Providing Hope To The Hopeless, Abused, and Disadvantaged Of Our Community.
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Thank goodness the federal government is back up and running after a 16-day shutdown. At issue was the implementation of President Obama’s new healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Tea Party Republicans were intent on not funding the government, unless Democrats agreed to delay the start of the healthcare act. The standoff ended with Obamacare intact.
Now the President has turned his attention to ensuring that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health insurance. The new law strives to lower healthcare costs, and it gives states the option to expand Medicaid coverage to all eligible people with earnings less than 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.
So, what impact will the Affordable Care Act have on the nation’s homeless? Will it help prevent homelessness? According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the new healthcare law will benefit the homeless by making health insurance accessible and affordable; providing preventative, wellness and behavioral healthcare services; and focusing on the whole person’s health needs by partnering with community-based organizations.
The Affordable Care Act is welcome news for the nation’s homeless. Especially for the growing number of children without healthcare coverage who must suffer through worsening health issues, a lack of immunizations, and crisis visits to hospital emergency rooms. Here in the Detroit-area, there are an estimated 550,000 individuals without health insurance. As many as 100,000 of them are children ages 10 and under.
Since 2008, the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) has operated the non-profit S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic in partnership with S.A.Y. Detroit, the charity founded by journalist and best-selling author Mitch Albom. The clinic provides free maintenance and preventative healthcare services for uninsured and homeless children and their mothers.
At DRMM, we also provide medical care for the thousands of homeless individuals and families who are unemployed, uninsured or underinsured, and living in poverty. Often, their medical conditions have worsened due to the stress and challenges of being homeless. As a result, many homeless individuals only receive healthcare during emergency room visits. Preventative care is nonexistent.
Others are in desperate need of kicking an addiction that has dragged them into homelessness. Each year, DRMM provides in-patient substance abuse treatment and detoxification services to an estimated 1,700 uninsured men and women.
And, in some cases, pre-existing, serious health issues can contribute to a person’s homelessness. The illness and the inability to pay expensive medical bills can lead to a downward spiral that leaves the individual bankrupt, jobless and uninsured.
Treating a homeless person’s medical challenges is a first step toward rebuilding his or her life and giving them a chance at a healthier tomorrow.
The partial shutdown of the federal government is an unfortunate situation that has the potential of impacting many people. Not only have federal employees been furloughed, but non-profit organizations like ours, Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), will soon feel the effects of the government shutdown. We depend heavily upon federal funding to pay for our many programs and services that keep thousands of homeless individuals and families off the street and put them on the path to becoming self-sustaining.
If the government shutdown continues much longer, DRMM and other similar human and social services agencies around the country will be hurting, and so will the people who depend upon us for food, shelter, clothing, job training, educational classes, and more.
While DRMM has many generous private donors, a prolonged government shutdown will force us to depend more upon our friends and supporters to increase the amount and/or frequency of their donations in order for us to continue to function at our current capacity. That’s a lot to ask. Especially with today’s uncertain economy and high unemployment rates in many cities, including Detroit. The holiday shopping season is just around the corner, and it is likely consumer confidence will wane if the government shutdown is still going on, thereby hurting the overall economy even more.
What’s at issue here? Republicans are holding firm that they will only agree to fund and re-open the government if President Obama and Democrats agree to delay the implementation of the President’s healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act. The launch of the healthcare law occurred on October 1st, so Republicans are trying to stop something that has already begun.
It’s ironic that the same issues Democrats, Republicans and the White House are fighting about — spending and healthcare in these austere times — are now in jeopardy of getting worse due to the hundreds of thousands of government employees going every day without a paycheck and the ripple effect on the nation’s human services agencies that depend on government funding to feed and provide medical care for those in need. The longer the shutdown continues, the more victims it will create.
My message to the White House and Congress: Negotiate. Break the deadlock. There are no real winners in this battle — but a lot of people stand to lose.
What would you do if you found $42,000 on the street? Now, be honest. Would you turn it in or would you take it and run?
Everyone is talking about Glen James, the Boston homeless man who found a backpack filled with $42,000 in cash and traveler’s checks at a mall and turned it in to police. The man who lost the backpack was located. For his part, Glen says he is glad the money was returned to the rightful owner. Despite his personal situation — he lost his job, has been homeless for eight years, and lives in a shelter — Glen said he never thought of keeping even a penny of the money.
In recognition of Glen’s honesty, the Boston Police Department presented him with a special citation. But the more amazing response has come from the public. People from all over the country who don’t even know Glen have donated money to an online fundraising campaign for the homeless man. At last count, nearly $100,000 has been collected. The fundraising drive was started by a man in Virginia who was impressed with Glen’s honesty. Both men have been overwhelmed by the generosity of strangers.
This story brings a smile to my face for several reasons.
First of all, it shows that homeless people should not be perceived as bad human beings simply because they have gotten caught up in an addiction, or lost their job, or committed a crime, or fell into any other circumstance that led to them not having a place to live. Here at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), we treat everyone who comes through our doors with respect and integrity, no matter what situation brought them to us. Through our programs and services, our goal is to return the homeless to society as independent, productive members of the community.
Secondly, Glen’s story proves that despite all of the negative and tragic events occurring in this world, we are still decent, charitable human beings.
And finally, it’s also proof that honesty truly is the best policy. God looks favorably upon those who honor Him with honesty, integrity and excellence. May God bless you, Glen James.
Harvest time in DRMM’s community garden! In partnership with Buckets of Rain, our urban garden, with 30,000 square feet of raised beds, is expected to yield more than 25,000 pounds of fresh produce.
The vegetables grown here provide for DRMM clients, community residents, and local partnering agencies. Our long-term goal is to start a farmer’s market whose sales would benefit DRMM.
Special thanks go out to The Home Depot for the donation of four new washers and four new dryers for use in our Veterans’ transitional housing facility. In addition to the donation of appliances, The Home Depot has graciously pledged to remodel two laundry rooms, including fresh paint and new flooring.
Our Veterans’ transitional housing facility can house as many as 60 homeless vets at any time, and upgrades to the appliances and laundry room have been on our wish list for quite some time.