator of the Helen Mattin Warm Temperature Pavilion at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in New York. If there isn’t enough soil amid all those expanding roots, the plant may need more frequent watering. Plant trees Strategically planted, trees can help you regulate the temperature
of your house, cutting back on energy costs. Planting evergreens on the north side of your house blocks the winter winds, while deciduous trees like maples along the south side of your home shield against the summer sun, says Chris Cipriano, the president and CEO of Cipriano Landscape Design in Ramsey,N.J. Those trees can cut annual heating and cooling bills by up to 25% -- or up to $278 for the average U.S. household, according to the Department of Energy. Use local flora Every plant has specific soil, climate, sun and water needs. If they go unmet, the stressedout flora may suck up double the amount of water in their effort to survive. Stick to plants that are well-adapted to the area and the conditions of your yard, Gani says. Garden centers can point you to native and drought-resistant varieties -- and cut your outdoor water bills in half. Embrace mulch Mulch and compost retain moisture and allow you to wait longer between waterings, Chandler says. Both also result in healthier soil, which promotes deeper roots and gives plants access to water deeper in the soil. That means less water from your hose and a lower utility bill. Time watering sessions Set the timer on the sprinkler system to no later than 9 a.m., Butterfield says. Heat can evaporate the water before plants have time to soak it up. Ideally, irrigate the yard only on days when it isn’t windy. Strong gusts can carry water away from areas that need it, leaving others too soaked. Upgrade your equipment An efficient sprinkler system uses 45% less water, Cipriano says. Look for water-efficient sprinkler heads or a drip system, and a controller that will automatically delay the cycle if it rains (about $60 at Home Depot). In Miami, which charges $5 per 1,000 gallons of water, an equipment upgrade could pay for itself within a year.
By CANDICE CHOI, AP ticking. -You buy your sister a $100 general purpose At Wells Fargo, gift cards typically gift card. It’s for her birthday, but it might be expire four years after the card is purthe bank that has reason to celebrate. chased. You can request a check for Despite your good intentions, such gift cards the remaining balance if you don’t often come with a tangle of fine print and fees use up the card before then, but that that can ensnare unsuspecting recipients. Your will cost you $15. So if the balance sister might not realize that a $3 monthly inon your card is less than that, you’re activity fee kicks in after a year. Or it could out of luck. annoy her that it costs $12 to replace a lost The card’s value could disappear card. even before the expiration date as a While the new credit card law passed this result of dormancy fees. Chase and year includes some regulations for gift cards, Wells Fargo both start deducting it doesn’t eliminate many of the fees they of$2.50 a month from cards after a year. ten come with. So if left unused, a monthly fee could So before you start eventually loading up on gift deplete a cards for the holidays, card’s value. The card’s value could be sure you know the Some cards disappear even before the pitfalls. start chargexpiration date THE BASICS ing monthly There are two types fees as early of gift cards — store as six months cards and general purpose bank cards. The after purchase, according to the Conlatter are Visa, MasterCard or American Exsumer Federation of America, which press branded cards that you can use wheris based in Washington, D.C. ever those credit cards are accepted. These are It should be noted that American the cards that often come with a mess of fees Express recently did away with the and terms. $2 dormancy fee on its gift cards. Unlike with gift cards to specific stores, The cards also don’t have expiration there are usually fees to buy general purpose dates, and replacements for lost or gift cards. Chase and Wells Fargo cards cost stolen cards are free. The drawback $3.50 a piece. American Express cards cost is that American Express cards aren’t between $2.95 and $6.95, depending on the as widely accepted as Visa and Masvalue of the card. terCard. The cards can’t be reloaded, and don’t come MORE FEES with the same protections as credit or debit The attraction of general purpose cards. So you can’t dispute a purchase or iscards is obvious — they’re no-hassle sue a “stop payment.” crowd pleasers and you can buy them RUNNING METER at the last minute. But even apart Once a general purpose bank card is purfrom upfront and inactivity fees, the chased, the clock on the expiration date starts recipient can encounter several other (Continued on pg 11)
There are Some of Them Written By: Sean Cononie There are many who will be working their tails off in some cases 24 hours a day. There are some who are living in the worst conditions each and every day. There are some of them who will be sad that they won’t see their kids open up their presents Christmas Day. There are some who will be sad they are not having a family sit down diner over the Holidays. There are some of them who get to open their Christmas card two months late. There are some who did not get to hold their new born as this lovely miracle came into this world. There are some of them who will see their best friends die as a normal part of their life. There are some of them that will only see death for the next year or two. There are some of them who had wished they could be laying next to the love of their life. There are some of them that won’t be at the side of their mom or dad as they die in hospice. There are some of us at home who are having the best possible Christmas Day because we know Daddy or Mommy has experienced some of the above things and are still able to experience all these bad things, because this means they are alive and they are a hero protecting the world from terror. For these are the men and women who serve in our armed forces. This Christmas give a warm hug to those who have their mom or dad in our military. Give a warm hug to a mom or dad who has their child overseas keeping us safe here in America.
What if The Homeless Voice had a penny for every time you searched or shopped on the internet?
Search the web with www.goodsearch.com and money from Yahoo advertisers will go to The Homeless Voice without you spending a dime!
Volume XI, Issue 9
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Analysis: College students need lessons in failure By JUSTIN POPE, AP his career recovered after, as a young chemi-Disgraced ex-New York Times cal engineer, he blew the roof off a factory reporter Jayson Blair talking to coland almost got fired. lege students about ethics? But of course Welch went on to become What’s next? The former head of one of the most successful CEOs ever. HoLehman Brothers on financial risk nack couldn’t think of any outright failures management? who’d spoken lately on campus. Such was the blogosphere’s snarky Anthony Kronman, author of the 2007 tone last week when Washington book “Education’s End: Why Our Colleg& Lee University in Virginia anes and Universities Have Given Up on the nounced Blair would speak Friday Meaning of Life,” says the high-achieving at a journalism conference there. students in his freshman Great Books class But if the cheap irony of a famous at Yale are often most riveted by the flawed fabulist leccharacters in their stance abuse. Or Katha Pollitt, a columturing on Father Edward Malloy teaches readings. nist and poet whose memoir unflinchingly ethics was In Thucydidies’ recounts a disastrous love affair (Noah: too much to a class for first-years who come “History of the Pelomessage: Don’t let love make resist, perto know and hear the stories of pennesian War,” “Worthwhile you stupid.”). haps it could they are most drawn homeless people Of course, it’s an exaggeration that college also prompt to Alcibiades, a 5thstudents are sheltered entirely from expocolleges to century B.C. Athesure to failure. Service-learning is booming think more seriously about somenian politician who made too many enemies on many campuses, like Notre Dame, where thing they often shy away from: the and squandered his talents. Less interesting the former longtime president Father Edvalue of exposing students to, and are the heroes (though in ancient Greece, ward Malloy teaches a class for first-years preparing them for, failure. even the heroes had no shortage of failings who come to know and hear the stories of For some people, like Blair, failto discuss). homeless people. ure is spectacular and public. For Kronman, who has also taught ethics at But while such experiences may teach valuothers, it’s just falling short of exYale’s law school, thinks there’s a benefit to able empathy, few students at a top school pectations — in their careers or talking about failure from an academic and like Notre Dame expect ever to be homeless personal lives. personal distance. He’s skeptical the in-perthemselves. A failure students can truly reBut you won’t find many examson presence of those who’ve come up short late to hits home in a different way. ples of either type among the guest adds much. Such is the value of hearing from Blair, speaker announcements of college “When you bring someone back who’s who perhaps can help students understand bulletins. Instead, you’ll find a pascrewed up, it’s very, very difficult to prebetter the pressures they will feel trying to rade of winners — titans of the arts vent the event from becoming an uninstrucbreak into the highly competitive news busiand commerce and politics, many of tive ‘mea culpa’ and a quest for some kind ness. them alumni, returned triumphantly of redemptive valida“There is always to campus to inspire the next gention,” he said. That’s going to be pressure eration (and, implicitly, to demonnatural, but complito cut corners,” said Their parents have told them be strate to customers the college is cates “an honest and Edward Wasserman, worth up to $50,000 a year). useful assessment of the best and protected the journalism proThey may well talk about past what went wrong.” them from failure fessor at W&L who failures on their eventual path to It’s also no surprise invited Blair. “I sussuccess. most people who’ve pect what we’re goBut rarely is the podium held by messed up prefer to ing to find is that he someone who just failed. talk about other things. When Eliot Spitzer, got where he was through half-steps, small That’s understandable — but too driven from New York’s governorship in a steps, rather than a huge leap into completebad. Teachers say failure is someprostitution scandal, speaks next week at ly impermissible behavior.” thing so-called Gen Y students Harvard, his topic will be “What Should Be There are corners of collegiate life where want to hear more about. the Rationale for Government Participation it’s impossible to hide from failure. In one “They are very concerned with in the Market.” such corner, success inevitably comes, on failure,” said Rich Honack, a lecStill, there are people who have publicly average, just half the time — college sports. turer at Northwestern University’s wrestled with their own failings. On the In his 2006 book “Excellence Without Kellogg School of Management Web site Slate.com last spring, writer Timoa Soul,” former Harvard University dean and expert in generational cultures. thy Noah lamented how many new college Harry Lewis recounted an encounter with Current 20-somethings “have algraduates were getting commencement ada bespectacled young dean from one of the ways succeeded. They’ve always vice from the accomplished but boring. Succollege’s residential houses. The dean asked gotten trophies when they go out cess is admirable but uninstructive, while Lewis if it was true the university planned for a sports team. They’ve always failure is far more informative — and interto admit fewer athletes. Lewis replied it was gotten ‘A’s. Their parents have told esting. true, though he was surprised the man was them be the best and protected them “People typically have a much easier time interested. He didn’t seem like a sports fan. from failure.” recounting, in often vivid detail, where they “That would be terrible,” the dean told But in a way that makes failure all screwed up in life than they do explaining Lewis. “They add so much to the House. the more terrifying. what they did right,” Noah wrote. They are the only people here who know Visitors to Kellogg, a top-tier busiHe advised colleges to ditch the usual how to lose.” ness school, often are grilled about commencement suspects — Oprah Winfrey, the times they messed up, Honack Warren Buffett, Colin Powell. Instead, insaid. When former General Electric vite speakers like media critic David Carr, CEO Jack Welch talked to students, the author of a brutally self-critical memoir they were especially curious how of the harm he caused others with his sub-
Discrimination By Sean A Cononie
We are going to hate people of color, people of other nations, people of different sexual orientation, people that do not look like yourself and people who are not of our own nationality. We will hate the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims. We will even hate terrorists because, well, they are terrorists and they hurt our fellow Americans, didn’t they. And yes, we will hate the Homeless, and yes Jesus was even hated by the Jews. Maybe it was not hate, maybe He scared them. Before I get any phone calls that criticize me, let me finish my story and please read it to the end. Most religions are different, and most of us report to the same God, maybe not Jesus but in most cases it is the same God. I know that some religions do not report to the same God but in any case we all preach love and not hate. We are mad at the terrorist who attacked America but their attack was based on hate just like the hate that exists when we here in our own little world hate the Gays, hate the Jews or hate the ones who worship a little different then what we do. Hate is hate and in cases when the hate grows so bad we hurt the other person in many ways. We are just one step away of attacking each other here in our own homeland. Look how many Christians who praise and worship the same Jesus as I do, but will go out of their way to beat a Gay person to death and claim that God wanted it this way. I do not think that they just woke up one day and looked in the mirror and said “today I will be Gay” who would want to live a life of lies and be in the closest? If they picked and chose a life of homosexuality why would so many of them kill themselves? You have no idea how many times I hear good people talk so badly about the Jehovah Witnesses, hey Jehovah’s have my God too for I am a Christian, so what if they believe a little different than I do… for they are at least trying to spread what they believe to be Gods word. When our COSAC Foundation started out about 14 to 15 years ago, we started off looking for weaknesses in Airport Security and yes, Sean Cononie in a public printed interview said America was at it’s worse as far as Airport Security was concerned. And a Big Yes indicates that this was said by me prior to September 11th. Its public record and it is on the internet in an article that was written about us by another newspaper. People were confused we were a “think tank” as well as a homeless shelter. Today we are still the same way, we still try to tackle all issues that affect us and make the world a better place. When we went to war in Iraq I wrote a large story on how the War in Iraq would recruit and grow the ones who hated us. I said, as we killed one of them we would birth many more and even our own government findings (Continued on pg 8)
www.safelinkwireless.com Most homeless people qualify for a free cell phone and airtime in their state if they receive food stamps, Medicaid or other assistance. All they need is an address of a local shelter to use. Go to the web site and see what your state requires.
Volume XI, Issue 9
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Sean’s Story (Continued from pg 1)
Thank you from all of us here at the shelter!
in a few years when they saved for their next Disney trip. I asked if I could help pay for the little princess dress he said no that again they were coming back in three years. I said to the dad, sir as you can see I am over weight and I am on a severe diet for my blood pressure and I did not buy breakfast and just had a breakfast bar and for lunch I was skipping because our dinner was really a late lunch and I saved money by dieting, he still said no to me, I finally said sir believe me I am not going to suffer besides you may be helping me out in case I am driving by the ice cream cart they have every two feet in the walkways of Disney. He finally said yes, the dress was 59.95 So I gave him 70.00 dollars and he then said we really only needed 30 that they could afford to put in 40.00. I said to him, sir you may run into a family later on tonight that may be short and if you want to give them a little, you can. He smiled and said to me can I get your address so I can send it to you in a few months. I said sir one day you will be put in a position that you may be able to put a smile on someone’s face and that I ask him to pay it forward, and he said great movie wasn’t it? I went on to say to him that every month thousands of people help my homeless shelter by giving us donations and today I am also paying it forward. As the day went on, I still saw many of the same sad faces and heard many of the same conversations with the end result of many kids throughout the day crying when they could not get what they wanted. I had the chance to sit my oldest granddaughter down because when we pray together she always says, Lord please give the little kids who have no food lots of food and cheese and don’t forget the toys. I still wanted to remind her that there was so many kids her same age that will never get to see the inside of Disney and that any time she could give her old toys to the poor kids that was a great thing and God would be happy. She is pretty good about this sharing stuff even at the young age of six. She knows we work at a homeless shelter and sometimes she says when we pray, she shouts out in a loud voice just like when she says “Blow out the candles” on birthdays cakes, she also shouts out “and give them a house.” I could just give her a thousand hugs when she talks so charitable. It is one of the most precious things I cherish in their little voices when I talk with them and end our conversations in a heartfelt prayer. After talking to her I then realized just how thankful we should be that we were able to take our little
(Continued on pg 8)
Lois Lane (Continued from pg 1)
So many people have suffered so much in the past few...no not the past few but the past many years. The lives of loved ones and friends and most sorrowfully, children have been cut short of our dreams and expectations be it to war or another tragedy. We’ve lost jobs and homes due to the economy. Families have fallen apart for one reason or another. We’ve had shootings and drugs; abortions and a general lost of morals by most people’s standards. The very mention of God has been taken out of schools and many businesses have banned any ostensible religious celebrations. Government offices, the very government that was founded on Christian principles has removed God from their premises. I don’t mean for this to turn into a negative bashing on anyone or anything...but it is an example of what we can be thankful for. Yes, it can be something to be thankful for. We look at Thanksgiving as a day for cooking turkey and gathering around the table or hearth or T.V. tray and thank God for all the things He has given us. I have written before, that there should be a longer time span between Thanksgiving and Christmas and it is true because each has its need for internal preparation and for its own celebration. On the other hand, they go hand in hand. Stop and think about it for just a minute. We all know the Christmas story and without preaching, let me just say that without that little Babe whose birthday we celebrate….and what He did for us….the Love He poured out for us...how could there be any hope of happiness in our lives? Hope, that’s a key word. Without happiness or peace in our lives, what could we be thankful for? Would we even know to be thankful? The word thanksgiving is made up of two words...thanks and giving. Yes, we have been given much to be thankful (even in the worse of situations) for but how about giving so that others could be thankful for your act (of kindness)? There is so much we can do in a lifetime to
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The Voice of the Homeless
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counter all those negatives I started off with. Today’s gospel at Mass was the parable of the Widow’s mite. She had nothing but gave the little she could...as opposed to those who had plenty and gave a lot. And what pleased God more? We exercise (well some of us do) to the expression...no pain...no gain! WELL????? What are we waiting for in this world? A kind word or action on our part towards another who may be struggling with some one of those pains I mentioned works wonders. One gives... the other receives. I grew up with the thought that God never gives more than we can handle. Actually I don’t believe that He gives so much as that He allows these terrible things of our human nature to happen. You may or may not believe in what I call Grace, but we all understand the word strength... the strength to get through whatever the situation might be. That in a nutshell is what Grace does but we have to be open to accept that gift. He gave us a free will and He isn’t going to force anything on us. Maybe that’s where our giving comes in... to an extent of course. Maybe that smile or a pat on the back by dad for a job well done, or even not so well done, but the best that could be. Our Jewish ancestors pooled their food and resources to help their neighbor. Widows were taken care of. What would be so wrong with inviting your neighbor or relative to dinner or barbeque? Mow the lawn for someone in bad health or even just because. I used to have a neighbor who, when he did his lawn, always edged down the sidewalk and
(Continued on pg 10)
by R
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The Voice of the Homeless
Page 8
Sean’s Story (Continued from pg 7)
grand kids on a trip to see all their loved characters. As the day continued I felt kind of sad but still thankful because I began to see many kids’ faces in the poverty stricken area of the USA who were not able to even have a toy, a bike to ride and in some cases crayons to color with. You really don’t know how great you have it until you picture your loved ones sitting in a room having just a little bit to eat. I then pictured my little grandkid sitting in a toy room of a house with no food, no diapers, no TV and just living off whatever food mom and dad could bring them. My eyes began to get tearful not to the extent of actually crying but watery. I said to myself, Sean you don’t have all the money in the world; you did not hit the power ball so what can Sean Cononie do to make the world a better place? This Christmas lets “Pay it Forward.” By paying it forward it allows us to put many smiles on many different faces. The power is in your hands to make it work. It does not take a lot of planning to just make someone’s day. It does not always take money to make someone happy. It can be a short little visit to a nursing home and walking into a few rooms that don’t normally get visitors and just going up to the elders in bed and spending a few minutes with them. Don’t be surprised if they think you are their son that they have not seen in a while. Talk about making someone’s day. We have developed a new web site that allows you to post your good deed. This will allow many others to learn from your good deed and give them hope that they too can make a difference. So go to www.payitforward.cc it can just be a smile to a sad person; you have no idea how much that means. So for Christmas what are we going to do? We are going to change the world and make the world a better place. By the way, you can also make us your charity this Christmas and make a donation to our shelter system or our international division, or once again to our sprinkler system at the Hollywood Shelter that the fire dept is once again saying we need. If you know anybody who does fire sprinkler systems please let us know? If we had all 100,000 of the people who buy our paper each month donate just $10 each and every month by mail or pay pal we would be able to expand and expand to many more great programs. We together can pay it forward. It is just so amazing how much good can be done with such a little bit of money if all our supporters jumped on the band wagon and sent in their $10 check each and every month.
Fort Lauderdale officer fired after forging beggar’s signature, records show By Alexia Campbell, Sun Sentinel A police officer with a history of careless behavior has fired for forging the signature of an alleged street beggar on a police report, records show. Officer Daniel Zavadil, 43, is suspended without pay until his dismissal on Nov. 24{+t} {+h}, according to police records. Investigators say Zavadil violated policies when he signed the name of a suspected panhandler on a notice to appear form once he realized the man forgot to sign it himself. The officer, hired in 2005, has been written up in the past for filing incomplete reports, twisting the facts and blaming others for his mistakes. “His conduct was unacceptable, demonstrated a complete lack of integrity and was unbecoming that of a police officer,” wrote Capt. Rick Maglione of the recent accusations in an internal affairs report. On March 17, Zavadil cited a man for allegedly panhandling at the corner of South Federal Highway and Southeast 17{+t}{+h} Street. But Zavadil left without noticing that the man forgot to sign the form notifying him to appear in court. Zavadil’s supervisor, Sgt. Steven Greenlaw, pointed out the missing signature to the officer when he filed it. A few days later, Greenlaw saw the report had been filed again with a signature on it. He immediately called Zavadil, who admitted to signing the suspect’s name. “I was alarmed and concerned,” Greenlaw said in a sworn satement. A seven-month internal investigation was launched and Zavadil was suspended with pay during that time. Zavadil could not be reached for comment
(Continued from pg 5)
indicated that the numbers grew and this is one of the reasons why our service men and women are attacked and killed. We still call these attackers in Iraq terrorists, but are they? Don’t get me wrong they are horrible for their actions but let me explain it another way so we understand that in many cases they feel they are 100 percent correct. There is an old saying one man’s terrorist is another man’s soldier. Let me explain it in another way. If the international community decided to invade America to stop our presence in Iraq would we just sit home watching football or would we be picking the invaders off from our roof tops? I don’t know about you, I would be shooting each and every invader if our country needed help. But what would happen if America became an Iraq and us Americans were treated like the good people of Iraq were treated by that dictator called Saddam? Many of the people of Iraq were very happy when we over threw their government. But many were upset and they do not consider their actions as a terrorist. Yes, some of them are doing these acts against our great soldiers simply because they hate any and all Americans. But what happens when they see our soldiers giving medical help to those who need it, do they still hate us? Probably so. For my God did not create any junk and I know your God did not either. This is written because all of us should love and not hate fellow human beings because, again, God did not create any junk. For those who are in the KKK and hate blacks, the gays and others you hate, what is wrong with you? For you worship Jesus, you worship God so (Continued on pg 10)
Hawaii cuts payments to the temporarily disabled By MARK NIESSE, AP HONOLULU -Right when more people need welfare, they’re getting less from Hawaii’s government. Monthly payments to poor, temporarily disabled people fell by one-third this week, from $450 to $300, because more people are drawing benefits from the same pool of money. State lawmakers met at the Hawaii Capitol on Wednesday to try and find more money for the program, and they questioned how government could shortchange these 5,055 people when they may have no other income. “That money won’t cover the rent anymore, so many of them will go homeless,” said Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland, D-Kalihi-Liliha. This money, called general assistance, goes to people without dependent children who are unable to work because of a temporary disability. To qualify, they must have little or no income and can’t get other federal assistance. “What will happen in our aloha state to those who are most needy?” asked Alex Santiago, executive director of a group of nonprofits called PHOCUSED, which stands for Protecting Hawaii’s Ohana, Children, Underserved,
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at his Weston home. During the investigation Zavadil defended his actions, saying he had signed the report because he couldn’t find the suspected panhandler when he went back to look for him. It was an “administrative fix,” Zavadil said in a sworn statement. Zavadil’s work has long been a source of tension with supervisors, records show. In January 2008, Capt. Victor London launched an investigation that found patterns of errors and omissions in Zavadil’s reports, according to a complaint form. He disregarded policies and twisted facts to blame others for his mistakes, the report said. Other complaints mentioned in the investigation include one from February 2008. Zavadil went to a class at Broward Community College wearing a shirt that read “Don’t think the police help. The next time you’re in trouble try calling a crack head.” A sergeant made him change shirts. In April 2008, another sergeant wrote him up for sending text messages on his cell phone while holding a loaded gun in the other hand at a fire range. Zavadil said he was trying to turn off his phone. Supervisors ordered extra training and performance plans for Zavadil, but nothing changed, London said in the complaint. Following that investigation, Police Chief Franklin Adderley ordered Zavadil be suspended without pay for three days for unsatisfactory performance. But the suspension was canceled because of a time gap between the incidents and the discipline.
Discrimination
Elderly and Disabled. “This is their last hope. to exist. Rather than cut it, the state There has to be an alternative.” needs to look at keeping them at the Legislators suggested using money saved level they used to be at,” said Debin the state’s Rainy Day Fund to restore the bie Shimizu, executive director for payments to their previous levels. The latest the National Association of Social figures show there’s about $60 million in the Workers Hawaii. fund, which is paid into by tobacco lawsuit Many people receiving these temsettlement money. porary assistance payments are But Department of Human Services Direcawaiting appeals for federal disabiltor Lillian Koller said the ity payments, law doesn’t allow any which can take This is the bare necessity 18 months. additional money to augment the payments. The three Demfor some people to exist “This is so micromanocratic lawmakaged by the Legislature. ers at the hearing We don’t have any breathing room,” Koller also raised questions about whether said. “I can’t put money into the program the state spent too much money on from savings elsewhere.” a new contract that evaluates recipiLawmakers budgeted about $21 million for ents’ eligibility for government aid. general assistance, but that money wouldn’t Koller said the new contract covers last for the remainder of the fiscal year unless more people and does more to help the payments were decreased, Koller said. The them get federal assistance. numbers of people in the program have risen from 3,955 in 2007 to 4,458 last year and just over 5,000 currently. “This is the bare necessity for some people
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Volume XI, Issue 9
Page 9
Holidays Allthingschristmas.com, History. com From the Old English ‘Cristes Mæsse’ ~ meaning the ‘mass of Christ’ ~ the story of Christmas begins with the birth of a babe in Bethlehem. It is believed that Christ was born on the 25th, although the exact month is unknown. December was likely chosen so the Catholic Church could compete with rival pagan rituals held at that time of year and because of its closeness with the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, a traditional time of celebration among many ancient cultures. The origin of Santa Claus begins in the 4th century with Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in present day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man, particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A.D. he was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors purportedly stole his remains and removed them to Bari, Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas’ popularity throughout Europe. In Greece, he is the patron saint of sailors, in France he was the patron of lawyers, and in Belgium the patron of children and travelers. Thousands of churches across Europe were dedicated to him and sometime around the 12th century an official church holiday was created in his honor. The Feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated December 6 and the day was marked by gift-giving and charity. Hot Christmas Cider 2 quarts apple cider 1/2 cup brown sugar Dash of salt 1 teaspoon dried ginger 1 teaspoon cloves 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon cinnamon sticks Combine cider, sugar and salt in a saucepan. In a small piece of cheesecloth, combine spices, and tie off. Add spice packet to cider mixture, and slowly bring to a boil, then cover and simmer
for 18-20 minutes. Remove spices. Serve hot cider in mugs with cinnamon sticks. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and nights, starting on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar (which is November-December on the Gregorian calendar). In Hebrew, the word “Hanukkah” means “dedication.” The holiday commemorates the rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Jews’ 165 B.C.E. victory over the Hellenist Syrians. Antiochus, the Greek King of Syria, outlawed Jewish rituals and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. In 168 B.C.E. the Jews’ holy Temple was seized and dedicated to the worship of Zeus. Some Jews were afraid of the Greek soldiers and obeyed them, but most were angry and decided to fight back. The fighting began in Modiin, a village not far from Jerusalem. A Greek officer and soldiers assembled the villagers, asking them to bow to an idol and eat the flesh of a pig, activities forbidden to Jews. The officer asked Mattathias, a Jewish High Priest, to take part in the ceremony. He refused, and another villager stepped forward and offered to do it instead. Mattathias became outraged, took out his sword and killed the man, then killed the officer. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked and killed the soldiers. Mattathias’ family went into hiding in the nearby mountains, where many other Jews who wanted to fight the Greeks joined them. They attacked the Greek soldiers whenever possible. Judah Maccabee and his soldiers went to the holy Temple, and were saddened that many things were missing or broken, including the golden menorah. They cleaned and repaired the Temple, and when they were finished, they decided to have a big dedication ceremony. For the celebration, the Maccabees wanted to light the menorah. They looked everywhere for oil, and found a small flask that contained only enough oil to light the menorah for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days. This gave
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them enough time to obtain new oil to keep the menorah lit. Today Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting candles in a menorah every night, thus commemorating the eightday miracle. Potato Latkes 2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes 1 tablespoon grated onion 3 eggs, beaten 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup peanut oil Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth and wring, extracting as much moisture as possible. In a medium bowl stir the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour and salt together. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick patties. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot! Goes great with applesauce, sour cream, and chopped green onions. Kwanzaa is a non-religious African American holiday which celebrates family, community, and culture. It is celebrated for seven days: December 26 - January 1. The seven principles of, or Nguzo Saba are a set of ideals created by Dr. Maulana Karenga. Each day of Kwanzaa emphasizes a different principle. Unity Umoja (oo-MO-jah) To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. Self determination Kujichagulia (koogee-cha-goo-LEE-yah) To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves. Collective Work and Responsibility Ujima (oo-GEE-mah) To build and maintain our community together and make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and to solve them together. Cooperative Economics Ujamaa (ooJAH-mah) To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other business and to
We need: -snacks -fruit drinks -cans of tuna
profit from them together. Purpose Nia (nee-YAH) To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. Creativity Kuumba (kooOOM-bah) To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. Faith Imani (ee-MAH-nee) To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our stuggle. Benne cakes are a food from West Africa. Benne means sesame seeds. The sesame seeds are eaten for good luck. This treat is still eaten in some parts of the American South. Recipe by HarperCollins Benne Cakes You will need: oil to grease a cookie sheet 1 cup finely packed brown sugar 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened 1 egg, beaten 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup toasted sesame seeds Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Mix together the brown sugar and butter, and beat until they are creamy. Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and sesame seeds. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto the cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are browned. Enjoy! Whatever you choose to celebrat- Happy Holidays!
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The Voice of the Homeless
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Lois Lane (Continued from pg 7)
sometimes my driveway and I was very grateful and thought how nice it looked. Who knows, maybe he did it as a nice gesture because we couldn’t or maybe he didn’t want straggles down from his yard. There are different types of giving. The kind you grudgingly give, the giving that you feel that you should do. The calculated giving that you figure out how you can benefit from. The kind that you are embarrassed into. I would be very honest in thinking that some people buy the Homeless Voice out of some of those motives, but regardless, it does help someone. It does help to keep a shelter running so that these “homeless” people are off your streets. And there are the people who give from their heart. There is no way to know or to judge, and it is not for us to judge, but just to say thank you to everyone who does help us in any way they can from buying the paper to donations of goods or money and for the prayers that we know are being said. They really want to give, to help, to reach out and I would say they have
a greater feeling of happiness than the first in India and Africa, or fulfill our educational group. If we re-arrange our thought processes ministries here and around the world. a little we all could be like that Widow in the Then it goes on personally to me regarding gospel and that in turn can change the whole my petition. world. Remember the ripples in the puddle? The calendar says that November 26th is One little pebble dropped in a puddle sends Thanksgiving Day, but I would say that the ripples out from the center and more pebbles day we really should be thankful for is Nowill have their own which will all overlap. vember 29th. You see November 29th is the There is also a benefit in receiving, for those first Sunday of Advent this year. Everyone who have a hard time accepting help. I hate to knows that during Advent we look forward use the terminology that I to celebrating Christ’s first am about to, but you would coming as a babe in Beth“I shall not leave you be scoring points with lehem. your Maker for exercising There is much in this orphans; I shall a measure of humility and world that can make us come to you.” for making it possible for sad and lonely: fear of a another to do a good deed. flu pandemic, natural diI could go on and on with ways and means sasters of epic proportions, and war – not to to try to make life nicer for ourselves and mention the trials and tribulations of our pereach other, but I think I have gotten the point sonal lives. In such times as these, it is easy to across...no need to keep running my mouth. feel lost and abandoned, like orphans. This morning I received this email I am But Christ, our ever present comfort, said, about to share with you. It was in response to “I shall not leave you orphans; I shall come a prayer petition of mine. to you.” Sharing this blessed assurance of I am very thankful for your gift ….. There Christ’s love with people everywhere is the are many worthy causes, but you chose us, and work of Mary in our world. It is the same love that means we can serve others in the name of Christ that we share with those we serve of Christ and His Mother – whether we help around the world and that I gratefully share the homeless, reach out to abandoned children with you.
Savings Experiments: Can modern coupon clippers beat savers of the past? Julia Scott www.walletpop.com Coupon clipping is soooo in. But if you’ve never done it, the whole process is kind of mysterious. How does one become a coupon diva? Watch our video savings experiment, then follow the simple five steps I outline and you’ll be saving a bunch in no time. 1. Clip ALL the coupons in your Sunday newspaper and sort by category. I use these categories: • Baby and toys • Cleaning products • Diet and miscellaneous • Foodless processed items like bread, dairy, cereal, baking ingredients, juice, etc. • Food more processed items like freezer items, canned goods, meal prep, etc. • Make up • Medicine • Paper and water products • Pet stuff • Target coupons • Toiletries in general • Toiletries for the mouth- laugh now, but wait till you see how many coupons there are for toothpaste, toothbrushes and mouthwash
• Vitamins and gum No one category gets too big and unmanageable when you sort your coupons this way. Tip: I recommend clipping everything because you never know what’s going to go on sale. If something you don’t use ends up being free, you can give it to a friend or charity! Feeding America will help you find a food bank near you. 2. Browse the store circulars and look for sale items that you have coupons for. Circle all the items you’d like to buy. 3. Match the coupons you have with the sale items for the best deal. If you don’t have a coupon in your stash, no worries. There are more coupons available online! Two great places to start looking for online coupons are HotCouponWorld.com and AFullCup.com. Registration is free and you can print coupons from home. 4. Check your list of “matches” to ones other people have found and shared online to make sure you didn’t miss any. Mercedes at CommonSenseWithMoney.com does a great job finding matches at Walgreens and CVS. I also like Hip2Save.com, which has matches for Rite Aid and Target. 5. Bring your coupons into the store and shop for less!
In thankful gratitude, how can we respond to this beautiful promise, except with the prayer of first century believers, “Amen, come Lord Jesus!” I thank God for His love of us, which became flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and I thank you for helping us share this love with those in need around the world. In gratitude, we continue to pray for you daily. Please also pray for us. In Christ, Father Patrick J. Tonry, SM I should have left my part unsaid………. Remember when you look down at or away from others……….there but for the Grace of God go I! God bless you all and Happy Thanks Giving all year. Lois The Homeless Voice is a Christian Agency; however, we do allow articles written about other faiths and customs of that faith. If you want to share your faith with us, please email your story by going to our web site at www.homelessvoice.org.
Discrimination (Continued from pg 8)
how could you not love your fellow man. When When people spoke against him, they God above got involved with the “Tower of Bawere killed, when they did not carry bel” it was one type of man, one language and out the orders they were considered one belief among them but the end result was traitors and jailed or killed. How could to separate mankind and make them different we have ever changed a man like Hitand speak in different languages and place them ler? The only way would have been to in different parts of the world. Wait a minute understand his hate towards a group of ….. God created all these different types of peopeople who did nothing wrong. When ple….. Does this mean I should love and respect it comes to terrorists the only real way all? In fact this is how we got the word “Babel”. to insure they stop their attacking is If God made us different, if to establish comGod made so many colors with “The children of today munication in the world why would we them and to unwill be the leaders of hate each other? Please, derstand the hate people learn to love because and either change tomorrow.” there was a very good reait somehow or son why God made so many present our bedifferent types of people. liefs and actions in a way they underThere was this great man who wrote these bestand why we do the things we do. low words and over the years there have been Today for this Holiday I ask that we many different versions of the story he wrote. all give each other a present and that Words have been substituted to fit our newest present should be the understanding groups of people who are hated by others in tothat hate should never exist. We need day’s time. His name was Martin Niemöller to love all and when we love all dis(1892–1984) crimination goes out the window. Sure First they came for the communists, and I there will be differences, sure there did not speak out—because I was not a communist; will be temporary setbacks but the end Then they came for the socialists, and I result should be peace among us. We did not speak out—because I was not a socialist; should start off with the young and Then they came for the trade make sure our young are taught the art unionists, and I did not speak out— of love. I leave you with these great because I was not a trade unionist; words, “The children of today will be Then they came for the Jews, and I the leaders of tomorrow.” So let’s start did not speak out—because I was not a Jew; making sure our children have no hate Then they came for me—and there was in their hearts as they grow up. I think no one left to speak out for me. this is the best present we can give to all of mankind this Holiday Season. When you read the above powerful statement one could imagine what took place at the time the Jews were killed by a very vicious man. Was Hitler just a crazy person? Was he full of hate?
Volume XI, Issue 9
Page 11
Buying into a Christmas without presents
(Continued from pg 1)
began analyzing the seasonal market in 1967. My main incentive is to cut stress and waste out of what can be joyful family time, but there are other good reasons. Some people forgo gifts to save money, to reduce materialism or environmental impact, or to keep the focus on the season’s religious significance. Shari Shomin, a grandmother from South Federal Way, Wash., says her husband, son and daughter have all struggled with unemployment this year, and the family has decided there will be no Christmas gifts unless they are homemade. “Time to get creative and get down to the true meaning of Christmas. Celebrating the joy of our Savior’s birth. Be together with one another,” she said. One friend told me recently that she has informed her three children they will get half the presents they usually do, and there will be no giftbuying for anyone outside the family. Two other friends say that instead of giving presents to everyone in the family, each person will draw the name of just one other for whom to buy a gift. Personal finance author Ramit Sethi lists a ban on holiday gift-giving as Tip No. 18 in his money-saving challenge, and has created the Web site NoChristmasGiftsThisYear.com to spread the idea. The site includes an e-card you can send to loved ones asking them to skip the gifts and instead do something together, such as play a game, cook a meal or volunteer for charity. “People are in debt and they’re losing jobs every day,” Sethi says. “Yet there’s one sacred cow that we can’t seem to shake, no matter how bad things get.” Incurring Christmas debt regularly causes some people to start off each new year on the wrong foot, says Sethi, but perhaps habits are changing. He points to a survey from the American Research Group that indicates Americans have steadily cut their planned holiday spending in recent years, from $1,004 in 2004 to $431 last year. The biggest cut, about
50 percent, came between 2007 and 2008. Michelle Dickson of Southfield, Mich., says that after going through three rounds of unemployment in six years, she’ll be getting small gifts for only the children in her family, not the adults. “If anything, I will bake cookies from Grandma’s old recipes or give non-monetary gifts, like five hours of babysitting or dog sitting for the weekend,” she said. “This is not just a response to the tightened purse strings but also reflective of the fact that we just don’t need any more junk.” The new first couple told People magazine last year that they don’t personally give Christmas gifts to their daughters, but there’s always something under the tree from Santa Claus. President Barack Obama said they want to teach the kids limits, while first lady Michelle Obama said, “They get so much stuff anyway that it just becomes numbing.” Now that my sister and I are grown and living on opposite coasts, we spend our Christmas budget on travel home to the Midwest to be together as a family. Our gift to each other is being present, which gets more difficult as we get older. A study of 117 people published in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that those who emphasized time spent with family and spiritual activities had merrier Christmases than those who gave or received big presents. “Despite the fact that people spend relatively large portions of their income on gifts, as well as time shopping for and wrapping them, such behavior apparently contributes little to holiday joy,” wrote the researchers, Tim Kasser of Knox College and Kennon M. Sheldon of the University of Missouri-Columbia. I’m not opposed to presents — in fact I love giving to celebrate birthdays, new babies and weddings. But those occasions seem less stressful since they come one at a time, spread out over the year, and without the reciprocal pressure of trying not to over- or under-buy in the exchange. I’m such a fervent believer in the no-Christmas-present rule that I’ve extended it to all my friends and family. Most seem relieved to be able to cross me off their long holiday shopping list. Of course, not everyone likes the idea. They believe Christmas is the season of giving, and that without presents it can be depressing. But the point of the no-presents pledge is that you still give of your time, and in our stressed-out, over-scheduled lives, that’s the most precious gift of all.
When giving gift cards, understand the pitfalls (Continued from pg 4)
surprising service charges. If a card is lost or stolen, Chase charges $12 for a replacement card while Wells Fargo charges $7.50. There could also be fees of 3 percent or so on foreign transactions, as with many credit card purchases. Other banks charge to look up the balance on a card. The best way to be sure you’re aware of all the fees is to read the fine print on the packaging before you buy any card. The cost for purchase and any other fees should be spelled out. OTHER LIMITATIONS One way to safeguard a general purpose gift card is to register it online; this will ensure you can get a replacement if it’s lost or stolen. You’ll need to report a missing card right away, however. If a thief goes on a spending spree with the card before then, you likely won’t get a refund. The other major pitfall with general purpose cards is that people often don’t use up the balance. One reason is that people often don’t know how much is left on their cards, and merchants can’t look up the balance. In addition, some stores won’t let you use multiple forms of payment if there’s not enough on your gift card to cover the bill. As a result, 10 percent of the value on bank cards is never used, according to the Consumer Federation of America. As for making purchases online, you’ll probably need to register the card first. This is because you typically need to provide a billing address for cards when shopping online. Ultimately, it’s a good idea to keep the receipt for any cards in case there are problems. And remember to hold onto cards even after
the value is depleted, in case you need to make a return or exchange. NEW SAFEGUARDS The good news is that retailers and banks will have to abide by some new ground rules with gift cards starting in August 2010. Issuers will be banned from putting an expiration date on gift cards, unless it’s at least five years after the card is loaded. Inactivity fees will also be banned, unless the card hasn’t been used for at least a year. And the Federal Reserve has been directed to review whether fee amounts for gift cards are appropriate. Issuers will also be required to “clearly and conspicuously” state fees on packaging. Until then, it might be easier to simply steer clear of general purpose gift cars. “Write a check or give cash — then you know there won’t be any fees,” said Michelle Jun, a staff attorney with the Consumers Union.
The Blind Side Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Taken in by a well-to-do family and offered a second chance at life, a homeless teen grows to become the star athlete projected to be the first pick at the NFL draft in this sports-themed comedy drama inspired by author Michael Lewis' best-seller The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. Michael Oher was living on the streets when he was welcomed into the home of a conservative suburban family, but over time he matured into a talented athlete. As the NFL draft approaches, fans and sports radio personalities alike speculate that Oher will be the hottest pick of the year. Sandra Bullock stars in a film written and directed by John Lee Hancock (The Rookie, The
Sandra Bullock and John Lee Hancock Alamo). Rated PG-13, in theatres 11/20/09 http://homelessvoice.org/story/ blind-side-movie
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