In viewing the images and reading your story with the pictures and then reading the follow-up comments, I think you have made a good start on something here. No, this doesn't represent a finished work by any means, but it did give us a first glimpse into the issue and provided an interest for some on the list. Where you go from here is less important - I think your idea of finding more local to more in depth work makes the most sense. I believe the 'issue' you are trying to bring to light is much bigger than just the Sacramento Tent City so continue with more 'intimate' work elsewhere will still carry the continuity and perhaps make for even a stronger story to show that the problem is all around us.
Kudos for your efforts! -- Best regards, Bruce Thursday, March 26, 2009, 3:30:25 PM, you wrote: Eac> Overview: Eac> I went to Sacramento Tent City. When I posted a photograph of one homeless Eac> beggar on list a while back, quite a few said he was a professional. Even Eac> though I said I am seeing homeless in my county in areas that I've never seen Eac> homeless before. Eac> There have been over 10,000 foreclosures just in my county alone, and Eac> California unemployment is at 10.5%. I've looked for a tent city in my county and Eac> haven't found one, although I think there must be one, even if small, I just Eac> don't know where to look. Eac> Not everyone has friends/family to fall back on when their unemployment runs Eac> out. State and county social services are strained to the max, because Eac> California was broke and still has major budget problems. Non-profits that Eac> dispense food and other help are also strained. People are falling through the Eac> cracks. Local non-profits report more women among the homeless, more whole Eac> families with kids. Eac> I read about the Tent City (new homeless) in Sacramento several weeks ago in Eac> the San Francisco Chronicle. Then it got into the New York Times and Oprah Eac> visited. At first the major said he was going to figure out how to make it so Eac> they could stay, provide sanitation and water, but in the last week he said Eac> the city will move them out within a month. Not really likely as I found out, Eac> but I thought I had to hurry to take photos. Eac> ----------------------- Eac> Pictures: Eac> I was hoping to get some good and/or artistic shots. I didn't. A lot of that Eac> was simply because I chickened out. I was also tired from walking around, Eac> and the areas weren't that easy to reach. If I had someone with me it would Eac> have been different, but I have found sometimes, as a woman, I just won't go Eac> some places alone. Eac> I did find out why it got in the news -- the Channel 3 news center is only Eac> about five blocks away. Eac> The Tent City is between the Sacramento river some railroad tracks, in an Eac> undeveloped area. Eac> The large part in the center is privately owned and surrounded by a fence -- Eac> all around the fence is the Tent City. Of the two remaining sides, one is a Eac> working quarry, and the other is a utility plant (electrical power). Eac> So that's it, and this is just to let people know, yes, there are tent Eac> cities of NEW homeless in California and the USA. Eac> http://www.mapphotography.com/TentCity/ Eac> Sorry, no good shots. But it also lets the rest of you imagine how much Eac> better you would have done it. Eac> Marnie ;-) Eac> **************Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make meals for Under Eac> $10. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000002) Eac> -- Eac> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List Eac> [email protected] Eac> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net Eac> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly Eac> above and follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
