Homeless Action Committee

393 N. Pearl St. Albany, NY 12207

(518) 426-0554          Fax 462-5839

www.homelessaction.com

                                                                                                                            December 2006

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Season’s Greetings from the Homeless Action Committee! We are busy preparing for the holidays for our tenants at our Single Room Occupancy (SRO) housing program.This housing continues to make a critical difference in the lives of our tenants. HAC’s SRO housing program provides permanent housing to 30 people who had previously lived on the streets and who are all alcoholics.The SRO is low-demand housing, a unique housing program in Albany which means tenants are not required to be sober or participate in treatment.However, we have found that providing tenants with a place to live has helped them improve sobriety and the quality of their lives. HAC compiles tenant sobriety stats in preparation for our Annual Dinner as we also honor tenants at the dinner who have maintained some sobriety.In 2005, 31% of tenants were sober 50% or more of the time and 56% were sober 25% or more of the time.

In October, HAC’s 7th Annual Dinner was held, our most successful yet and raised a record $8,700. Honorees were St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Albany for their support of HAC and United Tenants of Albany, an outstanding organization which protects tenant rights for safe, decent, affordable housing.

Sadly, in November, one of our long term tenants died after suffering a stroke. Please see the article remembering Bobby Bullard

HAC’s Outreach Van continues to operate seven days per week from 2-10pm. The Outreach Program provides food, clothing, blankets, referrals and transportation to individuals who are sleeping on the streets or in local shelters. Case Management services are provided as well. Our brand new 2006 van, which was funded by HUD, continues to make a difference in people’s lives.

HAC will soon begin organizing our Sleep-a-thon in the Park, which will be held in March 2007.Our Sleep-a-thon is our largest fundraiser. Individuals and groups obtain sponsors for spending at least one hour in the park. This past year’s Sleep-a-thon was the most successful ever raising a record $24,000!! Please look for our mailing in late January announcing the date and please help by obtaining sponsors for this event.

We would like to thank HAC supporters for all you have done for people who are homeless throughout the past year. Many of you have financially supported our organization this past year through donations as well as volunteering your time. We are extremely grateful for this support and wish each of you happy holidays and a peaceful and joyous new year!

                                                                                                -by Donna DeMaria

PLEASE HELP HAC DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

Any donation, whether it is large or small, will help HAC with our programs and in meeting our fundraising goal for the year.Please consider giving a holiday donation in the name of a family member or friend and HAC will send your loved one notification of your gift.HAC’s annual budget calls for us to raise $70,000 in donations. Our 2007 budget carries an even greater fundraising burden.!

Can you help us out with a generous contribution? Perhaps you can consider becoming a monthly sustainer.Monthly sustainers donate a certain amount each month. HAC’s work with people who are homeless fills a critical gap in our local community.

Thank you!

Zogby Poll

Zogby International conducted a poll in October on Homelessness. Results of the poll showed that on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being a great problem, 43.2% of respondents rated homelessness as a 4 or a 5. The majority of respondents polled (62.6%) said they would be very likely or somewhat likely to support a political candidate who wanted to increase funding to help the homeless. Over 45% of respondents believe that government is responsible to serve the homeless, yet only 18% of respondents believe that government is doing the most to serve the homeless. In addition, a majority of respondents agree that there should be housing and shelter for people who can’t stop drinking and that housing is a human right. HAC’s Executive Director, Donna DeMaria states, “It is gratifying that the majority of those polled agree in HAC’s core mission of providing housing to those individuals who can’t stop drinking.”

*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

___ Enclosed is my donation of:  ___ $100   ___ $50   ___ $25   ___ Other: $_______

___ I am interested in becoming a monthly sustainer for $_______.

___ I would like to volunteer for:  __________________________________________.

Name _______________________________            Phone ______________________

Address ______________________________________________   Zip ____________

Please make checks payable and mail to:  HAC, 393 N. Pearl Street, Albany, 12207.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

In Memory of a Special Tenant by Donna DeMaria

In November, one of HAC’s tenants, Bobby Bullard died. I have known Bobby since 1988 when I first started working with people who are homeless. Bobby moved into the SRO when we opened in October of 1999. He was one of our success stories at the SRO. Bobby did incredibly well in our housing, working on a daily basis on himself and his sobriety. Every year, Bobby’s sobriety improved. In 2000, he had over 200 days sober; in 2001- 337 days; in 2002- 301 days sober; in 2003- 311 days, in 2004, 354 days; in 2005- 339 days, and in 2006, he was sober the entire time! Bobby had previously lived on the streets for 30 years prior to moving into the SRO, drinking on a daily basis, with frequent paramedic and police involvement. He really stabilized once he had housing and created his own recovery program.

Bobby read many, many books and wrote inspirational words he found from those books or wrote sayings himself and posted them on his walls in his room to remind him to stay sober and healthy. Bobby had been hit by a car back in the 90’s and had a traumatic brain injury which made his short term memory very poor. One of HAC’s former staff and now board member, Erica Olsen, created a binder for Bobby where he wrote up things he wanted to remember about people or from books he read. I recently read through this binder and was deeply touched by many things he wrote down and also was moved by his inspirational writings on his wall. Sayings included, “Alcohol Gave Me Wings to Fly, Then it Took Away the Sky”; “I Need to Do Nothing, I Want to Do Everything”; Throw Your Heart Over the Bar and Your Body Will Follow”; “Easy Does it But Do It”, “The Beauty of Enlightenment is Not Being Freed But Knowing You Were Never in Prison in the First Place”.

Bobby took care of HAC’s property across the street from the SRO by weeding it, planting a garden, and digging weeds out of the sidewalk by hand. He would spend hours outside daily on the property. Bobby was our spokesperson whenever we needed someone to talk to people or the media about what living here meant and the difference it made in his life. Bobby spoke at our Sleep-a-thon and dinner many times. He spoke to the media, and was featured in a segment on “In Word & Deed” which aired on Channel 13. He spoke to students at schools or whenever groups came to the SRO.

HAC’s Program Manager, David Wells, started taking Bobby to his church this year. Bobby attended church and was reading the Bible often, asking questions of the minister frequently. He wrote in the calendar that was given him by the church, “Stay Sober in 2006”. He read the passages everyday that were in this calendar and checked them off on the date after he read them.

Bobby had a stroke in August, which rendered him incapable of swallowing and he had great difficulty forming words any longer. Doctors inserted a feeding tube, but unfortunately, Bobby kept pulling it out and after the 5th time, doctors stated they could not re-insert it. Bobby died on November 26th.

The SRO will never be the same without Bobby. When Bobby was first hospitalized, I found it extremely difficult emotionally and could not bear to see him in the hospital as it was so difficult. I saw him once the week before he died and it was very hard seeing him unable to express himself. He spoke a great deal but we could not make out words from most of what he said. I have been asking myself why this had to happen when Bobby was doing so well. I know others feel the same.

Our heart goes out to Bobby’s mom and the rest of his family. Bobby and his mom were very close. In his binder he wrote a note about a leather jacket his mom gave him and how when he wore it, it felt as if his mom’s arms were wrapped around him and how his mom had always been there for him his entire life.

Bobby was always grateful to HAC for our SRO and expressed his appreciation frequently to staff, his family, and in his binder. He wrote in this binder that he could sum up what this place meant to him in one word- “everything”.

We will always remember you Bobby. Your presence here on earth and at HAC’s SRO meant so much to each of us. We will miss you tremendously.