Greetings and welcome to my first diary. It is worth a heavy heart that I have decided to write this, to illustrate the trials and travails of being on the outskirts of society in Texas.
By way of introduction, I am a single father of two beautiful little boys, aged four and two. I have been struggling to keep a roof over their heads since last year, when the ex left town and abandoned her children. Follow me below the great spaghetti of orange for more information.
We are homeless. Every night, we hope a random stranger gives us the money to sleep in a motel. Some nights they do. Other nights, I am forced to bed my children down behind an abandoned church. The irony is, this church is behind one of the nicer motels in the area. Sometimes, a person looks out their window and offers us food. Other times, they call the police. Still others, and most hurtful of all, they do nothing.
There are no shelters in the area that will accept us. They only assist women and children. There are no programs into which I can enroll, as they are not designed for single parents. There is no funding for rental assistance. The waiting list for section 8 vouchers is two years long. There is, in short, no hope left.
Today, we are lucky. The temperature is a balmy 77. Tomorrow, however, we expect sleet and freezing rain. I don't know what to do. I would like to blame republicans for this situation, and there is some truth to that, but I also know that humanity's general apathy to human suffering is symptomatic of today's society.
I'm not asking for pity, nor money. I'm asking for warm wishes and ideas. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Sat Dec 07, 2013 at 12:35 AM PT: Update: We escaped the winter storm and have had shelter for the past two nights, but things are looking grim again. Money is already gone. Contacted every agency in the book, no space at the one shelter that would take my family. Not giving up yet, though.
When I grow up and become involved with politics, this is a platform I will run on and win with. For this state to tout its economic growth and such, and then abandon its most vulnerable citizens is a travesty, and cannot continue to hold.