Homeless Person New to Tthe Area
Submitted by Anonymous on December 13, 2008 - 8:41am.
Homeless In SarasotaDoes a 5013c license the only characteristic for being a charity? This is the question I ask of the Salvation Army Shelter. I am without housing only for a brief period and looking for shelter. I went on line at the library, put in homeless in Sarasota and Salvation Army is the first hit. I thought maybe I can receive some help or get some referrals. I got the directions and went to the shelter, and to my surprise from the out -side it was something to marble at new construction , fenced in and had security guard at the front entrance. But after entering the building, I sensed that something was strange, no one asked me what I wanted they just motioned around in this round subdivided structure within the structure of a building as though I was not there. I almost forgot what I was there for because the building looked like a prison. After I was noticed, I said I wanted to talk to someone about a place to stay. They person motioned me through two electronic security- doors I was asked for my I.D. I told him I was new to the city and would want to see a social worker; he said that I could do that in the morning. So he explained to me that I would get 10 days free and three meals a day if I wanted them. I said thank you lord I have a job 10 days will allow me to get a check because after the 10th day there would be a charge of 10.00 a day. So I was told to get a blanket if I had one. We went up stairs with my blanket and a mate that they provided; I thought the mate was going on some type of bed, No it was for the floor. To my amaze women were lying on the floors. I was shocked, I thought , I don’t know what I was thinking ,but to my dismay my opinion of this organization as a charity steeped real low. Never mind myself I said my car would feel a lot better than a cold floor with giant utility lights beaming on my face as people walked by my head so I left after 20minutes. The next day I went back to see if there was a net work of services that I could use, the door where the social worker can be seen and they can see 3 letters of what services they did and what they did not do. None of these applied to me so it said take a number and I did.No other numbers where ahead of me so I waited about 20 minutes and a lady appears, she looks very administrative in glasses appearing from the top of them with papers in hand. I asked to talk to some - one about housing; she replied we don’t do that here. I was feeling real uncomfortable as though I was in the wrong place asking the wrong questions. She informed me that if I wanted to talk to a counselor then I had to call and make an appointment. The following day which is night two in my car, I have had two encounters with the Salvation Army asking for information or tying to get help. So I then remembered that I could take a shower there. I had a job interview and wanted to look fresh. My job interview was at 3pm and I went there at 2pm hoping to be able to shower and was told come back at 4pm. (Giving me the address to another place that would allow me to shower.) I got job the not looking my best. Three times I went to them for the basic things that they are suppose to supply or at least have resources to, and they did not want to even talk to me, this organization is nothing like the charity that people want to give their money to. They are highly administrative and few dollars make into the hands of the truly needed. They are functioning with a staff that are sterile in their approach to homelessness and cannot serve with compassion in these positions, I think that the people who give them money should get audit on what percentage of the resources are devoted to the people they are supposing to serve . With the new homeless, from working class people whom don’t have addictions, this organization is not keeping pace with the realities that a big administration with 100,000.00 salaries have to come to an end if they are to survive also.