Tag: homelessness

The Gilroy Compassion Center, a burgeoning homeless shelter located at 8425 Monterey Road that serves South County, is now collecting coats and blankets to distribute to those in need as winter approaches.

Of late, I have been thinking about how vulnerable our students are. At Sobrato this year we have now had two tragic events affect our student population. In the fall, there was the shooting death of Tara Romero, along with the injuries of three other students. And now it is three weeks since the disappearance of Sierra LaMar, who was abducted while walking to the school bus stop the morning of March 16. Of course we are all hoping that she will be safely returned to her family.  

In an era of financial crisis there are a growing number of families who are one paycheck away from being displaced from their homes, our government is cutting social services and failing to adequately fund programs in response to the public need. The homeless population is projected to grow at an alarming rate because of a poor economy and no longer is just comprised of the mentally ill, drug addicted or alcoholics. It now includes families and the elderly. In my state of California they have responded to this need with Penal Code 647 (e). This law is loosely written and depending on the interpretation of the law allows law enforcement to arrest someone for being homeless or sleeping in their car. In a time where there is a need for compassion and more funding to social programs we have resorted to harassing the downtrodden and shuffling them through a failed system which costs taxpayers even more money while not addressing the crux of the problem. I thought we were attempting to write anti bullying laws. Penal Code 647 (e) sounds like a justifiable means to bully people that the system that has failed and humanity as a whole has cast aside.