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"This is about meeting people where they are and loving them. It's not rocket science," she said. "They still grieve, love and hurt. They still need food and shelter. They are you and I."

This is a great post: the people who make this centre work are doing wonderful humanitarian work.

It seems a characteristic American virtue to focus all the time on maximising the chances of success, however slender.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Philosopher's Beard at 12:56 PM on February 17, 2011

I wonder what would happen if you took a place like this and instead of ever asking them to stop drinking, just asked them if they wanted to *start* doing other things. You can drink and write in a journal. You can drink and work with clay. You can drink and tell a story about where you came from to someone who wants to listen. For that matter, just learning a new card game.

I don't think you understand alcoholism.
posted to MetaFilter by mazola at 12:27 PM on February 17, 2011

Housing the homeless slashes use of hospitals and emergency rooms by 50 percent to 75 percent, according to studies cited by Hearth Connection, a nonprofit group that fights homelessness in Minnesota.

Holy moley. How much of our rocketing healthcare costs are due to homelessness? And why are we obsessed with fixing symptoms rather than causes?
posted to MetaFilter by DU at 11:40 AM on February 17, 2011