It’s almost 7 am and I am up. The wake up time here is 5am so that most residents can go to work. Going to work means being hurded onto a van and dropped off at various locations to panhandle for donations for the newspaper the shelter offers.
I haven’t had a chance to do this consistently because I need hours during the day to call businesses and ask for their assistance with the job fair. If I was a normal resident of this shelter it would be a requirement for me to go out each day but I receive a special pass to go film my videos and do research because of this project.
I am filled with a bit of uncertainty at this point. The woman who said that she would sponsor the job fair told me she sent me a check over a week ago but I have yet to receive it. The people who promised me I could use their venue have not been returning my calls. No women have signed up and only 2 businesses so far have signed up.
I was hoping that this project would only last for 2 weeks but this is not happening as fast as I thought it would. I’m not exactly feeling like a failure at this point but I am annoyed with myself because I have not made more progress.
The adjustment period is slow and I am uncomfortable because of my toothache. Thank goodness I got the antibiotics and the pain is going away.
What else can I do?
I find myself praying a lot the past two days. I ask for guidance. How can I make this a success? Who do I need to talk to? What can I do to make this happen faster?
I listen and I don’t hear anything.
I wish I had a laptop bag. I am literally carrying a plastic shopping bag filled with stuff around the city. I hate carrying my laptop in that because it offers no protection for my laptop.
What’s interesting is the fact that I assumed that once I became homeless I would be invisible to most people. How many times have you looked a homeless person in the face?
This isn’t true. I’m not sure if its because I’m wearing a camera and tripod around my neck or that my looks are eye catching but I still get the same amount of men trying to hit on me. I FEEL invisible, but I’m not.
It’s Saturday. I have to go to visit the first business that signed up for the job fair. I wish I didn’t have to go to the business because I have to take buses but she says she doesn’t have email. I am so grateful that she said yes that I will eagerly go the distance.
I need more businesses.
I need to be able to raise money for the grant and the website. I have no idea what I am doing wrong. I have no idea what I’m doing really.
I miss writing about regular stuff.