Sorry these are a week late.
Asheville Homeless Network
Meeting Minutes 14 January 2010
For the January 14th meeting of the Asheville Homeless Network, thirteen were present with President Moss presiding. We began our meeting by signing in new members and renewing old memberships.
To those who are new, Moss introduced the purpose and function of the Network: its primary purpose as a membership organizations of the homeless and stemming from that purpose acting as an advocate for the homeless and watchdog of the local service providers. We also serve to fill in the “cracks” not covered by other services. To this end, we provide items of clothing, especially socks and knit hats, provide when we can financial assistance in the form of no interest loans and payments for transit passes or medicine. We have operated for seven years, starting from Moss’s couch, and have been recognized as an incorporated non-profit with 501(c)3 status for four years.
Our first bit of news is that long-standing member “Gypsy” is in the hospital following multiple small heart attacks. As we find out information we will let the Network know so they can visit or send consolation and well-wishes.
An update on our Networking the Network program, Moss has upgraded his own netbook computer and made the one he was using available to the network. That netbook will go to Network member William for his use while taking computer courses at AB-Tech. John’s computer is working well, we will be performing repairs on Ghost’s computer, which we’ll return to him as soon as he can that he can continue working on Network projects. In addendum to the Network’s computer business, Moss offered advice that any using computers get the book *The Secret Guide to Computers* available at http://www.secretguide.net
Related to the computer issue was the news that ABCCM’s Veteran’s Shelter is now offering wireless internet access and access to a computer with the internet for a fee: $5 per day, $10 per week, $20 per month. Use of the on-site computer is $1.00.
In Asheville Transit News, it was noted that the buses would not be running on Monday, January 18th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. There was laughter around the table when Moss noted this was the first time he could remember a southern city observing the holiday thus.
Moss has been re-posting blog entries from change.org to the Yahoo! Group. http://homelessness.change.org blog on homeless issues often has excellent articles: profiles of individuals who are homeless, advocacy on homeless issues, and even the rare triumphs and successes.
The Homeless Persons’ Memorial service has been rescheduled to January 30th. It is still to be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church in North Asheville (1 Edwin Pl. just off Charlotte St.) starting at 2pm. The service will be followed by a pot-luck dinner and there will be donations of winter gear available.
Tom, a new member, offered the news that Ellison Torbert died of a stroke at aged 69 on December 15th, which I wrote about in a previous blog entry. Ellison Torbert was camping outside of Asheville and had been homeless ever since his house burned down. Here he carved staffs of beautiful quality, but in his life he’d also been a welder, held degrees from Yale and Dartmouth, studied art in Paris, and taught welding. Ellison and others who died during 2009 will be recognized and mourned at the Memorial.
Western North Carolina Community Health Services is going through a large move, and basically taking over the Buncombe Co. Health Department. They have taken over one site on Biltmore Ave. and still have their building near Haywood Rd. As such they are in a bit of disarray and may not be able to serve all who come to them immediately.
At our previous meeting we had reported that the Homeless Coalition had made plans to open an Emergency Shelter in the old Coxe Ave ABCCM shelter and staffed by Western Carolina Rescue Ministries. That shelter was opened for three nights during the extreme cold. The aforementioned Tom, spent a few nights there and reported on the experience. He said those who showed up were treated well. He was particularly interested in the fact they let those staying there stay in the shelter in an activities room until 10am the following morning.
With that we closed the meeting, and Moss took a group of Network members to the Transit Center to get a number of monthly bus passes and one annual pass.
