There is an article called No Money, No Time. It talks about how poor people tend to lack not only money and time but also cognitive resources -- they are often just too stressed out to think things through and get overwhelmed by complicated forms and that kind of thing. It is a real problem and I am glad the article talks about this but I wish it talked more about solutions.
If you are on the street, you potentially have a path out of this chronic time crunch. You won't get it by standing in long lines at soup kitchens. If you can find a way to make your own money and protect your agency and freedom, you can gradually start improving things and getting your life back.
Most homeless service programs are terrible about disrespecting your time (along with throwing in all kinds of other forms of disrespect). If you need them, then take advantage of them. But if you can find a way to stop needing them, your quality of life will go up the less time you spend standing in long lines for very little gain while people treat you with contempt for needing their help (which, unfortunately, often is how one gets treated at such places).
I am on the street to get well. So another problem for me with standing in line at homeless services is being exposed to cigarette smoke, other people's germs and that kind of thing. So as soon as I was able, I left downtown San Diego and went elsewhere and stopped going to homeless service centers and the like (though I still get food stamps).
In recent weeks, my health is better and I find myself getting up earlier in the morning. This is very encouraging and I am finding myself having more time online at the library to try to work on various web projects, try to do freelance work and so on. I am frustrated that no one takes me seriously and my lack of housing seems to be the latest reason to simply dismiss me as having nothing of value to contribute to the world, the latest excuse to claim I know nothing. I wrestle with how to overcome that problem. For me, it feels like a chicken-and-egg problem: It seems like I need credibility to get money and I need money to get credibility. Sigh.
Anyway, getting back to you: If you are on the street, not needing to pay rent can be a bit of a blessing in disguise. It can buy you some time flexibility. Work on increasing that and on your health so your mind works better. Work on reading and getting better educated. The above linked article did talk about how even if you are poor, you have a brain. I don't like how it closed with that. A lot of people on the street are very impaired, either with medical problems or mental health problems, and this interferes with their cognitive function and is part of why they are on the street. But it does point to a solution, a path out: Work on getting your body healthy and strong and your mind healthy and strong. That is something you can do on the street and is more important than whether or not you currently have housing.
Get your mind back. Get your time back from all these "helpful" places stealing it. And eventually you will get your life back.
If you are on the street, you potentially have a path out of this chronic time crunch. You won't get it by standing in long lines at soup kitchens. If you can find a way to make your own money and protect your agency and freedom, you can gradually start improving things and getting your life back.
Most homeless service programs are terrible about disrespecting your time (along with throwing in all kinds of other forms of disrespect). If you need them, then take advantage of them. But if you can find a way to stop needing them, your quality of life will go up the less time you spend standing in long lines for very little gain while people treat you with contempt for needing their help (which, unfortunately, often is how one gets treated at such places).
I am on the street to get well. So another problem for me with standing in line at homeless services is being exposed to cigarette smoke, other people's germs and that kind of thing. So as soon as I was able, I left downtown San Diego and went elsewhere and stopped going to homeless service centers and the like (though I still get food stamps).
In recent weeks, my health is better and I find myself getting up earlier in the morning. This is very encouraging and I am finding myself having more time online at the library to try to work on various web projects, try to do freelance work and so on. I am frustrated that no one takes me seriously and my lack of housing seems to be the latest reason to simply dismiss me as having nothing of value to contribute to the world, the latest excuse to claim I know nothing. I wrestle with how to overcome that problem. For me, it feels like a chicken-and-egg problem: It seems like I need credibility to get money and I need money to get credibility. Sigh.
Anyway, getting back to you: If you are on the street, not needing to pay rent can be a bit of a blessing in disguise. It can buy you some time flexibility. Work on increasing that and on your health so your mind works better. Work on reading and getting better educated. The above linked article did talk about how even if you are poor, you have a brain. I don't like how it closed with that. A lot of people on the street are very impaired, either with medical problems or mental health problems, and this interferes with their cognitive function and is part of why they are on the street. But it does point to a solution, a path out: Work on getting your body healthy and strong and your mind healthy and strong. That is something you can do on the street and is more important than whether or not you currently have housing.
Get your mind back. Get your time back from all these "helpful" places stealing it. And eventually you will get your life back.