Thread by @MtnShepherdess

@Maxwell4Fresno Hi Tyler, I support free bus rides in @CityofFresno . I'm a former college-educated paralegal who was priced out of my native SF Bay Area. I moved to Fresno 3 yrs ago for cheaper cost of living, and a Social Work degree @Fresno_State . -Michaela /1

2/ @Maxwell4Fresno My plans were derailed by illness, hospital, and long application for benefits & housing. I'm too young for 62 yr old affordable apts (58) and too healthy for transitional programs (no drugs or alcohol). I sleep in my car in 2+ yr wait list. N Fresno.-Michaela

3/ @Maxwell4Fresno In my long healing period, I spent thru my savings and became homeless. I used a variety of Fresno's homeless services for women. They were dangerous, unethical, untrained, exhausting, and abusive. I wouldn't recommend them to any woman. Traumatic.-Michaela

4/ @Maxwell4Fresno I had very little money and I had to pay car ins, preserve gas. It takes YEARS in most cases for our homeless, most of whom have a major illness, to be approved for Social Security disability. -Michaela

5/ @Maxwell4Fresno I was required to meet with a @FresnoCountyCA case worker every two weeks about my housing application. I asked for a bus pass or gas voucher, as I couldn't afford to get to these appts. -Michaela

6/ @Maxwell4Fresno The @FresnoCountyCA case worker told me that they did not give out bus passes or gas vouchers. He didn't know what I was going to do. -Michaela

7/ @Maxwell4Fresno I asked local churches for help with bus fare or gas to get to my county appts. They all told me "no" and that they don't do that as it is considered "giving cash aid". Ok, I'm not a substance user, I've no criminal history, & I was in hospital! -Michaela

8/ @Maxwell4Fresno A *Christian* organization on Shaw Ave called Love Inc tells churches to not give any aid to anyone, to donate $ to Love Inc, and they will *handle* it. Love Inc's answer to everything is "no" and they don't do that. Useless. -Michaela

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9/ @Maxwell4Fresno When domestic violence victims call Love Inc for a taxi ride to get to the local dv shelter from the hospital, where they were treated for their injuries, they are also told "no". Test Love Inc yourself. Make a request, under a different name. -Michaela

10/ @Maxwell4Fresno I've got the internet and the public librarians. I don't need Love Inc to tell me what churches might offer in the way of help. I can check that myself. -Michaela

11/ @Maxwell4Fresno When I met a schizophrenic homeless veteran at Cedar & Herndon who'd been on the sts for 4 yrs, no help from any level of gov (fed, state, county, city), I used my paralegal edu & Silicon Vly law ofc exp in conservatorships to get him in VA, $. -Michaela

12/ @Maxwell4Fresno I wrote up an Action Plan for the homeless veteran to take to his Fresno VA hospital psychiatrist. I asked the vet to pan handle for bus fare, as I had none for him, no orgs to help. He did! -Michaela

13/ @Maxwell4Fresno The homeless veteran is now housed, stabilized for a number of serious medical problems, clean, safe, housed, and healthy. He's lost weight. He affectionately calls me his "social worker". Anything to help better my community. -Michaela

14/ @Maxwell4Fresno When I ride the bus, I try to bring extra cash with me to pay for someone's bus fare who doesn't have the funds. -Michaela

15/ @Maxwell4Fresno Our hospital emergency rooms like St. Agnes give patients without rides a 1 ride bus pass. I've had epilepsy since age 6, and I had a number of seizures in Nov that landed me in St. Agnes & cost my right to drive. -Michaela

16/ @Maxwell4Fresno I was given a 1-ride bus pass at St. Agnes Hospital. I was trying to get to my car, not too far away, which a friend had. I had no charge on my cell phone to call my friend. -Michaela

17/ @Maxwell4Fresno I ended up taking the bus north to River park. The buses stopped running, as it was the weekend. I told a homeless Marine I'd had a seizure, was unsteady, could he walk me to my car/friend at Cedar/Herndon. He agreed. Good guy. Thank goodness! 👏🥇💜-Michaela

18/ @Maxwell4Fresno Fresno County has a mean habit of trying to keep sick people homeless. No help with transportation, and no county case workers come to meet a client (like at fast food or coffee house). -Michaela

19/ @Maxwell4Fresno Fresno County @FresnoCountyCA closed my housing application case for missing two appointments, one due to no transportation funds to get to their office in south Fresno, and for being sick in the hospital! Good grief! What a Dark Ages' system! -Michaela

19/ @Maxwell4Fresno All kinds of people in need in Fresno can't access essential services that they are legally entitled to because they have NO transportation and funds to get there. -Michaela

Correction: should be # /20

@Maxwell4Fresno 21/ People who live in south Fresno and work in north Fresno many times do not own cars. With Covid job losses, they may be the only breadwinner for their family. Saved bus fare (by free system) is needed instead to buy food, pay bills, do laundry. -Michaela

22/ @Maxwell4Fresno Pre-Covid, many low income and disabled people could not access public libraries as they did not have bus fare to/from these hubs of info in our city. -Michaela

23/ @Maxwell4Fresno Pre-Covid the Catholic Newman Center on Barstow Ave served free dinners on Friday nights, which were prepared by @fresnostate . It was a huge blessing to have a nice, quality free meal on a Fri night. Many in need couldn't afford bus fare, no meal.-Michaela

24/ @Maxwell4Fresno The Catholic Newman Center, across from @fresnostate 's Bulldog Stadium on Barstow Ave., had free organic fruits & veggies that college's food recovery club picked up. On tables on side of dining room. Folks without bus fare missed healthy groceries.-Michaela

25/ @Maxwell4Fresno The healthy organic fruits and vegetables were from the Manchester Mall Farmers' Market, picked up by @fresnostate students & delivered to Newman Center on Barstow. -Michaela

26/ @Maxwell4Fresno The hidden costs of people in Fresno not being able to afford transportation, and to access essential services, shows up in increased crisis and expenses for our community: including hospitalizations for medical problems. -Michaela

27/ @Maxwell4Fresno It is so frustrating for me that Fresno has so many people who are stuck and NOT making any forward progress because they can't afford transportation. I've to figure out Action Plans for them AND raise bus fare. 🤨 -Michaela

28/ @Maxwell4Fresno Again, I'm a homeless 58 yr old paralegal with epilepsy, no substance use or crimes. I sleep in my car. Someone else drives it as I lost driving rights due to mid-Nov seizures: three in one week. -Michaela

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