How homelessness happens is unfortunate and previously established; how to get out of it and move on is questionable in practice and in policy.

The five listed steps are necessary thought patterns to become homeless and to lose the ‘bum’ classification.

1. BECOME BROKE. The homeless tend to start of their homeless career by losing their jobs, unsuccessfully getting rehired and not job hunting. The homeless can’t get by without paychecks, so houses are lost, possessions are sold, and desperation kicks in full gear.

2. GET COMFORTABLE CAMPING. Those who become destitute adapt to fewer showers, limited health care and begging for money. According to Michael S. Scott, director of the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, estimates for daily earnings from panhandling and begging “vary from a couple of dollars (U.S.) a day on the low end, to $20 to $50 a day in the mid-range, to about $300 a day on the high end” (straightdope). While the higher end tends to be women with children, veterans, the disabled or those with animals, $300 is decent for anyone’s daily earnings, including a non-homeless person. Being homeless can seem easy or convenient.

3. WANT MORE FROM LIFE. Realize either through confrontation and rejection or self-efficacy that being homeless is a dirty, lonely and unfulfilling living condition and situation that lowers self-esteem, weakens one’s health and ages an individual quickly. Former SLO restaurant employee and four-year homeless person Bryan claims homelessness to “weaken [his] hopes and dig a pretty big hole to climb out of.”

4. CLEAN UP AND SHAPE UP. A positive attitude, while hard to come by, is the biggest step in ending homelessness. Wanting more restructures thinking and decisions, but doing something better increases one’s chances of seeing better results and progress towards non-homelessness. Approach local shelters seeking local employment, and spend any saved or accumulated money on a fresh outfit. Shower, shave and brush your teeth if possible!

5. GET RICH. Demonstrate good customer service, wisely save and spend paychecks, go to work on time and for every scheduled shift and money will start to flow again. The easiest and most simple of jobs may not be immediately rewarding in numbers, but can rewrite and restart employment history enough to pay for things (mortgages, rent or possessions) again. Stick with it and homelessness with fade into the past as you have something to show for yourself again instead of a begging hand and an empty pocket.

Nothing about ending homelessness is easy, except the thinking and hoping. Homelessness isn’t helplessness, so keep trying and be persistent through the toughest of situations.

Photo by Blackbird on Flickr

Photo courtesy of JoshSwieringa on Flickr

Homeless shelters are built to support those living and struggling on the streets, and to get them back on their feet in the quickest and most permanent way possible through temporary funding, help and education. The different shelters of SLO are aimed at the subgroups of the homeless population: women and children, families, men, anyone seeking overnight shelter, or specifically for women.

The latter category is a network and support system for women insolvent or homeless due to domestic abuse, control or violence. Women do not provoke, deserve nor should they tolerate beatings, and homelessness is often an unfortunate result of abuse due to the myth that there is nowhere else to go, no one to depend on.

The Women’s Community Center of SLO County provides crisis intervention, emergency shelter, advocacy, treatment, prevention and education to reverse the growing trend of homeless women and prevent future increased statistics regarding abandoned, broke or broken women due to domestic violence.

For immediate help and contact, refer to the following services and resources:

Center For Alternatives To Domestic Violence
 781-6406
North County Women’s Shelter & Resource Center (inc. domestic violence support groups) 
461-1338
Rape Survivors Support Group 
SLO 545-8888
SARP (Sexual Assault Recovery & Prevention) 
545-8888
Women’s Shelter Program of SLO 
781-6400 


San Luis Obispo’s residents can make a significant impact on reducing the amount of homeless wanderers in the county by tackling the numbers in this group; intervening the domestic violence cycle can reduce the chances of victims becoming homeless to escape the abuse or living on the streets from fighting back and losing.

The Alpha Chi Omega sorority on Cal Poly’s campus adopted domestic violence as their philanthropic cause and the women raise money for local women’s shelters throughout the school year. Their major philanthropy event is SLO Bowl, a fraternity football tournament dependent on donations towards women’s shelters of SLO County.

The fraternity flag football event raised over $1000 this past weekend with all proceeds benefiting women’s shelters, according to first-year member Aly Wente.

Donations improve emergency and temporary overnight shelters, increase benefits for victims, sponsor awareness campaigns in the community and pay the generous employees of the women’s shelters (WCCslo).

Stopping the domestic violence cycle can save lives, and lessen the condition of homelessness in SLO, benefiting victims and SLO residents.

Photo by SimonWhitaker on Flickr

Photo courtesy of Alpha Chi Omega website

Having and accumulating money is helpful and nice, but not mandatory for enjoyment and pleasurable outings in San Luis Obispo County. Many activities happily include those who are broke in their clientele.

Below are daytime and nighttime activities that are all free and open to the public. While many accept donations, quiet and respectful visitors are freely welcomed.

Take a hike: San Luis Obispo’s mountainous terrain provides easy and tougher trails for hiking and mountain biking, all accessible by foot or bus and within a close distance from downtown. Hiking Poly Canyon behind Cal Poly is a gentle climb filled with wildlife and easy access to the trail. Or try Bishop’s Peak, which is a more difficult hike but at the top SLO’s tallest peak, the view is broad and rewarding. To see the county’s biggest waterfall, hike up Reservoir Canyon.

Downtown: Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa is a historical site and an active Catholic church that welcomes all visitors to the gift shop and sanctuary to experience the establishment of SLO by missionaries. Tolosa is the center of Mission Plaza, which hosts public events on the weekends by philanthropies, groups and guests, offering free activities, company and sometimes even food. The creek walk downtown is infamous for lively music and company, as well as a green scenery and only light crowds. The creek walk is accessible mainly from Mission Plaza, with entrances up and down the creek, exiting to Higuera Street and other cross streets.

Evening events: Stroll down Higuera Street on Thursday nights to experience Farmer’s Market, famous for fresh produce, homemade meals and trinkets. Friday evenings in the summer are packed: there’s “Art After Dark,” which is free entrance to art galleries on the first Friday of every month, and there are concerts in the plaza Friday evenings from June through August.

SLO scenery: The San Luis Obispo Botanical Gardens display a variety of plants and flowers (but don’t pick them!) and are representative of the landscape and of SLO’s natural resources.

Beaches: While not in SLO City, Shell and Avila Beaches are in SLO County and both around 10 minutes from downtown. They have free admittance, even for parking, and whole days can be wasted on the beach versus a corner.

There are always free activities in SLO if you know where to look! Check out the map for addresses and directions.
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The weekly potluck “Finer Things Thursday” became popular earlier this year with a feature by The Mustang Daily that publicized its good purpose and religious credibility. The 6 p.m. weekly meals offered Thursdays at Mitchell Park are open to anybody who wants to come, whether friends of the group, people traveling through San Luis Obispo or the homeless. But Finer Things isn’t just about providing empty meals.

“We don’t just want to give out food and have people think that we’re just nice people,” says weekly-attendee Rachel Labonte. Finer Things Thursday is bigger than home cooked, hardy meals at picnic benches; the cooks and friends connect spiritually with those who come. “We’re doing this is because of Jesus, because we want to share with those who attend the awesome things that God has to offer them,” Labonte explained.

Finer Things emphasizes talk at the dinner table, encouraging openness and intimacy to better connect with those who attend and share an exotic-themed meal.

The dishes are unplanned and vary week to week, like those who show up, but all of the plates connect to a decided theme and are meant to quiet growling stomachs. From Peruvian to Egyptian themes, the meals are experimental and are meant to draw crowds to discuss religion and freely communicate. “You get a really good sense of community and although it does vary from week to week who comes, it’s usually a really intimate place where we can just talk about things and be there for each other and share a meal,” said Labonte.

While the free food brings people to Finer Things, the relationships built keep them coming back. The Finer Things group welcomes strangers and friends to share a connection with the unknown and with God through their preaching and listening.

“Some of the middle-aged men are my closest friends in SLO because I see them every week and I hear about their struggles and I’m able to pray for them and know them really intimately; they feel like they can tell me anything and that’s really great” said Labonte.

Finer Things Thursdays has regulars and visitors, and all are equally welcomed. Labonte especially connects with those who, like she and her friends, return weekly to update their newly founded friends on their lives and outlooks. “There is this guy named Curtis who has recently been diagnosed with stomach cancer with only a few months left to live… He totally knows God and Jesus and he’s so joyful about knowing where he’s going and that God’s going to wipe away his tears,” Labonte said.

The Finer Things Thursday group believes that their meals and conversations can guide and support attendees through the toughest of times, just by starting with a hardy meal.

Photo by The Mustang Daily

Physical health is an attainable goal, even when homeless. Becoming destitute isn’t causation for poor health and sickness; the association is breakable and false.

There are simple tips to keep in mind when living on the streets to avoid poor health, stench and general sliminess. These are plausible and normal, not unfeasible in San Luis Obispo, so there are no excuses.

Drink lots of water. Drinking fountains, faucets and sprinklers provide relatively purified water, so drink plenty of it. Water is good when you’re sick and can keep sickness away.

Wash your hands whenever possible. Your hands touch everything you eat and your face and can foster bacteria without washing. Friendly restaurants, malls and public facilities are all equipped for and welcoming to those looking to clean their hands with safe water and soap, so use them. Being homeless means toughing it, but doesn’t have to mean going without the basics. Maybe you were taught to wash your hands before every meal and use of the restroom, and to time the duration to “Happy Birthday to You”; those standards need not be reduced due to homelessness.

Wash your clothes regularly. Maybe weekly is excessive and expensive, but hand washing clothes and linens in sinks with soap and hot water is practical and free. Most laundry mats have washer cycles that cost as little as 50 cents and one cycle holds huge quantities. Getting clean is something even the most adamant opposition to the homeless support, so ask for spare change around laundry mats or to share loads.

Sprinklers are your friends. Remember not to trespass or loiter on private property, but take advantage of sprinklers. A sprinkler can quickly fill up a water bottle with sanitary water or rinse your hands or head in less than 30 seconds. Be courteous and discrete, using sprinkler systems in public parks or the like, not residential yards or hotel lawns.

During the summer months, try to stay cool in the shade. Not sweating means less grim on your clothes and skin and protecting yourself from the sun prevents heat stroke and dehydration.

When it’s cold, keep warm to prevent colds and pneumonia. Wear layers, collect layers and stay warm under blankets, newspapers and inside. San Luis Obispo gets decently cold in winter and fall, so avoid soaking in the rain or freezing alone at night.

The basics for health aren’t different for the rich and the poor; they are standards to be upheld by everyone. Staying dry, warm and healthy keep your health in good condition, and make you more presentable. Win win.

Remember SLO Health and Well-Being

June’s average high temperatures in SLO range from 75 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit and July’s increase by an average of five degrees, according to the Weather Channel’s official site. The up side: warm weather is good for frolicking outdoors and water-related activities and sports. The down side: extreme heat is hard on plants and animals, and the homeless.

Raising temperatures aren’t easily dealt with when without pools or shade, or a house. The homeless suffer in the summer months due to strict vagrancy and loitering laws, unable to find cool places to rest and stay. Las Vegas attorney Jim Vilt admits, “Short of public libraries, there’s not a whole lot of indoor places to take refuge.” May is the last month of moderate weather, so get prepared with these helpful tips and guidelines for keeping cool in the upcoming hot months.

• Don’t be idle: Sitting and absorbing the heat emphasizes how hot it is and maximizes painful sunburns. Walk the Creek Walk or travel under awnings or trees to feel the breeze while staying shaded.

• Don’t be scared of air-conditioned buildings: Not every facility in SLO prohibits loitering as long as being homeless isn’t noticeable or disruptive. Malls let you window shop, apply for jobs and use public restrooms, all in a heat regulated complex; San Luis Obispo County Library does not prohibit reading a long book inside; save up and sit down for a cheap meal at any air-conditioned restaurant downtown.

• Don’t lurk in cars: Maybe having a car is considered a greatest asset to homeless living by providing shelter, comfort and storage, but with it comes excessive heat in the summer. Air conditioning is a waste of gas and therefore money—use it wisely, meaning never. Get out and find shade, feel the breeze and lock your doors.

• Don’t carry your belongings: A huge backpack or heavy cart equal more sweating and work, so leave them somewhere safe and downsize for the 80-plus degree day.

While San Luis Obispo is considered attractive to the migrating homeless population, remember that year-round living on the streets of SLO is draining and dangerous and to be conservative with water and insistent on shade.

Photo by coyote_2012 on Flickr

Photo by admanchester on Flickr