The Criminalization of Charity
Posted by Administrator in Land of Liberty on July 29, 2010
Today the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty had a webinar entitled “A Place at the Table” to report on the national trend to criminalize food sharing.
After extensive research using newspapers, internet sites such as municode.com, and interviews with providers, they found an alarming trend. Examples of those trends are:
Myrtle Beach, SC. Groups must apply for a permit to feed the homeless.
The permit is free but only four are granted per year.Cincinnati, OH. City prohibited food sharing in Washington Park.
Gainesville, FL. No more than 130 persons may be fed in a soup kitchen.
Huntington, NY. Police charged volunteers with peddling.
The list can go on. “A Place at the Table” report summed up the situation clearly. Here is an exact quote from the report:
“In 2007, the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) and the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (the Law Center) worked collaboratively to publish Feeding Intolerance: Prohibitions on Sharing Food with People Experiencing Homelessness. The report drew attention to the disturbing national trend of penalizing the act of sharing food with men, women, and children experiencing homelessness. Three years later, cities are still implementing these measures through ordinances, policies, and tactics that discourage or prohibit individuals and groups from sharing food with homeless persons. Uncomfortable with visible homelessness in their communities and influenced by myths about homeless peoples’ food access, cities use food sharing restrictions to move homeless people out of sight, an action that often exacerbates the challenges people experiencing homelessness face each day.”
I have witnessed many people and groups attempt to start a food bank or cold weather shelter. These were people with good intentions trying to help those less fortunate. After learning of the plight of the homeless, they are moved to action only to run into a wall from city officials and business owners.
Most food programs that I have witnessed have not cost the taxpayers one penny. They are self-sufficient and do not require taxpayer money to operate. Yet somehow we feel the need to still halt the homeless by stopping those that would help them.
Sarah Owen is someone we could learn from. She is the CEO of Community Cooperative Ministries, Inc. She fought against the Fort Myers, Florida, proposed legislation that would have criminalized food sharing. One of the problems was that developers were building up the area. There were high rise, high cost condos being built in view of where the homeless slept and ate. The developers informed the city that the homeless could be a “deal breaker.” The city started proposing a new law and began making arrest in the homeless community.
Ms. Owen stepped up. She invited other non-profit groups and even local politicians to the table. It took a lot of time. The city backed down. Since then the high rise condos sit empty. The developers went out of business due to the downturn in the economy. Some of the people that were against the homeless and those that helped them are now clients to the very programs they opposed.
If we continue to believe that we can end homelessness by pushing the homeless into another town or state we are badly mistaken. A serious, national, wrap around program is needed to solve this problem.
According to the aforementioned report 25% of requests for emergency food assistance went unmet in 2009. If the government can’t provide what is needed, then we should welcome any church, group, organization, or individual that wants to take the time, effort, and money to feed those in need.
As the report points out:
“Such restrictions also raise human rights concerns. The right to food is a recognized human right, explicitly addressed in over 120 instruments of international law since 1920 and included in the
domestic constitutions of 22 nations. The International Convention on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights (ICESCR) explains that states have an obligation to respect, protect and fulfill
Certain rights. For the right to food this means a state, or nation, must not take action resulting in
preventing access to food, must ensure that enterprises or individuals do not deprive someone of
their access to food, and must take proactive action to increase access to food.”
I have said many times that the homeless are the last segregated class. There is not enough affordable housing, there are not enough family shelters, and now we want to restrict even feeding them. Where does it stop?
We must finish this film. We must educate our country about what is happening. I believe we have come so far and accomplished so much that we must continue. We have uncovered a major story. We still need a few investors. If you can help, please call or email us.
7.29.10
DJ McCoy
National Coalition for the Homeless Webinar July 29th
Posted by Administrator in Land of Liberty on July 28, 2010
We have reported in the past on issues facing the homeless. I want to invite you to The National Coalition for the Homeless and National Law Center webinar. It seems those most in need are being denied the very basic of needs in some places. Here is a copy of the email they sent out today. I hope you can join in.
Don’t miss out on our free webinar on A Place at the Table! Join us Tomorrow, Thursday, July 29, 2010 from 3:30-4:30 EDT. RSVP Now!
NCH and the National Law Center will host a webinar to discuss topics explored in the recently released report,A Place at the Table: Prohibitions on Sharing Food with People Experiencing Homelessness. The report focuses on cities that have created ordinances, policies, and tactics to limit groups from sharing food with homeless people, and highlights alternatives to those restrictions.
Webinar presenters will include:
• Sarah Owens, Chief Executive Officer of Community Cooperative Ministries, Inc., a group which advocated against city legislation that would have criminalized food sharing in Ft. Myers, FL.
• Jonathan Lee, Founder of Swipes for the Homeless, a program that donates unused university student meals to homeless people.
• Donna Leuchten, NCH, and Sarah Shubitowski, the Law Center, Co-authors of A Place at the Table.The goal of the webinar is to provide local advocates with practical tips, advice, and support to work collaboratively with the city government to address food sharing concerns. Additionally, it will give participants a closer look at an innovative and replicable program that engages students in addressing hunger in their communities.
7.28.10
DJ McCoy
Update on Terry and the Film
Posted by Administrator in Land of Liberty on July 21, 2010
David Ross, one of the founders of M.O.V.V. (Men of Vision and Valor) has worked hard the last few days on the case of Terry Price. Rumors were rampant on the street that he had died. Through the help of the homeless we were able to locate Terry’s backpack. David and I searched it and found some names. We called in to Chrissa and she started finding phone numbers for the names.
I started calling. One name led me to his sister. She was not aware that her bother had been injured. As you can imagine she really went through a hard time trying to find him and not knowing if he was even alive.
A man who heard someone calling for help found Terry in the river. We reported that two children found Terry but further investigation discovered it was by their father. There was so much speculation. No one knew where he was and rumor spread that he had died. That’s when we dispatched a team to find him and the truth.
David Ross was quickly recruited and the search began. Terry’s friends kept stopping us on the street for any news we had. The hospitals couldn’t confirm or deny that he was or had been in their facilities. Hippa laws would not allow that. Mean while the search continued at any means possible. Many sources were called and some offered “off the record” information.
We soon had Terry tracked down to a hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia. As plans were underway to find more information, Terry appeared back in Martinsburg with a broken neck, broken back, split sternum, and other injuries. Some people were in tears when they saw him.
I told him I had been working with his sister and I was sure she wanted to talk with him. I dialed the number and told her I had someone with me that wanted to talk to her. I handed him the phone and gave him some time alone. There were tears in his eyes when he handed the phone back. He told me his sister was sending money for him to go back to Washington DC so he could be with her.
A few minutes later his mother called my phone. She wanted any news I could give her. I could feel the pain of a mother that was desperately trying to find information on her son. She didn’t know what to say when I told her that he was right beside me. I handed him the phone again. After speaking with her he looked at me, “My mother said ‘Thank you’,” he said.
One of the few joys of this job is seeing a relieved mother and a happy sister who are finally able to rest.
Peace in a family once again.
A small crowd had gathered to see if it really was Terry. The homeless tried to hug him. Some cried. David Ross pulled up. “I’m going home! It was close Dave,” he said as David approached. Dave talked to him from the book of Psalms: Coming up out of a pit, putting him on solid ground. Terry listened and agreed. “I’m having nightmares every night about this fall,” he confided in David.
I know Terry will be okay. He is returning to his family and he has David Ross to help him. This is good news for Terry. The local homeless community will miss him. They will miss his smile, his encouragement, and his compassion.
This story has ended on a happy note, but this project has not been an easy one. I would like to take a moment to set the record straight on some things about this film. I have been asked and sometimes even mocked about when the film will be finished. This is a very complicated story. It is a national story that requires a lot of research and travel. It takes time to follow all the leads. Time is money.
We have gone broke several times. So far we have financed this project out of our own pockets with the exception of a two investors and one license agreement. I have worked and lived with the homeless over the last two years. All of my money and savings has been invested into it. I work seven days a week and on many weeks have worked over seventy hours.
I don’t mind that people think I’m crazy – maybe I am. I just am tired of being told I’m not doing it right or I’m not doing enough. I have been advised to step back and stop moving the story in the direction it is heading. I guess I may have lived too close to the flame but I do believe that we can do better. I do believe that every homeless person deserves help. Meanwhile the homeless are still hungry and in need.
I have reduced our monthly cost on this film to $7,000. That may seem like a lot, but remember we are recording a complete stand-alone CD album. We are writing a complete stand-alone book and we are filming nationwide. Besides we only have about two more months to go.
So what have I done? Why am I not finished yet? Well, I have shot this film, oversaw the contracts, oversaw the music production, wrote a book, travelled the nation, researched the issue, shot the stills for a gallery exhibition, met and lived with the homeless, and many more small tasks. How much is the outside investor amount? $3,500
I know I might appear to be upset, but it’s hard to witness the hardships that the homeless go through knowing that much of it we could end immediately. People are dying out here. Can we go back and say the same thing we have been saying for years? “Soon we will have a cold weather shelter,” “Soon this will be fixed,” “Soon you will be treated fairly.” Soon, soon, soon…
I believe that if you could see the homeless in this condition it would change your mind.
I think a homeless man who was interviewed while Terry was still missing, summed it up best when he stated: “It’s messed up Jeff and you know it is! I’m so sick of it, I’m so sick of the **** rhetoric of we’re going to do this or we’re going to do that and nothing is being done. Or we got a plan for this. How many more people have got to die before someone says there is a problem?”
Listen to the conversation here: interview
*Warning! This clip is unedited for content. It does contain offensive language.
Here is what I know –
1. People don’t always survive this. People die out here.
2. The public needs to be educated about this issue.
That is where the film comes in. Am I doing this to win an Academy Award? No. This film does not even qualify for nomination. Why have I put everything in this? All my money and time? Because my camera is the voice of those oppressed. I am not God’s gift to the homeless. I am not their savior. I am just an average Joe letting them tell their story to my pen and camera. The film and book are their voice. The voice that will reach mass audiences. The voice that changes things and saves lives!
I need your help. If you would like to donate to this worthy case you can do so by clicking on the Donate button on the top right of our blog. If you can volunteer email me at filmmaker90266@yahoo.com. If you can invest in a Limited Partnership call me for details at 304-676-4200 or McCoy@oceangateentertainment.com. Investors recover their money first, then it’s a 50/50 split between investors and the production company. If you can help raise the funds needed to finish this project or would like to work as or with a producer contact Ryan at rhardy@oceangateentertainment.com.
We can make a difference.
7.21.10
DJ McCoy
Terry the Veteran
Posted by Administrator in Land of Liberty on July 14, 2010
Remember Terry? I wrote about him a few weeks ago. He was the homeless veteran that we have been trying to get into rehab at the V.A. hospital. The V.A. did not have room at this time. I haven’t seen Terry for a few days and thought he may have moved deeper into the woods.
I met with Tony Green from the local Knights of Columbus and we decided that we would search the entire area until we found him. Right before I was due to start the search, I was informed that Terry had fallen off a bridge and landed on his head. Two children that were playing found him floating in the water. He had to be flown out of state and he was paralyzed from the neck down.
Several attempts have been made to confirm his medical condition, but due to Hippa laws we have been unable to find out more. If he is indeed paralyzed this will be a prime example of why we need a wrap around program. Here was a man that needed help, wanted help, and had asked for help, but there was no place to go.
How is it possible that the government has billions of dollars in programs and it’s not reaching the lowest level on the street? Where is the problem? Is it a lack of knowledge? How many more must die, be jailed or attacked before we get serious about this problem?
In the sixties some people marched for civil rights. Some Presidents embraced the idea. Some people died for it. They made a difference. They paid a great price. At the time the nation was slow to move forward. Today young people wonder how we could have ever been segregated.
I believe the homeless situation is just as great a cause as the civil rights movement. I believe that someday a new generation will look back and wonder how we ever tolerated such a lack of action and compassion.
Terry was a homeless man that had a great heart, a quick smile, and friendly attitude. He is and will be missed in the homeless community that he was flown out of.
7.14.10
DJ McCoy
Elizabeth
Posted by Administrator in Land of Liberty on July 9, 2010
Remember Elizabeth? She’s had a tough life. She lost her children to the state. Her husband beat her and moved her into a street life that included prostitution, drug dealing, and drug use. She became a drug addict and worked the streets to survive each day.
She is also one of the main characters of our film. I have filmed her in different stages of the roller coaster life she lived. We drove her to a rehab house in Washington D.C. and she came out twenty-eight days later clean and looking good. She filed for divorce and we brought her back to Martinsburg. She soon fell back into her old life.
Many people wanted to give up on her. They felt that she was a lost cause. “Can’t throw good money after bad,” “This is what she wants.” I heard all kinds of excuses. Some of us didn’t give up. Mary Gunderson raised money for a bus fare and sent her to Idaho. Elizabeth moved in with her mother and started life all over again.
Elizabeth called and told me that she is off the streets. She is drug free since January and is in college to become a paralegal! From there she wants to go to law school! Most people looked at Elizabeth as a hopeless, drug-using prostitute. In reality, Elizabeth is a very intelligent, caring girl who had a series of events in her life that left her on the outside looking in.
“They are wonderful people, they are angels in my book” she said to me when asked about the people that believed in her and helped her with food or clothing and even a hotel room from time to time. That’s not all – she is also a very caring person. She called and asked for a favor. Was it money or new clothes for her to start school? No. It was for her friend; a girl that was left behind from her old life, trapped in a cycle of prostitution, drugs, and homelessness. Elizabeth like so many other people that are or have been homeless constantly look back to see where the other least, lost, and forgotten people are.
Now we are at a new road. This time we are watching Elizabeth get her life back and move on to become a productive citizen again, while reaching out to help a friend find her way. Will we give up on her friend if the going gets tough? Will we believe that she just isn’t worth the effort or that she deserves the mess she’s in? Or will we help her, by reaching out to her time and time again until she becomes an “Elizabeth” story. The choice is yours. Just remember you can make a difference.
7.10.10
DJ McCoy
The 11th Hour
Posted by Administrator in Land of Liberty on July 1, 2010
It seems like a miracle from God. I wasn’t sure we would make it. Once again we ran out of money. I was hoping something would come through, but it wasn’t. At the 11th hour Jackie K. made a short-term, interest free loan to the project and kept us in production! Thanks Jackie.
Most people don’t understand that it takes a great deal of money to produce a film. We also have the original music CD and a book underway. We also work in the field with the homeless. It all takes time and money. Somehow we keep moving along believing that this film will change and even save lives. It will be worth all the hardship. The stronger the breeze the tougher the trees. I feel like the toughest oak in the forest.
Catholic Charities has purchased and moved into a new building in Martinsburg, WV. It has taken months and a lot of money but they made it. Congratulations to all the workers, the church, and Bishop Bransfield for work, effort, money, and a job well done.
Today some of the homeless asked if they could volunteer. They’re hungry, tired and hot, but they want to come in and help move furniture and supplies inside. Just like always they are quick to help and want to be valued. Stay tuned to our web site – more changes and news are coming.
7.1.10
DJ McCoy
Spreading the Word
Posted by Administrator in Land of Liberty on June 24, 2010
I feel tired. For the last several days I have been out in the field with the homeless. It’s so hot outside. More and more new people are joining the ranks of the least, the lost and the forgotten. So many good people have made donations of food, blankets, clothes and water. Unfortunately I am going through the supplies faster than I did in the winter.
A homeless couple got into a room in a house. They did what I have seen done many times and that is invite every homeless person they know to move in with them. This makes a full, hot house. When I went to deliver food I saw many children – most under three years of age. That’s why I feel tired and discouraged. All the supplies that are being handed out are only a short stop gap measure. How can I tell the people and the government that we need to take action to build shelters and have a wrap around program?
This film, book, album and gallery show are the keys. We will be able to educate caring people that can take action in some form or another to end this nightmare for those in need. And once again we are fighting the clock and money issues. We have sure paid a price to produce this project. A lot of blood, sweat and tears have been spilled. It is worth it though, because we have made a small difference already.
Terry is a vet that was in a V.A. program in Washington D.C. He did real well for over six months. He lost his place and moved back to Martinsburg, WV. It didn’t take long before Terry was in trouble. Old temptations called on him. He lived in the woods hidden from the public.
I saw him today and hope that with the help of Dr. Grove at M.O.V.V. (Men of Vision and Valor) we will be able to place him back in a V.A. program. This is what happens without a wrap around program in place.
We haven’t even scratched the surface of this problem. I hope and pray that this film project will reach people across our nation and move them to compassion.
6.24.10
DJ McCoy
New Land of Liberty Sample Tracks
Posted by Administrator in Land of Liberty on June 1, 2010
We just posted a few more samples from the Land of Liberty Soundtrack. You can listen to them here.
We are in the process of finalizing the album and should have a release date shortly.
Listen to the tracks and let us know what you think.
Comment back on this thread or shoot us an email at info@oceangateentertainment.com.
“Homeless in the Land of Liberty”
Posted by Administrator in Land of Liberty on May 29, 2010
We are now underway with our book: “Homeless in the Land of Liberty”. This project offers a DVD, CD, gallery show, and now a book. I want to thank our producer Ryan Hardy for his direction that the book is taking and Karin Romani of Author House for her constant help and advice. I do not consider myself an author. I am a scriptwriter and writing a book is a whole new ball game. I am taking the advice of Ryan and just telling the story of the homeless as I have seen it over the last two years.
It’s not a pretty picture, but it needs to be told. I believe that when people see this film, hear the music, or read the book, it will change the way they feel about the homeless. I feel driven to tell this story in every way possible.
It’s a big added expense for a project that is under-funded but we have decided to move on with it hoping that the money will come together somehow. I believe that as America sees those without a home as the people they are and not just some statistic, it will change their views.
Just be prepared as you read the book, see the film, or listen to the music. It’s a tragic story and will leave you with a different point of view. Everything will be available September 15, 2010. Keep checking back at this blog for updates, or sign up and we will notify you when we post new content.
5.29.10
DJ McCoy
Land of Liberty Trailer
Posted by Administrator in Land of Liberty on May 17, 2010
The trailer to “Land of Liberty” is now on our web site and also on our Facebook page. This film has been a real struggle but we are going to finish it. It’s been hard shooting until we run out of money, then somehow, shooting some more. It’s been hard to watch all the suffering; it’s been hard to hear the comments of people that say: “that’s what they want” or “they deserve it.”
I have made many friends in the ranks of the homeless. I have made many enemies from representatives of the government and police departments. The fact is I have to tell the truth. That’s what you do when you make a documentary. The least, the lost, and the forgotten are truly all alone. They just don’t qualify for help.
This film will be finished on September 15, 2010. That date is the two-year anniversary of our first shoot date. Two years is a long time, but living and working with the homeless it seems like a lifetime.
There is still much to do. We have the edit in front of us. Many people have suffered on this film. Some of the homeless have been murdered, and we lost our composer Alan Mason. But we will stay the course – we will finish it. Then this film will live on past all of us – hopefully making a difference. Keep the Faith.
5.17.10
DJ McCoy
