HelpCopsHelpUs: Most Asked Question: How Can I Help?

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Most Asked Question: How Can I Help?

This morning I met up with a homeless client, her name is Valerie, a mother of a 17-year-old daughter and 24-year-old son -- and as of today's post Valerie is homeless.

Valerie is not one of my typical cases -- as a home maker and doting mother to her children she failed to see the sharp curve at the end of the road, landing her in the ditch. Recently, her husband left her without notice leaving both Valerie and her daughter to fend for themselves.

Valerie is not a victim, she says. She's past the anger and the self pity and ready to fight back. After meeting with her this morning I soon realized that her case is a legitimate one and she has accepted the responsibility for neglecting what became a slow but inevitable downward spiral.

At this point resources are always limited if even available anymore.

I need to help Valerie with some lodging at an extended stay hotel/motel, maybe for a few days while she has some job interviews that have been lined-up.

If you have a connection or resource for lodging -- That's how you can help out.

Valerie also has working experience in : data entry, accounts payable/receivable,medical billing, collections for insurance companies, doctor's offices, labs, and administrative office work.

Again, if you have a contact or resource please let me know.

Thanks!

Deputy Steven Donaldson

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

District III Office: (813) 247-0330

Email: sdonalds@hcso.tamp.fl.us

Facebook.com/HelpCopsHelpUs

No comments:

Post a Comment

Welcome to Help Cops Help Us: A Homeless Initiative Blog

The Help Cops Help Us homeless initiative is a new problem-solving model centered on the root causes of homelessness. Its philosophy rests on the fundamental human principle that people, all people, will succumb to the human trait of inevitable behavior until intrigued or compelled to act differently.

The uniformed law enforcement officer is the epicenter of the street engagement model that uses a "coupling" technique, motivating each homeless candidate that becomes accountable to a singular and persistent mortal entity -- a street cop.

The coupling effect is a two-pronged approach where candidates who resist assistance and rehabilitation, by default will receive the law enforcement prong when behavior exhibits a callous disregard with laws and a communities desire in maintaining a certain quality of life.

The homeless candidate receives both direct and indirect assistance after a street assessment evaluates their individual needs and problems. We then solve their most basic problems so they may become self-sufficient.

We mend fences, rebuild character, solve their problems, then push them into the water where they are forced to learn how to swim again.

When they are off the streets and into housing we continue to monitor and follow-up until we are certain they have become self sufficient for long term sustainability.