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Bound To Happen
In Richmond Virginia

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The Disenfranchised [homeless] community of Richmond is experiencing insensitivity from the service provider community. We have suggested sensitivity training for us and also them. We believe the first place to start is by inviting them to a day at our place. ASWAN has invited, by letter to the Greater Richmond coalition for the Homeless asking all providers to join us. The dates for the Walk About are September 14 and 21, 1996. We hope all of the providers take up our gracious invitation and give us some time to share our lives' with them.
Come get to know us

It has come to the attention of ASWAN, the homeless service providers hire minimum disenfranchised [homeless experienced] staff. We feel here at ASWAN if there were more peer involvement in the provider community there would be fewer problems. We believe that if two people that disagree both should have some common ground to reflect from. Peer group counselors and peer group staff is the way. We feel this would be beneficial to the disenfranchised [homeless] people and the franchised [un-homeless] people. What could be a better self esteem builder than to take on some responsibility.

OFF THE RECORD:

I heard someone at the community meeting told a disenfranchised [homeless], "We should be glad for what we get from the Daily Planet."
We are ----------
But I don't like their tone.

WE NEED NEW BOOK BAG BACKPACKS DONATED TO ASWAN.

Mail to:
Matthew Hilgeford
ASWAN co-convener
302 W. Canal St.
Richmond, Va 23220

ASWAN Meetings Are Held At 24 East Cary Street. In the Capitol Area Agency On Aging Building. 1st Floor (SRO Office) Time 7:00 p.m. Tuesday Night, All Are Welcome! Disenfranchised or Franchised

A Society Without A Name, For People Without A Home

Vol.1 No.4 ASWAN Newscut August 28, 1997

SPECIAL MEETING
Of The Daily Planet
Board of Directors

7:00 THURSDAY NIGHT AUGUST 29
AT THE DAILY PLANET

302 West Canal Street Richmond, VA
MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

CALL TO ARM!!! (meaning raise your hand and ask questions)
All Daily Planet members get to this meeting at all cost!!

The Homeless Regional Task Force Group (instituted by the government of the City of Richmond) on July 26, 1996 asked the Daily Planet to hold focus groups with the business community and neighbors. What ASWAN wants to know is why the disenfranchised [homeless] community hasn't been asked by the Task Force to be a part of the "focus group" process? It was only after a co-convener for ASWAN, at the community meeting on August 12, 1996 asked about relocation did Dr. James E. Price, executive director of the Daily Planet, inform members of the Daily Planet of this latest episode, and that the board of directors of the Daily Planet had scheduled a special meeting on Thursday, August 29, 1996 to consider this request for a "focus group" process. ASWAN guesses the disenfranchised [homeless] representatives on the board, the ones the members voted in, failed to inform us. Focus Groups? No, no, no, no, no, no. First of all, lets get one thing straight! We tried this same approach with the "Brook Road Saga" it didn't work. During the past six years, we lost the benefit of $125,000 that the Daily Planet had been awarded in state funds but lost because of delay in finding a site for the Street Center.

Task Force members felt that they, along with business leaders need to review the location issue with the Daily Planet Board and develop concrete solutions on how to resolve the situation and how best to serve the City's homeless.

The general sense of the Task Force members was that a street center with comprehensive services for the homeless should be developed. Therefore, the Daily Planet needs to come up with recommendation to City Council because the Daily Planet's lease expires on December 31, 1997. A site needs to be located soon.

The Chairman stated that the community needs to be convinced that the recommendations that this body comes up with are going to work. The business community also needs to be involved in the process. Consequently, the Daily Planet's Board will be asked to host a series of focus group meetings that target community and business leaders.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ASWAN would like to know: Why ask business and community representatives to participate in focus groups to help decide on the location for the Street Center if the Daily Planet follows the promise they gave us to seek to find a suitable permanent downtown location? Is it not so, that if the Daily Planet moves into the downtown B-4 zone it would do so BY RIGHT! Not because it needed the approval from any one person or group. We need the disenfranchised [homeless] community to attend the meeting. Since the Daily Planet accepts Federal Dollars it is your RIGHT to be heard on this matter because it directly affects you/us. Do we not pay taxes, break our backs at labor pool jobs for 4.25 an hour, only to stay in poverty and acquiesce to other people's wishes? Its about time we speak up and tell the people that provide for us what we want. A way out of homelessness, to cars, permanent high paying jobs, houses, unbroken families with good values and growth. Not shelters, shelter barrel cloths, and left over restaurant french fries or moldy bread and salty hotdogs. With the millions of Federal Dollars flowing through Richmond to help the homeless, it seems our views can be heard. We do not wish to be enslaved to a system of Shelters, Labor Pools, Jail, Shelters, Labor Pools, Jail.
----------Get the message----------Be at the meeting.

We have done so much, for so long, with so little,
WE CAN DO ANYTHING WITH NOTHING!
(1/87TH CAV. U.S. Army)

This ASWAN Newscut prepared by Matthew J. Hilgeford

For tons of free resources & just plain good reading, visit John Felts personal page that includes his latest web site, pages, published articles, and essays.
http://www16.brinkster.com/6499