Do you feel like making a difference in the city that you live in?
Every year the NYC Dept for the Homeless organizes a citywide survey designed to put a clear estimate in place for all the people that may need their services. The survey is called HOPE. This stands for Homeless Outreach Population Estimate. The HOPE survey is crucial for establishing where the DHS agency’s services are most critically needed.
For the last few years every night that DHS has conducted the survey it has been colder than a witch’s tit on the streets. Can you imagine living outside during these nights? People do that shit and more. You will see some things during the survey that you may have only heard rumors about. People are living in parks and sleeping under bridges.
Last year I found myself canvassing Brownsville, Ocean Hill and East New York. We encountered homeless people and even some transgender street prostitutes on Pitkin Avenue. Even at 2am that area of Brooklyn was alive and energized just like I remembered it when I was a teenager walking around with my friends drinking 40ozs. and puffing White Owl blunts.
I’m not promising any of you some kind of adventure or the issuance of a street credible ghetto pass, but you will understand from this night how important your time was as a volunteer for this effort. This is how you repay NYC for giving you all the enjoyable restaurants, and shopping, and entertainment options that you take advantage of. Please give a few hours of your time.
Register for DHS HOPE2009
Let me know if you sign up and where you are going to be sited. I will be in Queens this year in the boondocks near the airport. Ugggh. I would rather be in Manhattan, but nonetheless I am all in. I just wish that some of you will join me in turning political rhetoric into real hope.