Jobless and homeless, blogger scores Elle job

A really good read … inspires us to all keep doing what we do to give folks hope and opportunities to turn their lives around … success stories happen!

By LEANNE ITALIE, Associated Press Writer Leanne Italie, Associated Press Writer – Mon Aug 31, 1:58 pm ET

Six months ago, Brianna Karp found herself living in an old truck and camper she inherited after the suicide of a father she barely knew.

On Monday, her life became a 21st century fairytale when she turned her blog about homelessness into a plum internship for the fashion bible Elle magazine.

This is a story about love and Twitter, hope and the relative safety of a Walmart parking lot. Bri is our star, but there’s also Matt, her trans-Atlantic boyfriend who found her on the streets of Orange County, Calif., as she wrote about her predicament at girlsguidetohomelessness.com.

And there’s E. Jean Carroll, a popular advice columnist for Elle who reached out with a $150-a-month job after Bri touched her in a letter, signing off Homeless, But Not Hopeless.

Click anywhere on the article for the rest of the story or go to: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090831/ap_on_re_us/us_fea_lifestyles_homeless_blogger

From Patterson, California …

Group of churches aim to help homeless
by Maddy Houk | Patterson Irrigator
Jul 22, 2009 | 136 views | 0 0 comments | 3 3 recommendations | email to a friend | print
At a glance

• WHAT: Helping Others Sleep Tonight

• WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesdays

• WHERE: Federated Methodist-Presbyterian Church basement, 45 S. El Circulo

• INFO: Dennis McCord, 892-6996.

The Patterson Ministerial Association and a group of local volunteers have been busy the past few months starting a new venture, Helping Others Sleep Tonight, an effort to provide shelter for the homeless in town.

Local resident Claudia Smith first had the idea after seeing a rise in the number of people who show up for a weekly lunch program started by the St. Vincent de Paul Society and now provided by various area churches and organizations.

Dennis McCord, chairman of the HOST board, said 47 people typically line up for the free lunches downtown.

He said the homeless population HOST knows about is 62 percent men, 15 percent women and 23 percent children younger than 15.

“We think there are more, but those are the ones we know of,” McCord said. “We know the problem is getting worse and growing.”

HOST hopes to have a place for the homeless to stay by the time the winter months roll around, as there is no homeless shelter on the West Side.

“The goal is to provide a shelter starting in November,” McCord said.

Smith said people become homeless for many reasons, including the loss of a job or a home, overwhelming medical bills, drug or alcohol addictions or an abusive family life.

Many times, folks cannot get a job without a valid address or phone number, and in turn, they cannot apply for an apartment without a job.

“Often, their vicious circle on the streets pushes them to collect coins all day to pay for a meal,” Smith said. “These human beings need a helping hand for basic necessities of shelter, food, clothes and support before they could apply for work.”

Five churches — Federated Methodist-Presbyterian, Sacred Heart, Patterson Covenant, New Home Foursquare and New Hope Church of the Nazarene — have sent representatives to HOST’s weekly meetings. More churches have expressed an interest, McCord said.

HOST formed in April and has had a number of fundraisers since then. Future fundraisers will include a bowling night in August and a barbecue by the end of summer.

McCord said HOST also seeks seed money from individuals and local organizations. Once the program is fully up and running as a nonprofit, it will be eligible for public and private grants.

Thus far, HOST has collected $1,400 and has another $2,000 already pledged. Hundreds of letter requests for donations are going out in the mail and by word of mouth.

“We are still working on the details,” McCord said. “It depends on how much money we raise and what we can do, how many volunteers we get, and how the community responds. So far, when I’ve talked to people, the response has been very positive.”

• Contact Maddy Houk at 892-6187 or maddy@

pattersonirrigator.com.