For instance, despite the fact that there are more than enough resources; 20 thousand a day will die of starvation related illnesses (mostly children), 1.3 billion people live without electricity, 780 million do not have access to clean water and 2.5 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation. Our resources are controlled by those who care more about economic, social and political bigotry t
han they do about the welfare of human beings. That kind of blundered thinking has also populated 578,000 homeless people in America. Homelessness does not continue to be an issue for lack of resources, but the lack of resourcefulness. We have two primary choices in life - to accept things as they are or to take responsibility and change it. Philanthropists all over the world have been providing food, water, clothes, shelter, services and spare change since the 70's, but if that were a solution, why does this problem still exist? Why do we still support a system that only acts as a band-aid and not a cure? Our collective efforts and ideas have greatly improved this effort, but alas, it has yet to evolve. We have become masters of doing the same 'ole thing. It's time to refocus our resources to create a new solution to an old problem. Our short term goal is to first improve life on the streets. Currently, a lot of charities are handing out food and clothes. Especially right now in winter, there are lots of coats & blankets being handed out, but the thing that we don't see is the city picking up what was donated and disposing it at the dump. We have failed to connect the dots and realize that these people do not have a home to store all of this. So, it often becomes collected as trash by city code enforcement. Think about all of the time, money, and effort involved by the city. Think of all the effort it takes to consistently donate to the same group of people. We want to fix that by eliminating a wasteful solution for a new efficient one. Our solution is to employ the homeless to sew together multi-functional sleeping bags made out of recycled billboard material. It will be wind proof, water proof, will trap heat and keep cold out. The sleeping compartment will be lined with a removable mylar blanket to create a portable, highly efficient sleeping bag. It can be rolled up and carried over the shoulder and will be durable to last a very long time. Quick Fact: Costs of Dealing with Homelessness - Source: Wikipedia
"In 2013, a Central Florida Commission on Homelessness study indicated that the region spends $31,000 a year per homeless person to cover salaries of law-enforcement officers to arrest and transport homeless individuals — largely for nonviolent offenses such as trespassing, public intoxication or sleeping in parks — as well as the cost of jail stays, emergency-room visits and hospitalization for medical and psychiatric issues. This did not include money spent by nonprofit agencies to feed, clothe and sometimes shelter these individuals. In contrast, the report estimated the cost of permanent supportive housing at "$10,051 per person per year" and concluded that "housing even half of the region's chronically homeless population would save taxpayers $149 million during the next decade". It's obvious that the current system mostly perpetuates the idea of homelessness and costs taxpayers & charities more time and money than they wish to know. Our long-term goal is to construct a transitional, tiny home community for homeless military veterans, men, women & children. Built by the homeless for the homeless, this community is self-sufficient and totally off-the-grid. Its survival depends on cooperation, work ethic and the desire for comfort, self-mastery, and purpose. Electricity will be generated. Water will be collected & processed. Food will be grown and harvested. Those who are not working to maintain the community will be involved in one of our many work programs. We will not look for jobs to employ our residence. We will make jobs with creative thinking and consistent action. Everyone will be involved in our personal enrichment program. I believe that society has taught us to look externally for happiness and not within. Naturally, many of us often fall short - and in this way, we have been conditioned to believe that we are not good enough. That we don't deserve happiness and that it's only for the "privileged". I also believe that the educational system only teaches us how to memorize. If you can fall in line and pass a test - you will succeed. If that were so, everyone with a college degree would be wealthy and happy. That just isn't the truth. Happiness is simply a side effect of mastering our way of thinking. You don't become rich and find happiness - you become enriched and happiness finds you. Success happens by finding your purpose and taking action to manifest opportunities. Your reality is a direct reflection of what you hold in your mind. Once you know this - you get real picky about what you let inside. This is something that most people don't even know. Because no one told them. They experience failure and feel like a failure. The lesson is that we don't get what we want out of life, we get what we are. That if you don't fail, you're not trying and if you're not trying you are a failure by default. We must believe in ourselves and to expand from that. "The plan is simple. You are what you know" -Herman Steele
