OT Homeless

[Metspitzer]

I just learned today that a friend of my nephew (who is staying with me) is homeless. The friend stayed here for 3 weeks before I blew a fuse and insisted that my nephew took him home. It was only after the boy left did I discover he was homeless.

He was getting a check from the government until he turned 18 and the people he was staying with made him leave. I understand that the kid was working at a fast food place, but his car blew the engine.

He did just graduate from school. I understand that the people he was staying with also let him finish school before they asked him to leave.

I have suggested he contact some churches. I also suggested that he try to get a job and pay coworkers to take him to and from "home". He does have quite a few kids from school that he can rely on for a short while.

I googled "help for the homeless" and got......

Since I do not have any personal information about the boy, I could not apply for anything listed. I suggested my nephew suggest the site to the friend and let him do the applying.

Just from going to the site, it becomes pretty clear there is some huge red tape and frustration on finding out what the kid would qualify for. I think he is willing to work and I do not suspect the kid is on drugs, but I really don't know. It does seem like a pretty bad situation when you have no way to get to work and no place to stay. BTW his home city and friends are around 45 miles from here and it is a really small town.

Any other suggestions on how the kid could get help?

[Higgs Boson]

Could he apply for general Relief?

HB

[Jake29]

What State does he live in?

[Home Guy]

But I bet he can't live without his iPhone, eh?

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, If he is not afraid of hard work, he can go to Alaska and get a job. Sorry about the kid.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Why did they ask him to leave? Let me guess, he did nothing around the house to help, he did nothing to help himself better his position. He thinks he should get everything for free.

I have a relative in a similar situation. He lived with us for a while but finally moved out. He has friends in similar situations. They have very little ambition and can't keep a job if they do get one.

My suggestion is to stop feeling sorry for the kid and let him take his lumps. The guy I'm talking about agreed to do some work for me to make some money. That was last summer. This weekend I'm going to finish one of the jobs he started but never completed.

I wish you good luck, but if your situation is anything like mine, He really does not want "help", he just wants you to do everything for him.

[Metspitzer]

Alabama

[Metspitzer]

He is a teenager. I am pretty sure that was a factor.

Thanks

[nestork]

What about his joining the military, like the Navy or Air Force.

It'll give him a roof to sleep under, three squares a day, a regular pay cheque and train him for a career, depending on what he chooses as a carreer path. And, it'll teach him teamwork, leadership skills and self discipline, all of which are critical to making something of yourself in civilian life.

The US Navy, for example, has an excellent electrical engineering program. Many heavy duty diesel mechanics get trained in the army working on military trucks and equipment. The Air Force trains people to work as jet engine mechanics, and that's a well paying job in civilian life. You can even train to be a doctor or lawyer in the US military if you have the right stuff between your ears.

There are millions of people in the US that got their career training in the US military and went on to become successful professionals, tradespeople and business owners in civilian life. And I expect many of them would attribute much of their success in life to the values instilled in them by the military.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Is there a G.I. Bill yet to further the education after service is done with honorable discharge? Is he orphan?

[Higgs Boson]

That's all on the positive side of the military.

There is another side.

HB

[CRNG]

On Fri, 12 Jul 2013 23:02:30 -0400, Metspitzer wrote in Re OT Homeless:

What caused you to blow a fuse? I'm guessing there is a lot more to this story.

Would it be possible for kid to stand around near the illegal Mexican kids at the local "labor pool" and pick up work there?

[Stormin Mormon]

Hi, If he is not afraid of hard work, he can go to Alaska and get a job. Sorry about the kid.

[Stormin Mormon]

Why did they ask him to leave? Let me guess, he did nothing around the house to help, he did nothing to help himself better his position. He thinks he should get everything for free.

I have a relative in a similar situation. He lived with us for a while but finally moved out. He has friends in similar situations. They have very little ambition and can't keep a job if they do get one.

My suggestion is to stop feeling sorry for the kid and let him take his lumps. The guy I'm talking about agreed to do some work for me to make some money. That was last summer. This weekend I'm going to finish one of the jobs he started but never completed.

I wish you good luck, but if your situation is anything like mine, He really does not want "help", he just wants you to do everything for him.

[trader4]

I'm thinking along your lines. Employment situation isn't the same everywhere, but here in NJ I see signs up at fast food restaurants, supermarkets, etc all the time looking for help. Lowes just opened their first Lowes Express store in the country two miles from my house and they were hiring. Those aren't jobs you can support a family on, but for someone sleeping on someone's couch, they put money in your pocket. And after a few weeks, enough to be able to rent a room somewhere.

I have a friend who runs a golf car business. He tells me all the time how they place adds for laborers, mechanics, etc. They get people who come in for the interview, but when they find out the jobs don't pay what they used to make somewhere else, they choose to stay on unemployment and know all the tricks to be able to do so.

[Stormin Mormon]

is homeless. CY: Naah, he's in YOUR home.

The friend stayed here for 3 weeks before I blew a fuse and insisted that my nephew took him home. CY: Blew a fuse, why? What did he do?

It was only after the boy left did I discover he was homeless. CY: Naah, he's living with YOU.

He was getting a check from the government until he turned 18 and the people he was staying with made him leave. CY: Same reason as your blown fuse?

I understand that the kid was working at a fast food place, but his car blew the engine. CY: Most engines blow from lack of motor oil. Neglect.

He did just graduate from school. I understand that the people he was staying with also let him finish school before they asked him to leave. CY: Be nice to know WHY they asked.....

I have suggested he contact some churches. I also suggested that he try to get a job and pay coworkers to take him to and from "home". CY: And, so he took your suggestions? Please tell us.

He does have quite a few kids from school that he can rely on for a short while. CY: And he's probably very good at that, too. Got three weeks in your home, some how.

I googled "help for the homeless" and got......

homeless

Since I do not have any personal information about the boy, I could not apply for anything listed. I suggested my nephew suggest the site to the friend and let him do the applying. CY: Now you're getting the idea.

Just from going to the site, it becomes pretty clear there is some huge red tape and frustration on finding out what the kid would qualify for.

I think he is willing to work and I do not suspect the kid is on drugs, but I really don't know. CY: You had him "in custody" for three weeks. That's long enough to tell if he's willing to work, or if he's a lazy butt video game and sofa kind of boy. You had 21 days of observation.

It does seem like a pretty bad situation when you have no way to get to work and no place to stay. BTW his home city and friends are around 45 miles from here and it is a really small town. CY: How'd he get there? What's he doing about it?

Any other suggestions on how the kid could get help?

CY: From someone other than Metspitzer, maybe?

[Stormin Mormon]

Thanks

[micky]

And what about North or maybe it's South Dakota?

[micky]

For an unskilled job, he might be better off finding one he can walk to, or take a public bus if there is one. He can save his friends' favors for other things, and won't be late because something kept his friend from coming.

I used to see signs for work around here, when the unemployment rate was higher than it is now. I don't think I've seen many lately, but if he dresses okay and is polite, he can ask employers who aren't looking. I did that when I was young and he told me to come back in a week or two. I did and he hired me at 50% more than I was making at the other job.

Did he do chores at your house? Did he offer to? Did anyone explain to him that he should? They say that growing up is hard to do. Now I know, I know that it's true.

[dadiOH]

So he's homeless because his car is shot and he can't get to work? Are there busses? Can he walk? As you said, he could pay coworkers for rides. Even if his family is in a small town, he could still go home for a while; and while there, he could do odd jobs - mow lawns, dig ditches, wash cars, wash dogs, whatever - to accumulate some money. There are always jobs if one looks and is reliable.

His situation isn't all that unusual for someone starting out. Main thing is, he needs to work. He needs to rent a room somewhere close enough to his work so that he doesn't have to rely on a car to get tofrom work. Matter of fact, he probably shouldn't have a car until he is more solvent; a car - any car - costs about $500 a month to own. If he doesn't have the money to rent a room he will have to sponge until he gets a paycheck; that or convince the landlord to rent to him and let him pay when he gets the first paycheck.

Once he is ensconsed and has a source of income, he needs to live frugally for a while and save money. He also needs to improve himself via night school or other so that he can get the skills to get a better job. Once he does, he needs to repeat the process.

Mainly, he needs to develop self reliance; what he doesn't need is a handout.