Take A Stand, Get Fired

I spent a good portion of my morning yesterday down at Tent City; I've got to have a service plan done on everybody there by Wednesday afternoon in order to speak to the committee charged with determining the fate of the camp.

Actually, that is a little misleading, since the fate of the camp has in all probability already been sealed;  the entire committee was unanimous in its decision to actually close the camp.   Thursday's meeting will take into account the amount of work and time entailed in providing options for everyone there and then, using this information as a guideline, will set a close date for the camp.

I know we've been here before, but I've got a feeling that when we run into the sunset of this new deadline, there'll be no more extensions.


Anyway, I digress. 

My buddy Cowboy related the story  yesterday of how he'd been working for the past two years every Christmas down at a Xmas tree lot near the corner of Lebanon Pike and Old Hickory Blvd, selling and loading trees for folks at this particular location.

Unfortunately for him, about two weeks or so ago, his pic ran in the local paper along with a story about him being a resident at Tent City o and lo and behold, he showed up at the tree lot as scheduled, worked his shift and was then told by the owner that, rather than reporting back the next day per the schedule,  "we'll call ya when we need ya."

last year, Cowboy worked every day he wanted, right up to Xmas Eve.

He hasn't worked a day since and when I asked him if that was unusual, he said it was the first time it'd ever happened.

I was so ticked when I heard this that I went down to the lot, looked at a few trees and then asked for him to help me. I was told he wasn't working "today,"  so I told them I'd be back when he was on duty to get a tree. 

I hope you'll consider doing the same, since finding work when you're homeless is tough enough without being hassled simply because your pic was in the paper about your "neighborhood's" issues.....