HOME VAN JOURNAL 5/11/13

DIVERSITY/CIVILITY

 

 

The late Erma Bombeck once wrote, “I live in a subdivision so conservative that when my women’s club celebrated diversity day, the best we could come up with was two fat ladies and a Democrat.” Going into the Home Van experience, I was on the opposite end of the spectrum. My diversity might have been a Mary Kay distributor and a Methodist. I thought I was an advocate for diversity, but I didn’t know anything about it. I stayed in my demographic of old hippies/radicals/artists etc.

 

Early on we realized that we needed to have respect for all the opinions we encounter among our homeless friends. If one of the old vets told me that Rush Limbaugh would be an excellent choice for President of the United States, I made a conscious practice of listening from my Buddha spot, where all is sacred. One of my special memories is the day Country came to see me. Country, when he was sober, was the epitome of a southern gentlemen, and an especially kind person. In my livingroom I have a small collection of Virgin Mary art. Country looked it over, turned to me, folded his hat across his chest, and said, “Miz Arupa, I know you don’t know this, but you are committing the sin of Mariolatry. Only pictures of Jesus should be on the wall because He is our Lord and Savior. If you leave these pictures up here, you might die and go to Hell forever. I don’t mean no disrespect, Miz Arupa, I just thought you oughter know.”

 

I thanked him. He cared about me.

 

We are living in a time when civility is becoming a lost art. I know it’s possible to learn from everyone, because humans have much more in common with each other than we have different, no matter what map of reality we are using. It’s trying to remember that in the midst of storms– that’s the hard part.

 

UPDATE ON “k”

 

Several of you have inquired about K, the young man who had aged out of foster care and nearly became homeless after a bruising encounter with his biological parents. K now has a place to live and a job. All he needed was a leg up.

 

BUG SPRAY AND BOTTLED WATER

 

Same topic as last month. The woods are already swarming with mosquitoes. They hit there, especially along the banks of Sweetwater Branch, much earlier than in town. Bug spray and bottled water will be our greatest need for the next few months.

 

TRIUMPHS AND TRAGEDIES

 

I spend more time in this newsletter recounting triumphs than tragedies. I want to celebrate the accomplishments of our homeless citizens, as well as the courage, love and patience so many of them demonstrate. I want everyone on this list to know that you are making a difference – in the donating and volunteering you do for us and other organizations, and on your own, you are saving lives and bringing happiness to homeless people.

 

There is tragedy also. My husband said to me recently that he can scarcely bear to bike by the downtown plaza during the later evening, because it such a tragedy – people everywhere wrapped in old blankets, people screaming, bundles scarcely identifiable on the sidewalk, except that he knows there are human beings inside them. The most vulnerable and disabled – by mental illness or addictions or both – basically live on the plaza. They don’t have the ability to set up a tent. They are in a free fall through life. Not because they are worse than anyone else – whose life has not been touched by mental illness or addictions? – but because they have nothing. Please keep these children of God in your prayers.

 

Peace and love to everyone,

 

arupa

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The Home Van needs tents, tarps, bottled water, bug spray,Vienna sausages, creamy peanut butter, jelly, candles, white tube socks, batteries, and games. Call 352-372-4825 to arrange for drop off. Financial donations to the Home Van should be in the form of checks made out to Citizens for Social Justice, Inc., earmarked for the Home Van, and mailed to 307 SE 6th Street, Gainesville, FL 32601, or can be made online at http://homevan.blogspot.com/

THE HOMEVAN IS A PROJECT OF CITIZENS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, INC. (FDACSREGISTRATION #CH35643). A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE.REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

HOME VAN NEWSLETTER 4/14/13

BUG SPRAY AND WATER

UF entymologists are predicting an unusually bad mosquito season this year, due to rainfall patterns. These bringers of cheer also say that we are going to be invaded by a sort of mega-mosquito, 20 times the size of an ordinary mosquito, that bites through clothing. That sounds more like a toy helicopter than a bug, but I did read this in the Gainesville Sun. The woods have already been invaded by mosquitos – but not the helisquitoes yet. So, we are going to need bug spray donations more than ever. It is pure torture being out in the woods with no way to keep mosquitoes off. I advise people to spray their clothing rather than themselves, especially around cuffs and collars. That way they are not saturating their bodies with Deet, and the effect lasts longer. Still, it is going to take a lot of bug spray to get through the next few months. I also need to start stockpiling water, so those donations are important also.

SPECIAL PROJECTS...

Every once in awhile we get a chance to actually pull someone out of the fire, as we did recently with “K”, a young man who aged out of foster care in Gainesville a year or two ago. (In order to protect K’s identity, this account is fictionalized, while being essentially true.) K spent some time with his parents over the years, but mainly lived in foster homes, some good and some abusive. He aged out of foster care successfully, and got himself a job and a place to live. He even saved up a few hundred dollars. About this time his parents came to town with big news. They told K they had an apartment and good jobs waiting for them in a faraway place. They asked K to quit his job and go with them so they could all be a real family. First they needed a hotel room for a few days, to rest, and then two more Grayhound tickets. They convinced K to quit his job and give them the money in his savings account, to help them put this grand plan into action. A week or so later K called me from a motel out by the interstate. He and his parents were about to be evicted from the motel and none of them had eaten in four days. He told me, with his voice trembling, that his mother was so sick he feared for her.

We went out to the motel with food. His mother, who seemed to have recovered, was all sweetness and smiles. She told me about the apartment and jobs in ‘Timbuktu’ and asked if we could help them get there. The rest of the story, the unedited version, emerged over the next two days. In short, once K turned over his money and the family got a motel room, his parents invited friends over and went on three-day binge. All of K’s money was gone.

The price of two Grayhound tickets was way more than we could afford, but the Home Van angel, the one who whispers in my ear, told me to get one ticket, which was still more than we could afford, but I’ve learned over the years to obey this little voice when it talks to me. K’s mother eagerly volunteered K to stay behind while she and her husband took the bus. “He’s young, he’ll make it, and we’ll send for him when we get paid.” K agreed. In reality, K, as he told me later, was terrified at the notion of living on the streets. Although his life had been hard, he’d always had a roof over his head.

When I heard the whole story I realized that we really needed to get these so-called parents out of town, way out of town. Like Charlie Brown with the football, an abandoned child is vulnerable past all the reason to the idea that his parents have changed, now they love him, now he’s going to have a real family.

K did have friends in a small religious commune in Gainesville. After we put his parents on the Grayhound, we took him there. He was greeted with hugs and immediately given a bed. A week later K had found another job. K feels that the severity of this experience has finally inoculated him from the siren call of his parents, particularly his mother. He understands now that the people who love him are his real family. He is doing well.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOME VAN PET CARE!

Home Van Pet Care is turning 6 years old this month! I can’t say enough to thank Elizabeth Howard and her volunteers for all they have done for the animals these past years – all the hours of bagging food and bringing it to the woods and capturing cats and dogs and taking them in for spaying and neutering and health care. Elizabeth also reached out to other people and groups concerned with animal welfare and lit a lot of fires. Happy, Happy Birthday to Home Van Pet Care and all their furry friends.

love and peace to everyone,

arupa

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Home Van needs tents, tarps, bottled water, bug spray,Vienna sausages, creamy peanut butter, jelly, candles, white tube socks, batteries, and games. Call 352-372-4825 to arrange for drop off. Financial donations to the Home Van should be in the form of checks made out to Citizens for Social Justice, Inc., earmarked for the Home Van, and mailed to 307 SE 6th Street, Gainesville, FL 32601, or can be made online at http://homevan.blogspot.com/

THE HOMEVAN IS A PROJECT OF CITIZENS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, INC. (FDACSREGISTRATION #CH35643). A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE.REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

HOME VAN NEWSLETTER 2/22/13

A VERY SPECIAL DINNER

On February 20 the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry hosted a dinner gathering at St. Francis House for the homeless community, to meet with them and listen to their concerns. This was the first time for such an event and there were a few glitches, since more people attended than were expected. Nevertheless, it was a very successful and positive event. Everywhere we went last night on our driveout people were talking about this dinner and saying how much they enjoyed the experience. Historically, as a community, we haven’t done nearly enough to include the homeless community in the conversation. This effort in that direction was deeply appreciated by our homeless friends.

Theresa Lowe, Coalition Director, opened the meeting by thanking the homeless community for helping with the annual Point-in-Time Survey and reporting on the initial findings. The PIT Survey is sponsored by HUD and is a count of the homeless population over a 48-hour period. It also includes questions on why people are homeless, and what their needs are. It is a snapshot taken of a moving target over a brief period of time, so there are always people who aren’t counted. Statisticians work with the figures in their own mysterious (to me) way of extrapolating a more exact count. Theresa reported the following figures (not extrapolated figures but the actual number counted):

(1) 985 unsheltered homeless people

(2) more than 1000 homeless people in shelter

(3) 400 homeless children, as reported by the Alachua County School District (all of whom have families who may not have been counted)

(4) 300 chronically homeless people, defined as people who have been homeless for more than one year

Theresa referred to these numbers, particularly the 985 unsheltered homeless people, as “staggering,” especially when compared on, a per capita basis, with other cities. Denver, Colorado, for example, counted 1000 unsheltered homeless people in their PIT Survey.

Then Commisssioner Randy Wells reported on the city’s efforts to acquire the old prison complex on 39th Avenue for a new homeless shelter and one-stop center. He was able to report that negotiations with the State are going well. He then asked for feedback from the community about what they would like to see this project include. We were not able to stay for the entire comment period, but while we were there the homeless people cited three major concerns they would like to see addressed:

(1) JOB TRAINING AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES (suggestions were met with enthusiastic applause)

(2) MORE AND BETTER ACCESS TO SHOWER AND LAUNDRY SERVICES

(3) A GREATER EFFORT TO TREAT HOMELESS PEOPLE WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT, AND FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE TO TREAT EACH OTHER WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT

Amen, amen, amen!

Commissioner Wells has a strong vision of this new center as a place where the entire community will come together to build something that is useful and beautiful, with not only shelter, health care, and job training, but also many other community projects such as organic gardens, murals painted by local artists, activities for children and more. He wants as many citizens as possible, housed and homeless, to participate in the process, now and after this facility opens. If you would like to be notified of meetings concerning the new one-stop center and/or if you have input about what you would like to see included at this center you can email Commissioner Wells at wellsrm@cityofgainesville.org

MANY THANKS

My SOS for more groceries was met by a cornucopia of good food! Many thanks to all of you. I now have enough food and better food. I have also received a good many tents and tarps from both groups and individuals, and the same with vitamins and batteries. We are a bit low on personal hygiene products, so keep us in mind for that. We never have enough razors, and shaving is a significant part of getting a job, so razors will be especially appreciated.

love and peace to everyone!

arupa

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Home Van needs tents, tarps, bottled water, bug spray,Vienna sausages, creamy peanut butter, jelly, candles, white tube socks, batteries, and games. Call 352-372-4825 to arrange for drop off. Financial donations to the Home Van should be in the form of checks made out to Citizens for Social Justice, Inc., earmarked for the Home Van, and mailed to 307 SE 6th Street, Gainesville, FL 32601, or can be made online at http://homevan.blogspot.com/

THE HOMEVAN IS A PROJECT OF CITIZENS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, INC. (FDACSREGISTRATION #CH35643). A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE.REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

HOME VAN NEWSLETTER 1/8/12

TOUR OF PROPOSED NEW SITE FOR ONE-STOP CENTER (AND OTHER COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES)

This coming Saturday, January 12, from 8 a.m. to noon, there will be an open house for people to tour the old Gainesville Correctional Institute, which may become the One-Stop Center. This opportunity was initiated by Commissioner Welles, who has a strong vision for ways this facility could become an asset to our community and a place for a variety of activities, in addition to homeless services. As a large homeless shelter, it couldn’t be more ideal. It already has many rooms with bunk beds, bathrooms, a large kitchen, bike racks, a chapel, a library. It’s on a bus line, there are sidewalks. It would not require mega tax dollars to get it up and going. I encourage people to go out and see it – the more community support the better. The Point-in-Time Survey is coming up at the end of January, and I suspect it will show a substantial rise in numbers of people living out doors. I was shocked that Pat, who gives out mylar blankets downtown in the late evening, gave out 120 of them in about two weeks. Freeman is sometimes downtown in the later evening and he says there are people sleeping everywhere. In years past, the more challenged homeless people slept on the streets because they tended not to have campsites. Now I talk to people who are sleeping downtown because they are terrified to be out in the woods, or simply don’t have the strength to walk or bike back and forth from the woods.

So, let’s really push for this new site. To get there you drive down 39th Avenue toward the airport. You will come across an old, unoccupied prison on the opposite side of the street from the airport and across from the county jail.

THE CHRISTMAS PARTY!!

Huge thanks you to everyone – this was the best Christmas party we’ve ever had. People knocked themselves out stuffing the stockings with all sorts of good things, and a lot of people brought cookies and fudge and peanut butter balls and oranges – all sorts of goodies. We had 7 gallons of beef stew, and Carlotta’s fabulous corn bread and hot chocolate. My wonderful neighbors came with their band and played Christmas carols (a terrific band – you can hear them Wednesday evening at Lightning Salvage, behind Satchells). It was a wonderful evening.

ACTS OF KINDNESS

A woman from Newtown was talking about the thousands of acts of kindness being showered upon the community of Newtown. She said, “Maybe if we were this nice to each other all the time, things like this wouldn’t happen.” Sounds right to me. There is a national movement going on for everyone to do 28 random acts of kindness, one for each person who died at Newtown. I think that is a fantastic idea. I have only one New Year’s Resolution this year – and it is to try to be nice and not to add one single atom to the tidal wave of anger and pain that sometimes seems to be engulfing us.

peace and love to everyone,

arupa

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Home Van needs tents, tarps, bottled water,Vienna sausages, creamy peanut butter, jelly, candles, white tube socks, batteries, and games. Call 352-372-4825 to arrange for drop off. Financial donations to the Home Van should be in the form of checks made out to Citizens for Social Justice, Inc., earmarked for the Home Van, and mailed to 307 SE 6th Street, Gainesville, FL 32601, or can be made online at http://homevan.blogspot.com/

THE HOMEVAN IS A PROJECT OF CITIZENS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, INC. (FDACSREGISTRATION #CH35643). A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE.REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

SPECIAL HOME VAN NEWSLETTER 6/12/12

UPDATE ON MR. LE (pronouned ‘lay’)

Our old Vietnamese gentleman, as he turned out to be, is still living next to Depot Road. Team Le is actively working to find solutions for him. Finding translators, as we did so easily, due to an outpouring of support from many of you and from our Vietnamese community in Gainesville, wasn’t the solution, since Mr. Le’s inability to speak is medical. We have a whole team of people working to find solutions for him. Among other strategies, his picture is circulating throughout the Vietnamese community to see if anyone recognizes him. I’ll keep you posted.

MIDWINTER FESTIVALS OF LIGHT

I believe them all to be sacred, and to have many meanings. Last weekend I had a profound experience, in this regard. For the first time, I saw the 1969 movie “Midnight Cowboy.” This may not seem to be a sacred or festive topic, but it is. For those of you who have never seen this movie, it is about a destitute male hustler (Jon Voigt) and a dying thief (Dustin Hoffman) who live together in an abandoned building in New York City, and take care of one another. It is a story about love and the essence of family. It was so important to me because it showed forth in full what I have only glimpsed, among people who, even in the homeless community, are often thought of as ‘the dregs of society.’ I think it has something to do with all the masks falling away. When there are no more pretentions, when everything is gone, what is left, is love. This is what we’re celebrating.

Happy holidays to everyone!

arupa

HOME VAN NEWSLETTER 12/1/12

NEEDED: SOMEONE WHO SPEAKS LAOTIAN

A Gainesville resident alerted us to the presence of an elderly Asian man who is living behind a power block in the Depot Ave/6th Street area. She is very concerned because he’s old and speaks no English. She thought he might be Vietnamese, so Pat and Father Bui from St. Patricks visited him. Father Bui says he is Laotian. This man needs help and is very ‘help-able’ - friendly, cheerful, and accepting of help when it’s offered. We would like to be able to steer him in the direction of getting services, but first we have to be able to communicate with him. Please email me if you know of anyone who speaks Laotian and would be willing to help, or if you can think of any strategies for finding such a person.

CHRISTMAS STOCKING UPDATE:

All over town there are veterinarians and Unitarians and all manner of folk stuffing Christmas stocking for our homeless brothers and sisters. If you are bringing a large number of stockings, drop me an email and let me know – ballpark – how many. That’s probably unneccesary, but I’m afflicted with hyper-vigilance, and it makes me happy to have a guesstimate of how many stockings there will be. If you need to bring stockings to Home Van Central, let me know that also, and we will make the arrangements. We are going to need a few toys also, since there are about 7 children, in the 6-12 age group, boys and girls, whose mothers depend on us. Toys can be dropped off at Home Van Central.

Thank you for all the mylar blankets donated! We now have a supply that should last the winter.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE....

Last week, as I watched video footage of people clubbing each other over the head during Black Friday stampedes, I realized how grateful I am to be part of the Home Van family – for the homeless people who inspire me with their patience, courage, and goodness in caring for each other, for all the volunteers, the donators, the people who pray for us and those we serve, the soup makers, the allies in the Homeless Coalition, the GPD and ACSO folks who help us out – the church and civic groups who are there for us, the UF students, the pharmacy volunteers, those who care for animals, the creators of mitzvahs – too many to remember. I am blessed to know you. Because of you I’m not a depressed, alienated sad sack, as I surely would be without you. May our tribe increase!

Peace and love to everyone,

arupa

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Home Van needs tents, tarps, bottled water,Vienna sausages, creamy peanut butter, jelly, candles, white tube socks, batteries, and games. Call 352-372-4825 to arrange for drop off. Financial donations to the Home Van should be in the form of checks made out to Citizens for Social Justice, Inc., earmarked for the Home Van, and mailed to 307 SE 6th Street, Gainesville, FL 32601, or can be made online at http://homevan.blogspot.com/

THE HOMEVAN IS A PROJECT OF CITIZENS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, INC. (FDACSREGISTRATION #CH35643). A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE.REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

__._,_.___

HOME VAN NEWSLETTER 10/28/12

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE CUPCAKES AND TENTS!

We had hundreds of beautiful cupcakes, many awesomely decorated, for our birthday party. Everyone had as many cupcakes as they could possibly want, and we even left a few for the gang at St. Francis House. It rained, as it did for our first birthday party. I had a few wistful thoughts, thinking of that party. There were so few homeless people then that we were a family, gathered on the stage of the plaza. I even forgot it was a ‘homeless event’ as we circulated around talking with one another. It was like any family party.

We also got in some wonderful tent donations. We have not met our goal of a tent for everyone, but we’ve made a start. Give us a tent if you can.

TOUGH MONTH....

This past month at Home Van Central was quite a challenge, in ways connected to our mission and also to what the old Vermonters called, ‘the deefugilties of life.” More deefugilties than usual. But we got through it and we’re all still here. The month kicked off with a sharp and ongoing spike in the number of people coming to eat with us. For the first time in years, we ran out of food, twice, before everyone had eaten. When I brought my paperwork in to the food bank, on how many people we served each week, I mentioned that a 20-30 person spike looks bogus – it isn’t supposed to happen that way – but that it truly had. They told me that every group walking through their doors were telling the same story – a sudden, large and sustained spike in the number of people coming for service. We have increased the soup we take out from 5 to 7 gallons and also increased sandwiches, eggs, granola bars and, when possible, fruit. The spike is still having an impact, though. Before late September, we gave out a lot of seconds and even thirds, and some people took food for their lunch the next day. Now we have to pay attention and be less generous.

MYLAR EMERGENCY BLANKETS

We are now accepting Mylar emergency blankets for the winter. They can be bought, in small quantities, at WalMart or Sports Authority. There are an abundance of places online that sell Mylars in bulk. The best deal I found was at http://www.medicalsupplydepot.com/Professional-Supplies/Patient-Comfort_2/Emergency-Blankets.html?itemNSId=10252?utm_source=nextag&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=datafeed&utm_content=10252 where you get 120 mylars for $85 and no shipping or handling fee. There are many places where you can get 10 or 20 packs of Mylars and they are all pretty good, except stay away from Amazon.com. They are over-charging. Thanks to your generosity last winter, I have a startup supply. Pat and I are going to do a little Mylar drive-around at 5:30, since the temps will dip into the 40s tonight. We give out hundreds of these blankets over the winter. They are waterproof, can be carried in a pocket, and keep people actually warm, since they work by holding in body heat. They are a great blessing.

It is sad to realize that we are going into another winter with many hundreds of people living out doors. I can remember thinking in 1997 that this could not go on much longer – that a situation so cruel and barbaric would surely be addressed soon. Cold night shelter can accommodate a small fraction of the people who have no home. I fear that a recovery, if there is a recovery (anyone out there feel recovered?) is not going to include the poor and homeless people, who are not even a part of the discussion.

CHRISTMAS SOCKS!

The Home Van’s annual Christmas party for the homeless community will be on Thursday, December 20 at 6 p.m. next to downtown plaza, in the little parking lot on the east side of the civil courthouse. As most of you know, the community makes Christmas stockings for the homeless people. We used to collect these stocking in advance, but the number of people involved has become so large, we have no place big enough to store the stockings, so people have been actually bringing them to the party. People who can’t do that, can come by Home Van Central, the day of the party, or a day or two before if necessary, and we will put their stockings in our hauling van. Here is how you make a Christmas stockings for a homeless brother or sister:

Buy a pair of white sweat socks. Roll one sock up and put it in the toe of the other. Fill the stocking with Christmas goodies and tie it off. Suggestions for filling the stockings include: chocolate bars, Vienna sausages, reading glasses, pens, stamps, envelopes, small stuffed animals, small notebooks, paperback books, candles, batteries (double and triple A) gloves, over-the-ear caps, scarves.....

One important caution: Do not put money in the stockings. Money is wonderful, but the problem is, if some people get money in their stockings and other people don’t (as would be the case), it is just too painful, especially since Christmas comes at the end of the month when no one has a dime.

love and blessings to all of you,

arupa

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Home Van needs tents, tarps, bottled water, bug spray,Vienna sausages, creamy peanut butter, jelly, candles, white tube socks, batteries, and games. Call 352-372-4825 to arrange for drop off. Financial donations to the Home Van should be in the form of checks made out to Citizens for Social Justice, Inc., earmarked for the Home Van, and mailed to 307 SE 6th Street, Gainesville, FL 32601, or can be made online at http://homevan.blogspot.com/

THE HOMEVAN IS A PROJECT OF CITIZENS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, INC. (FDACSREGISTRATION #CH35643). A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE.REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.