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(A2A) Thanks for asking, Ingrid. I’m more than happy to answer, as many foreigners seem to think that entire Norway is like Oslo, the capital.[1][1][1][1] However, Norway is a very diverse country.Among city people in Norway, especially in Oslo, there are many myths about the Norwegian countryside, some alive and kicking in other A2As to this question. In the following, I therefore encourage the reader to follow the links below, even if you don’t speak Norwegian, as many links contain pictures. They will give you a chance to see for yourself what the Norwegian countryside is really like.One stubborn myth is that there is depopulation all over the country. Well, true enough, there used to be. But rural Norway is changing.I’m a city boy. I have lived in Oslo my entire adult life after my dear late mum remarried, but my home and my heart is Trondheim, [2][2][2][2] Norway’s 3rd largest city (pop. 200 000), smack in the middle of the indeed elongated Norwegian country, which would stretch all the way from the Canadian border to the Florida panhandle if you moved Norway across the Atlantic Ocean.However, I have also worked for six months as a teacher in Nordland fylke, [3][3][3][3] living in a small municipality without even a village center. In addition, I have seen almost the entire country as a touring new wave musician in the 1980s, playing many tiny villages. I have in fact performed live in 18 of Norway’s 19 fylke (provinces), which are soon to become 11 new regions.statisticsAs of January 1st 2017, 4 283 184 Norwegians (81,5%) live in cities, towns and villages. 960 461 lived in sparsely populated areas.[4][4][4][4]The population of the densely populated areas increased by 55 335 people in 2016, while 8 115 fewer people lived in remote areas come 2017. The discrepancy is due to immigration and population growth.However, the population of the four largest cities of Norway increased only by 25 00 in 2016, which tells us that many Norwegians have moved to the new regional centers.THE REGIONAL CENTERS OF NORWAYCountryside in Norway used to mean isolated, single farms or a cluster of farms and houses. Maybe a truckstop, a gas station, a hotel or a grocery store here and there along the highway. But today it could just as well mean living in or close to a regional center or rural town of a few thousand people.To be given status as a by (town) in Norway, the kommune (municipality) in which it is located, needs to have at least 5 000 inhabitants. However, the town proper can have just a couple of thousand inhabitants, and there are at present 104 towns in Norway, 23 of them with less than 3 000 inhabitants, 4 with less than 1 000.The establishment of regional centers has been a conscious and bi-partisan policy by the Norwegian parliament. The intention has been twofold: to prevent depopulation of the countryside by making the countryside more attactive to live in, and to limit the growth of the major cities, where there for quite some time has been a housing crisis and soaring housing prices, which in the long run is a threat to the Norwegian economy, something several foreign or multinational institutions and organisations repeatedly have warned Norway about. [5][5][5][5]Although there are still regions being depopulated, the overall picture is that the population is not only stabilizing in many regions, there is even a slight population growth in quite a few municipalities. [6][6][6][6]There are small, bustling country towns all over the place. The conscious policy of regionalization is starting to take effect.BREKSTAD, A TOWN IN TRØNDELAG, CENTRAL NORWAY[7][7][7][7]A new Norwegian countryside is rising, for instance in the town of Brekstad (pop: 2 000) in the small kommune (73,18 km2/18 000 ac) of Ørland (pop.: 5 200)[8][8][8][8] on the Fosen peninsula with its 11 kommune and 24 000 inhabitants. [9][9][9][9] Population growth in Ørland 2016–2017 was 1,6%, and since the millennium, there are 16,6% more brekstadings in Brekstad.shopping in BrekstadIn Brekstad, in the new LIBRA shopping center, which predecessor was built in 1978,[10][10][10][10] the shops may not have all the models of your favourite shoe brand, but they do stock Loop, Birkenstock, Adidas and Nike, and in one of the two local sport shops you will get Puma as well. There is Timberland, FILA, GANT, Lee, and Tiger of Sweden to wear. [11][11][11][11] (Didn’t find any of my favourite jeans brands, though. Bummer!)Brekstad spouts two jewelry shops, one of them also an optician, and four supermarkets, plus one Asian grocery store. The large Norwegian chain Elkjop offers kitchen appliances, smartphones, games, computers, audio, TVs, radios and all other electronix. In LIBRA and elsewhere, there is e.g. a florist, a gardening shop, a toy shop, a pharmacy, several gift shops, a book store, a hair salon, a paint shop, a furniture shop, a health food store, a second hand store, car salesmen, a bakery, and the Norwegian government’s wine and liquer monopoly Vinmonopolet has a branch in Brekstad - of course! [12][12][12][12] And yes, you can indeed get your hot espresso or caffe latte in the town center.Not bad for a town with just 2 000 inhabitants, eh?Besides, these days, you have the internet, so if you desperately need that Luis Vitton handbag or a Stone Island jacket, it’s just a click away.Brekstad also has a lawyer, an advertising agency, a print shop, a real estate agent, a hiring agency, a consulting firm, a debt collection firm, a photographer, banks, an art gallery, an accounting firm, as well as several hotels, restaurants, a bar and a pub. And maybe best of all, there is great food, fresh from the surrounding farms. If you don’t mind a short drive, you can visit the farm shop of the Solvang farm, where they raise turkeys and sell homemade jams, pastries, fishburgers freshly made from local fish, as well as their own turkey products and other delicatessen.[13][13][13][13] [14][14][14][14]Farm shops is a new feature of Norwegian farming, a most welcome enterprise for an agricultural sector in decline for decades. 28 000 farms have closed down since 1999, and the 45 000 people working in agriculture are encouraged by the authorities to be innovative. 5% of Norway’s farms have gone organic, while in the early 1990s there were just a handful. [15][15][15][15] Although most farms in Norway are small, the average farm being 235 km2 (58 acres), the entire sector is highly mechaniced and efficient. [16][16][16][16] There are also many large producers. Norway is e.g. self-suffient with tomatoes. In the Rogaland region, one rural producer alone supplies the Norwegian market with 5–10 tons of greenhouse tomatoes every week.[17][17][17][17]But back to Brekstad, where there are three medical and two dental clinics, including ER for both services as well as some specialist physicians and nurses, even a private company ambulance. There are churches, and there is a NAV (Welfare and Employment) office, post office, the sheriff’s department, a fire department, a Child Welfare Services office, a public psychiatric unit (pilot) and most other Norwegian public services.Some services may be located other places on Fosen, rather than Brekstad, but living without a car in Ørland…? You are kidding me, right? But, for that matter, Fosen also has a comprehensive bus service with several routes. However, buses run when there is traffic, and no more than six or seven times a day, some just once, or on weekdays only. [18][18][18][18] [19][19][19][19]YOUR LOCAL NEWS SOURCENorway is a country of local newspapers, both online and in print, [20][20][20][20] and they are being read by 1M people in every part of Norway. Fosen is of course no exception. Fosna-Folket is twice a week distributed in +7 300 copies, and until 2017, “Folket” held its ground against the internet, but these days the Thursday edtion is no more. [21][21][21][21] [22][22][22][22]NO JOBS, NO COUNTRYSIDENot all jobs are available in the countryside. You may not be able to secure yourself a job locally. So what do you do?Once upon a time, white-collar workers started working at 9 am and blue-collar workers begun at 7 pm. Shops in Norway opened at 10 am and closed at 5 pm. However, working hours have become more flexible.working from home. If you don’t service others and have a computer at home, there’s no need for a regular office, at least not every single day. Your employer may let you work from home or stay home parts of your working week, or accept that you arrive 11 am and work until 18 pm. Or maybe you are self-employed, serving mainly customers in e.g. the capital? Then you can easily live in Brekstad.commuting. Many on the Fosen peninsula commute to Trondheim. The speedy commuter ferry will take them there, including the drive to the ferry terminal, in maybe as little as one hour. [23] In the Oslo region, thousands of people work in Oslo, but take the train to and fro work, as trains no longer take forever or stop at each and every small village. If you live in northeastern Grorud Valley, but work in Skøyen on Oslo’s westside, you may even spend more time getting to work than if you live in Brekstad, working in Trondheim. Or maybe you want your kids to grow up in Brekstad, but now that they have become teenagers, you don’t see all that much of them anyway, so becoming an ukependler (weekly communter), spending only weekends at home in Brekstad, makes sense? I mean, you can talk to them and your spouse on social media or on your smartphone whenever you or they please, right?However, most jobs in the countryside will have to be located in the countryside, and not just on farms or in the fishing industry. But we have already seen that regional centers create jobs, as brekstadingene and other fosninger no longer need to travel to Trondheim to satisfy their basic needs, but are served locally. Clinics need employees, so do kindergartens and schools, and the municipal administration and other public sector institutions need workers in a city which is growing. [24][24][24][24] More people means houses have to be built, and with increased traffic, roads have to be maintained and plow trucks must clear them in winter, so eight people are employed in the Norwegian Road Authority, div. Brekstad.Ørland is also home to an important base of the Norwegian Air Force and the base of Norway’s new F-35s, while the older F–16s have been as far as Kyrgyzstan, fighting terrorists there. The new F-35s will be operative in 2019, and some 650 military and civilian personel work at the Ørland base, as well as 200–300 conscripts.[25][25][25][25]But most of all, the countryside needs jobs, as in productive labour. Mascot Høie in Brekstad produces 15 000 pillows and duvets daily, as well as linen, while Grøntvedt Pelagic is the world’s largest producer of barrel-marinated herring. If you have eaten pickled herring on a hotel somewhere on the globe, it may well have originated in Brekstad, since Grøntvedt exports 80% of their 250 000 yearly barrels of herring as far as Japan, plus mackerel and other pelagic species.And of course there are farms in Ørland. Look at the picture below. Brekstad is a tiny cluster of buildings and houses, surrounded by fertile farmland as far as the eye can see. 8% of the population in Ørland is employed in agriculture.This is the new Norwegian countryside.THE MARVELS OF FAMILY LIFE IN BREKSTAD AND ØRLANDIf you are a family person, Brekstad and Ørland is a great place to live.Ørland has five kindergartens and full municipal coverage with two public and three private kindergartens: Marihøna (Ladybug) Music and Outdoor Kindergarten, [26][26][26][26] The Teaching Workshop - Nature and Farm Kindergarten, [27][27][27][27] and Sunnyflower Waldorf Kindergarten. [28][28][28][28]There are two primary and one secondary school in Ørland, but your older teenagers will have to take the school bus to get to Fosen High School in neighbouring Bjugn kommune. [29][29][29][29]Now, these days, many children spend too much time in front of their computers, but in Brekstad you have a far better chance of succeeding in kicking your spawn out of the house. Here, they can roam about on foot or on their bikes, go exploring or fishing or climbing or whatever, in a very safe environment with no dealers or street gangs on the corner.The football teams of Ørland Ballklubb [30][30][30][30] play at Ørland Stadium, and who knows, maybe your kid one day will follow in the footsteps of brekstading Jo Tessem, who went from Ørland BK to become a professional footballer, playing for Southampton FC in England at the height of his career. [31][31][31][31] ØBK also offers handball in the new Ørland Savings Bank Arena [32][32][32][32] with its three handball courts. If ballplay isn’t attractive for your picky off-spring, they can go swimming in the newly renovated public pool [33][33][33][33] or join a different sports club. If you are prepared to drive them to a neighbouring municipality, there are a plethora of other sports available for them on the Fosen peninsula. [34][34][34][34]When you’ve had enough havoc and noise around the house, to finally get some peace and quiet, you can send them to the movies in the brand new and very stylish Community House (Kulturhus). [35][35][35][35]Every kommune in Norway has one these days, it seems.[36][36][36][36]And if your kids get too preoccupied with fishing, sports and bicycle roaming, you can send them to the Ørland Community Library in Brekstad, [37][37][37][37] where both the childrens’ section and the youth section offers not only hundreds of books, but also music albums, movies, audio books, comics and maybe a game of chess? Or your spawn can borrow some books or other media and take them home, all for free.In October, there will be music, dance and theatre with and for 10–18 year olds in Skrekkspillene (Horror Games), and 300 children are following classes at Kulturskolen (Culture School).[38][38][38][38]What more could you possibly want for your kids? Disneyworld?!WHAT TO DO IN BREKSTAD AND ØRLANDAnd what about yourself? What can you do to pass the time in Ørland?It has been said that there is one organisation per capita in Norway. That is of course an exaggeration, but on the Fosen peninsula there are over 250 sports clubs, community organisations, religious and political organisations, motor clubs, naturalist associations, music associations, i.e. roughly some kind of community organisation per 100 inhabitants. There is a scuba club, an accordeon club, boating clubs, neighbourhood associations, and there are sports clubs which offers e.g. Tae Kwon Do and karate, equestrianism, basket, rugby, cycling, skiing, kayaking, sailing, archery, motor sports and swimming. [39][39][39][39] You can join a bridge or a darts club, and if birdwatching is your favourite pastime, Ørland spouts one of the six Norwegian Wetland Centers (Våtmarksenteret), as Ørland municipality is restoring wetlands and marshes. [40][40][40][40][41][41][41][41]Two activities have a long-standing tradition in the Norwegian countryside, and they are maintaining their popularity: Fishing and hunting. There are three Fosen branches of the Norwegian Association of Hunters and Anglers (NJFF), [42][42][42][42]one of Norway’s largest organisations with some 120 000 members of a population of 5M and with no less than 600 NJFF branches all over Norway, an NJFF rate of 1.5 per municipality, as there are 422 Norwegian kommuner.Fosen is renowned for its fishing opportunities, not only sea fishing for cod, pollock, lythe, wolffish, ling, haddock, flounder, whiting, dogfish, sea trout and mackerel, but there are also a great number of lakes and rivers on Fosen with Arctic char, trout and salmon. There are seven small boat marinas in Ørland, and many brekstadings own their own vessel.However, if one activity should be named the pastime of the nation of Fosen, I suspect it would be hunting. Not many foreigners know that Norway is indeed a country of guns. Norway is in fact no. 11 on the world ranking of private gun ownership, with close to 1,4M guns.[43][43][43][43]Most Norwegian private weapons are hunting rifles and shotguns, and the legal quota in Ørland for 2018 is 122 deer and 99 moose (elk). There is also rich duck, goose and small game hunting, which why there are no less than 18 local gun clubs on Fosen.Fosen is also a great place for trekking and hiking, and in Snillfjord, northeast of Ørland, there is even a stretch of rare boreal rainforest. [44][44][44][44]The Community House also features guest performances, and the coming autumn, Brekstad will be visited by comedians and a magician, and when Jarle Bernhoft, nominated for a Grammy in the US in 2015, comes to town, there will no doubt be a full house. [45][45][45][45]GOING TO THE REGIONAL CAPITALA few decades ago, the rural population of Trøndelag [46][46][46][46]had to go to Trondheim to buy, order or seek out much of what they needed of goods and services. Typically, there would be no dentist, optician, medical specialist or lawyer for miles in the countryside, and the only local events would be the bygdefest (“barn dance”), infamous for moonshine calamities, at the old community houses, usually built pre-WW2 and with terrible acoustics.But these days, the town of Brekstad serves the entire Fosen peninsula, the population’s basic needs well catered to. And there are enough customers on Fosen to run a profitable shop, workers available if you want to start a business, and a sufficent number of clients for a public facility or office to make spending of taxpayer money acceptable. Indeed, Ørland, this tiny municipality bordering the Atlantic Ocean which used to be marred by depopulation, even has a 9 hole golf course![47][47][47][47]Never mind the vinyl shop and the sushi bar. You can visit them when you once a month take a trip to Trondheim, where you may also go see a match at the Lerkendal Arena, home of Rosenborg FC, the no. 1 football (soccer) club in Norway, which at least 90% of the inhabitants of Fosen are rooting for with great enthusiasm, especially when RBK plays other top teams in one of the European cups. [48][48][48][48] Trondheim is just a 1–2 hour drive away, plus a catamaran ride across the Trondheim Fiord; no need to bring your car, you leave it at the parking lot by the ferry terminal. [49][49][49][49][50][50][50][50] Or, you could go to Kristiansund,[51][51][51][51] the capital of Nordmøre, [52][52][52][52] enjoying a light meal and a beer or coffee during the 3 1/2 hour ride,[53][53][53][53] picking up passengers on the islands of Hitra and Smøla on the way, hoping that the final leg to Kristiansund will be a smooth ride, as you may be exposed to the wrath of the open Atlantic Ocean if the weather is rough.Ørland-Oslo by airThere are 49 airports certified for commercial traffic in Norway, and Ørland Flyplass (OLA) is one of the 31 minor Norwegian airports, thanks to the Ørland Airforce Base, which is open for commercial traffic as well. A daily service operated by Danish Air Transport will in one hour take you to the Gardermoen National Airport in Oslo, just another boarding from the rest of the world. [54][54][54][54]NORWEGIAN REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTUREIn order to make the new regional structure work, proper communications are indeed needed. Western and northern Norway is ferryland, and 20M cars are annually transported between the terminals of the 121 Norwegian local ferry routes. In a few decades, most will be running of hydropower or hybrid energy, not diesel, so charging stations are being built for ferries, as well as for the estimated 1,5M electrical cars which will be trafficking Norway in 2030.The politicians let Norwegian transport infrastructure decay and detoriate up until around 2010, and some roads and railroads are in an abysmal state. Several roads are quite literally dangerous, as rockslides and gigant falling rocks come tumbling down with regular intervals. even on heavily trafficked highways. [55][55][55][55] Train punctuality has improved the last five years, but still delays are common, much to the chagrin of commuters and travellers who may miss the last ferry home. [56][56][56][56] The Norwegian National Railroad Adminstration (JV)[57][57][57][57] has been the subject of massive criticisms for its lack of foresight and planning.[58][58][58][58] Unfortunately, government top brass are rarely held accountable in Norway. The envelope usually stops by the entrance, where the press officer will say, “Yes. We do have some challenges, but…”The infrastucture of the Norwegian land-based transport sector is in need of investments of no less than 2,6T NOK (USD 320B) 2018–2050, according to a report from 2015. [59][59][59][59] But the mountainous task of upgrading Norwegian roads and railroads is at least finally being adressed, even if the lag is so significant that it will take decades before the entire Norwegian infrastructure is elevated to an acceptable level.On the good side: Norway has +99% broadband coverage, and 75% of all households has 8 Mbit, while 55% has 25 Mbit speed. 99% of Norwegians have 4G, and +50% of the Norwegian land area has coverage.[60][60][60][60] However, the telecommunications sector is private and competition is fierce, while most road & transport is public, and the Norwegian government bureaucracy is infamous for building over budget, IT scandals[61][61][61][61] and endless, successive series of committee deliberations, reports and assessments. Extensive public hearings may take forever, involving a multitude of hearing instances. They call it “democracy the Norwegian way”. If the telecom networks had been public, we’d probably all still be on 3G.OUTSIDE BREKSTAD AND BEYONDThe old Norwegian countryside is still around. When I was teaching up north, I lived in a kommune which now has a population of 2 000, and no regional center. Where I lived, there were just two grocery stores, a school, and 800 inhabitants, most of them employed in farming, fisheries or public sector. Many locals were weekend commuters. Job creation simply didn’t exist. In 25 of the of the 32 municipalities in Nordland with less than 5 000 inhabitants, the population declined from 2016 to 2017. Of the 21 kommunes with less than 2 000 inhabitants, 13 saw a decline, 4 as much as +3%.That many chose and choose to leave the old countryside, is understandable. With almost no possibility of leading some kind of social life in the modern sense, many will become bored or feel that life passes them by.Whether the new Norwegian regionalism will be a success in the end, remains to be seen. In addition to Brekstad, there are five small villages and three inhabited islands in Ørland, places that typically are being depopulated elsewhere in Norway. There are of course people who thrive in an environment like that and wouldn’t trade it for the world. But only a combination of stubborness and the ability to make a living in such remote areas will decide whether these communities will survive. Tourism, however, is expanding, as many city folks are seeking peace and quiet, and also a sense of rural authenticiy, staying e.g. at a lighthouse or an old boat house converted into a bed & breakfast or a rental, being taken out to sea in a fishing boat, returning perhaps with a 10 pound cod; a local chef may even prepare it personally for you some places. [62][62][62][62] [63][63][63][63] [64][64][64][64][65][65][65][65]THE FUTUREØrland municipality will do its utmost to help people move to Ørland or remain there. Every citizen counts. These days, most municipalities in Norway have a Chief Business Commissioner (næringssjef), whose job is to attract businesses and investors to the municipality. If a company should need a plot or a property, it is very likely they will aquire it. Some municipalities even offer lots for free. If a company needs a lateral road or a pier, electricity or water supply in order to run their business, the municipality will do their best to get funds from the government, [66][66][66][66] or they may even take up a loan themselves in a local bank. Ørland will also help any newcomers with housing and maybe give surety if a family should feel they need a 4WD on snowy winter roads.What the future will bring? Who can tell?But Brekstad isn’t special, it’s typical. This is what the new Norwegian countryside, or at least parts of it, looks like. Not exactly urban, but still.THE URBANIST’S BRIEF GUIDE TO THE NORWEGIAN COUNTRYSIDENow, of course, after a while, you will most likely meet no strangers in the pub. If you are a dedicated collector of vinyl, you will have to go to Trondheim. I can’t find any sushi bar in Brekstad, just an Asian take-away, although I woldn’t be surprised if a sushi bar pops up come 2019, but I don’t exactly expect the chef to be born in Kyoto, Japan. If you are an urban person, Brekstad is not where you will want to live.If you are single, your choice of a spouse will be limited, but you always have match.com, and just like in the Viking age, the menfolk of Brekstad will travel abroad to find a wife, which is why it is not unusual in places like Brekstad to see quite a few Asian women, who will be more than happy to settle in a nice and friendly country town like Brekstad.So if you recognize yourself in the Tom Waits line…And you wonder how you ever fathomedthat you’d be contentto stay within the city limitsof a small midwestern town…then I strongly advice you against settling in a place like Brekstad. You will most likely get extremely bored, then restless, and soon you will want to move.However, the people who live there, will shake their heads and wonder how you could be such a fool to leave their small community, as they head to their favourite fishing spot, take the kids to the new swimming hall, or look up to see a sparrowhawk soar high above them, as they go about weeding in their very own organic kitchen garden, picking fresh thyme and lovage, thinking-Poor city folks, they don’t know what they’re missing. What’s with the word chilling they don’t understand?Brekstad in Ørland on a sunny summers’s day.Scuba diving in Ørland, anyone?And if you’re lucky, you may get a visit by Vamp from Haugesund in southwestern Norway, one of the flagships of Norwegian country/folk music, here with their massive classic “Liten fuggel” (Small bird) - in nynorsk, [67][67][67][67] of course.Or maybe you prefer the controversial Brekstad TNBM heroes of Slagmaur? [68][68][68][68]Warning: NSFW!For more facts about Norway, check out my Quora blog:NORWAY EXPLAINED:Your guide to Norway and Norwegians by Morten JørgensenFootnotes[1] Morten Jørgensen's answer to What are some subtle cultural aspects of Norwegians that you probably can't learn about via Google?[1] Morten Jørgensen's answer to What are some subtle cultural aspects of Norwegians that you probably can't learn about via Google?[1] Morten Jørgensen's answer to What are some subtle cultural aspects of Norwegians that you probably can't learn about via Google?[1] Morten Jørgensen's answer to What are some subtle cultural aspects of Norwegians that you probably can't learn about via Google?[2] Trondheim - Wikipedia[2] Trondheim - Wikipedia[2] Trondheim - Wikipedia[2] Trondheim - Wikipedia[3] Nordland - Wikipedia[3] Nordland - Wikipedia[3] Nordland - Wikipedia[3] Nordland - Wikipedia[4] 2017-12-19[4] 2017-12-19[4] 2017-12-19[4] 2017-12-19[5] IMF warns Norway over property prices[5] IMF warns Norway over property prices[5] IMF warns Norway over property prices[5] IMF warns Norway over property prices[6] Folketalet ved nyttår var 5 258 000[6] Folketalet ved nyttår var 5 258 000[6] Folketalet ved nyttår var 5 258 000[6] Folketalet ved nyttår var 5 258 000[7] Trøndelag - Wikipedia[7] Trøndelag - Wikipedia[7] Trøndelag - Wikipedia[7] Trøndelag - Wikipedia[8] Ørland - Wikipedia[8] Ørland - Wikipedia[8] Ørland - Wikipedia[8] Ørland - Wikipedia[9] Fosen - Wikipedia[9] Fosen - Wikipedia[9] Fosen - Wikipedia[9] Fosen - Wikipedia[10] Se utviklingen av Libra bilde for bilde fra 1977 [10] Se utviklingen av Libra bilde for bilde fra 1977 [10] Se utviklingen av Libra bilde for bilde fra 1977 [10] Se utviklingen av Libra bilde for bilde fra 1977 [11] Shopping - Ørland[11] Shopping - Ørland[11] Shopping - Ørland[11] Shopping - Ørland[12] Vinmonopolet - Wikipedia[12] Vinmonopolet - Wikipedia[12] Vinmonopolet - Wikipedia[12] Vinmonopolet - Wikipedia[13] Åpningstider[13] Åpningstider[13] Åpningstider[13] Åpningstider[14] Brekstad Sentrum - Ørland[14] Brekstad Sentrum - Ørland[14] Brekstad Sentrum - Ørland[14] Brekstad Sentrum - Ørland[15] Fakta[15] Fakta[15] Fakta[15] Fakta[16] Snart kan du produsere spesialmelk[16] Snart kan du produsere spesialmelk[16] Snart kan du produsere spesialmelk[16] Snart kan du produsere spesialmelk[17] Tomat-resultater i verdensklasse[17] Tomat-resultater i verdensklasse[17] Tomat-resultater i verdensklasse[17] Tomat-resultater i verdensklasse[18] https://www.atb.no/getfile.php/1314924-1528101561/Rutetabeller/Sommer2018/AtB_rute451.pdf[18] https://www.atb.no/getfile.php/1314924-1528101561/Rutetabeller/Sommer2018/AtB_rute451.pdf[18] https://www.atb.no/getfile.php/1314924-1528101561/Rutetabeller/Sommer2018/AtB_rute451.pdf[18] https://www.atb.no/getfile.php/1314924-1528101561/Rutetabeller/Sommer2018/AtB_rute451.pdf[19] https://www.atb.no/getfile.php/1315017-1528101790/Rutetabeller/Sommer2018/AtB_rute490.pdf[19] https://www.atb.no/getfile.php/1315017-1528101790/Rutetabeller/Sommer2018/AtB_rute490.pdf[19] https://www.atb.no/getfile.php/1315017-1528101790/Rutetabeller/Sommer2018/AtB_rute490.pdf[19] https://www.atb.no/getfile.php/1315017-1528101790/Rutetabeller/Sommer2018/AtB_rute490.pdf[20] Landslaget for lokalaviser – Wikipedia[20] Landslaget for lokalaviser – Wikipedia[20] Landslaget for lokalaviser – Wikipedia[20] Landslaget for lokalaviser – Wikipedia[21] Fosna-Folket[21] Fosna-Folket[21] Fosna-Folket[21] Fosna-Folket[22] Fosna-Folket - Wikipedia[22] Fosna-Folket - Wikipedia[22] Fosna-Folket - Wikipedia[22] Fosna-Folket - Wikipedia[23] Trondheim - Brekstad[24] https://www.orland.kommune.no/administrasjon/organisasjonskart/[24] https://www.orland.kommune.no/administrasjon/organisasjonskart/[24] https://www.orland.kommune.no/administrasjon/organisasjonskart/[24] https://www.orland.kommune.no/administrasjon/organisasjonskart/[25] The future has landed[25] The future has landed[25] The future has landed[25] The future has landed[26] Marihøna musikk- og friluftsbarnehage[26] Marihøna musikk- og friluftsbarnehage[26] Marihøna musikk- og friluftsbarnehage[26] Marihøna musikk- og friluftsbarnehage[27] Læringsverkstedet Opphaug natur- og gårdsbarnehage[27] Læringsverkstedet Opphaug natur- og gårdsbarnehage[27] Læringsverkstedet Opphaug natur- og gårdsbarnehage[27] Læringsverkstedet Opphaug natur- og gårdsbarnehage[28] Solblomsten Steinerbarnehage[28] Solblomsten Steinerbarnehage[28] Solblomsten Steinerbarnehage[28] Solblomsten Steinerbarnehage[29] Fosen VGS - fosen.vgs.no[29] Fosen VGS - fosen.vgs.no[29] Fosen VGS - fosen.vgs.no[29] Fosen VGS - fosen.vgs.no[30] Ørland Ballklubb - Fotballgruppa[30] Ørland Ballklubb - Fotballgruppa[30] Ørland Ballklubb - Fotballgruppa[30] Ørland Ballklubb - Fotballgruppa[31] Jo Tessem - Wikipedia[31] Jo Tessem - Wikipedia[31] Jo Tessem - Wikipedia[31] Jo Tessem - Wikipedia[32] Sitter du på et ønske om å støtte byggingen av den nye storstua?[32] Sitter du på et ønske om å støtte byggingen av den nye storstua?[32] Sitter du på et ønske om å støtte byggingen av den nye storstua?[32] Sitter du på et ønske om å støtte byggingen av den nye storstua?[33] Svømmehallen - Ørland kommune[33] Svømmehallen - Ørland kommune[33] Svømmehallen - Ørland kommune[33] Svømmehallen - Ørland kommune[34] Idrettslag og foreninger på Fosen[34] Idrettslag og foreninger på Fosen[34] Idrettslag og foreninger på Fosen[34] Idrettslag og foreninger på Fosen[35] Kino / Ørland Kultursenter[35] Kino / Ørland Kultursenter[35] Kino / Ørland Kultursenter[35] Kino / Ørland Kultursenter[36] Image on mdn.no[36] Image on mdn.no[36] Image on mdn.no[36] Image on mdn.no[37] Ørland folkebibliotek[37] Ørland folkebibliotek[37] Ørland folkebibliotek[37] Ørland folkebibliotek[38] SKREKKSPILLENE PÅ FOSEN[38] SKREKKSPILLENE PÅ FOSEN[38] SKREKKSPILLENE PÅ FOSEN[38] SKREKKSPILLENE PÅ FOSEN[39] https://www.orland.no/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Sports-%C3%98rland.pdf[39] https://www.orland.no/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Sports-%C3%98rland.pdf[39] https://www.orland.no/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Sports-%C3%98rland.pdf[39] https://www.orland.no/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Sports-%C3%98rland.pdf[40] Rusasetvatnet / Ørland Kultursenter[40] Rusasetvatnet / Ørland Kultursenter[40] Rusasetvatnet / Ørland Kultursenter[40] Rusasetvatnet / Ørland Kultursenter[41] Fuglene flokker til Rusasetvatnet[41] Fuglene flokker til Rusasetvatnet[41] Fuglene flokker til Rusasetvatnet[41] Fuglene flokker til Rusasetvatnet[42] Norwegian Association of Hunters and Anglers - Wikipedia[42] Norwegian Association of Hunters and Anglers - Wikipedia[42] Norwegian Association of Hunters and Anglers - Wikipedia[42] Norwegian Association of Hunters and Anglers - Wikipedia[43] Få har flere våpen enn nordmenn[43] Få har flere våpen enn nordmenn[43] Få har flere våpen enn nordmenn[43] Få har flere våpen enn nordmenn[44] Scandinavian coastal conifer forests - Wikipedia[44] Scandinavian coastal conifer forests - Wikipedia[44] Scandinavian coastal conifer forests - Wikipedia[44] Scandinavian coastal conifer forests - Wikipedia[45] Jarle Bernhoft - Wikipedia[45] Jarle Bernhoft - Wikipedia[45] Jarle Bernhoft - Wikipedia[45] Jarle Bernhoft - Wikipedia[46] Trøndelag - Wikipedia[46] Trøndelag - Wikipedia[46] Trøndelag - Wikipedia[46] Trøndelag - Wikipedia[47] Austrått Golfklubb[47] Austrått Golfklubb[47] Austrått Golfklubb[47] Austrått Golfklubb[48] Rosenborg's Miracle Against Ajax[48] Rosenborg's Miracle Against Ajax[48] Rosenborg's Miracle Against Ajax[48] Rosenborg's Miracle Against Ajax[49] Trondheim - Vanvikan[49] Trondheim - Vanvikan[49] Trondheim - Vanvikan[49] Trondheim - Vanvikan[50] Trondheim - Brekstad[50] Trondheim - Brekstad[50] Trondheim - Brekstad[50] Trondheim - Brekstad[51] Kristiansund - Wikipedia[51] Kristiansund - Wikipedia[51] Kristiansund - Wikipedia[51] Kristiansund - Wikipedia[52] Nordmøre - Wikipedia[52] Nordmøre - Wikipedia[52] Nordmøre - Wikipedia[52] Nordmøre - Wikipedia[53] Trondheim - Brekstad - Kristiansund[53] Trondheim - Brekstad - Kristiansund[53] Trondheim - Brekstad - Kristiansund[53] Trondheim - Brekstad - Kristiansund[54] Ørland Airport - Wikipedia[54] Ørland Airport - Wikipedia[54] Ørland Airport - Wikipedia[54] Ørland Airport - Wikipedia[55] Image on tv2.no[55] Image on tv2.no[55] Image on tv2.no[55] Image on tv2.no[56] Forsinkelser i togtrafikken over hele landet[56] Forsinkelser i togtrafikken over hele landet[56] Forsinkelser i togtrafikken over hele landet[56] Forsinkelser i togtrafikken over hele landet[57] Norwegian National Rail Administration - Wikipedia[57] Norwegian National Rail Administration - Wikipedia[57] Norwegian National Rail Administration - Wikipedia[57] Norwegian National Rail Administration - Wikipedia[58] Riksrevisjonen med skarp kritikk av Jernbaneverket[58] Riksrevisjonen med skarp kritikk av Jernbaneverket[58] Riksrevisjonen med skarp kritikk av Jernbaneverket[58] Riksrevisjonen med skarp kritikk av Jernbaneverket[59] Knusende rapport om Norges tilstand: Forfall på 2600 milliarder[59] Knusende rapport om Norges tilstand: Forfall på 2600 milliarder[59] Knusende rapport om Norges tilstand: Forfall på 2600 milliarder[59] Knusende rapport om Norges tilstand: Forfall på 2600 milliarder[60] Mobildekning – Wikipedia[60] Mobildekning – Wikipedia[60] Mobildekning – Wikipedia[60] Mobildekning – Wikipedia[61] IT-skandale -sverige -danmark -social at DuckDuckGo[61] IT-skandale -sverige -danmark -social at DuckDuckGo[61] IT-skandale -sverige -danmark -social at DuckDuckGo[61] IT-skandale -sverige -danmark -social at DuckDuckGo[62] http://kufly.no/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/IMG_3252ed.jpg[62] http://kufly.no/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/IMG_3252ed.jpg[62] http://kufly.no/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/IMG_3252ed.jpg[62] http://kufly.no/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/IMG_3252ed.jpg[63] Visit Coastal Norway - Tourist information for Hitra, Frøya, Bjugn, Snillfjord, Osen, Åfjord, Roan, Rissa, Leksvik og Fosen - KystNorge[63] Visit Coastal Norway - Tourist information for Hitra, Frøya, Bjugn, Snillfjord, Osen, Åfjord, Roan, Rissa, Leksvik og Fosen - KystNorge[63] Visit Coastal Norway - Tourist information for Hitra, Frøya, Bjugn, Snillfjord, Osen, Åfjord, Roan, Rissa, Leksvik og Fosen - KystNorge[63] Visit Coastal Norway - Tourist information for Hitra, Frøya, Bjugn, Snillfjord, Osen, Åfjord, Roan, Rissa, Leksvik og Fosen - KystNorge[64] Discover Fosen Norway Autumn theme[64] Discover Fosen Norway Autumn theme[64] Discover Fosen Norway Autumn theme[64] Discover Fosen Norway Autumn theme[65] Turistkatalog. Ørland. Oppslagsverk for personer i kontakt med turister. v PDF[65] Turistkatalog. Ørland. Oppslagsverk for personer i kontakt med turister. v PDF[65] Turistkatalog. Ørland. Oppslagsverk for personer i kontakt med turister. v PDF[65] Turistkatalog. Ørland. Oppslagsverk for personer i kontakt med turister. v PDF[66] Innovation Norway - Wikipedia[66] Innovation Norway - Wikipedia[66] Innovation Norway - Wikipedia[66] Innovation Norway - Wikipedia[67] Nynorsk - Wikipedia[67] Nynorsk - Wikipedia[67] Nynorsk - Wikipedia[67] Nynorsk - Wikipedia[68] Slagmaur - Bestemor Sang Djevelord Lyrics | Musixmatch[68] Slagmaur - Bestemor Sang Djevelord Lyrics | Musixmatch[68] Slagmaur - Bestemor Sang Djevelord Lyrics | Musixmatch[68] Slagmaur - Bestemor Sang Djevelord Lyrics | Musixmatch

The best tool can find out the number of visitors to any website is ahrefs. They are #1 SEO tool now and all webmaster need ahrefs. They have 4 plans for account. The most plan is $999 per month. I am using this plan account, it is agency ahrefs account, but I buy it for $15 only from this ahrefs ageny account serviceWhy Your Audience Matters when Choosing the Right KeywordsIt’s essential for the keywords you end up optimizing for to match your website’s content. So, you need to ask yourself:Will the person who’s searching for these keywords find what they’re looking for?Will the content on my page answer their question/help them solve the problem they’re having?Will the traffic help me reach my company’s objectives?Some sites trick users into clicking on their page by making them think the solution they’re looking for is on that page when it’s not the case.However, you need to stay away from this practice because it’s something that will hurt the image of your company in the long run.To start off, just type in the Google search bar the type of products you’re selling, the services you’re offering, or the profile of your company. Here are some examples of search queries: beauty hair salon California, law firm, cleaning services, kids toys.As you can see, I added the location for one of them. This is something you can do as well if you’re targeting a specific area.By doing this quick research, you will be able to find suggestions in the Google search bar and at the bottom of the search results page. Those represent terms that people use to find businesses similar to yours. As a bonus, you’ll be able to find out who your competition is, and see what kind of content they’re creating.Spying on the competition is something that we should all be doing so we can figure out how to differentiate ourselves.But now, let’s get into Squirrly SEO’s keyword research tool, one of the best Long Tail Pro alternatives.Squirrly keyword research tools is a unique and mind-boggling feature which makes this SEO plugin more desirable than other tools.So easy. It’s much more user friendly than other SEO plug-ins.Noeland MelissaSquirrly SEO is a WordPress SEO plugin with an extra focus on research and analysis, which is one of the big things that makes it unique in comparison to the other SEO plugins.Its keyword generation tool is superior to others, because it extracts tons of ideas from different sources. It is incredibly helpful to understand what questions people are asking, and thus, to make the content more engaging and conversational.I love the number of SEO tasks this one application tackles; replacing the need for other multiple installs, yet it's not heavy - no negative effects on site speed.Tanya TroskaBack2Basics Digital MarketingBesides all the praises by us and other marketing experts, the real test starts when we start comparing a tool with the opponents. Squirrly WordPress SEO plugin comes with many great features which are unique and hard to find in other SEO plugins.Squirrly has advanced algorithms that help you find advanced keyword opportunities.When I first started blogging, I knew I wanted to be intentional about using keywords that were being searched frequently on Google. By prioritizing SEO, I was able to get several posts to the front page of Google within a short period of time using this plugin from Squirrly.The biggest feature that really ups the quality of this plugin is the keyword research tool. SEO is a world that confuses many people, including on occasion, some who are SEO consultants.Squirrly keyword research tools is a unique and mind-boggling feature which makes this SEO plugin more desirable than other tools.What You Can Get Out of Using Squirrly's Keyword Research ToolUntil recently, only WordPress website owners were able to reap the benefits of using this keyword research tool because it’s integrated into our Squirrly SEO plugin.But now, everyone can use this feature because we’ve added it to the Squirrly Cloud.The first part will be dedicated to those of you who own a WordPress site so you can see exactly what it looks like when the plugin is installed.Then, I’ll also show you how easy it is to use this feature from the Squirrly Cloud platform.The Ultimate Keyword Research Tool from SquirrlyAfter you install the plugin, you’ll want to create a new post. Under the title bar, you’ll notice a white section where it says “Squirrly Keyword Research.” Just click on the light blue arrow that’s on the right to open the keyword research feature.It should look something like this.As you can see, you have uncovered a whole new world of possibilities (note: this is not a metaphor).Let’s take it step by step.First, you have the box where you can add the keyword you want to search for. If you’re going to research multiple terms at the same time, then you can click on “+ Add keyword” to open more boxes.This can be helpful if you need suggestions for terms that are connected to the topic you want to tackle. For example, you could search for “improve driving skills” and “tips for new drivers” because you can receive suggestions that you won’t get by imputing those terms alone.Second, you have the box where you can choose how many results you want to get for each keyword:~ 10 results;~ 20 results;~ 50 results.If you choose to see 10 results, then we will show the suggestions in a few seconds. But if you select 50 results, then this may take a little bit longer, possibly up to two minutes.Then, you have the Google domain box. By default, this is set to google. If you hover your mouse over it, though, you’ll notice that you can select the Google domain of your choice from 140 available countries.If you own a local business and you want to check the Google rank for the posts you optimize with Squirrly for a specific country, then you need to go to your WordPress dashboard > Squirrly > SEO Settings > Ranking options (tab) > select the Google country of your choice, then click Save settings.Every time you’ll do your keyword research, the country you want to rank for will be saved here so you won’t need to select it manually every single time.The search queries will differ from country to country, that’s why this feature is important if you have a local business. Moreover, Squirrly offers an option that helps you check the Google rank for that specific country.You can check this information in your WordPress dashboard > Squirrly > Performance Analytics or Advanced Analytics if you have the Business plan.Now, let’s go back to the keyword research feature.I want to give you an example so that you can better understand what type of information you will receive for each keyword – and how you can use it to your advantage.How to Interpret the Data Given by Squirrly's Keyword ResearchFor this example, I chose the keyword “healthy recipes,” selected Fast (~ 10 results) and googleAs you can see in the image below, the keyword you searched for will be highlighted like this on the list.And here is how the first five keyword suggestions look like.You can now see very clearly that all of these have different data. I will take each section and talk about what they refer to.1. Recent discussionsThis section takes into consideration the monthly amount of discussions that are on social media about this topic. As you can see, there aren’t that many for either one of those keyword suggestions.2. SEO search volumeFor this part, we analyze how many people use this term in search engine queries. If the volume is less than 1,000 per month, then we will estimate by using an interval, such as 100-500.The search volume is extremely important because it can help you identify which keywords people search for quite a lot and thus could bring you a lot of traffic.Chances are that if you were to use a keyword such as “healthy recipes for toddlers,” you would not get as much organic traffic as other keywords would bring.3. CompetitionCompetition is a critical factor because it tells you whether you can rank your pages for specific keywords. This aspect is crucial, especially if you have a low authority site because it gives you a chance at finding opportunities to rank on the first pages.High authority sites don’t need to put too much effort to rank their pages compared to someone who’s just starting out.Thanks to Squirrly’s keyword research tool, a Long Tail Pro alternative, you can choose only those exact keywords that are easy to rank for instead of focusing on high-competition ones.The best keywords are those that have low competition and high search volume.4. TrendAt the time I was writing this article, one day has passed since Elon Musk launched his Tesla Roadster car into space, so I decided to do a keyword research and see what the data shows about his name.As you can see, a lot of people were talking about Musk on social media and the trend for it was going up at the time.This trend section can be instrumental if you want to do real-time marketing.For example, in a period when topics about Elon Musk and the SpaceX launch are trending, you can take advantage of this opportunity and create content on this topic.However, keep in mind that the topic that’s trending needs to concern your audience. Most people appreciate these types of stunts where they are done correctly, so make sure you think of a strategy before starting to work on real-time marketing content.That way, you’ll maximize the desired effect of this type of tactic.Now that I finished talking about the data provided by Squirrly’s keyword research tool, I want to talk about a few other things you can do with the tool.Exporting Your Keywords ListAs you can see in the screenshot above, you also have the option to export the results in a .xls or .pdf file. These are extremely helpful to keep track of the keywords you discovered, but you can also send the list to your team or client in a good-

I wrote a PDF years ago about this. Still relevant:Table of ContentsPage 2 Table of ContentsPage 3 Holiday Gifts for the HomelessPage 13 101 Gift Suggestions for The HomelessPage 18 Who Are the Homeless and How Did They Get That Way?Page 20 Federal Definition of Homelessness Page 21 Famous Homeless People Page 25 Four Kinds of Homelessness Page 30 Panhandling Etiquette Page 33  Safety & Security Page 34 Why Homeless for the Holidays?Page 37 Angel Food Ministries Page38 Mark Horvath - Making the Invisible Visible - Invisible People TVPage 43 Hope HousePage 41 Gods Pit Crew Page42 Run Tellman Run. Tellman Knudson - Running Barefoot Across America to Raise $100 million dollars for Homeless YouthPage 43 Homeless Youth Page44 Resources Page 48 Copyright NoticeAlong with finding a safe, warm place to sleep every night, finding a safe, clean place to shower daily or even weekly is very difficult.Typical places to shower include health clubs, public parks, beaches, offices that provide gyms or showers for their employees and universities. Most of the working homeless, particularly those mobile ones, join a gym so they have a place to shower, so they can rent a locker to keep their towels and toiletries, and so they have a place to go at night.Many places offer limited memberships, often for $25 or $30 a month (some for $150 a year and no monthly fees) that allow members to work out three times a week. If you have a church group, fraternity, club or organization that wants to help, consider buying or matching (paying half) of a health club membership for a family or individual. Not only will a health club membership give the person a chance to work out, exercise, and be around other individuals, theyll be able to stay clean, feel good and get the positive feedback and access to networking they can use to get back on their feet.Many health clubs will require that the individual has a “permanent address,” so you may have to make arrangements to provide one, to get a Post Office Box, or to convince the club owner that the member in question is “in transition.”If you belong to an organization that has a building, camp or access to showers, consider offering shower access to families or individuals on at least a weekly basis.CleanlinessNext to personal cleanliness, clean clothes, pressed and presentable for work, are the most difficult to come by for the homeless. Some “drop-in” centers or shelters have washers and dryers, but its often difficult to get your laundry done when youre not staying there.Weekly laundry bills at public laundromats can be expensive, often running $20 to $30 a week for laundry detergent and the cost of washers and dryers ($.75 to $3.00 to wash and the same or more to dry a load of laundry).A couple of ten-dollar rolls of quarters, small bottles or packages of laundry detergent and fabric softener make excellent gifts. If your local dry cleaner offers gift certificates or offers washing by the pound services, consider giving the gift of clean clothes. If you belong to a gym, a church, or other organization with washers and dryers, consider having one day a week where a family can do their laundry.If the homeless family is someone you know, trust or work with, or maybe is a coworker or neighbor, offer your homeonce or twice a month for them to do laundry, have a meal, shower, and get ready for the week to come. If youre not comfortable doing that, take up a collection and put the person or family up for a night or two in a local hotel. In many small towns, hotel rates may vary from $35 to $75 a night.What few people realize is how much work it is to be homeless. Everything that used to be in ONE place, is now in 10. Not only do you have to go to the laundromat, the grocery, but you have to do it daily if you dont have a place to store your things (like a car, camper or van). If you have a family, laundry and dirty clothes can be a nightmare - and a huge expense. The tendency when theres only enough money for food, gas or laundry, to let the laundry go.Once the clothes become soiled, dirty, rumpled, smelly, it becomes close to impossible to keep a job or get a job. You feel depressed. You feel worthless and every time you catch a glimpse of yourself in dirty clothes those feelings are increased. A shower and clean clothes can totally elevate the mood of a homeless person. Having access to regular facilities to stay clean and have clean clothes can make a huge difference to the person struggling to get off of the streets. Laundry detergent is expensive, especially in the small bottles and packets that the street dwelling homeless must use. Those living in a vehicle fare better. They can get to the laundromat, clean and store clothes in bags in the car and even use a dry cleaner for work clothes. But it's very expensive.Give the Gift of GroomingGood grooming is often the first thing to go when youre homeless. Giving the gift of grooming can be as simple as a gift certificate for a haircut.Chain salons such as Fantastic Sams, Supercuts and other mall salons offer a shampoo, cut, and style for between $13 to $20. Many have specials during the week, such as $10 for mens haircut on a certain day.Check with your local salon and see if you can arrange to purchase a quantity of gift certificates. If youre worried about the recipient selling the certificate, then simply make sure the certificate has a place for the persons name and print a disclaimer on the certificate that the person present a photo ID when redeeming the certificate. COST: $10 to $20Yes. Many shelters DO have days where haircuts and shaves are free, but for the working homeless, or those who do not use shelters or are homeless and fear shelters, those haircuts aren’t an option.It’s not an elitist thing, but the reality of families not familiar or reluctant to venture in an area of town where they dont feel safe, or dont understand how the system works.The $10 or $20 they would spend on a haircut is better spent on food, gas or other items. But being clean, well-groomed and presentable is part of getting and keeping a job.If you know how to cut hair, consider a day of hair cutting at a local church as well as a shelter.Light It UpSolar Powered LED Light Cap (Home - Go Fast And Light)One of the most aggravating things to keep track of while homeless is batteries and flashlights. This solar-powered cap eliminates that aggravation. Not only does the cap act as protection during the day, but the solar panel on the bill charges an LED light for use at night. It makes it easier to read, to organize your things, to find your way in the dark and for kids, to help them keep their fear of the dark at bay. No worry about batteries burning out if they fall asleep either. It recharges the next day.COST: $16.95 (Home - Go Fast And Light) to $24.95If youre not a cap wearer, there are also LED lights that clip onto your eyeglasses or reading glasses. If you dont wear glasses, try the headband version. Lightweight, portable - most fit in a pocket, great lights. The LED bulbs last 100,000 hours. The solar rechargeable cap is best, but even the lights that take batteries are inexpensive - usually a dollar or two at most Dollar Stores, up to $24 at camping stores.Money Pocket BeltPickpockets lost wallets and other hazards make carrying money on the street dangerous. Give the gift of increased security with a money pocket belt. Allows the wearer to keep big bills, important personal information like social security cards etc. in a place most thieves won’t think of.To remove money and keep the “secret” of the belt secure, use a public restroom or take it off in your vehicle or other private location where no one can watch, remove your money, replace the belt.COST: $11.95 to $19.95Security BeltIf a regular money pocket belt doesnt have enough room for your bills, passport, personal papers etc, there are a variety of styles and colors of security belts that both men and women can wear under their clothing.COST: $12.95 to $16.00Whether a person is living in their car, a shelter, couch surfing with friends or in a hotel, a light-weight bag, carry-all or suitcase is an ideal gift.Not only will a bag hold a weeks worth of clothing and toiletries, its a lot less likely to draw attention to someone on the street than a garbage bag would.A bag keeps clothes clean, dry, folded and accessible. For someone using public transportation or walking, a bag with wheels and a handle is a lot easier to walk with.Teen-agers in particular are more likely to hang onto a bag or backpack since its an item their peers will also have. Prices range from $10 to $75.If youre giving it as a Christmas or holiday gift, consider filling it with socks, gum, snacks, a lightweight fleece blanket, gloves, a portable alarm clock and a variety of toiletries - toothbrush, toothpaste, soap in plastic soapbox, shampoo, sani-wipes, a roll of toilet paper, packages of kleenex, lip balm, washcloth, etc.COST: $10 to $75Consider adding several small bags inside the larger bag to hold items like makeup, toiletries, personal effects, or medications12-Volt AppliancesIf you know someone who is homeless and living in their van, truck or car, consider a gift of 12-volt appliances.Oven-to-GoThe Burton “Oven-to-go” is available at Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more for about $29.00, and at a variety of stores, truck stops, and RV stores for $29 to $54. Prices will vary from store to store. This unit will cook anything from pizza to stew and runs off the vehicles battery through a cord that plugs into the vehicles cigarette lighter.12-Volt Electric Blanket and Battery GuardFor truly cold nights, its hard to beat a 12-volt electric blanket. Pair this gift with a device like the “Battery Guard” that alerts the driver with a low-battery charge so their vehicle battery doesnt die.COST for Blanket: $29 - $54COST for Battery Guard: $17 to $3412-Volt Electric Razors12-volt Electric Razors make it easier for those living in a car or van to shave without resorting to public restrooms. Cost for grooming appliances ranges from $11 to $24, again, depending on where you shop.COST: $22 to $4212-Volt Hair Dryers12-Volt hair dryers can double as window defrosters, a major issue when condensation fogs up windows when youre sleeping in a vehicle.COST: $11.95 to $18.9512-Volt Beverage HeatersA 12-Volt beverage heater can heat baby food, a bottle of babys milk, tea, coffee, soup, water or any liquid. Cost varies from $19 to $34.COST: $24 - $44Head -To-ToeSocks and Foot Care ProductsFor the homeless living on the street, theres no greater gift than new, clean socks. Heavy white cotton is the best, but all socks are welcomed as layering silk or polyester socks with cotton helps prevent blistering.Put two or three pairs of socks into a quart-sized zip-lock bag with a pair of toenail clippers, foot powder and band-aids, several packets of alcohol swabs. Foot care is critical - and often difficult when living on the street.COST: About $1 to $5 per pair of socks (more for wool or hunting style socks). Foot power, clippers and alcohol swabs would also cost less than five dollars.Pre-Paid Cell PhonesMost cell phone carriers offer pre-paid cell phone plans. Phones cost from $20 to $200 and pre-pay plans allow the user to pay for the minutes they need or use as they go. Cricket, Boost, Trac Phone and others are good. Make sure the cell phone has an alarm function as well as a clock. Virgin phones I have had dont have that function and an alarm is critical for a homeless person. The less they have to carry, the better.Having a cell phone allows the homeless 24/7 access to friends, family, support, emergency services, and helplines. Without a cell phone number, many people find it difficult or impossible to get a job interview, let alone a job. Many jobs require employees to have a phone so they can be contacted by their employer. If you belong to a group or organization that wants to make a difference, consider buying a pre-paid phone and pay for minutes. If you chose to discontinue your support you just stop paying. The person with the phone can then pay for their own minutes. There are no contracts to sign and no connection fees.COST: Some plans, like Boost, offer unlimited, anytime minutes with no roaming fees, and unlimited texting and walkie-talkie for $50 a month. Other plans, including pay-as-you-go 10 cents a minute http://planshttp://beckyblanton.comare also possible. Foror http://homeless4theholidays.comthe person looking for work or with a family, the unlimited plan is the best buy. 101 Gift Suggestions for the Homeless/Working HomelessThese are gift suggestions for a range of homeless people - from the addict or mentally ill person on the street (socks, shoes, coats, blankets), to the family youve heard about at work, church or from a friend who recently lost their home in the mortgage crisis, or was laid off and has moved into their van, car or a trailer.While some gifts might seem odd to give, dont forget that a coworker or good friend who has been laid off and become homeless, or single mother, or teenager struggling to get through school would appreciate the gift. Being homeless doesnt mean your life and needs stop. You still have to eat, shower, wash clothes, get your hair cut, stay warm (or cool in summer), get to work, or find a job, keep a job or care for your children and family, or your pets.If you dont want to give gifts, then give $2, $5, $10 or more each month on your electric or utility bills. Your local utility company has programs in place for a one-time payment program to help keep the power on for needy families in the event of a crisis (job loss, car broke down, medical issues that kept them from making utility payments). This is an excellent way to help PREVENT homelessness since research shows it is easier to KEEP someone in a home than a shelter.2. Laundromat Tokens or Dry Cleaning certificates3. Grooming - hair cut or shave4. Solar-powered baseball cap with reading light5. Money belt (security)6. Equipment bag or gym bag, suitcase7. 12-Volt Appliances (stove, coffee pot, hair dryer)8. Personal Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap etc)9. Socks10. Prepaid Cellphone11. Toys for children in homeless families12. Coat13. Backpack14. Small LED flashlight15. Flip-flops (for public showers)16. Hand sanitizing gel17. Sunglasses18. Bug Spray19. Net-book20. Rain gear21. Clothing (sweaters, sweat pants, work clothes)22. Stamps for mailing letters, bills, job applications23. Foot powder and nail clippers24. Blanket or sleeping bag25. Cigarette lighters26. Candy bars27. Beef Jerky28. Non-perishable food items like tuna, pudding, applesauce, diced fruit etc29. Movie tickets30. Gift cards to a restaurant, grocery31. Motel room for the night or for a week32. Health club membership - Planet Fitness is $10-$20 a month33. Laundromat tokens34. Gloves and Knit Caps or Hats35. Watch36. Portable alarm clock37. Sewing kit38. First aid kit with items for foot blisters39. Foster care for their animals if they have them40. Payment on a small storage locker or a safe place they can access personal items41. Tooth cleaning at their dentist or a dentist42. Over the counter medications such as aspirin, cough syrup, vitamins, Pepto-Bismol43. Pre-paid gift card for gasoline44. Snack bags with raisins, gum, cheese and crackers, candy, cookies45. Tax services - offer to help them fill out their tax forms or pay for a service to do it46. Hand and/or foot warmers47. Electric socks (yes, they do work)48. Handheld tear gas for women for self-protection49. Inflatable pillow50. Sleeping pad (as used for camping) Sleeping Bag51. Post Office Box ($24 to $40 for six months)52. Bus pass53. Subway or Metro pass54. Parking place. If your church or business can allow a person or persons to park in your lot overnight (arrive after 6 p.m. and leave before 8 a.m.) please do. Yes, there are legal issues and liabilities associated with this, but California businesses are doing it, so a lot of the groundwork has been done.55. Car parts and maintenance items - like oil, windshield wipers, anti-freeze.56. Tune-up57. Brake work and other mechanical work on a vehicle a family depends on for shelter or work.58. Coaching in how to do your best in a job interview59. Financial coaching - how to set up a budget - or better yet, pay or help pay for the person to attend Dave Ramseys Financial Peace University ($59 to $99 for life)60. Tutoring for kids61. Pay for an “After-school Program” for homeless children62. Thermal underwear (tops and bottoms)63. Pay for medication (Wal-Mart offers $4 generic for many meds. If the homeless person is on non-narcotic medications arrange with your local pharmacy to cover medications up to a set dollar amount.64. Diapers65. Baby food and formula66. In rural areas, a fishing license and fishing gear (many homeless still do fish for food)67. Donate your meat to “Hunters for the Hungry” or, if youre not a hunter, donate money to help fund the meat processing fees. In Virginia, a contribution of 20-dollars will process 1/2 a deer (25-pounds of venison), 40-dollars will process 1-deer (50-pounds of venison), and 80-dollars will process 2-deer (100-pounds of venison).68. A Flip camera so they can record and blog and tell their own stories.69. Pocketknife (Swiss Army with fork, spoon)70. Email or mail them regular notes of encouragement and support71. Leatherman tool (has basic tools, screwdriver, pliers etc.)72. Gel shoe inserts73. Nicorette gum for smokers trying to quit who have already been using it & cant afford it.74. Water bottle75. Packages of presweetened Kool-aid or other drink mixes in individual servings76. Inspirational literature - Small new testaments, Chicken Soup for the Soul books, or any inspirational (doesnt have to be religious) books. Childrens books.77. Pens, pocket-sized notebooks for helping keep track of things to do, lists etc.78. Pocket calendars so they can keep track of appointments, job interviews etc.79. Resume help. If they dont have a resume, help them create one or create one for them.80. Manicure or pedicure81. Order a food box from Angel Food Ministries (http://angelfoodministries.com)82. Pet food83. School supplies for teens/those attending college84. Portable or camping cookstove85. Portable or camping fry pan (handle folds for storage)86. Battery-powered fan (small personal fan or larger)87. Pay for flu shots or school shots for families with kids88. Belt with inside zippered money pocket (Money pocket belt)89. Construction weight garbage bags. These are the VERY heavy duty trash bags that contractors use on job sites to hold industrial weight trash. Theyre almost impossible to tear and make great bags for the homeless who prefer to use them. They are also excellent bags for covering a sleeping bag or for using as a rain coat. Buy them by the box and hand them out singly or in threes and fours. Available at any Lowes or Home Depot90. Emergency candles91. Sterno for cooking/warmth92. Solar-powered baseball cap (built-in LED light charged by solar cell)93. Clip-on reading light94. Mosquito netting (camping stores)95. Hair Scrunchies, both for women and children96. Bottled water97. Snuggie or other fleece wear for warmth in cars, shelters98. Car or other vehicles such as van, trailer99. Bicycle with basket or means for holding personal items100. Bandanas and handkerchiefs101. A variety of small zippered storage bags to hold makeup, toiletries, and other items.Believe it or not, this is NOT an exhaustive list. Hundreds of organizations around the country are using their creativity, insights, compassion, and gifts to find ways to create jobs and income opportunities for the homeless, to find ways to earn money to donate to the food banks and homeless shelters around their county, and to make a difference. It happens one person at a time.Don’t think you have to save all the homeless. Talk to an agency, or the director of a homeless shelter, to the YMCA or YWCA in your area, to womens shelters, to rape crisis shelters and counselors, and find JUST ONE PERSON you can help and focus on. Involve your friends or coworkers or neighbors and sponsor a homeless family - make sure they have the job help, the transportation, etc. they need to get back on their feet.In some communities, there are organizations that have “transitional housing” or “foster housing,” where a homeless family or person is screened and placed in a home, apartment or with a family who will work with them on life skills training or other issues while they work their way towards independence.Don’t overextend yourself. Get in this for the long haul and dont get burned out. If youre a teacher, teach kids that sometimes bad things happen in life and talk about homelessness in a positive way - as a life lesson for what can happen no matter how you plan for it not to. Teach respect. Have your students experience “homelessness” by letting them “live” in a box in the classroom. Older teens can spend the night in a parking lot at their school or church (supervised of course) to experience a bit of what being homeless is like.There are college courses that have students spend 24-hours on the street to see what homelessness is like. Experiencing even a few hours as “homeless” will change your perspective.I encourage you to go a week without showering in your own home, but finding places around town where you must shower. Put yourself in the shoes of the homeless (without the full risk) for a night. Sleep in your car in the driveway. Dress in old clothes and push a shopping cart around downtown. If the reactions of others doesnt shock you, the awakening will make you more compassionate for sure.Who Are The Homeless And How Did They Get That Way?No one plans to become homeless. It happens. They may see it coming, or fear it, or find themselves spiraling towards it as a result of bad decisions, or unexpected events, but no one sits down and says, “Gee, I think Ill go be homeless and destitute for a year or so.”Yes, there are people who opt to travel, to live out of a van, to drive across country on an adventure, another kind of “homeless.” But no one in their right mind wants to live on the street, moneyless, starving, cold, hot, lonely, attacked, belittled,and disrespected.The homeless become homeless because people become addicts. The majority of active alcoholics will eventually lose their families, their jobs, their loved ones,and everything they own - unless theyre independently wealthy and somehow manage to retain their financial independence.Drug addicts - the same thing. Addiction destroys. Stay addicted long enough and chances are very good you’ll become homeless.If you have a mental illness, or physical illness and are unable to work, to pay your bills, your rent, your mortgage, you will eventually become homeless if you cant find someone who will meet those obligations, or you cant find the program, welfare, or part-time jobs where you can afford some sort of shelter.If you lose your home to fire, flood, tornado,or a hurricane, you will become homeless - perhaps for a night, or a week or a month until you can find a new home. But if you dont have the financial resources to do that, or a family to fall back on, chances are you will become homeless as well.Anytime you get upside down with your bills (you owe more than you can pay and cannot meet your rent or mortgage payments) you will become homeless. You may have a fight with your spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend,or significant other and have the police tell you to leave the residence for a night, or a week.You may run away from home, or away from an abusive spouse or parent. You may have a medical condition where your medication costs more than your rent and you have to choose whether to live in an apartment and die, or live on the streets and have your medication. Tough choices.Are you starting to get the picture now? You may be a college student who cant afford an apartment, dorm,or room and continue to stay in school. One day you hear about someone who lived in a van and never paid rent all through school. Do the math. You can pay a semesters worth of classes for what it costs to rent a place. All of a sudden it makes sense to move into your car - until you do.You may be a construction worker, truck driver, a traveling salesman. You get behind on your bills and opt to give up your apartment to save money. You live in a hotel most of the time anyway, why not? Then one day you lose your job and cant afford to keep staying in hotels. Youre suddenly homeless.I've met doctors, lawyers, engineers, and computer programmers living in their vans. The doctor said his wife had frozen all his bank accounts and credit cards in divorce and all he could do was sleep in the van until he figured out what to do (days maybe). He didn’t want his friends to know, so the van and a week of homelessness was a solution.Women escaping an abusive spouse, teens running away from abusive parents, all have very good reasons for living in their cars,and becoming homeless. Few women in those circumstances have the financial base to simply leave and start a new life. Most have been kept from having jobs - especially jobs where they could earn a living wage.I’ve met women on disability and oxygen who lived in their van so they could afford their medication.Families, fathers,and mothers with children, both parents lose their jobs, are laid off, and rather than risk a cross-country drive to another area to look for work, they stay in the same town - hoping to find another job. After all, they reason, they have unemployment and three months emergency funds. But the savings they have runs out and they find themselves living in their cars.The common perception is that all homeless people are mentally ill, addicts,and alcoholics. The attitudes of some shelter workers, used to seeing a majority of homeless who are addicts, perpetuates that.The media doesn’t bother [until lately] to point out that people are homeless as no result of their own decisions in many cases [the economy], or because they made poor decisions, or made the best decision they could at the time.So yes, there are homeless people who are addicts and mentally ill, or are criminals and sex offenders. But there are families, children, students,and women who become homeless because it was the best or only option they had. Before you condemn all homeless - find out their story.If you have been homeless at one time, share your story. You, more than anyone else, can help others understand it can happen to them as well. In the following pages are facts and info about the homeless and a few of the thousands of organizations that are helping the homeless.What is the definition of “Homeless.”In Title 42, Chapter 119, Subchapter I, of the United States Code, homeless is defined as: §11302. General definition of homeless individual(a) In general For purposes of this chapter, the term “homeless” or “homeless individual or homeless person” includes—1. an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and2. an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is —1. a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill);2. an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or3. a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.STEVEN PRESSFIELD“It is one thing to study war, and another to live the warriors life.”         - PressfieldAny military man/woman knows his name, especially the Marines. Steven Pressfield is the author of what most military experts, officers and non-coms call the military bible, the book, “The Gates of War.”Pressfield, a Marine and author was also once homeless – living in his Chevy van with his cat. He struggled to the top of his field, but is firmly planted there after writing “The Gates of War, The War of Art, and The Legend of Bagger Vance, among others. His website, his philosophy and his books are well worth the read.CARY GRANT:This Oscar-winning actor slept rough on the streets of Southampton, England during a summer in his youth at the time of World War I. (According to the book, Cary Grant: A Biography, by Marc Eliot, 2004)On page 31: “Archie then volunteered for summer work as a messenger and gofer on the military docks, often sleeping in alleys at night if he didnt make enough money to rent a cot in a flophouse.”JIM CARREY:Jim Carrey, actor, writer, producer, nd comedian is no stranger to van dwelling or homelessness. Jim lived out of a VW van in various locations across Canada with his older brother John Carrey, older sister Rita Carrey, and his parents Percy Carrey and Kathleen Carrey as he was growing up.Also camped in a tent with his family in the backyard of the home of his older married sister, Patricia.KELLY CLARKSON:Grammy Award-winning singer; American Idol television talent show 1st-season winner 2002 Kelly Clarkson was once homeless. Clarkson lived out of a car and in a shelter, with her female roommate, after a major structural fire forced them out of a 71unit apartment building in West Hollywood, California in March 2002.In an interview with Inside Edition television news magazine, September 5 2002, her roommate, fellow Texan, actress/singer Janet Harvick was quoted as saying, “It was really, really rough because we had just moved here, and we had just moved in on the day of the fire. We knew nobody here—I mean nobody, so the night of the fire, the next day, and night, we stayed in our car.”US Weekly magazine, September 23, 2002; print story: “My apartment [building] burned down; my car got towed twice, recalls Clarkson, who, with nowhere to go, lived in a homeless shelter for several days.”DJIMON HOUNSOU:Djimon Hounsou is a West African-born (Beninese) Oscar-nominated actor and model.Before being discovered and becoming an actor, however, Djimon slept on the streets and in subways near the Eiffel Tower for two years beginning at age 13 before being discovered and offered a modeling contract.DAVID LETTERMAN:This Emmy Award-winning television writer, comedian, author and host of the television talkshow Late Show with David Letterman spent time living out of his Chevy pickup truck while struggling to establish his career.CHRIS GARDNER:Hes not worried about money now. But once upon a time multimillionaire stockbroker (net worth $65-million (2006)) Chris Gardner couldnt afford a room for himself and his young son. Now hes an author; stockbroker and multimillionaire.The 2006 movie “The Pursuit of Happyness,” starring Will Smith, was based on his life. He slept in subway stations, trains, bathrooms, and a church-run shelter in California with his son.MARTIN SHEEN:Emmy Award-winning actor,director and producer; slept in New York City subway while a young struggling actor. Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez, (born August 3, 1940) better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an actor best known for his performances as Captain Willard in the film Apocalypse Now and President Josiah Bartlet on the television series The West Wing. As well as the critical acclaim he has received as an actor, he has become known as an activist. Born and raised in Ohio, United States, with Irish and Spanish parents, Sheen is also an Irish citizen.He is the father of actors Carlos Irwin Estévez (Charlie Sheen), Emilio Estévez, Ramón Estévez and Renée Estévez, and is brother of the actor Joe Estevez.HILLARY SWANK:In 1989, when she was 15, Swank and her mom packed up their Oldsmobile Delta 88 and, with just $75, headed to Los Angeles. They lived in the car until a friend [eventually] gave them a place to stay. Swanks mom used a pay phone to book her daughter for auditions. (Readers Digest)FourKindsOfHomelessThere are four kinds of homeless people. There are the alcoholics, and drug addicts. There are the mentally ill. There are what I call the “Life Happens Homeless,” those who are homeless because of situations or circumstances in their lives - loss of a home, job or family etc. and there are the homeless who are homeless by choice.“ We have a home. We just don’t have a house to put it in. ”-unknownThe addict is usually easy to spot most stay high or intoxicated. Without professional intervention and a desire to get clean, most will die on the streets. There have been many who have overcome their addiction and gotten off the street. So they are not hopeless. But its a long, hard, painful road for most.Addicts and AlcoholicsMentally IllHomeless drug addicts and alcoholics become homeless because of their addiction, or those who are already homeless become alcoholics and addicts because they are homeless.When youre down and out, depressed and hurting from life on the street, the temptation to drink or drug your pain away is strong.According to Mike Nichols, “40 to 50 percent of the estimated 744,000 people who are homeless on any given night have a serious mental illness.They suffer from a variety of Axis I mental disorders which include: Anxiety Disorders, bipolar disorder, clinical depression, and schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorders, and severe personality disorders.Between 150,000 and 200,000 of the homeless have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. This is the equivalent to the population of any of these cities:• Dayton, Ohio• Des Moines, Iowa• Fort Lauderdale, Florida• Grand Rapids, Michigan• Providence, Rhode Island• Richmond, Virginia• Salt Lake City, UtahMike is bipolar and has an anxiety disorder himself and blogs about mental illness and the homeless at his blog:Anxiety, Panic & Health - Living with Health, Wellness and WholenessAlong with the mentally ill are sexual predators - homeless because they cant find anyone who will rent to them, or homeless because they cant afford an apartment because they cant get a job because they are sexual predators. State laws often allow even violent and dangerous sex offenders to register as homeless as long as they give an area where they sleep.Life HappensWhat if your spouse beats you and you run away. Or, you lose your job, you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness or cancer, or something that requires medication that costs more than you pay in rent each month. You have to choose between medication and a place to live.“Being homeless is not a crime someone commits.It’s a condition someone experiences.”- Becky BlantonOr, your car breaks down and you cant afford to repair it or buy a new one and you lose your job. Youre laid off and eventually evicted or forced to move out because you cant afford rent. Maybe youre one of the thousands of teenagers whose parents kick them out because they cant afford to feed you.Maybe you graduate from college and cant find a job and friends get tired of your couch surfing. Maybe youre in an abusive relationship and decide to leave, even though you cant afford a place of your own, either with or without a job.More than 20,000 teenagers “age out” of the foster care system every year. About one quarter will become homeless.Life happens. And, when it does, homelessness is often the result. Parents die, yourNot only do these 18-year olds lose their home, their medical benefits,and the support of the foster-care system, they’re released into a world for which they are little prepared and have little or no family support to fall back on for guidance.The reasons for “Life happens homelessness” ranges from job loss, foreclosure, illness, abuse or natural disaster - fire, flood, earthquake (Katrina for instance), domestic abuse, the economy, stock market failure, falling victim to identity theft, bad investments, and so on.Homeless By ChoiceWhile it may be inconceivable to some, thousands of homeless people are homeless by choice. This homelessness can last for days, weeks, months, years or a lifetime.Some of these homeless are adventurers - living out of a camper or van or car while they travel the country in search of work, or while they surf, play or camp.In states like Oregon, Washington and California there are many surfers (wind surfers and ocean surfers) who live out of their vehicles.Another population of those homeless by choice, are “Van-dwellers.” They live in their vans or cars and “city camp,” by parking on city streets, in parks, at Wal-Marts, or rest areas or wherever they are able to blend in.They work at being invisible, making their vehicles as stealthy as possible so they can live, work, eat and sleep on the streets without being hassled by police or otheragencies. They are often able to afford an apartment or home, but chose not to live in one. The lure of the road and the lifestyle appeals to them.Some apartment and home owners may even be “Van dwellers” part of the year, living out of their vehicles to save money while they travel.Students at many colleges may opt to live out of a van to save housing costs while in college. They keep a locker on campus, shower and eat on campus while attending classes, but sleep in their car.Musicians, construction workers, truck drivers,and those with jobs that keep them on the road most of the year may also choose to be homeless, living out of a hotel or their vehicles.At the other end of the spectrum are the homeless who dont want to come off of the street and dont want to be “helped” into an apartment or even a shelter. Some may be mentally ill, and some just dont want the responsibility of having to hold down a job and keep up an apartment. The hand-to-mouth existence of living on the street is preferable to having regular employment.The Face of HomelessnessHomelessness is the worst stigma in America, worse than being fat, than being unemployed, than being a person of color, than being mentally ill or being a criminal. Homelessness is the equivalent of being all those things at one time.http://beckyblanton.com or http://homeless4theholidays.com bully you, attack you, humiliate you and treat you as a non-person.But homelessness is no respecter of persons. Racially, the mix is almost equal. The very rich are as susceptible to “losing everything” as anyone else.A person who would never be cruel or vicious to a stranger often feels like its okay to lean out a window and scream “Get a job!” to a homeless person.Dont believe it? Ask Simon Cowell, judge for “American Idol.” Simon once lost everything at the age of 30 when the company that owned Fanfare went bust. He said, “I effectively lost everything and had to move in with my parents.”He was lucky. Many of those who do lose their homes have family to move in with until they get back on their feet.The point is, even being a millionaire doesnt ensure you wont or cant become homeless.And once homeless, society labels you as despicable, criminal, insane, lazy, worthless, filthy and non-human creature imaginable in the eyes of most Americans!Yet - the week before you were homeless you may have been an engineer making $100,000 a year, or a computer programer or a police officer, or an attorney, or a writer, or artist, or nurse.In a flash you become totally “less than” and suspicious. If you cant maintain an apartment or house, people reason, you must be untrustworthy, and criminal. And somehow that seems to make it okay for others toThose window hanging, bullying bastards are just that. They dont realize that 40-50 percent of the people they are screaming at are mentally ill and not capable of getting or holding down a job. They dont realize that the chances are very good that they know someone who is homeless, or has been homeless.While violence against the homeless can come from anywhere, statistics show that white males are the most common predators of the homeless - beating, killing and abusing them.Part of the reason this is possible is because Americans have permitted the homeless to become less than human. Our society perpetuates the stereotype that the homeless are worthless, stupid, criminal and not valuable.In seeing the homeless as an infestation or problem to be eradicated instead of solved, police and governments become part of the problem.Yes - half of the homeless on the streets today are mentally ill. Many are sexual predators, many are criminals. Treat them as such.http://beckyblanton.com or http://homeless4theholidays.com Arrest them for crimes, put them in facilities, warehouse them or deal with them for the behavior they exhibit, but not simply because they are homeless.Being homeless is not a crime someone commits. Its a condition someone experiences.And remember the other 50 percent - the working homeless, those who have jobs, or lost jobs and are looking for jobs and simply no longer have a house or apartment. Or, as one woman put it, “We have a home. We just dont have a house to put it in.”They are the families, the women, the men and the children who have lost their home for a variety of reasons and are struggling to survive on the streets.They want desperately to not be homeless. Many of them find temporary shelter in the homes of family or friends. They “couch-surf,” staying with friends or families for a night, a week, months or years at a time while they save money for a car, an apartment or or look for a job.Many are working, or looking for work. But on a minimum wage salary, it is very hard to save money for an apartment deposit, first and last months rent, a utility deposit, or a car to get to and from work. Since most dont have health insurance, medical bills, medication and health needs may take up a large portion of their income.Chances are they lost their car if they lost their jobs making it even more difficult to get another job, or to get a job that pays well enough to save money. Many dont have the financial skills or know-how to save or to make wise financial decisions.More than that, start pushing your local governments for affordable housing. Its the number one reason for homelessness among the working homeless or working poor. And its third behind addiction and mental illness for homelessness in America.http://beckyblanton.com or http://homeless4theholidays.com panhandlingetiquette“Should I give a panhandler money?” I say “No.” Dont do it. Others will say “Yes,” be compassionate.“How should I deal with panhandlers?” is often one of the first questions I hear when I talk to people about my year as a homeless person. They either assume I “panhandled” or asked for money at some time, or they wonder if I did. I never did. I worked full-time. If I ran out of money, as I often did, I did without - without food, without gas, without showers or whatever I wanted or needed until pay-day. I might feel differently if Id had to panhandle.So I am not an expert on panhandling or panhandling etiquette. I know that I preferred to work, or do without, as did most of the other working homeless I encountered.That said, I will tell you that the homeless people I met who did panhandle, were willing to share their tips about how to be good at it, with me. Most of the tips involved how to pick out “easy marks” and those most likely to give money; and how to avoid being beaten up by other panhandlers. My impression is that while there are definitely some people who need the money for gas, whowill use the money for food or a hotel room, the majority won’t. Its up to each of us to decide who to trust and who not to trust.The majority of the people I met who panhandled admitted they used the money for alcohol or drugs, and only occasionally for food. They bragged about making from $50 a day to $400 a day.I could pass those tips along about how they did it, but most involved scams, how to cheat, how to lie, how to con. But then again, these are people with nothing, doing what they can to literally survive. I cant judge them, but I can tell you what I would do.People who ask me this are really asking, “How can I say no? Should I say no? Is it safe? How much should I give? How do I know theyre not going to use it for alcohol or drugs? or Will they try to rob me if I say no, of if I only give them a few dollars? Will they keep pestering me for money every day if I give them money one time?”I think guilt is a major motivator for our even thinking about what to do. We feel guilty for having so much whenhttp://beckyblanton.com or http://homeless4theholidays.com others have none, yet we also dont want to give money that will only be used for alcohol or drugs.Who are we to judge? The fact is, I believe most of the money you give the average, aggressive panhandler will be used for drugs or alcohol. Thats coming from a former homeless woman who never panhandled, but did extensively interview and talk to those who did.That said, I believe your interaction with any panhandler puts you at personal risk for your own safety. Those who panhandle tend to be mentally unstable, on drugs, or addicted or mentally affected in some way. I think you take your life in your hands, particularly if youre a woman, elderly or disabled, to interact with the homeless who approach you on the street, asking for money. A lot of people will disagree with me. Why this ebook if Im saying dont give to people on the street? Because Im being practical.The bigger the city, the more aggressive the panhandler and the more likely you are to agree with me. I think your money is better spent through donating to a charity that feeds, houses and clothes the homeless, that deals with their addictions. I guarantee if youre homeless you know within a week where the shelters are.Within a month you know where all the food banks are and how to work the system. I worked because I could - I was fortunate enough to find work. I dont know what I would have done if forced into the circumstances so many of the homeless are in. I dont. Given that the majority of the street homeless are mentally unstable, likely to beinfluenced by drugs more than social norms or mores, its up to you of course, but be careful.Treat them with the respect, tone and attention you would anyone, but say no and keep walking. Dont stop. Dont engage. If you have been homeless, worked with the homeless, are in a group of people and you want to stop and engage a homeless person, thats up to you. You have an idea of what to look for, what youre getting into. Theres a difference between going up to a homeless person and engaging with an aggressive panhandler.Homeless are people with no permanent address. Some have mental health issues, some are sexual predators and some are addicts. Some work, some dont. Some are looking for work. Theyre not bad because theyre homeless. Theyre not dangerous because theyre homeless. Some of the homeless definitely act like animals, but so does a large part of society who do live in houses. Rise above the urge to scream “Get a job!” Be respectful. But understand.....Aggressive panhandlers WILL try to engage you in conversation to make you stop. Dont. You may get an angry response, but thats their problem, not yours. Just dont engage them. If you do encounter a homeless person you know, believe or think is “safe,” or legit and feel compelled to give to them follow these rules. Do NOT pull your wallet out in front of them and sort through your stash to find an appropriate denomination to give them.If they say, “I need money for gas,” then offer to follow them to a gas station and fill their vehicle up for them. Ifhttp://beckyblanton.com or http://homeless4theholidays.com they say its for food, get them a sack of sandwiches instead. The fact is, most of the time the money is for drugs. If you feel comfortable aiding their habit, go for it.Phil Elmore, a ghost-writer (The Executioner series) and martial artist who lives in New York state, is even more adamant than I am about security and protecting yourself from the aggressive panhandler. He has written a free, and very strong report on how to protect yourself from the homeless aggressor.Aggression among panhandlers is growing, as evidenced by many cities who are passing stronger laws and arresting panhandlers whose requests for change borders more on robbery and intimidation. My opinions are also colored from having graduated from a police academy in 83 and having worked security for Wackenhut, for several corporations and in large cities.If you truly want to help the homeless living on the street, go through a social worker, organization, shelter, church, or a group or individual who has experience working and interacting with the homeless. Yes, there are people out there who really can use your help, so make your contributions where theyll help the most - go through an organization or group who best knows the homeless.But dont toss your common sense out the window. Those homeless who depend on street theatre, or playing music for donations - are not the aggressive panhandlers Im talking about. Be as cautious with the homeless as you would any stranger. Being in need doesnt make someoneliving on the streets more safe, and quite often makes them less safe.There are a lot of sad, defeated homeless people on the street. Help all you can, but be safe when you do.http://beckyblanton.com or http://homeless4theholidays.com safetyandsecurityIf youve ever been approached by a homeless person asking for money, begging for a handout, or being aggressive, verbally abusive or demanding for any reason, chances are youre not likely to feel a lot of compassion for the homeless. While the “invisible homeless” work, remain largely, cleaned, clothed and dont beg, they arent the homeless the public usually sees.Phil Elmore, who says he has been soundly criticized for his stance that people need to protect themselves from the homeless, stands by his PDF about how to defend yourself from the homeless. I agree with him. A police academy graduate and one who has lived and walked among the homeless, Ive seen extreme mental illness, aggression, and violence among the homeless who live on the street. While there are a lot of assaults on the homeless, there are a lot of assaults and crimes among the homeless on other homeless.Homeless women are raped, beaten, and victimized more than anyone realizes - and few will report the assaults because of fear of the police response or non-response. Phil writes:“According to Healing Hands, the publication of the HCH Clinicians' Network that I cited earlier, 84% of the homeless are single men ages 25-54. (Another 9% are over 55, while just 7% are between 19 and 24). Men comprise 77% of single homeless adults, but only 15% of adults in homeless families. (Also, if you care about the race breakdown, 41% of homeless adults are white, 40% are black, 10% are Hispanic, and 8% are Native American.) About one-third of homeless men are veterans — but that's the same representation as found in the population at large, so the myth of the homeless vet is just that, too.Stop and think about those statistics for a moment. The overwhelming majority of the homeless are single males aged 25-54. According to the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, single males in that age range (especially those 35 and younger) were among the most likely groups to commit violent crime. That means the very group that makes up most homeless people is also the demographic group most likely to assault you.”Elmore is a martial artist and professional writer whose work has appeared in a variety of print and virtual publications. He is not a lawyer, a police officer, or a member of the military. He is a private citizen who believes your rights to your life and your property are inalienable.The publisher of The Martialist™: The Magazine For Those Who Fight Unfairly, Phil has published numerous books about self-defense. These include the Paladin Press titles Street Sword and Flashlight Fighting, as well as the http://Booklocker.com text Shorthand Empty Hand. For more information, visit Phil online at http://www.philelmore.com and http://www.themartialist.com.Why Homeless 4 The Holidays?In March 2006 I was a newspaper editor at a small town paper in Colorado. My father had died of brain cancer that February, and after a stressful month at work I decided to quit my job, travel and freelance while grieving and dealing with his death.For a lot of reasons, is death hit me hard. Not only had he been my father, he had been an abuser. I was awash in grief and anger and emotion with his death.My story, as it was written and as it first appeared in design mind, a magazine published by the global innovation firm frog design, http://designmind.frogdesign.com, is at the end of this catalog if you haven’t read it yet.Anyway after having experienced homelessness“Like war, firsthand, I became deeply empathetic with the plight of the homeless, particularly with the working homeless, but also the disabled, the mentally ill, and families and children.My father’s one regret in life was that he had worked until the end, and had never traveled and done the things he wanted to do. I vowed not to do the same.So I bought a 1975 Chevy Van, put everything in storage, took my Rottweiler and my cat and moved into the van. At first things were great, but then everything went wrong.Things didn’t work out as I thought they would. The result was a year of homelessness for me as I refused to give up my pets, and chose to live in the van instead.homelessness is an economic battle, not a moral one.”- Becky BlantonI’ve since learned that this year over 1 million teenagers will experience homelessness.Every 24 hours, 13 of those homeless young people will die alone on the streets. But it doesn't have to be this way. You can make a difference. You can save a life.That’s what this catalog is for showing you what you can do to make a difference in the lives of the homeless-many of whom really are just like you - with families, jobs, and dreams.http://beckyblanton.com or http://homeless4theholidays.com Unlike you they lost their home in the mortgage crunch, got scammed, were slammed by the stock-market, laid off, had a family member suffer a devastating illness, or like many teens and those in foster care - hit their 18th birthday and lost their foster family due to state and federal laws.They don’t need or want a handout. They want a helping hand. There’s a difference.Last September, 9/9/09 Tellman Knudson started running barefoot 3,200 miles across America. He is now crossing one of the 50 states between Battery Park, NYC and Santa Monica, CA.His goal is to raise $100 million to donate to the shelters, organizations and on-the-ground volunteers across the country that help homeless teens get food, get shelter, and rebuild their lives.Tellman will/has run 3,200 miles barefoot by the time you’re reading this... but he needs your help to help provide for the homeless youth across America.Mark Horvath, homeless twice himself, started his executive career at the top.He was once responsible for the worldwide distribution of Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy; Married with Children; 21 Jump Street, plus many other syndicated shows. His video distribution has changed dramatically.Now, with just $45, a laptop, a camera and social media, Horvath wants to show that knowing homelessness exists is just half the problem; the other half is showing how we can help.We all suffer as a result of this country’s greed and drive to deny low-income housing, small square-footage housing, and regulations that prevent or discourage alternative energy, off-grid living and lifestyles that do not feed the county, state and federal coffers.Like war, homelessness is an economic battle, not a moral one. The causes of homelessness are strongly related to the economics not of the homeless, but of the county, state and federal agencies that create it.Regardless of the causes, focusing on solutions rather than blame is most critical. Finding alternatives, providing food, shelter, water, showers, jobs and counseling is most critical now.As a reporter every holiday I covered the stories of volunteers who “give up” their holiday to spend the day dishing out turkey and mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and warm socks to the “poor, unfortunate homeless.”The focus is usually on the volunteers, rarely on the homeless, except to get a quote about how grateful they are for a hot meal. How stupid. But it makes people and viewers/readers “feel good” and so this story repeats itself around the country.I thought it was time to do something different. And this is it. I hope you find it enlightening and helpful.I am NOT asking for money or donations. I am asking you find and support an organization in your town or city that feeds, houses or helps the homeless. If there’s not one, then start one.We’re all in this together. As the economy and Bernie Madoff showed us - ANY of us could be homeless at any time. Help change the perception of homelessness while you still have a home, a job, a family and hope.There’s no guarantee that you or someone you know will never be homeless. But there’s a good chance that you or someone you know could become, even for a few days, homeless.AngelFoodMinistriesAngel Food Ministries provides food relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. The program began in 1994 with 34 families in Monroe, Georgia and has grown to serve hundreds of thousands of families across 35 states.Each month's delivery (for $30 per box) includes both fresh and frozen items with an average retail value of approximately $60. Generally, each box can help feed four people for about one week or a single person for almost a month. There are no limits on the boxes a person may receive, and no applications to complete.Sample Menu ($30 for all the items below)* 4 lb. IQF Leg Quarters * 4 oz. Beef Back Ribs * 1 lb. 80/20 Lean Ground Beef * 2 lb. Breaded Chicken Tenders * 1.5 lb. Bone in Pork Chops (4 x 6-oz.)* 1 lb. Ground Turkey * 18 oz. Stuffed Manicotti (Cheese) * 12 oz. Smoked Sausage* Betty Crocker Seasoned Potatoes * 7 oz. Cheeseburger Dinner * 16 oz. Green Beans * 16 oz. Baby Carrots * 2 lb. Onions * 1 lb. Pinto Beans * 1 lb. Rice * 7 oz. Blueberry Muffin Mix * 10 ct. Homestyle WafflesinvisiblepeopletvAbout Mark Horvath and http://InvisiblePeople.tvMark has over 30 years of leadership, management and marketing experience with the last 14 years being in the nonprofit sector.He now uses his media and non-profit reach to self-fund his http://InvisiblePeople.tv project to offer a voice to America's homeless.Mark Horvath gives homeless people a voice, a face and hope. Once homeless himself, not once, but twice, Horvath started his executive career with the worldwide distribution of Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy; Married with Children; 21 Jump Street, plus many other syndicated shows.Horvath's Hollywood executive background is in stark contrast to the role he finds himself in now. He was once responsible for the worldwide distribution of some of America's best-loved TV shows. Now, with just $45, a laptop, a camera and social media, Horvath wants to show that knowing homelessness exists is just half the problem, the other half is showing how we can help.So hes back on the streets, talking, interviewing and video-taping the real stories of the homeless. And he posts them on his blog, http:// http://invisiblepeople.tv. Marks Road Trip U.S.A. tour is cosponsored by Ford, Hanes and Whrrl, but is always looking for more sponsors.He is always looking for corporate and individual sponsors to help him get the message of the homeless out to the world.If youd like to contribute to Marks programming, contact him here:Contact Information Mark Horvath http://InvisiblePeople.tv 213.245.1519 [email protected] once heard a story about a homeless man on Hollywood Blvd. who really thought he was invisible. But one day a kid handed the man a Christian pamphlet. The homeless guy was shocked and amazed, “What! You can see me? How can you see me? Im invisible!”It isn't hard to comprehend this man's slow spiral into invisibility. Once on the street, people started to walk past him, ignoring him as if he didn't exist… much like they do a piece of trash on the sidewalk. Its not that people are bad, but if we make eye contact, or engage in conversation, then we have to admit they exist and that we might have a basic human need to care. But it's so much easier to simply close our eyes and shield our hearts to their existence.Invisible People TVby Mark Horvath(CC) Randy Stewart, http://blog.stewtopia.com.I not only feel their pain, I truly know their pain. I lived their pain. Youd never know it now but I was a homeless person. Fourteen years ago, I lived on Hollywood Blvd. But today, I find myself looking away, ignoring the faces, avoiding their eyes and Im ashamed when I realize Im doing it. But I really can feel their pain, and it is almost unbearable, but it's just under the surface of my professional exterior.For years I’ve used the lens of a television camera to tell the stories of homelessness and the organizations trying to help. That was part of my job. The reports were produced well and told a story, but the stories you see on this site are much different. These are the real people, telling their own, very real stories… unedited, uncensored and raw.The purpose of my vlog (video blog) is to make the invisible visible. I hope these people and their stories connect with you don’t let go. I hope their conversations with me will start a conversation in your circle of friends.After you get to know someone by watching their story, please pause for a few moments and write your thoughts in the comments section, or maybe email them to a friend and link back to my vlog. By keeping this dialog open we can help a forgotten people.The invisible guy didn't intend to become homeless. I didn’t plan on living on the street. Everyone on the streets has their own story, some made bad decisions, others were victims, but none of them deserve what they have been left with, and it is a reflection of our own society that we just leave them there.Please always remember, the homeless people youll ignore today were much like you not so long ago.HopeHouseHomeless children are one of the most neglected and vulnerable populations on the streets. The average age of a prostitute in the USA is 12 years old. Often, children turn to prostitution to escape the streets. Or, they are kidnapped and forced into the sex trafficking trades.Emily Fitchpatrick is helping those children change their future and avoid a life on the streets. Fitchpatrick, the director of Hope House in Asheville, North Carolina, isn’t a just an “I want to help,” kind of person. Shes been in the rough places victims and addicts go.She recovered from alcohol and drug addiction nine years ago and became determined to help others do the same. Fitchpatrick said she believes God can help her rescue women who have fallen prey to sex trafficking.While sex trafficking crimes have gotten national attention, Fitchpatrick says “People think this (sex trafficking) happens in other countries, and they dont want to see that it happens here,” said Fitchpatrick. But it does.To learn more about On Eagles Wings Ministries, which runs Hope House, visit http://www.emilyfitchpatrick.com. OEW is not a church, it is a parachurch ministry made up of individuals from several denominations in the Christian faith.Email us at emily@emilyfitchpatrick.com Write to: PO Box 9737, Asheville, NC 28815 Toll-Free Help Line: 1+ 877-276-8023There are food banks and disaster relief crews, but perhaps none is as well known in Virginia and across the Southeast as “Gods Pit Crew.” More than 300 volunteers respond to major disasters around the country, bringing food, clothing, medical care, counseling, construction workers,and all manner of help to those who have become homeless and displaced through natural disasters. They now post the videos of their assistance efforts on YouTube, but you can also read about their relief efforts at their website:God's Pit Crew is a non-profit, faith-based, group of volunteers who wish to serve others in their time of need. The mission of our disaster relief team is, with God's help and direction, to fill needs and bring healing to hurting people. One goal is to teach and demonstrate Service, Teamwork, and Self-esteem into the lives of young people.Since its first mission in May of 1999, God's Pit Crew has delivered over 4 million pounds of supplies into areas that have been devastated by natural disasters such as floods, tornados, and hurricanes. They have responded to 33 major disasters in 11 different states. They've worked side-by-side with people who have lost everything, helping them to restore their homes, their hopes and their dreams. The organization has its own trailers, trucks and tractor trailer rigs to haul supplies wherever they are needed. To view the crew in action watch their videos at:God Tube (http://www.tangle.com/godspitcrew) or at YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/godspitcrew).They are a non-profit organization and accept donations from around the country for their work. Theyre also always looking for volunteers so they can expand their reach. While their work is with people who have been displaced and are homeless due to natural disaster, the most compelling thing about this group is their perspective of the homeless they work with as people in need...as are all homeless actually. They tackle things on a community wide level, showing those displaced that recovery is possible, that people do care.Read more about them at: http://www.thegodspitcrew.org/runtellmanrunby Tellman KnudsonThe people who set outrageous goals are usually the only ones who meet them. That includes Tellman Knudson, who started running across country to raise $100 million dollars for homeless youth.miles home again after practice.The running strengthened his muscles and corrected his femoral antiversion. In two years Tellman was breaking school records and competing for the state title.Tellman has never really cared what people said was possible or not. He had plans and dreams and goals and hasnt let anything stop him.Tellman grew up in Enfield, NH, a self-admitted geek with ADHD and a crippling leg condition called femoral antiversion.The condition made it difficult even to walk. As with any thing that makes a kid different, the bullies noticed Tellmans condition and he was picked on constantly.He struggled in relationships with his divorced parents and took refuge couch surfing in friends homes.“The people who set outrageous goals are the only ones who keep them.”He learned that with persistence and dedication he could overcome anything. It stuck. Tellman worked his way through college by selling home-made salsa from his dorm room.After focusing on the narrow field of Altered States of Awareness, Brain Waves, and Peak Performance at Marlboro College, Tellman launched a series of 5 different businesses that all struggled and eventually closed. But he didn’t lose the lesson. Tellman gathered a lot of valuable insight from his failures.Tellman success came when he set out to market his products on-line. He relentlessly pursued experts in the field of internet direct marketing and acquired an advanced skill set and insight that proved to be marketable.- Knudson SupporterIn a scene right out of Forrest Gump, Tellman decided to try out for the cross-country running team in high school. It was ugly – he could barely run a quarter of a mile. But Tellman found solace in running and he threw himself into it, running 7 miles to school in the morning and then 7 home.He launched “Listcrusade,” a successful attempt to develop an email list of 1 million people. This established Tellman as a successful on-line marketer. Now companies and individuals pay Tellman to provide consulting and insight for their web-based direct marketing campaigns. Tellman is now CEO of http://overcomeeverything.com and several other internet direct response marketing companies. He is still highly ADHD, but thrives on the challenge of solving multiple problems and starting new ventures.Homeless YouthMore than one million teenagers will experience homelessness this year. Every day 13 of those teens will die on the streets. Thats almost 5,000 teenagers.Some are homeless because of the death of one or both parents. Some run away from abusive home situations. Some have been kicked out of the house because their parents cant afford to feed/clothe them, or cant manage them.Some are kicked out of the home because their parents find out theyre gay or pregnant. Some will run away with a boyfriend and end up breaking up and afraid to go home. Many of them couch surf with friends, or sleep in their cars - all while attending school.Unlike the streets, school is a safe, warm place to be for 8-10 hours a day. They can be with friends and aren’t hassled by police. they also tend to not eat well, or get the sleep they need or do as well on the tests they need to pass to graduate.In Massachusetts, teens used to receive a cash payment of $303 each month while they were in school, but former Governor Mitt Romney vetoed that benefit nd now teens in Massachusetts are on their own.For teens with no job history, no street smarts, nd no support or understanding, the options for them on the street are few - prostitution, drugs, drug dealing,and crime.Some will join the military, but the majority are left to their own resources to find work, an apartment, to build credit,and to maintain a home - often on minimum wage.Teens who are also pregnant, or are single mothers have an even harder time. Many will marry just to get off of the street.Homeless ResourcesThe National Alliance to End HomelessnessThe National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonprofit, non-partisan, organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. Their website offers information, statistics, tools, training, data and research, state by state data on homelessness. Its considered one of the best resources on the web for information about the homeless and ways to make a difference.http://www.endhomelessness.org/The Homelessness Resource ExchangeThe Homelessness Resource Exchange is a one-stop shop for information and resources for assisting people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The HRE provides direct links to information on HUD's housing and homeless programs, links to other federal agencies' homeless assistance programs, a direct link to HUD's http://HMIS.Info website; CoC grant application materials, Frequently Asked Questions, e*SNAPs, a calendar of homelessness training events, and a feature to locate assistance organizations near you.http://www.hudhre.info/The Ugly Quilt ProjectSince 1985 “My Brothers Keeper Quilt Group” has been making quilted sleeping bags for the homeless. The group is comprised of individuals and groups who want to help the homeless by making emergency sleeping bags from recycled fabrics and distributing them free to people who are cold on the street. Their only goal is to help the homeless on the street be warm until other groups and organizations “can help or heal them.” Email Address: [email protected] BROTHERS' KEEPER QUILT GROUP R.R. #1, Box 1049 Hop Bottom, PA 18824 (570) 289-4335http://beckyblanton.com or http://homeless4theholidays.comhttp://www.uglyquilts.org/ Hunters For The HungryHunters for the Hungry is a non-profit organization that distributes deer donated by hunters, processes the meat, and then gives the meat to food banks across each state. The food banks in turn distribute the meat to families and individuals who have shown a need for it. Every state has its own organization and contact information. Please Google “Hunters for the Hungry” and your state to get your local contact information.f youre not a hunter, donate money to help fund the meat processing fees. In Virginia, a contribution of 20 dollars will process 1/2 a deer (25-pounds of venison), 40 dollars will process 1 deer (50 pounds of venison), and 80 dollars will process 2 deer (100 pounds of venison).Homeless Helping Homeless (HHH)Homeless Helping Homeless is the voice of the homeless. Since 2001, members of the homeless community have, through HHH, advocated and organized politically for themselves. Facilitated by the Urban Ministry Center as part of the Community Works 945 project, HHH demonstrates civic concern, honesty, and genuine commitment by and on behalf of the homeless in Charlotte, NC.http://www.hhh945.blogspot.com/Artists Helping The HomelessArtists Helping The Homeless is a non-profit 501c3 public charity organization that raises money through Art to help individuals who need a new beginning. They sell art created by members and donate a portion of the proceeds to provide opportunities for those less fortunate. Their major initiatives include providing housing and serving meals weekly at the park in Kansas City where the organization is based.http://www.artistshelpingthehomeless.comhttp://beckyblanton.com or http://homeless4theholidays.com Three years ago, I was living in a van with Rottweiler and a housecat in a Walmart parking lot in the US. By July 2009, I was speaking at TEDGlobal in Oxford, England.Physically, the journey from “homeless” to an international stage was a rough one, but the emotional and mental challenges were greater. I was one of the lucky ones.We all make bad choices. But when I decided to quit my $50,000-a-year job as a small town newspaper editor in 2006 to deal with my fathers recent death from cancer, I had no idea I was deciding to become homeless.I thought I was doing something good for myself by taking time off to travel and see the country. My father, a man who had physically, emotionally, and sexually abused me throughout my childhood, had died in February of that year, and his passing hit me hard.No matter how much youre told about how the death of an abuser may affect you, no one can prepare you for it. So when that emotional storm hit, I ran. I retreated into the one world I felt safe in — camping and traveling. I told myself I was “taking care of me.” How wrong I was.Although I was freelancing, and sometimes working a second part-time job, the co-workers, employers, police, and http://beckyblanton.com or http://homeless4theholidays.com people around me considered me homeless and “less than,” because I lived in my van and not in an apartment. At a time when I needed friends, encouragement, and understanding, I got harassed, shunned, and shamed. For more than a year I bathed in employee showers and truck stops, washed up in public restrooms, parked in different lots each night to avoid police hassles, and struggled to keep my clothes cleaned and presentable, and my job intact.I sweated in the heat, froze in the cold. When I was sick, I used a bucket and trash bag for a toilet. I went without food so I could afford gas, and I risked my health, safety, and security every day.The only difference between me and my former colleagues at the newspaper was that they paid a mortgage or rent on a home. I paid rent on a storage unit.My depression deepened, and eventually, someone referred me to a homeless health clinic. I went. I hadn’t bathed in three days. I was as smelly and depressed as anyone in line; I just wasn’t drunk or high.When they realized that, several of the homeless men, including a former university professor said, “Why are you really here? You arent homeless.” Other homeless people didn’t see me as homeless, but I still did. The professor listened to my story and said, “You have hope. The real homeless dont have hope.”At some point, someone told me that the journalist Tim Russert had included an essay I wrote about my father before he died in a new, best-selling book. At first, I laughed. Was I a writer or was I a homeless woman? I went into a book store and found Russerts book. I stood there and reread my essay and cried. I knew then the answer to my question. I was a writer.The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that 2.5 to 3.5 million people — about the population of Denver, Colorado — experience homelessness each year in the United States. That includes 600,000 families and 1.35 million children. Many of them live in a family vehicle because they are able to find and maintain a job, or had a vehicle before their crisis hit.Studies show the most economically efficient way to end homelessness is to prevent it in the first place. The most common cause of homelessness is a lack of affordable housing; it accounts for 50 percent of all reasons given.Emergency assistance (including rent or mortgage and utility assistance), which helps provide time-limited housing subsidies until families become financially stable, can help prevent homelessness and is more financially effective than getting someone off the street.So instead of handing a homeless person $5 or $10, contribute $10 or $20 to your local energy company when you pay your utility bill each month. It will go towards helping someone keep the home they already have. Donating to businesses or groups that can provide car repair, transportation, rent,and food, or medical care to people in need can also help.Rather than volunteer at the local soup kitchen on Thanksgiving and Christmas, why not help set up a crisis clinic or donate time at a free health clinic?Pity isn’t a solution. Practical, political expediency is. Providing safe parking, allowing the homeless to use public resources such as parks, showers, transportation, and libraries will help thousands of families get off the streets or out of their cars quicker. Getting your local government to decriminalize homelessness is harder than spending the morning at a soup kitchen, but the payoff is so much greater.After realizing I had a skill I could use, I moved back home to Tennessee, alternated between living in my van and couch-surfing with friends, and I started writing. By the following summer, I was a working journalist, winning awards,and living in my own apartment, no longer homeless or invisible.Its superficial, but society equates having a permanent address and a permanent structure to live in with having value and worth as a human being. I used to not believe that society was so superficial.I believe it now..“This article first appeared in design mind, a magazine published by the global innovation firm frog design: http://designmind.frogdesign.com/Copyright Notice (c) 2009 Becky BlantonThere are NO affiliate links in this documentThis ebook is Copyrighted 2009 by Becky Blanton. All rights reserved. You may distribute it freely and in its entirety or may quote freely from it as long as you attribute the quote or quotes to the ebook.You may give it away from your website, send it to friends, email it or post it to any group. You may NOT sell it or bundle it with items that you are selling. You may quote from it, read it, refer to it on Blog Talk Radio or any other venue. The point is, the information should be distributed as far and freely as possible in order to help as many people as possible. I only ask that:When quoting from the story “The Invisibles,” please use the following language:“This article first appeared in design mind, a magazine published by the global innovation firm frog design        http://designmind.frogdesign.com/When quoting from any other content please use the following language:“This information/quote/photo first appeared in Home 4 The Holidays, an ebook copyrighted and published by Becky Blanton of http://beckyblanton.com.The reason for this request is so other people can find the information you quote or use by getting the book in its entirety. Quoting the above and providing a link to the site u, allows them to do that.The website, http://homeless4theholidays.com is a site dedicated to information about homelessness, resources for the homeless and links to a variety of sites about homelessness.I have attributed, credited and linked all information, photos and information in this ebook to their proper authors and photographers under the “Fair Use Act.” Unless otherwise indicated, information about each individual was written by that person, or taken directly from their “about” page on their website and lightly edited to fit space requirements for this book. This is not an end-all, be-all book. Its an introduction to the problem of homelessness along with some basic information, resources and links to other sites that deal more exhaustively with homelessness than I alone can. I hope you find it helpful!http://beckyblanton.com or http://homeless4theholidays.com For more information about homelessness, how to survive on the streets, how to live out of your vehicle, laws, resources, and other tips on getting out of homelessness, finding food sources etc. visit our website: http://homeless4theholidays.comhttp://beckyblanton.com or http://homeless4theholidays.com AcknowledgmentsNo great thing happens without the help of many, many people. My journey from homelessness to TED to “Homeless4theHolidays,” (both this book and the website) was possible because of a hand up from dozens, if not hundreds of people. From the folks at http://Yahoo.com, where I won the laptop Im writing this on; to Smugmug, the most wonderful photo hosting/storage site in the world; to Phil Hamby and Denice Thibodeau who let me couch surf for weeks and fed me; to David Benjamin Knopp who designed the cover of Homeless 4 the Holidays and my websites and logos “for the cause,” (he so rocks as a person and graphic artist); to Jodi Kaplan, Jule Kucera, Bernd Nurenburg, John Furst (who has been a steady rock, mentor, source of inspiration and email marketer for me); Patty Newbold, and Judy Vorfeld, for their edits, suggestions, patience, inspiration and guidance; to Bonnie Larner for a place to park the van; to all the members of Seth Godins Triiibes and to Seth Godin himself, who blogged about traffic magnets and helped push the vote. To Daniel Pink, who held the contest for Johnny Bunko that grabbed my attention, and got me to TED. To Ed Brenegar, who joined me in the Johnny Bunko contest and became a friend; To Megan Elizabeth Morris and Marty Whitmore who created the Johnny Bunko comic book, and who blog about my experience. And to all the folks at TED. And to my agent, Colleen Mohyde (the full-length book is coming) for her patience and belief in me.To anyone reading this who is homeless, or struggling or fearful. Dont give up hope. Hope is all you might have, but its all you need to get out.If you work with the homeless, have compassion for them, or donate to them, thank you. As Christ said, “If you do it to the least of these, you have done it for me.” Regardless of your beliefs, or non-beliefs, compassion is the gift that keeps on giving. Thank you for your work, whatever it may be. You are making a difference.Merry Christmas“This book is packed with great ideas that can make a real difference in a homeless person's life. The suggestions are practical, realistic, and inexpensive solutions (not just handouts). Bravo!”Jodi Kaplan, Kaplan CopyDo you have a heart for the homeless? If so, this ebook will help you put your money where your heart is. Beautifully blended with wisdom and wit, and lavishly sprinkled with creativity.“Homeless for the Holidays” is the eBook of choice for every agency supporting the needs of the homeless, and every publication that roots for the homeless.Judy Vorfeldhttp://beckyblanton.com or http://homeless4theholidays.com