Oprahbucks

Good news! … sort of … maybe … Cbs13.com & sacbee.com report that two Sacramento homeless programs have been flooded with donations since they were featured on Oprah Winfrey’s show last week (yes, last week, I know this story is old news, not trying to scoop here, and stop looking at me like that).

CBS13 also profiled St. John’s Shelter shortly before the story ran on the Oprah show. John’s Shelter for women and children is filled to capacity, thanks to the economy. Executive Director Michele Steeb says the shelter turned away 25 women and children a day in 2007, but that number jumped to 80 in 2008 and is now 130 per day in 2009.

“Thanks to the economy“. Nice.

And from the Oprah article:

Tent cities are illegal in Sacramento, but Lisa says that may change soon. “So many people are seeking out shelter because all of the homeless shelters are filled beyond capacity, that they’re actually thinking about legalizing tent communities, and the city is actually thinking about providing services,” she says. “Surprisingly, the community has been extremely sympathetic because so many people in Sacramento have gone into foreclosure. … The shelters say that people have actually been donating more because the attitude is ‘I’d rather spend money so that people can have shelter than buy new material stuff.'”

If you are actually interested in learning more, watch the video of Lisa visiting Tent City.

Author: RonTopofIt

RonTopofIt is a complex personality, as are most of the small breed of modern day renaissance millionaires. He wishes more people were like him and yet believes that it takes all kinds. You've met RonTopofIt many times, you just don't remember him.

5 thoughts on “Oprahbucks”

  1. Yay! Tent cities will soon be legal! And then the city will “start providing services”! Yay! Services like: Sewer, electricity, garbage pickup, and the ubiquitous “counseling.” Then, later, air conditioning & heating. Of course, you will need a school (“THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN!”), then a school for adults. Then a “medical clinic” and eventually a hospital, police force, etc.

    Bad road to start down Sacramento. Need to prevent this in the first place: Gaza wasn’t supposed to be permanent, and started as a bunch of donated tarps and a medical clinic. 60 years later… well- see for yourself.

    Like

  3. Err- yeah. Screw the idiots who have more kids than they can afford to take care of. Screw the idiots who think they can chill out all day, not work, and are still somehow entitled to 3 hots n a cot, on someone elses’ (“the governments”) dime.

    Spend the money on the deserving poor (those who have played by the rules, tried but nonetheless failed, and want to contribute to society) to help them (with training, temporary real housing, etc.). Don’t waste money on the never-ending cycle of dependance on others for all one’s needs and wants.

    Like

  5. From an article in today’s Bee…

    Homeless people have illegally camped in the area off the American River Parkway for years. But the issue took on new life when Oprah Winfrey featured it on a recent television program focusing on “the new faces” of homelessness.

    The show sparked international interest and public outrage, prompting elected officials to convene meetings to figure out a solution.

    Like

Comments are closed.

%d bloggers like this: