Has anyone ever been homeless???

**aprilrain1024** · 03-31-2011, 11:09 PM

I was wondering if anyone from the Village has ever been homeless/had to live in their car? And if so how did you manage things like bathing/food storage/laundry/etc.?

**Contrary Housewife** · 03-31-2011, 11:19 PM

I spent 3 weeks in a women's shelter once. Facilities were provided. Also counseling, job assistance, and very limited financial help. You might look and see what is available in your area.

**frugalfranny** · 04-01-2011, 12:26 AM

Sort of homeless.........but I was lucky and was able to stay with friends for the two months time. So.......had access to a bed, shower, etc.

My own personal limit was 2 weeks (so we didn't stay too long)........and I had dd.......so we ate out a lot (read junk food) so as not to impose too much on the family I was staying at. The babysitter fed her breakfast and lunch........which was lucky for me.

No one in my family knew about it............

**Dancing Lotus** · 04-01-2011, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by frugalfranny

Sort of homeless.........but I was lucky and was able to stay with friends for the two months time. So.......had access to a bed, shower, etc.

My own personal limit was 2 weeks (so we didn't stay too long)........and I had dd.......so we ate out a lot (read junk food) so as not to impose too much on the family I was staying at. The babysitter fed her breakfast and lunch........which was lucky for me.

No one in my family knew about it............

I'm curious, why did you not tell your family? I assume you were embarrassed but wouldn't' they have helped you?

**ShadowMom** · 04-01-2011, 11:11 AM

We didn't have to live in our car, the church we attended had a summer camp, which was done for the year, and they let us use one of the cabins, so we had access to a shower/toilet and bunkbeds. We used our sleeping bags on the beds, and I cooked outside on a Coleman campstove.

**Rhiamon** · 04-01-2011, 12:50 PM

Before I got married and had a child I was homeless for a while. I slept in bank machine areas because they were warm until the police would move us along. I washed up in public bathrooms. Until I could get into a shelter.

**lwlynch** · 04-01-2011, 02:54 PM

we have family members that are homeless. They got a tent through the church and live in the woods. for food they went and good foodstamps, picked up the card at the fs office. for the blankets and stuff they hit up the churches and salvation army. for showers they would hook up with homeless people that have gotten a room in a hotel and take a quick shower. sometimes they would go for a week and then beg at a church for a one day in a hotel. as for the bathroom they would walk up to a nearest fastfood joint. there are homeless shelters that let you take a shower also. alot of churches do ministry with the homeless. one in our area meets them at the laundry once a week and they help them get their laundry done..
wow, didnt know i knew so much

**lwlynch** · 04-01-2011, 02:55 PM

i guess i left a few things out.. we have tried to help them numerous times, but until you have the will to try to change it doesnt matter, and they drag you down with them

**stinkbug** · 04-01-2011, 03:25 PM

Yes. And that's all I have to say about that.....

**Greebo** · 04-01-2011, 03:33 PM

I spent about a few weeks sleeping on a pool table in an after hours, byob club until my "partner" found a woman stupid enough to fall for him and give me crash space in the bargain on her spare bedroom floor...

**bumplett** · 04-01-2011, 05:14 PM

Originally Posted by Greebo

I spent about a few weeks sleeping on a pool table in an after hours, byob club until my "partner" found a woman stupid enough to fall for him and give me crash space in the bargain on her spare bedroom floor...

thank goodness for stupid women

**mama2James** · 04-01-2011, 08:53 PM

My father is currently homeless, he was just evicted from his apartment after not being able to pay rent for a couple months while unemployed. My parents have been divorced for 20 years, but my mom has been helping him by cooking him dinner nearly every night and she has let him stay at her place the last few nights until he can get into a shelter. I "could" help him financially but I don't feel like it would be the "right" choice given his history. Codependency is not healthy for either party. It a sad reality.

**frugalfranny** · 04-02-2011, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by AnnK

I'm curious, why did you not tell your family? I assume you were embarrassed but wouldn't' they have helped you?

They would have helped me 'in a heartbeat' as I had a child......but not without a LECTURE.......and I was already tired of them.

It wasn't so much the 'embarrassment' of it as it was that my parents had previously used money to control me......to no avail. (and too long of story to go into) They had previously helped me with a car........AND WITH MANY A LECTURES.

The reason I was homeless was that I didn't have the $ for DEPOSIT
and rent.......so saved up the deposit and got a home. (don't know---or even remember if I EVER asked the landlord to 'work with me' on it--probably not!)

(Another item........I was leaving an abusive situation and no shelters at that time.........but.........MORE REASON FOR ANOTHER LECTURE of a different type!!)

When in a stressful situation......you cut the stress out where you can---and pick the stress you are willing to deal with............this was one area.

**bumplett** · 04-02-2011, 06:00 PM

When in a stressful situation......you cut the stress out where you can---and pick the stress you are willing to deal with..

so true, so very true!

**frugal.lass** · 04-02-2011, 07:45 PM

I was employed for awhile at my former university but the job wasn't stable and paid poorly so I hesitated to sign a lease in an area where employment was hard to find. For 4 weeks, I was allowed to stay in an unoccupied rez room on campus so I had access to bathroom/laundry facilities. My boss let me keep a few things in the lunch room fridge at work and each day, before leaving I would slice some cheese and grab some lunch meat to make a sandwich with in my room. I had a hot-pot type kettle which I used to heat up soups/make KD/boil hotdogs in. I kept juice boxes in my room (since they didn't require refrigeration) to drink when I tired of water and tea.

The rez room ended up being rented so I had to move out and spent the next 6 weeks bouncing from couch to couch at friend's places. This was better because although I was sleeping on couches (according to the social lives/TV watching habits of my friends), I had access to a full kitchen and could eat healthier meals. It was hard to have to "move" every 3-4 days to a different friends house but I didn't like imposing on my friends longer than that.

I never thought of myself as homeless but since then, I've had friends/family argue that I actually was homeless at that point.