Thirty Deeds in Thirty Days-Make a Difference in Someone Else's Life

OK, you've waited long enough. The wait is finally over. While sleeping out on the streets of San Diego to call attention to Homelessness and raise funds for The Trinity House, a California non-profit involved in transitional housing I had plenty of time to reflect, pray and ask God what should my next undertaking be. He answered by saying stay simple and spread my services around to others who could benefit; at the same time he said, "don't just talk the talk" (I am my Brother's Keeper), "Walk the Walk" and serve as a human example that everyone can do something to serve someone else and how much of a better world would it be if it caught on! So it really doesn't matter what the deed is; spending time with Senior Citizens, washing cars for a local charity or pop warner football team to raise funds for uniforms, volunteering to read or tell stories to children, thanking Soldiers for their service to our country at a local USO, feeding the needy and homeless at Thanksgiving, visiting the sick at a local hospital, placing flags on a cemetary, walking dogs for a cause, enter a charitabe walk-a-thon, man the phones for a charity telethon, speak to students about life at a local school, helping in a local "clean-up community campaign or volunteering to answer the phones at a non-profit agency. In these recessionary times, simple things go a long way. As we enter the month of November, while many of us think about what to give for Christmas, whose house to visit for the best Turkey dinner or watching as many football games as possible, let us not forget the "true" meaning of Thanksgiving........... Make a difference in Someone Else's Life-Give of yourself to others just one day. Try it-I dare you!

Homelessness Synopsis-The Street Chronicles

After spending fourteen days on the streets of San Diego and speaking to several Homeless veterans, I'm truly not surprised to discover the number of combat tours many have served simply because we don't have enough volunteers to fight continuing wars.

It doesn't surprise me that record numbers of soldiers are committing suicide, already 125 this year and at this pace on their way to surpass last year's all time high of 162.

It doesn't surprise me that many of the Homeless veterans I find on the streets are stressed, depressed and suffering other untold mental illnesses.

Meanwhile I watch officials sweep them from one side of the city to the other so as not to create problems for tourist, or run interference with a Padres ballgame or engage a couple leaving a downtown play and being asked for some food or money.

I noticed a woman and a young girl crawling out of a tent at 14th and J streets and another woman sleeping in a car by herself covered in blankets.

The bottomline, whatever I went through, suffered, put up with was in no comparison to what some of these people experience everyday.

What's it like to be Homeless-Completion of the Street Chronicles

It's Monday, October 25, 2010. The Street Chronicles are complete and my time out on the streets has come to an end. However, I'm left with a feeling that I could have done more. All though I'm exhausted, my ego is bruised in that I didn't hit the mark of raising $20,000 for The Trinity House, I feel blessed and I thank God for the experience. I once again realize that the Homeless are human beings and each has their own unique story to tell; that we can do a better job in serving them and if we continue to ignore this problem it will only grow. I also realize that we are on this planet for a purpose and each of us are "Our brothers keepers."

As for me, my next venture as the "Cause Marketing King" of San Diego starts on November. I call it "Thirty Deeds in Thirty Days!"  I hope to service in some small way a different non-profit organization in San Diego everyday in the month of November. It doesn't matter what the project may be-whether it's washing cars to raise money, manning the phones as a receptionist, walking dogs, serving food and spending time with senior citizens, thanking military servicemen at the USO, helping the youth at a recreational facility, volunteering in anyway that would benefit a San Diego non-profit organization is the cause.

Why? Because volunteerism is the key; because helping others will give you a sense of pride like non other and lastly because "I Am My Brothers Keeper!"

http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/dj-goes-homeless-for-two-weeks-to-raise-money/19680618

http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/dj-goes-homeless-for-two-weeks-to-raise-money/19680618

What's it like to be Homeless-Day 10 of the Street Chronicles

Last night, Sunday, October 17, was probably the most severe night I have spent outside on the streets of San Diego. Mother Nature decided to give me a taste of what the Homeless constantly experience. It was truly the makings of a tv sitcom comedy. First, it rained in the area and once again I began to feel water on my face inside the tent and my sleeping bag. Secondly, I attempted to get up but I was unable to unzip my sleeping bag because the zipper had become snagged and both my arms were inside the bag. Fortunately for me I have a 6 foot, 300 pound security guard named "Bob" that watches over me most nights. However, this is where this story takes a wrong turn! I'm sure you get the picture of me calling out for help and this gentleman attempting to crawl into the tent as it almost topples over on the both of us. I can only hope and pray that no one took any pictures or videos of 2 and 1/2 men crawling around in a tent. Finally, I made it out of my tent to discover that Mother Nature had played another trick on me. I needed to get to a restroom facility and relieve myself post haste! However, at 1:30am no business was open and the nearest AM/PM or service station was a mile off. So you know what I did-right? The nearest bush was a quarter block away in the rain so off I ran into the wild blue yonder holding my crotch like a professional rapper!

What's it like to be Homeless-Day 6 of the Street Chronicles

Before leaving the radio station I received a very interesting phone call from a listener who said he was suffering from mental illness and that he had been homeless as well. He was somewhat angry in that he felt society was picking on Homeless people. He wanted to know what percentage of the funds I was raising would I be getting. When I told him nothing he was shocked! His reply was no one today does something for free-and I told him if I make my goal I would be getting paid in satisfaction! Later that same evening a lady called requesting a song because she had broken up with her mate. Another lady called and simply replied "thanks for playing that song it made my night." So as I left the station and headed out to sleep in my tent I began to realize my accomplishments for the day. Wrapped up in my sleeping bag, inside my tent sacrificing my body to the elements, I smiled and thanked God for another opportunity to serve others; today I had mended a broken heart, searched for and found a lost soul; touched a life and inspired one Homeless person to"not give up!"

What did you do with your day?

What's it like to be Homeless-Day 5 of the Street Chronicles

Day 5, Wednesday, October 13, 2010, 11:45pm-As I stared up at the stars overhead and took a whiff of the chilled, but clean fresh air I began to think of my nice soft bed, the six or seven multi-colored pillows spread across it; the electric heater, the refrigerator with a weeks supply of kool aid and a few other amenities in it. I thought about the carpeting throughout my apartment and how I loved to come home after each shift at night, turn on Seinfield, take my shoes off, and run my bare toes through the carpet and sigh! And then I remembered why I was out on the street in the first place-to simulate the conditions of many homeless women, children and military veterans; to raise awareness of Homelessness in San Diego and to plead for help through conscious donations there at the site where I slept or online at www.thetrinityhouse.org/tayari  I began to think what if everyone who read this blog, saw my tent at the site, or heard my plee over the radio and gave just $20 one time only, how much of an impact that would be toward a minimum of 100 people off the streets of San Diego!  I was recently told that Homelessness has become a Global epidemic because people only care about such things if it affects them or a loved one indirectly. Fortunately, I'm one to believe that the rest of us here on the planet realize that "we are our brothers keepers!"

What's it like to be Homeless-Day 4 of the Street Chronicles

Day 4, Tuesday, October 12, 2010 in my "Twenty Grand Homeless Stand" has taught me the meaning of two words I've added permanently in my own testimony; "Intestinal Fortitude!" After doing my on air shift and arriving to the site where I sleep out everynight (2401 Truxton Rd., San Diego, between Starbucks Coffee and Panera Bread), I was ready for some serious sleep. So after snuggling into my sleeping bag and securing myself into my tent I was ready to once more brave the elements and drift off into "LA LA" land. However sleep never came. A contract company employee who had been hired to "power clean or blast" the mall area with water and steam began working from midnight to 5am with of all things a generator that ran continuously. So now we can add, jet noise from overhead takeoffs, clanging shopping cartes, delivery trucks, skateboarders dodging the mall cops, motorcyclists site seeing through the mall driveway, oh and let us not forget the sprinkler system that comes on periodically after midnight; now we can add a new sound, steam powerblasting with continuous generators running! Needless to say, I began to think of the real Homeless people. Those 9,000 women, children and military veterans that call the streets of San Diego their home everynight without complaint and I didn't feel so bad. I simply chalked up this revelation to "Intestinal Fortitude!"

What's it like to be Homeless-Day 3 of the Street Chronicles

If someone had told me that during my professional career as a Radio Personality I would be sleeping outside on streets in a major city with just a tent and a sleeping blanket I would have told them they were catergorically "insane." Well Day 3 of the Street Chronicles and with roughly $1,400 raised it appears that I'm in for an uphill battle. But I plan to fight the good fight because 9,000 women, children and military veterans face this battle, every single night, day in, day out! The fact that there are not enough temporary and transitional facilities to house the Homeless in "America's Finest City" is simply not acceptable.  Since I am a firm believer that the problem begins with me I will therefore initiate the necessary steps to raise a mere $20,000 to help get some of the many families I see at various feeding centers off the streets and into facilities that offer a "loving and caring" environment, building self-esteem, securing employment and returning these individuals back into society as tax paying families. The bottom line; if it takes cold weather, rain, noisy jets roaring overhead every five minutes, clanging shopping cartes, semi trucks unloading at odd hours of the night, sprinkler systems rhythmically cutting on and off then I say-"Bring it On!"

The Cause Marketing King/What's it like to be Homeless-Day 2 of the Street Chronicles

Day 2 of my "Twenty Grand Homeless Stand" found me in "the Zone!" Mentally, I felt I was prepared for anyghing the elements threw at me. I had my ear plugs, my long johns, my doo rag for my head, pillow, sleeping bag, tent and cameras for documentation. There was back up Tylenol pm, Ben Gay rub, rape whistle, pepper spray and a bottle of drinking water! After a long discussion with the security guard who was destined to stand watch over me while I slept each night and the co-founder of the non-profit that I was raising money for I decided to retire to the rhythmic roar of jetliners taking off every 5 minutes, clanging shopping carts and a new sound, that of semi trucks pulling up and dropping off products to the various stores in the shopping center. Nevertheless, "la la" land came around 2am. I probably would have made it through the rest of the night except a misty spray rudely awakened me inside my tent. I refused to squeeze out of the completely zipped sleeping bag to get up and I began to feel sorry for the security guard since I determined that it was raining outside. To my dismay, waking up for the seond time around 4:30am to a full bladder
aching to find the nearest bush it was then I determined that it had not ben raining at all-but instead my tent had been placed nearest the sprinkler system for the shrubery! So much for what homeless people go through in the course of a night to get some sleep. The day wasn't a total loss in th we had successfully raised $1,021. Less than $19,000 to go to complete the "Twenty Grand Homeless Stand." That sums up Day 2 of the Street Chronicles.

What's it like to be Homeless-Day 1 of the Street Chronicles

This past Saturday, October 9, 2010, I began an extraordinary journey; one that I actually started a year ago. It was to see, to feel, to get a taste of, and to experience what it's like to be on the streets as a Homeless person. There are already over 9,000 women, children and military veterans sleeping on the streets of San Diego and the problem has become a global epidemic. After several visits to Salvation Army feedings, periodical feedings of the Homeless during holiday seasons by various other non-profit organizations I was determined to see what it was like through my own self pilgramage.  After all, how could I speak on Homelessness, if I hadn't experienced it firsthand? My first night of sleeping out in a shopping mall that is directly located under a well-travelled flight path of Lindbergh Airport made for an interesting conversation when one is trying to go to sleep at night. Not to mention the constant banging of shopping carts from scurrying grocery clerks anxious to complete their day, stroller bys, married couples and lookie lous wondering who's in a tent sleeping in a shopping mall. Couple that with waking up in the middle of the night, having to use the bathroom and not having any rest room facilities or porta potties for miles forcing me to hold it either until daylight or a business opens. That sums up day one of the Street Chronicles which is all part of my "Twenty Grand Homeless Stand." Details on this and my experiences on Day 2 to come.