An exhibition soccer match in Rome today kicked off the 100 day countdown to this year’s International Homeless World Cup, which will take place in Milan this September.  This amazing event, which I mentioned last year, aims to bring an end to homelessness worldwide and uses soccer (aka football) to help the homeless players regain control of their lives.  The annual event will feature 500 players from 48 countries, 70% of whom have gone through significant life changes while participating, including moving off the streets, overcoming addictions, finding jobs, education and training, and rebuilding relationships.  The Homeless World Cup is a wonderful example of how sports and other positive community activities can help motivate individuals and provide a healthy structure to help end the cycle of homelessness.  The event also provides an exciting forum to engage the public about the global challenge, and seek support for tangible solutions to ending homelessness worldwide.

http://www.takepart.com/blog/2009/05/26/homeless-world-cup-100-day-countdown-to-milan/

I appreciate this organization as a homeless myself. It`s a great opportunity to help those who have to live on the streets!

 Wow, I´m amazed that there have been no responses to this!  Homelessness is a serious & growing problem, particularly in the "developed" world.  The problem is a serious one.  As a New Yorker, homelessness was in your face everyday, until Rudi got in to office and swept them to who knows where.  I watched them moved from mid town down to my area, lower Manhattan.  Now, that area has been gentrified and who knows where the homeless are now.  The communities have been broken up and a steady flow of new tenants move in and out as the rents are raised to absurd heights. 

I used to see the homeless everyplace.  Their condition is dire....and if you consider the implication of no place to recover from the stress of the day.  That lack of a safe place turns into chronic illness, some communicable, some just anti-social...but all problematic.  Most of all, it´s inhumane!

They were a constant presence until the late 90´s.  It was good to be aware of the plight of our brothers and sisters.  I got to know a few of them.  The situations that caused them to be homeless varied, but one realized it could happen to any of us.   It´s most tragic to meet vets who are homeless.  Already we have homeless vets from the Iraq and Afghan wars. 

.........then with the upgraded status of emminent domain....how secure are any of us in the USA in our homes?

"The Supreme Court´s decision in Kelo v. City of New London, 545 U.S. 469 (2005) affirmed New London’s authority to take non-blighted private property by eminent domain, and then transfer it for a dollar a year to a private developer solely for the purpose of increasing municipal revenues. This 5-4 decision received heavy press coverage because the Court sided with the city´s argument that this sort of taking and private redevelopment was a public benefit. Kelo inspired a public outcry that eminent domain powers were too broad. As a reaction to Kelo, several states enacted or are considering enacting state legislation that would further define and restrict the state´s own power of eminent domain. The Supreme Courts of Illinois, Michigan (County of Wayne v. Hathcock (2004)) Ohio (Norwood, Ohio v. Horney (2006)), Oklahoma, and South Carolina have recently ruled to disallow such takings under their state constitutions."

One of the more poignant cases I witnessed was a young boy who had grown up with no home.   His father was a drug addict, his mother was dead.  When he was 13 he got away from his father and went to the Greenwitch Village to panhandle.  He fashioned designs out of the coins people gave him.  Later on he did drawings he sold to people.  I have one and it´s amazing. He told me he never was able to sleep, he could be beaten up if he did.  I used to take him warm food and clean clothes.  The people in the Village looked out for him.

There was a very pretty young black woman who had a good job, but she fell in love with the wrong man and ended up on the street after loosing her job, and a few teeth.  She used to sleep in the vestibule of my building.  The neighbours took pity on her and tried to protect her from the elements.

In the end, a group of speculators bought the building I lived in, and tried to get us all out so as to condo and co-op the building.  I was in court for 7 years fighting illegal eviction orders and building violations for the 48 units.  Many of the tenants were old and not knowledgable about legal issues, and would have ended up in the street homeless as well, had those speculators gotten their way.....many of the tenants were elderly people who just wanted to end their lives in peace living in a familiar place........we won, but it was a full time battle.

There but for the grace of G-d go all of us.