Father Jerome's World Community Sermons

Okay, I've written elsewhere and before on homelessness and the people, especially the "Lost Homeless", the majority homeless, and that turbulent (and dangerous!) sub-culture within the homeless ranks, of those ex-cons, addicts, psychopaths, and other-than-normal-persons who give the majority of the homeless a bad name.

Well, today I'm going to write strictly from the perspective of need - for housing and a home - disregarding (mostly) the distinctions between the various classes and levels of the homeless.

Some time back, I attended a preliminary development meeting of the San Mateo County Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), a coalition of 15 churches within San Mateo County which are attempting to set up a shelter network in the County for homeless families (YES, NO singles allowed!) Anyway, I'm no longer involved with the group although, as I understand, the effort does yet continue. But, my point is this. At that meeting (in July, 1999), a gentleman (I think his name was Tom Roberts), who identified himself as the Director of the San Mateo County Homelessness Coalition, gave a speech about homelessness in San Mateo County, of which the most important point WAS the following: "Here in San Mateo County, the MINIMUM INCOME requirement, in order to RENT any kind of housing......"

And before I tell you the all-important "punch line" (although this was certainly NOT a joke!), I want to point out that what he is talking about is NOT your landlord's requirements (as to monthly rent, deposit, security fees, etc.), but, instead, your landlord's BANK REQUIREMENTS! And, to continue what the gentleman was saying, the BANK requirements, for MINIMUM INCOME, anywhere in San Mateo County, ARE:

"......is $48,850!!! (This is as of July, 1999.)"

In other words, any homeless person (OR anyone else!), MUST be making an income - a CONTINUING, NOT temporary, monthly income - of almost $4100 a month, $943 weekly, or $24 hourly (which is $48,850 annualized), IN ORDER to "qualify", to make the continuing RENTAL PAYMENTS, no matter what amount they might be (even if they were as little as $300 a month!) SO, no matter WHAT your landlord "asks" for monthly RENT, you must still meet the BANK REQUIREMENT of at least $4100 a month in stable monthly "income".

So, what this means is that, for numbers of the homeless WHO ARE WORKING - IF you're NOT making $4100 a month in income - YOU ARE WORKING FOR NOTHING, as far as housing is concerned, because you still CANNOT QUALIFY to rent ANY bank-supported, or financed, HOUSING - and this is just about ALL housing in San Mateo County. After all, what bank is going to "trust", or loan any funds to, ANY landlord who dares to rent housing to ANY low-income, "unworthy", person making less than $4100 a month? No way, man! And the landlord "ain't gonna" take a chance, and jeopardize his credit rating!

So what this means, for those who ARE WORKING for less than $4100 a month, is that that $6, $8, $10, $12, $15 an hour, which you may be working for, is merely SPENDING MONEY - nothing else - because it sure won't get you any permanent housing! And, of course, IF you're one of the "Lost Homeless" - well, then, such "spending money" translates into "beer bucks", or "crack" funds, or whatever else such meager funds might finance, AS AN ADDICTION, and certainly nothing worth while! In other words, if you're not making at least $24-25 an hour, it is NOT EVEN worth your while TO BE EMPLOYED! (And if you're one of the "LOST" ones, it's just supporting your addiction!)

Anything less than $25 an hour IS NOT GOING TO GET YOU HOUSING, in meeting that continuing need, SO, IF you REALLY want to make something of your life, and you know Who and What you ARE......you are certainly NOT going to waste your valuable time, working at some paid-job for some employer for less than $25 an hour, WHEN you could be spending your valuable time (which is certainly worth at least $25 an hour!), WORKING FOR YOURSELF!

In other words, when you have that time - those hours, which you would be "giving" to an employer (for less than $25 an hour) - instead FOR and TO YOURSELF......what you can accomplish, in Service not only TO yourself, but also in SERVICE TO OTHERS, does surely EXCEED that $25 an hour "valuation", as to the value of your time, WHEN it is devoted to SERVICE to others, rather than paid-employment with an employer (which serves NOT others, but ONLY the employer, as to whatever kind of work is done - AND YOURSELF, yourself being compensated at less than $25 an hour!)

IS THIS REALLY HOW you would choose to "waste" your valuable time, not even benefitting others, in their needs, as to what you could REALLY do for others, IF you had the time to do so??? And then, at something LESS THAN $25 an hour, ESPECIALLY when it does NOT fulfill YOUR most critical need - for HOUSING! (After all, it is primarily housing that, in turn, enables you to "Give" the MAXIMUM of yourself, unto others, AS you are so able to do!)

At that meeting, back in July 1999, of the IHN, the Director of the County's Homelessness Coalition, more or less almost said, "You (the homeless person) are a fool, if you choose to work for an employer at less than $25 an hour, when such a salary will NOT get you the housing you need!" Although I didn't hear him say such, one certainly got the impression that it was surely implied!

BECAUSE, one's FREEDOM - to do and to pursue WHATEVER will "bear fruit", unto oneself AND one's endeavors in SERVICE FOR OTHERS, is surely more valuable, as to the hours that one might spend, USING THAT TIME at NO-PAYMENT whatsoever, meaning that, IF you spend your time NON-PAID, your actual "worth", OF those hours spent, is AT LEAST $25 an hour, IF NOT MUCH MORE, as to the value of the Services, that one might render unto oneself AND TO OTHERS, as a consequence OF the maximum PERSONAL abilities, talents and resources, that one can usually bring to bear upon ANY WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR, during those hours which would otherwise be "wasted", at a salary of $25 an hour or less!

So, think about it! HOW MUCH IS your time worth? ARE you using your valuable time effectively, AND IN SERVICE to humanity, OR are you "wasting it", upon some job where your services benefit YOURSELF and the employer ONLY - NOT humanity and the greater good!

WHICH IS IT? Freedom......or "slavery", to that dollar bill and your addictions? You decide!

Aum, Peace, Amen!
Jerome.
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