Nate Amazing, awesome, inspirational. Keep up the good work.

I feel like you are already far ahead of organizations who do outreach to the homeless. I'm not trying to put them down, but to voluntarily chill in Boston under the same circumstances as the true homeless...now that is one "real" experience. I am inspired and can't wait to read more about your weekend!

i am 56 and wating for housing i have got approved in feb 09 09 they say i have to wate at least 9 mo to 1 year manditory this is now july 22 09 and still wating in my van. it is very scarere there and i am wating to go to a camp site here in rhoda island. some one gave me $100.00 and god bless them , i needed it i gave it to the canp growns for a deposet. that will take me 4 days at $23.00 per day i have to find some kind of way paying for more days. i am looking alll over for work and i know god has me . i have to make it to nov 9 minamum of till feb 9 2010 to get housing. oh my god i sleep with my bible every night. hopeing will interseed

lindascrusades@yahoo.com

Hi Nate, I just found your blog. I am the executive director of Stepping Onward in Orlando, Florida. It is one thing to volunteer with a group and it is yet another level to walk in their shoes. I truly commend your actions, empathy an the voice that you are giving to your community. I look forward to reading more posts on your blog and would love to communicate with you more on your current and future plans regarding your cause. My Best, Claire Grove Executive Director, Stepping Onward www.steppingonward.com admin@steppingonward.com

I did something like this a long time ago, however it didn't seem even half as constructive as what you are doing here. You have a great raison d'etre as well as some interesting ideas on how to help out!!! Way to be. I guess I have one comment from my experience to weave into the story... let me do that by asking you a question. Just how easy was it to sleep on concrete: a. I can fall asleep anywhere b. easy c. not easy d. hard. e. difficult f. no one can just fall asleep on concrete. g. Its a process of pseudo unconsciousness, wherein 50% of time is actual sleep.

Peace be unto you all. I am happy to have found this site. It was meant to be. My brief story.... I, too, was homeless at one time. Drug use and negative associations caused me to become homeless. My 2 children went to live with their paternal grandmother. I did all kinds of things to survive. Risked my life on numerous occassions. Lucky to be alive today. I lived in New York City at the time and still do. I eventually got tired of staying with friends and strangers and decided to enter the shelter system. I ate also in soup kitchens and visited food pantries. New York has a plethera of places like this. A good thing. I then found a job....which nobody at the shelter knew about, and saved my money to eventually afford to rent a room. That was the beginning of my journey upwards. You see, when you are down...sooo down, there IS nowhere to go but UP. So I worked and eventually drugs played a less important part in life. I went from living in a room to finally getting a large enough apartment to get my children to come back to live with me. They were teenagers at that time. I rebuilt my life and now my children are all grown up and I actually have 3 grandchildren. I am now working with the homeless.....irony of life. And I am a Behavioral Health Specialist and a Ordained Minister and Chaplain. I have been blessed and I wish to help others on their journeys. And for those that are homeless, help is there as is your Higher Spirit (GOD). Don't give up and don't be afraid to ask for help. Someone WILL understand. Peace,Love, and Perseverance.

I'm homeless now, was 20 years ago for a year, and am now again for 2 years and for the forseeable future. I'm highly educated, but have mental problems, hence my life. I have a pretty good laptop that I'm borrowing from someone that had an extra, and spend a lot of time online. There are quite a few of us these days (hi-tech hobos). For two years I've been sleeping under a well hidden table in a warehouse with my pals, the rats. I use a public shower, and get food any way I can. Here's the worst of how society treats us: "To bear witness to homelessness first hand and experience how society treats “homeless” individuals to validate or contradict what I have already learned about homelessness through observation and conversation alone. " The first thing you learn being homeless is that there is no 'society' and it's not treating us any which way. Only individuals exist, and only individuals treat with us. You're one of those people that who loves humanity but not real people. We don't want society to care for us. We want real individuals to care for us, to value us, talk to us, deal with us. Not social workers who's job it is, but people who might find some value in us because of who and what we can offer. You want to help us because you think it makes you a good person. That's what you care about, your image. I don't want to be the cloth you use to polish your image. You, for instance, are condescending and paternalistic and think, despite what you say, that you can get a bead on homelessness from the outside. You empty your pockets, put your water bottle on the dresser, rip the knees of your calvin klein's, and give your house-key to your girl friend and join the ranks of the homeless for three days. Wow. Welcome to the brotherhood, dood. But there is no 'outside' to homelessness. You can't know *any* of it from the outside. Homelessness is not so much about not having a home, it's about being alone, completely alone, and not seeing any way out because you're a fuck-up or fucked up, or both. It's being crippled inside or out or both. But it's the inside of it that is what makes it a bad thing. You want to know what it's like to be homeless? Quit your job, give away all your money and your posessions, take a bus to a distant city without telling anyone you know. When you get off the bus, the first thing you should do is find a place to sleep that night. Walk around until you find a likely place. Then collect cardboard, old clothes, anything, to make a bed. Make sure that it's as hidden as you can make it. Then look for food, or money, or help. Ask other homeless where to get food. They'll tell you. Live like that for 6 months, then we can talk. It still won't be the same, because you won't have gotten there by struggling and failing and hating yourself and your inability to control yourself, which is why you're there. But it will be better than what you did, which is nothing. But don't play pretend for 3 days with your job, comfy little bed and shower waiting for you. And don't do all this so that you can lecture 'society' on what it should do or feel. Or if you do, then at least realize that you are playing this game so that you can impress your friends and co-workers, not because you care about helping the homeless. The truth is you *can't* help the homeless. Nor your imaginary 'society'. But you don't want to hear that. You want to hear that you're a bold and committed saint, dedicated to helping the lot of those less fortunate blah blah blah, and that what you're doing will make a difference. Fine.

Very impressive Nate. Wonderful that young people like you are caring and making others understand the plight of the homeless. Congratulations! Bonne Maman and Papa Doug.

Kettlebelly, I appreciate your comments and agree with most of what you said. Even if I were to live on the streets for 6 months, I still would not understand what it is like to be forced on to the streets through unfortunate circumstances. I made a point in the blog to say that "I was not pretending to be homeless, and I did not experience “homelessness”. When you wrote "We want real individuals to care for us, to value us, talk to us, deal with us." That is all I have been attempting to do from the beginning of this project, and it's through those conversations that have shaped this project into what is is today. The project is not about claiming to understand homelessness so I can teach others what it is like. It is about working directly with homeless individuals to design and produce a product that address a need in the community; ideally creating job opportunities. If you have a chance take a look at some of my other posts, I welcome all feedback, good or bad, on the design of the pack, or the whole idea itself. Stay Safe and I wish you the best of luck, Nate