Tag: homeless

Can’t Stop the Giving

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Now that the season of giving is officially over, we are approaching the harshest time of year, when underprivileged, poor and homeless fellow Americans need our help the most. The average high [temperature] across the United States in January is 42° F and the average low is 27°, [making it[ the coldest month of the year. In February, the average high moves to 44° and the average low is 28°. […] Using New York […] as the example, the cost of heating oil jumps in the winter, with [the] January [2014] cost per gallon [at] $4.13 and February’s cost [at] $4.34. […]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family of four is considered living in poverty if their annual income is under $23,850. The current […] U.S. […] poverty rate is 14.5%, [amounting to] 45.3 million people living in poverty. […] The poverty rate for children is 19.9%; for people ages 18 [to] 34, it is 13.6%, and for those over 65, the rate is 9.5%.

We can’t rely on our government to take care of the poor—or can we? The New American just reported that 65% of our children live in households [participating] in at least one or more of these government aid programs: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program […]; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); Medicaid; [or] the National School Lunch Program. The “War on Poverty,” which was part of the “Great Society” plan of President Johnson, […] celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014. Our government has spent $22 trillion over these 50 years to support this war.

So does the U.S. welfare system actually hamper dignity while claiming to grant it? We continue to hear stories of recipients abusing the social safety net designed to help those who truly need our help. Do some of these programs trap people into the poverty they are trying to escape? Our government programs address complex social problems with a one-size-fits-all solution. Local nonprofit organizations and local governments have a better vantage point to identify and address the true poverty issues in their communities, [making them] more invested in the success of the families and individuals living [there].

[N]ow that the holidays are over, we are back to focusing on ourselves. Whether it is finding a gym to get back in shape or a diet to lose the holiday pounds, our attention naturally shifts away from those who need our help 365 days a year. [Fortunately], there are several nonprofit organizations that don’t give up after the holidays. […] One of my favorites is One Warm Coat. This nonprofit organization started [in 1992] with a Thanksgiving weekend coat drive, [and, since] then, they have organized thousands of groups across America that collect coats to give to those in need. […] Another favorite is Operation Warm, which started in 2002 and [relies on] organizations like [local] Rotary [clubs] and firefighters to distribute over 300,000 coats to impoverished children annually.

Each of these caring organizations began way before the recession, survived the recession and continues to serve the underprivileged as the country recovers. The Salvation Army [is] the second largest charity in the country, receiving $2.08 billion in donations annually. The largest charity is The United Way, who took in $3.87 billion [within its] network of over 1,300 units across the country. […]

With the impasse in Washington, [D.C.], which looks like it will be getting even worse in 2015, we cannot rely on our government to pick up the slack to take care of those Americans who truly need our help. Gas prices are going down, giving all of us more discretionary income to spend. The holidays are over, […] and now it is time […] to step up and begin to funnel [that] extra gas money back into our local communities to help our neighbors pull themselves out of poverty. We, as citizens, need to create a new grassroots effort—our own local “War on Poverty.” Having 45.3 million people living in poverty is not what any of our forefathers envisioned, and it is not the country we want to leave to our children.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/cant-stop-the-giving_b_6390550.html

The Homeless Need More Than Blankets

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In this land of plenty and this land of opportunity, [more than] 600,000 Americans experience homelessness on any given night, [including] 138,000 […] under the age of 18. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the national rate of homeless persons is 19 [in every] 10,000 people, with the highest [rate] in Washington, D.C., [at] 106 [for every 10,000]. Veterans are homeless at the rate of 27 for every 10,000, with [our nation’s capital] again [rating] the highest at 156.

[L]ack of affordable housing is considered the primary cause of homelessness. The government agency HUD […] has seen its budget slashed by over 50%, resulting in the loss of 10,000 units each year of subsidized low-income housing. Thirteen percent of the nation’s low-income housing has been lost since 2001. This country needs 7 million more affordable apartments for low-income families, but, because we don’t have enough, 11 million families spend over half of their monthly income on rent. Add on top of this the over 5 million homes that have been foreclosed on since 2008, and it easy to understand why this country is where it is with our [inability] to help the homeless.

Homeless children, as defined by the federal “No Child Left Behind” program, include not just those living in shelters or transitional housing, but also those sharing housing [with others] due to economic hardships; living in cars, parks, bus or train stations; or awaiting foster care placement. Using this definition, the National Center for Homeless Education reported in September 2014 [that there are] 1,258,182 homeless children in [our country’s] public school [system], an 8% jump from 2013. Youth homelessness has increased 72% in the last seven years, [and] many of these youths exchange sex for food, clothing, shelter and other basic needs. Seventy-five percent of [our nation’s] homeless youth have either dropped out or will drop out of school.

As a caring society, what can we do about this?

Sports Illustrated (SI) just published a fascinating article on how more than 100,000 students on school teams are homeless. In the Mobile, Ala., county school system, 27.6% of homeless students competed for middle- and high-school teams. In Kansas City, Kan., 20% of homeless students competed. SI concludes that athletic programs are keeping homeless athletes away from outside factors that derail their chances for a successful future. Coaches often become mentors and surrogate parents, and pregame and post-game meals provide essential nourishment, while kids benefit from the exercise and structure in sports. […]

Homeless veterans are another story. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans reports that 1.4 million veterans are considered at risk for homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks and substandard housing. [Approximately] 49,933 of these veterans are homeless on any given night. America’s homeless veterans served in World War II, the Korean War, [the] Cold War, [the] Vietnam War, [the] Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq. Half of our current homeless veterans served during the Vietnam era. [Eight] percent are female, while 40% are African-American or Hispanic.

The Washington Post reported our new Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary, Bob McDonald, […] announced an additional $207 million in funding for rapid-assistance grants to help 70,000 veterans keep their homes or return to permanent housing. [Another] $62 million will be dedicated to a rental-assistance program that would bring more than 9,000 chronically homeless veterans off the streets. [In total], the VA has committed more than $1 billion in 2014 to strengthen programs that prevent and end homelessness among veterans. They have changed their approach to a “housing-first strategy” where they are focusing on providing veterans a place to live first and then help[ing] them with drug abuse, job searches and mental health. Previously, the VA insisted on health services first before offering housing.

Homelessness cannot be solved by the government alone, especially in times of government gridlock and lack of funds. This is a major problem that affects all of us, whether it involves the classmates of our kids or the war hero who was dedicated to protecting our country. There are many ways the average citizen can help by donating or volunteering. The Covenant House opens up its doors to help homeless youth. Stand Up For Kids helps homeless street kids. Move for Hunger helps collect food for those in need. Support Homeless Veterans works to get these forgotten heroes off the streets. […]

We all suffer when we allow our neighbors to go homeless, even for just one night. Our society suffers when we deny any of our children a good night’s sleep and a nourishing meal. With the limitless potential that many homeless youth have to make a lasting positive contribution to our communities, whether it is in science, humanities or sports, we cheat not only them but ourselves by not allocating dollars, either in the taxes we collect or the disposable income we can spare. Every child, veteran or family in need should have a shot at attaining our American dream, and, with a little help from all of us, America can help those 600,000 a night who suffer. This is one issue that is not political.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/the-homeless-need-more-th_b_6064668.html

Is the Recession Really Over?

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[Recently], Gallup reported that the total number of new business startups and business closures per year, known as “the birth and death rates,” […] just crossed to the bad for the first time since [its] measurement began—[a]nnually, 400,000 new businesses are being born nationwide, while 470,000 are dying. […] [Until] the recession, startups outpaced business failures by 100,000 per year. If small businesses continue to die at this pace, disastrous consequences for our economy and way of life are right around the corner.

Our “Main Street” American businesses still find it difficult to borrow the funds they need to expand. […] If you read the news, it says bank loans are easier to come by, but I haven’t talked to even one of our customers who tells me banks are happy to help them.

Not only have small businesses not bounced back from the recession, but, as reported in USA Today, many households have not yet rebounded from the downturn. According to the federal government’s report on the economic well-being of U.S. households:

  • 34% of families are worse off or much more worse off financially than they [were] five years [ago].
  • Educational debt [is] held by 24% of the population, averaging $25,750 per person.
  • 43% of households [cannot] cover a major out-of-pocket cost for a medical expense.
  • 25% [of households have] not visited a dentist in the last 12 months because they [can’t] afford one.
  • 31% of Americans have no retirement savings.

On top of this, The Washington Post just reported 77 million Americans have debt in collections. […] These […] debts are non-mortgage-related, like credit card bills, child-support payments and medical bills. […]

Ask your favorite charity if the recession is over for them. […] Last year, total giving to charity organizations […] was $335 billion, down from the pre-recession level of $350 billion. [I]n America, 610,042 people [were homeless nightly in 2013], [and] 20 states saw an increase in homelessness. According to Newsweek, 42.5 million American adults […] suffer from some mental illness, enduring conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. That hit home for me when my favorite actor, Robin Williams, […] died. Close to one in five of us are feeling like Robin, and is America built to have the support system to help?

Feeding America reports that 15.9 million children under the age of 18 (one in five) live in a household without enough food to eat and are unable to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food. […] We are struggling to help our homeless, to help those suffering from mental disorders, and to help our children. This recession is not over for them. […]

Where is the good news to get us out of this funk of no-growth and the pain of the recession still lingering for businesses and individuals? It is not coming from the Middle East or from Europe or from our own government, [which] has confused our economy with sequestration, shutting itself down, and continual battles over healthcare, [the] debt ceiling and budgets.

[A]ll of us [need] to buy local, help those in need and donate more than we normally would to support this economy. Our economy is the basis for our society. When our economy is stable, our society will take care of our businesses and the individuals in need. At that point is when we can declare that the recession is over.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/is-the-recession-really-o_b_5678614.html

Kids Lose Their Future to Poverty

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Now that one school year is over and we are preparing for the next, June is a month of reflection for educators and parents on how to do better [for the] next school year. It is hard enough for students to learn at school in today’s world. You throw in overcrowding, teacher-to-student ratios, poverty affecting too many students, and lack of funding for supplies, and it becomes almost impossible for the average student to get ahead.

The New York Daily News reported that in New York City, 6,313 classes were [considered] overcrowded based on the teacher’s union contract, which sets 34 kids [per classroom] as the limit in high schools and 25 [kids per classroom] in Kindergarten. In these classrooms, kids were sitting on the floors or standing the whole period. It is tough to imagine how children can function in these overcrowded situations, let alone how can teachers concentrate and keep the kids interested. How can these kids learn when they are sitting on top of each other?

[Adding to this], 16 million children in the United States, [or] 22% of all [U.S.] children, live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level of $23,550 a year […] for a family of four, according to the National Center of Children in Poverty. These children are far more likely to have limited access to sufficient food, [a]nd with Congress cutting […] $8.6 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program […] earlier this year, these kids just got a little bit hungrier. The states where the most kids go hungry include New Mexico at 29.2%, Mississippi at 28.7%, Arizona at 28.2%, and Georgia and Nevada, both at 28.1%. How can these kids learn when they go to school hungry?

Now look at the 1.2 million children in the United States who are homeless. […] According to the American Institutes for Research, homeless children have four times as many respiratory infections, twice as many ear infections, five times more gastrointestinal problems, and [are] four times more likely to have asthma. [W]hen at school, they have three times the rate of emotional and behavioral problems compared to non-homeless children. How can these kids learn when they have so many personal problems?

Poverty and poor performance go hand in hand in school. DoSomething.org reports that children living in poverty have a higher [rate] of absenteeism, or [they] leave school altogether because they are more likely to have to work or care for family members. Dropout [rates among] 16- [to] 24-year-old students from low-income families are seven times [higher] than those from families with higher income[s]. By the end of the fourth grade, low-income students are already two years behind, and, by the 12th grade, they are four years behind. How can these kids perform [well as] adults when they fall so far behind in school?

The U.S. educational system is ranked as the 14th best in the world. South Korea is No. 1, followed by Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Finland, [the] United Kingdom, Canada, [t]he Netherlands, Ireland, Poland, Denmark, Germany and Russia. Why is the most powerful nation in the world ranked in the middle of the pack in educating its children? Last year, $1.15 trillion was spent on education in the United States, of which 10.8% came from federal funds and the rest from state and local contributions. You would think that is enough to educate every student, rich or poor, but, obviously, it [is not].

The United States sure has a lot of things to fix to break into the top 10. […] Since the vast majority of funding for education falls back to the states and […] communities, local help is where it has got to begin. It has to fix the children who go hungry and the children of the poor. There are great organizations to contribute to for this, like Save the Children and the Children’s Defense League. […] We have to fix the homeless children situation, [a]nd, somehow, we have to get the right equipment into the hands of these poor kids—the right books, pencils, paper and calculators—so they can keep up with everyone else in their classrooms. […]

I wish we could just flip a switch and poverty and hunger and homelessness would disappear for our kids, but we all know that won’t happen. Who chooses [which] kids are born into wealth and those who are born to live on the streets? Who chooses the kids who suffer in overcrowded schools or those who go to schools with sophisticated arts, music and computer programs? Back in 1918, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Creed, which states, “The United States of America is a government of the people, by the people and for the people, established on the principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity for all.” It is up to all of us to bring these poor, hungry and homeless children up to the standards our forefathers envisioned for all of us, and we need to start today.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/kids-lose-their-future-to_b_5337752.html

Why Fight for Our Country?

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Earlier this year, Stars and Stripes, the independent newspaper to the military community, reported [that among] male veterans under [the age of] 30, [the suicide rate has increased by] 44%—[in other words, an average of] 22 veterans […] take [his or her] own lives [every day]. Reasons for the increase could be the pressures of leaving military careers, readjusting to civilian life while trying to find a job, lack of civilian work experience, and combat injuries like post-traumatic stress. In addition, the unemployment rate of veterans is 2% higher than the national average, [a]nd […] 90% of military spouses are underemployed and earn 38% less than their civilian counterparts. […]

On top of all of this, 57,849 veterans are homeless on any given night, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. Breaking that down further, 12% of the adult homeless population are veterans, [and] 40% of [those] are African-American or Hispanic, despite only accounting for 10.4% and 3.4%, respectively, of the U.S. veteran population. Our homeless veterans have served in World War ll, the Korean War, [the] Cold War, [the] Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, [the] Persian Gulf Wars, Afghanistan and Iraq. Another 1.4 million veterans are considered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.

How did we let all this happen to the heroes who keep us the freest country on Earth? Most of our citizens join the military because of their pride for this country, and they want to give back while doing an honorable job. No matter the generation or the war, from Concord to Kabul, America’s military has always been determined, tough and proud to do their duty. These fighters are sustained by not only the bonds shared within their units, but [by] the love and strength they draw from those at home—their families, their spouses, their children, their parents and their community. It is time for their community to embrace them.

The month of May is full of celebrations honoring our military. May 1st is “Loyalty Day,” which started in the 1920s [to counter a rise in the fear of] Communism. […] May 8th is V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day), which commemorates the end of fighting in Europe during World War II. Military Spouses Day […] is always held on the Friday before Mother’s Day. Armed Forces Day, which was created to honor all branches of the service, […] is celebrated the third Saturday in May (the 17th this year). [T]he month ends with Memorial Day, […] which is dedicated to servicemen and servicewomen who gave their lives for freedom and for our country. The roots of Memorial Day go back to 1865 and the end of the Civil War.

So how can we as communities do more than just celebrate and really help and embrace our veterans so the transition from military life to civilian life is not as painful? Obviously, if you own a business, you can make a real effort to hire veterans, [o]r, if you are not an employer, you can still help by donating to the nonprofit organization Hire Heroes, who are military veterans dedicated to “creating job opportunities for U.S. military veterans and their spouses.” Another great organization to donate to is Welcome Back Veterans, which was created to help returning veterans and their families. One of my favorites is Soldier’s Angels, and you can donate directly on their site or through their DollarDays wish list.

These veterans are our friends, our family and the bravest in our communities. These are men and women who sacrificed everything for us. Shouldn’t we do the same for them?

Original article here: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/why-fight-for-our-country_b_5155398.html

Did Not Make It Home for the Holidays

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The weather [this month] not only played havoc on retail sales but ruined many holiday celebrations by causing electrical outages, undelivered packages and [poor travel conditions]. December brought the coldest weather some areas have seen in decades, [including] a reading of 135.8 degrees below zero […] in Antarctica, […] the lowest temperature ever recorded on earth. […]

With this extreme weather, […] I just can’t imagine what it would be like to be homeless during this time. [Recently], USA Today reported on [Isaac Simon], a financial adviser who, [once a week] for the last six years, […] packs his white van [in Manhattan] with soup, bagels, milk and oranges and drives into areas where the homeless gather. He also has clothes to help those less fortunate. When you think that New York City, one of the wealthiest cities in the world, has [51,000 people] in their homeless shelters, […] you know America has a problem that we can’t just sweep under the rug. With that many people in need, we need hundreds of Isaac Simons to help just in Manhattan alone.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the U.S. Conference of Mayors survey of 25 large and midsize cities indicates that homelessness and hunger have increased and are expected to continue to rise in 2014. [At 15.1%], [t]he [current] poverty rate […] is still near the Great Recession high of 15.1%. In Los Angeles, 20,000 people sleep on the streets every night, and 2,000 of them are families or children living on their own. Homelessness has increased by 26% in L.A. since last year, [and] Chicago [has] reported an 11.4% increase in the number of homeless families, [as well]. […]

In my city of Phoenix, nonprofit [and government] organizations [alike] are acutely aware of the issues facing the poor. We have St. Vincent de Paul serving over 3,600 meals a day to the homeless and families in need. We have the city helping homeless vets to find places to live off the streets. Two years ago, the city identified 222 chronically homeless veterans, of which more than half served in Vietnam. Our mayor, Greg Stanton, announced right before Christmas that the final 56 veterans were placed in housing. This happened because the city council allocated an additional $100,000 in November to accelerate the efforts to help homeless vets.

President Obama’s administration has pledged to eliminate homelessness among veterans by the end of 2015, but it looks like time is running short unless cities and states get involved like Phoenix has. The Washington Post [reports] the state of Massachusetts and the Department of Veteran Affairs have put aside dollars to hire veterans, some formerly homeless, […] to help get veterans off the streets in Boston. They spend one day a week roaming the city’s storefronts, alleys and shelters seeking out these homeless veterans. The rest of the week is spent making sure those put into housing stay the course.

Now that the holidays are over, we as a society begin to focus [more] on our own needs. […] Whether it is finding a gym to get back in shape or a diet to lose the holiday pounds, our attention naturally shifts away from those who need our help 365 days a year. Homelessness is not just the responsibility of our government; it is all of our communal responsibility, whether it is in the dead of winter or the heat of summer. Obviously, volunteering is the best way to get involved, but if you don’t have the gumption of Isaac Simon or the political prowess of Mayor Stanton, then helping out with donated money is a high priority. […] The National Homeless Coalition, The Salvation Army and [CityGate Network] [editor’s note: formerly The Association of Gospel Rescue Missions] all make homelessness their priorities. […]

Maybe what we should all do is what the Lakewood Congregational Church Youth Foundation in northern Ohio does and has been doing for years. On a night in January, they sleep in cardboard boxes outside in the bitter cold and spend the evening seeking donations from community member passing by to help less fortunate families. If that does not wake up the younger generation to the needs of the homeless, then nothing will. Can you imagine if in every city in every state, we all give up the comforts of our homes for one night to experience the immorality of homelessness, what that would do for the psyche of America? I am sure that if we addressed this issue on a grassroots level and all woke up the next morning freezing cold and hungry, […] Congress would hear our collective voices saying enough is enough, and [they] would reverse the recent cuts in food stamps, show compassion with the new congressional budget deal, and help those who need unemployment benefits.

Wouldn’t that be a way to start off 2014?

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/did-not-make-it-home-for-_b_4524051.html

Everyone Needs a Bed

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Homelessness, poverty, recession—you would hope that a new year would wipe away all of the bad things that have happened to our nation, but it does not. We still wake up in 2013 with the same issues we had in 2012. Is there any hope in sight?

According to the U.S. Census, the official poverty rate was 15%. There were 46 million people in poverty. Mississippi was at 20.8%, New Mexico was 19.7%, Louisiana was 18.2%, South Carolina was 17.7%, and Arizona came in at 17.6$. To add more heartache, the poverty rate for children under age 18 was 21.9% across the country, with 32% of children in poverty in Mississippi, 31% in New Mexico and 29% in Louisiana.

Talking about our kids, the Annie E. Casey Foundation reported that the number of working youth dropped by almost half since 2000, and employment among young people is at the lowest level since the 1950s. Nearly 6.5 million U.S. teens and young adults are neither in school nor in the workforce, which will lead to chronic underemployment as adults and failure to gain the skills employers will need in the coming years. This just feeds the cycle where they become another taxpayer cost with our government spending more to support them. When you consider that 20%, or 1.4 million, of these youths have children of their own, the cycle accelerates where this group can’t find full-time work and build a career, which now perpetuates an intergenerational cycle of poverty.

The dire consequence of poverty is homelessness. The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports there are 633,782 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States. Of that number, 239,403 are people in families and 392,945 are individuals. About 10% of the homeless population, 62,619 are veterans. During the year, 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness. Twenty-three percent of people experiencing homelessness on any given night are children. Seven-hundred [and] seventy thousand homeless children are enrolled in public schools. An estimated 50,000 youth experience long-term homelessness. Also, homeless people spend four days longer per hospital visit than the normal population.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has $2.146 billion to spend to help the homeless, which is an increase of $245 million from last year, [b]ut this is really a town-by-town, city-by-city issue that has to be solved locally with help from the HUD budget. The Chicago Tribune reported in December where the DuPage County Public Action to Deliver Shelter, or PADS, finished 12 apartments partially funded by HUD to help transition the homeless into permanent residence. One woman had been homeless for nearly five years after working for more than 30 years. A family affected by unemployment and a disabling health condition was moved into an apartment. PADS served 1,398 individuals and 138 families that included 236 children. This was a 29% increase in families and 30% increase in children from last year. PADS gets the children enrolled in school and gets the family into a healthcare system so they don’t have to continue to use the emergency rooms.

As was reported in The Boston Globe, the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless did a recent count one night, and 150 individuals were sleeping outside. The total number of homeless was 1,000 compared to 850 last year. Advocates say they need over 400 more beds to meet the demand of the winter season. [I]t goes on city by city, state by state—we are all counting those sleeping outside and the number of beds we need to take care of the underprivileged.

Now that the holiday season is over, many of us are suffering from compassion fatigue. We showed kindness, consideration and care to those in need from Thanksgiving through Christmas. It’s a new year, and we need to move on with our lives. The homeless, the poor—they can’t move on like the rest of us.

No one wants to be poor. No one wants to be homeless. As our leaders are battling in Washington, [D.C.], about how to spend our taxes, the issues of poverty and homelessness have got to be top of mind. Our leaders need to know that we as a nation can’t stand by and watch our fellow Americans suffer. Write your congressman. [W]rite your senator. Everyone needs to have a bed as we head into 2013.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/everyone-needs-a-bed_b_2396580.html

Who’s Your Best Friend?

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We at DollarDays noticed this year on our Facebook page that every time we posted a picture of a dog or cat, it was shared five times more than any other picture we posted. In this modern world of us all moving in so many different directions at such a high speed, why do people slow down to smile, laugh and gush about pets?

We have all read about the medical reasons to have a pet. WebMD, in an article this summer, told us that pets are natural mood enhancers; […] only a few minutes with a dog or cat or watching fish swim [can make] us feel less anxious and less stressed. They said pets help keep blood pressure in check, and children with hypertension lowered their blood pressure while petting their dog. Pets are good for your heart, help lower cholesterol and help fight depression. People who own dogs tend to be more physically active, and, in reality, walking your dog daily may be one of the main reasons animals help with your heart and stress. WebMD went on to say that researchers have found that when children grow up in a home with a dog or cat, they are less likely to develop allergies, and the same is true for kids who live on a farm with large animals. [M]aybe pets are the miracle drug [for which] we have all been waiting!

The Hartford Towns reported last month that the American Pet Products Association, in their latest 2012 survey, said 62% of U.S. households own a pet, [or] 72.9 million homes. While the number of cats outnumber dogs by eight million, more households have dogs. Americans will spend $53 billion this year on food, supplies, vets and other services for our pets.

[Indeed, some may argue that] America is obsessed with our pets. As The Huffington Post reported, the Walker Art Center, a well-regarded museum of modern art in Minneapolis, presented in late August its first “Internet Cat Video Film Festival” to showcase the best in feline web videos. They received 10,000 submissions of one-minute cat videos and picked the top 70, which were shown on an outdoor screen at the museum.

We know about the medical reasons for a pet, but what about the psychological advantages? The American Psychological Association published a study done at Miami University of Ohio and St. Louis University, where they concluded that people with pets were closer to other important people in their lives and received more support from these people, not less. […]

I heard on NPR Radio that Clifford the Big Red Dog is celebrating his 50th anniversary. There have been 90 Clifford books selling 126 million copies in 13 languages. Clifford kept getting bigger and bigger because of all the love children showed him, eventually ending up 25′ tall, full of kids’ love.

Not every animal is a Clifford. According to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), there are close to 5,000 community animal shelters that house up to seven million animals a year. Of these, 60% of dogs and 70% of cats are euthanized each year. For anyone who has ever looked into the eyes of their pet and felt that unconditional love looking back, we cannot continue to let these animal shelters go underfunded and undermanned. This is National Pet Wellness Month, and all of us need to reach deep in our pockets to help these shelters find homes for these innocent animals. Learn more from the American Humane Association or the ASPCA, or get your teen involved in the site DoSomething.org, where it will teach them how to fight to help homeless shelter animals get adopted with a new app for their phone.

Pets complement our social lives with other humans. They also comfort us when we are all alone. These pets sitting in these cages at these animal shelters are all alone with no one to comfort them. Most won’t make it out of these cages. During this month honoring our pets, these other innocent animals need our help. Helping to support homeless pets is an act of kindness that pierces to the core of human existence. These blameless animals sorely need our help. Americans have always stepped up to help those in need. These guiltless animals give us so much joy, let’s work hard together to eliminate their sorrow.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/whos-your-best-friend_b_1940214.html

I Don’t Want to Be Homeless

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What has America gotten itself into? Just about every state and every city is cutting back funding to services needed by those who need it most.

The Chicago Reporter published the headline this week, “Temperatures dropping. Will the state restore funding for homeless shelters?” It goes on to report that the 2012 budget was cut 52% for homeless-prevention services. This cut is on top of the fact that more people were turned away from homeless shelters in Chicago last year than were taken in.

The Citizens Voice in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., also reported this week, “Funding cuts continue to hamper women’s shelter,” citing a 20% cut in funding from federal, state, county and city sources. Channel 12 News in Ardmore, Okla., reported […], “Overcrowded shelters are forced to leave some out in the cold.” This tragedy is happening from big cities to small-town America. [O]n top of all this bad news, USA Today reports that military veterans are much more likely to be homeless than other Americans.

What is causing this disaster? Obviously, the down economy and the housing crisis forced numerous families out of their homes and into the streets. During the summer, they can live out of their cars, but as winter settles in, sleeping outside or in your car is not an option anymore. [Currently], 15.1% of people nationwide are living in poverty.

As more people become poor, more people become increasingly at risk for homelessness. Add to this the shrinking availability of real affordable housing, and you have a classic case of Economics 101, where there is an increase in demand for shelters and a decrease in supply because of all the funding cutbacks.

Our homeless population is not only made up of those caught in these troubling economic times caused by losing their jobs and their homes, [but also] victims of domestic violence, people suffering from physical illness or mental illness, people addicted to drugs and alcohol, kids caught up in the transition from youth into adulthood, and people who have exhausted their personal relationships the same way other people exhaust their financial resources.

The kind and caring people involved in these shelters are not heartless. When they run out of beds, they let people and their children sleep on the floor, [s]o donations of pillows and blankets are always needed.

What can the average person do to help in this situation? Obviously, you can donate money or much-needed supplies to your local shelter. My company, DollarDays, is giving away a total of $5,000 in supplies to 13 different homeless shelters in a sweepstakes on our Facebook page.

Make sure you enter your local shelter into this. You can also volunteer in your local shelter to help with the food serving or keeping it clean or becoming a friendly face to comfort those in need. If you see homeless people in need, offer them a coat or food. Direct acts of kindness are what this country is built on, and for those who can spare a coat, it is the right thing to do.

This economic calamity we have backed ourselves into is not going away tomorrow. Neither is the crisis that has forced so many people to give up their lives and rely on others for help. Winter is coming, and we just can’t let Americans who pledge allegiance to the same flag as we do suffer without having the basic need of shelter.

Don’t let this suffering continue in your town. Since our government can’t afford to help our fellow man, you do it. Volunteer and give something back—give some cash and give some clothing to your local shelter. We, as Americans, who have kindness and caring built into the fabric of our society, can make a difference.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/fight-against-homelessness_b_1077169.html