February 2000

I believe that they are now feeling the pressure, judging from a frantic Mayor Keith Sugar calling the activists unflattering names and going on a tirade at the City Council meeting.
A Fast for Justice
from page nine
The Santa Cruz City Council says they "feel bad" for the homeless, that "no one feels good about homelessness." I remember some people who felt bad for me when I was a homeless young mother with a baby. A church gave me $80 for groceries, but because I was homeless,
they could not trust that I was not involved in either drugs or alcohol. A member of the church chaperoned me at a market and, even though I had nowhere to store food, I had to spend the whole $80 at one time. When I got to the checkstand, the church member paid the bill.
Another church member offered to let me put anything perishable in her fridge

and to park in her driveway at night where we would be safer than on the streets. I did not want to inconvenience these people, so I would pull into their driveway around 8:00 at night to sleep and leave at 7:00 a.m., taking what food we would need for the day with us. We took care of all our personal needs away from their house and property. I was almost invisible.
But one night there was a tap on my car window and the church member told
me that her husband "felt bad" that there was a mother and baby sleeping in a car. He couldn't sleep and he wanted us to go.
I left that night leaving all our precious food behind. Seeing me made these people feel bad enough to want me to disappear, not bad enough to offer me a bed.
The City Council can be kind, too, if it is not inconvenient, and they feel bad

enough to wish the homeless would disappear. But not bad enough to offer them freedom from persecution and prosecution.
I believe that they are now feeling the pressure, judging from a frantic Mayor Keith Sugar calling the activists unflattering names and going on a tirade at the break in last Tuesday evening's City Council meeting. No harm done, no offense taken, just a good sign that we are getting under everyone's skin but good. How far under that skin lies a conscience is anyone's guess, but we will keep probing. It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it!
Anyone wishing to join the fast can leave their name and phone number at 831-425-4499 and someone will call back. If you wish to address our City Council on this matter, e-mail them at citycouncil@ci.santa-cruz.ca.us or leave a message for the clueless councilmembers at 831-420-5020x1.
Help them evolve to their full potential when it comes to human kindness and generosity of spirit. Then let's all go have something to eat!