Homeless was never an option or thought of as a condition for me. I never heard of banks folding when I was growing up.

After years of struggling in southeast Connecticut to be employed,raising a family and exhaustung every means of income I had I found myelf living in the car with mounds of legal issues,medical bills, and debt.

I could have succombed to the exhaustion, the fear and loneliness but I chose to stand strong and set an example for my kids. I counted my blessings of great health, sound mind, a great education, my faith in God and the love of my children. I pointed these things out to the kids so they woulod have a good focus to get through the struggles they were facing.

It was in the letting go and letting God that I was able to regroup and focus on how to get through the uncomfortable position I was in, after all it was only temporary.

Little did I know it would be ten years of chronic homelessness. I could write a lifetime movie about the struggles and deterioration of the quality of life I have endured. It has been the challenge beyond my imagination to survive the trials of homelessness. Keeping my faith and knowing what didn't kill me would make me stronger, got me through the hurdles. I had to fight tooth and nail to get in the system to get safe housing and today I am back to ground zero no with housing because my subsidy ran out. I have not been able to find a good job.  I do not even own a car this time. It has been one year since the housing authority reminded me my subsidy was running out. It was a known fact among many people who monitor my case that I was in duress and needed help. In January I moved out of my apartment and have been sleeping on couches since. The red tape and bureaucracy that takes place is just plain stupid. Until there are changes in the system there will be very desperate people unable to participate and contributing financially to the community. If the system remains the same the unemployed, disabled, and homelss will continue to drain the services that can no longer sustain themselves let alone the people who need them.

For eighteen years I have researched, investigated and committed myself to finding answers to help me be gainfully employed. It's one of those "watch out what you pray for things" because the answer I found was not about me after all. It has been a journey of discovering that what I thought I needed was in fact about helping many. It is about economic development and job creation for a whole community.

I found my way across America several times on a shoestring budget to learn how to build livable communities. I have educated myself with every free course in business that I could find. I  have attended Economic Development workshops and have become quite an expert on how to link transportation, housing and energy to make sustainable communities. I know about alternative funding for business, HUD, and the deregualtion of energy.

With thinking outside the box to survive untraditionally I used the Department of Labor and Library to keep warm, get on the computers to research business, write and get an education in building livable communities. I know the very valuable natural resources of my region that will make new jobs and business in Connecticut.

I undestand the impact of the casinos, the change in demographics and the nasty politics of annexation and eminent domain. I am a witness to the desperate empty degradation of my downtown.

All this information brought me full circle, not to mention kept me alert and on target determined to make a change. While the business as usual of the sytem continue to fret about another chronic homeless person I followed my intuiton and landed here today. I am a survivor. I have not only written a business plan that  the SBDA wants me to expand it into a comprhensive plan but, I started a non profit. I have a tool bar too. I am the President and founder of Friends Sprague Public Library. My non profit is great compliment to the goals of meeting the needs of the homeless. If I am buying computers for libraries homeless people can have the tools they need to start up a business too. The community can access information concerning anything they need.

The World Wide Web is the final link to my business start up. When I linked up with Tassel Daily I found what I was looking for to expand my business free me from poverty and to help others. 

What a greast day it will be when I build my first library, give the gift of computers, books and the freedom of information to many.

http://www.ourgv.com/friendsspraguepubliclibrary

 

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In Jesus name, Amen..

 

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