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It still feels like we’re kicking the can down the road when it comes to the homelessness problem. Or at least it feels like we’re trying to place bandages over a gaping wound. There has been progress toward acknowledging the problem and presenting solutions over the past several years, which is a huge improvement. The...
Shaw: What’s next for homeless people after the storms?
The atmospheric rivers that slammed California for the past few weeks once again show how vulnerable homeless people are to the weather. High winds, flooding, rain and an evacuation order forced people to seek out safety from the elements, quickly filling Red Cross evacuation sites in San Jose. The storms highlight the type of services...
Shaw: The season of reflection
It’s that time of year again where we begin to gather with family and friends, put on extra pounds and spend way too much money. Its hard to believe Thanksgiving is next week, because the year has gone by so fast. But nevertheless, the holiday season is here, and it’s often when people take time...
Shaw: The value of sleep
How much value can you put on a restful night’s sleep? If you feel more tired today than yesterday, there are ways to remedy that. You can take a nap or go to sleep earlier to get your body to adjust itself. But what happens when this tiredness continues day after day? How do you get...
Shaw: Timing out—where do we go from here?
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, it exposed the flaws in the methods used to address the homelessness crisis. It left communities—local, state and national—scrambling to find food, shelter and safety for the most overlooked and most critiqued members of society. Organizations who specialize in the business of homelessness tout the metrics of how many unhoused...
Shaw: Stand up to racism, lose shelter
I will no longer be writing articles as a client of the Sunnyvale shelter. Unfortunately, I was removed from the facility for fighting. I got into an altercation with another client after I asked him to wear a mask while sitting beside my bed. Harsh words were exchanged, and it escalated after I was called...
Shaw: Sunnyvale shelter donation policy makes no sense
Pasta. It’s what’s for dinner, and lunch and would be for breakfast, if hot breakfast was ever served at the Sunnyvale shelter. Eating pasta 45 times within a 30-day period has to eventually cause some negative health effects. It’s cheap, easy to prepare and serves a lot of people. Understood. What I can’t understand, is...
Shaw: Homeless people need more care than shelters provide
How is a homeless shelter expected to maintain the health and well-being of individuals with a mental illness or emotional issues, when no doctors are on staff? How is a homeless shelter expected to ensure the safety and comfort of individuals who require respite care, when no nurses are on staff? How is a homeless...
Shaw: One person can make a difference when you’re homeless
Holidays became meaningless to me some time ago when I became homeless—especially the heavily commercialized ones. I saw them as glorified weekends that unrelentingly remind the homeless of what they’ve lost or what they don’t have. Thanksgiving to remind you of not having family or friends to break bread with. Christmas to remind you of...
Shaw: South Bay homeless shelter ignores COVID mask mandates
The best ways to protect people from contracting COVID is through vaccination and mask wearing. Getting vaccinated is your personal choice and no one can make you get it, but not getting vaccinated will severely affect your life if you plan to work and live around other people. However, wearing a mask is something that...
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