Note from Author
by Richard LemieuxHello and welcome to Breakfast At Sally's web site.
First, I would like to thank all the thousands of
people who have read "Breakfast At Sally's" and especially those who have been inspired to take action to help the
homeless - like the people who founded the shelter named "The Willow Mission" in Dunkirk, New York, and "Willows Place" in Kent, Washington
a program now feeding over 100 people every Thursday night... and are working to provide a shelter and day care center to meet the needs of those in dire straights.
And many other's who are now feeding and giving others a place Full of Hope.
It is
humbling to this poor writer to be told they are doing these wonderful things because they read his book.
Thank you all so much.
Thank you to all you that sent me cards and letters after reading Breakfast At Sally's.
Thank you to all those who silently did acts of kindness for the homeless that I will never know.
More...
Note from Author
by Richard LemieuxContinued...
I must also thank all the organizations, corporations, libraries, churches, the U.S. Navy and other venues
where I have been invited to be a speaker at conventions and other events. I have now spoken at 300 events and to
thousands of people from Maine to San Fransisco.
During the past year I received the "Hero of the
Homeless" award from Operation Nightwatch, Seattle and the "Road to Recovery Hero Award" from Kitsap Mental
Health.
I thank them for those awards, but I believe the real heroes are those who are feeding, clothing and
sheltering the homeless and the homeless themselves who help each other hour and day in difficult times.
I am
on a mission to help others, change hearts and minds and end homelessness in our nation.
I have met heroes like Astronaut John Glen, Patty Backman who invited me to speak at Microsoft
Corporation and noted author Debbie Macomber who surprised and honored me by making me part...
More...
I have met heroes like Astronaut John Glen, Patty Backman who invited me to speak at Microsoft Corporation and noted author Debbie Macomber who surprised and honored me by making me part...
Note from Author
by Richard LemieuxContinued...
...of her book "God's Guest List".
Debbie is now volunteering to help feed the homeless at a shelter
in Vero beach, Florida.
Thank you all again, and please visit all of our pages here on my web site.
If
you would like to contact me, I can be reached here.
Richard
Richard LeMieux holding Willow
I not only experienced, but also see more than my share of the down-and-out. Anyone can find them in cities, in suburbs, under bridges, in parks, and on vacant property. They live in tents, lean-tos, plywood and tarp contraptions that defy definition. Some of the homeless do work. Some have substance-abuse problems. Some suffer from forms of "mental illness". Every one of them wants something the rest of us want as well: love and understanding.
Photos
Things that help
- Volunteering
- Become an advocate
- Understand the issues
- Donate: Funds, warm blankets, clothes, food
- Show respect
Help educate everyone to this plight
Everyone needs to understand who the homeless are! Many people think the homeless choose that way of life. The First--and most important--thing you can do to help the homeless is to realize that the tired old stereotypes concerning them just are not true.
When someone is telling you the truth about homelessness how do you know they know the truth? Sincerity of purpose is no measure of truth. A lot of sincere people are sincerely giving out bad information about homelessness and calling it the truth. Facts and figures discovered and disseminated by people working in the homelessness industry are always conflicting. Myths about homelessness are more popular, more often recited, more often used in determining policies, than facts about homelessness.
Myth's and Truth's
Myth: They want to be homeless.
Fact: Less than six percent of the homeless are that way by choice.Myth: They're to blame for being homeless.
Fact: Most homeless are victims. Some have suffered from child abuse or violence. Nearly one quarter are children. Many have lost their jobs. All have lost their homes.Myth: They don't work.
Fact: Many homeless people are among the working poor. A person earning a minimum wage can't earn enough to support a family of three or pay inner-city rent.Myth: They are mentally ill.
Fact: About 25 percent of the homeless are estimated to be emotionally disturbed. One percent may need long-term hospitalization; the others can become self-sufficient with help.
Myth's and Truth's - cont
Myth: They are heavy drug users.
Fact: Some homeless are substance abusers; research suggests one in four. Many of these are included in the 25 percent who suffer from mental illness.Myth: They are dangerous.
Fact: Sometimes an encounter with the homeless may end in tragedy. It is extremely rare, though. In general, the homeless are among the least threatening group in our society. If anything, they are the victims of crimes, not the perpetrators.
Most homeless people are not drunks or drug abusers or former mental patients. Most are able or willing to work. They are not the perpetual social problem many people believe they are. So who are they?
REFERENCES
- Aron, Laudan Y. and Janet M. Fitchen. "Rural Homelessness: A Synopsis," in Homelessness in America, Oryx Press, 1996. Available for $43.50 from the National Coalition for the Homeless, 1012 14th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005; 202/737-6444.
- Brown, Leslie. “On the Outside”, in News and Record (April 7th, 2002).
- Burt, Martha. "Causes of the Growth of Homelessness During the 1980s," in Understanding Homelessness: New Policy and Research Perspectives, Fannie Mae Foundation, 1991, 1997. Available, free, from the Fannie Mae Foundation, 4000 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, North Tower, Suite One, Washington, DC 20016-2804; 202-274-8074.
- The Council for Affordable and Rural Housing. “Homelessness in Rural America”. Available from www.carh.org
- Koch, Wendy. “Homelessness in Suburbs, Rural Areas Increases.” USA Today. July 9, 2009: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-07-09-homeless_N.htm.
- Link, Bruce et al. "Life-time and Five-Year Prevalence of Homelessness in the United States" in American Journal of Public Health, (December 1994). Available from Dr. Bruce Link, Columbia University, 100 Haven Ave., Apt. 31-D, New York, NY 10032-2626; 212/0631.
- Link, Bruce et al. "Life-time and Five-Year Prevalence of Homelessness in the United States: New Evidence on an Old Debate," in American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 65 (July 1995) 3: 347-354. Dr. Bruce Link, Columbia University, 100 Haven Ave., Apt. 31-D, New York, NY 10032-2626; 212/0631.
REFERENCES - cont
Helpful websites
Other sources
Being true to yourself, telling the truth about yourself, has a high price.
There are many organizations throughout the world, unfortunately we cannot list them all here. The list here are but a few in the Bremerton Washington area. We do have a place that has a much more extensive list here.
