(I borrowed this post from my last 4th of July post, the sobering facts remain) This isn't a current flag, it's hoisted and proudly flown at Fort McHenry in Maryland. I took this photo a few years ago, while hubby and I were touring. Look at the size of this flag. I wanted to share it with you today, July 4th as we celebrate our Nations Birthday. It's a day to be proud, a day to remember how we got here, who's sacrificed for us.
Sadly, many of those who did serve and protect us, who fought for our freedoms probably aren't celebrating today, not with a family picnic and fireworks. Why? Because they are homeless! They live hand to mouth, out in the elements, in unsafe conditions, wondering in some cases if they'll make it through the night. Wondering if they'll ever be dry and warm again. Yes, it's summer across the country and they currently are going to freeze at night; but the warmer months pass all too quickly. Soon, they'll be huddled against the wind, the rain, the snow and sleet.
Accordingly to The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans 1/3 of all adult homeless people are Veterans. Half those homeless Veterans served during the difficult Vietnam Years. While the bulk of homeless Veterans are male, about 5% are female, and that number is rising with more females in the service of our country. Most homeless Veterans are single, and live in an urban area. Many have health issues, be they mental illnesses, alcoholism and or drugs; or a combination thereof.
As you celebrate with a good meal and fun times with your loved ones today, make a commitment. A commitment to make something for the homeless. Making one thing can be HUGE. Knit or crochet and make a difference. Make a hat, a scarf, a pair of slippers, a pair of mittens, a cotton washcloth, or a square. They've given so much, let's say Thank You and serve others through our yarn.
All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!
**Read about the contest and giveaway...CLICK HERE**
A-Z Challenge = V=Vets, Vagabond, Vagrant, Vulnerable and Victim
The map above represents cities that have signed onto The Major Challenge to reduce homelessness of Veterans in their communities. Michele Obama spearheaded this program in June of 2014. The programs tracks the Vets in order to know how many there are, whether or not they've found housing and or are still homeless. Reducing the number of Homeless Veterans was a goal of President Obama's since 2009. The data in 2014 indicated Nationally, there was an average of 49,933 homeless Vets in a single night, those numbers are down 14k from 2013, and 33% lower then there were in 2010.
Homeless Vets can be as anyone from WWII forward, though stats indicating Veterans of Vietnam may be the most at risk.
Jerome Anthony Murdough was a US Marine. This man died a very sad death at the age of 56 while in custody in New York's Riker's Facility. What happened to him, sadly represents a trend around the country. Homeless are treated as criminals, arrested rather than helped. The report I read indicated 3 major mistakes took place, causing this man.......this Veteran's death.
He was arrested instead of helped. He had a mental illness, he was homeless, he was arrested for sleeping in a stairwell, he was arrested for trespassing. Sadly, it wasn't the first time he had been arrested for similar problems.
Once arrested his bail was set at $2,500.00, a fee that of course he could not pay, (typically prohibitive bail is set).
Due to his mental illness, he was incarcerated in a special observation cell that measured 6 x 10. These observation cells are suppose to be monitored once every 15 minutes. His dead body was found 4 hours later. He was dehydrated, died of a heat stroke in a cell that was 100 degrees.
Marine Murdough's mother wasn't even notified until contacted by a news agency 1 month after death of her son. She is suing the officials.
Rest in Peace. His final resting place is Forest Green Park Cemetery in Morganville, New Jersey.
Another Veteran, homeless, trying to stay warm by sleeping over a grate where some heat is possible.
Vagabonds and Vagrants are other words that are used to describe homeless people. The definition for both is a person without means of support, without a permanent address, who moves about. Sad definitions for our Veterans, don't you think! Why are they not properly supported? The next time you hear someone say all homeless are lazy bums, PLEASE tell them they don't know what they're talking about.
If you missed it previously my E post found HERE, was also a story about a homeless Veteran.
All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.
This isn't a current flag, it's hoisted and proudly flown at Fort McHenry in Maryland. I took this photo a few years ago, while hubby and I were touring. Look at the size of this flag. I wanted to share it with you today, July 4th as we celebrate our Nations Birthday. It's a day to be proud, a day to remember how we got here, who's sacrificed for us.
Sadly, many of those who did serve and protect us, who fought for our freedoms probably aren't celebrating today, not with a family picnic and fireworks. Why? Because they are homeless! They live hand to mouth, out in the elements, in unsafe conditions, wondering in some cases if they'll make it through the night. Wondering if they'll ever be dry and warm again. Yes, it's summer across the country and they currently are going to freeze at night; but the warmer months pass all too quickly. Soon, they'll be huddled against the wind, the rain, the snow and sleet.
Accordingly to The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans 1/3 of all adult homeless people are Veterans. Half those homeless Veterans served during the difficult Vietnam Years. While the bulk of homeless Veterans are male, about 5% are female, and that number is rising with more females in the service of our country. Most homeless Veterans are single, and live in an urban area. Many have health issues, be they mental illnesses, alcoholism and or drugs; or a combination thereof.
As you celebrate with a good meal and fun times with your loved ones today, make a commitment. A commitment to make something for the homeless. Making one thing can be HUGE. Knit or crochet and make a difference. Make a hat, a scarf, a pair of slippers, a pair of mittens, a cotton washcloth, or a square. They've given so much, let's say Thank You and serve others through our yarn.
All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!
(I borrowed this post from a couple of other 4th of July posts, as it's worth repeating) This isn't a current flag, it's hoisted and proudly flown at Fort McHenry in Maryland. I took this photo a few years ago, while hubby and I were touring. Look at the size of this flag. I wanted to share it with you today, July 4th as we celebrate our Nations Birthday. It's a day to be proud, a day to remember how we got here, who's sacrificed for us.
Sadly, many of those who did serve and protect us, who fought for our freedoms probably aren't celebrating today, not with a family picnic and fireworks. Why? Because they are homeless! They live hand to mouth, out in the elements, in unsafe conditions, wondering in some cases if they'll make it through the night. Wondering if they'll ever be dry and warm again. Yes, it's summer across the country and they currently are going to freeze at night; but the warmer months pass all too quickly. Soon, they'll be huddled against the wind, the rain, the snow and sleet.
Accordingly to The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans 1/3 of all adult homeless people are Veterans. Half those homeless Veterans served during the difficult Vietnam Years. While the bulk of homeless Veterans are male, about 5% are female, and that number is rising with more females in the service of our country. Most homeless Veterans are single, and live in an urban area. Many have health issues, be they mental illnesses, alcoholism and or drugs; or a combination thereof.
As you celebrate with a good meal and fun times with your loved ones today, make a commitment. A commitment to make something for the homeless. Making one thing can be HUGE. Knit or crochet and make a difference. Make a hat, a scarf, a pair of slippers, a pair of mittens, a cotton washcloth. They've given so much, let's say Thank You and serve others through our yarn.
All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!
**Reminder folks to please please check the tabs so the items you make meet the guidelines for size, colors and fibers. Information is available for every item we collect and donate. If you have questions about something you'd like to make, but don't see information on, please send an email, or leave a comment, or use the contact form. We want to be sure our items meet the need of those we're helping. Colors, and fibers DO matter.** 2014 DONATIONS: Hats: 493 Scarves: 278 Socks: 75 Afghans: 12 Slippers: 60 Rain Ponchos: 55 Mittens & Gloves: 57 Cotton Washcloths: 181 Shawls, Sweaters, Vests, Poncho's, Skirts, and Shrugs etc. 8 Neck warmers, cowls, gators, wrists warmers/fingerless gloves and other misc items aren't tabulated; as well as personal care items
All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.
This comic is definitely food for thought. This is so sadly true. A very large percentage of homeless across our country are in fact Veterans that we owe a great deal to. We owe more than a life on the street wondering if they'll survive a cold night or extreme summer temperatures and dehydration. And while some headway is being made thanks to our First Lady Michele Obama's Major's programs,
to house the homeless Veterans, much work is still needed.
Please keep your yarn at hand and hooks and needles busy.
2015 DONATIONS:
Hats: 222
Scarves 89
Mittens/Gloves/Wrist Warmers: 45
Slippers: 63
Rain Poncho's: 95
Cotton Washcloths: 195
Afghans: 11
Socks: 157
Cowls/Hoody Combo's/ 17
Shawls 1
Misc: items like personal care and things don't fit into above categories aren't counted
All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.
As some of you might know I have been a big Flat Stanley person, I have a Flat Stanley Blog where I envisioned parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, babysitters, and neighbors would get involved with young ones in their lives and help them with a Flat Stanley project and forward their pictures and stories to me. That didn't happen. Participation was well beneath my expectations, even from within my own family. However, I kept at it photographing Flat Stanley in many locations trying to help people realize how everything can be a wonderful learning opportunity with kids involvement with Flat Stanley. I even entered Flat Stanley in last years April Blog challenge (whew that was a huge amount of work). Shortly there after Flat Stanley became rather quiet.
Kerry, a Facebook friend with a big heart sent me the link to this story while I was out of town recently. Just got back to it. (You know how often I play catch up). It's a marvelous story. We talk often here on Bridge and Beyond about the number of Veterans that are homeless, so while this particular man wasn't quite....though he did have to move back in with his parents because he had no other options...he was in fact, broken and darn near homeless so it seems appropriate to post here. I plan to post it on Flat Stanley's blog sometime too. Thank you Kerry! "People don't write letters anymore," according to third-grade teacher Luella Wood.
But 10 years ago, in the painstaking scrawl of an 8-year-old, Alan Orduna did.
The Huntsville, Ark., boy, along with other students in Wood's class, penned a note to accompany a paper cut-out modeled after the title character in the popular children's book Flat Stanley. After being smashed by a bulletin board in his sleep, the book's protagonist makes the most of his new 2-D state by mailing himself to friends.
ANOTHER FLAT STANLEY ADVENTURE:
Wood asked her students to send their Stanley cut-outs to relatives or friends, who would then take them on a journey and detail the characters' exploits in a letter back.
Alan didn't have a friend in mind — or at least not one who would take Stanley on an adventure worthy of a third-grader's imagination. So, Wood sent Alan's packet off to an Army unit stationed in Baghdad and asked Alan to wait.
Alan did wait, patiently, through the rest of the school year.
He waited through the rest of elementary school.
He waited so long that he forgot he was waiting.
"There were a lot of people surrounding the library, and I was like, 'What's going on?' " he said. "They called me over and said, 'Some soldier sent mail for you.' "Then, shortly before Veterans Day last year,the 17-year-old high-school senior was called into the library with the rest of his class.
Stanley was home.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
Brian Owens was young when the military bug bit him.
"My grandfather served in World War II. My father was a chaplain with the state Guard," said the New Mexico native, now a Phoenix resident. "As a kid, I had grown up in camouflage and wore dog tags and had buzz cuts."
Owens didn't consider a career until college, though.
"I was struggling with my grades. I loved education and I loved learning, but I just couldn't make heads or tails of what I wanted to do with myself," he said. "I needed some direction."
At 20, he enlisted in the Army.
He was 24, with two small sons of his own, when Stanley emerged from a box at mail call in the spring of 2004.
Owens was immediately on board, folding Stanley up and tucking him safely into his wallet.
"I'd always been a fan of cool little projects like that, and I imagined my own kids taking part in something similar," he said. "I could just picture them kind of starry-eyed after getting a letter back, thinking 'Oh, wow! A soldier overseas carried this, and he went here and there and did this and that.'
"I thought, 'I can be that guy for this kid.'"
GETTING LOST
Stanley built an impressive military resume.
He helped carry out dozens of combat patrols through Baghdad. He held steady through firefights and mortar attacks.
He saw car bombs, the banks of the Tigris River and the palace of Uday Hussein, the eldest son of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
He was there on the day of Iraq's first democratic elections.
He was there when Owens, standing guard on a tower, dodged a sniper's bullet by about 6 inches, and when his patrol hit an improvised explosive device. He saw the fate of some colleagues who weren't so lucky.
He was there, still, when the disturbing scenes and constant stress began to wear Owens down, leaving the soldier angry and confused.
"I experienced many things that changed who I was, how I thought and who my loved ones remembered me being," Owens wrote in a narrative travel log that eventually accompanied Stanley on his trip back to Arkansas.
"I lost track of a lot of things, including the silent passenger ... folded up in my back pocket."
HOLDING ON
Upon returning to Silver City, N.M., after his deployment, Owens found himself ill-equipped to deal with a key civilian responsibility: being a dad.
His marriage didn't survive his time in the Middle East, and he'd gotten custody of the boys.
"In the Army, if you didn't know how to do something, you referenced the field manual, or 'FM,'" Owens wrote. "(There) isn't an FM to reference on how to be a single dad, so I was lost."
ADVICE:
He and the boys lived in a tiny apartment that was chilly in the winter and "hot and full of critters" in the summer, subsisting on macaroni and cheese, Hamburger Helper and scrambled eggs. Owens said he was impatient and asked too much of his kids.
"I was trying to support us, and the logistics of trying to make everything click was extremely hard," he said.
Owens found a job at an open-pit copper mine, "an 8-year-old boy's dream come true." He got a chance to operate some of the largest equipment in the world and assist with blasts in the mine.
The constant activity eventually wore out Owens' wallet. As he sifted through its contents, he came upon a colored piece of tightly folded paper.
"After I found Stanley again and realized, 'Oh my gosh, I still have this thing,' it kind of took on a different, deeper meaning," Owens said. "It was almost like I had a mission I hadn't completed yet."
Stanley's return address was long gone, but Owens couldn't bring himself to throw him away.
"You read about all these fantastic coincidences, and I thought ... 'Maybe, one of these days, that'll happen to me,'" he said. "It was never a question: I was going to keep it until I died, or until I could find a way to get it back to who it belonged to."
LOSING CONTROL
With Stanley in his pocket, Owens soon met the woman who would become his sons' stepmother.
She brought with her a needed reality check.
Owens' love for his boys had kept him going in Iraq, but between the long days at work and late nights with his band, he'd lost sight of how much the three needed each other.
About the same time, officials at Owens' job approached him, complimenting his performance at a morning safety meeting and his "keen eye for hazard awareness." Laughing, he corrected them, calling it "a keen preference for being alive."
They asked him to begin assisting with field audits and safety training, critical in an industry with huge equipment, acid lakes and explosions.
The work "felt right and satisfied a passion I had felt for a long time," Owens wrote. In 2008, he officially became a health and safety specialist.
His improved financial standing — plus the income of his new fiancee, an environmental consultant at the mine — allowed Owens to move the family to a larger house.
But three months later, the economy tanked, taking the price of copper with it.
The mine closed, and so did Owens' window out.
HITTING BOTTOM
The family relocated to the Phoenix area, where Owens and his fiancee thought they'd have a better shot at finding work. Nothing turned up.
JOBS:
"I looked at the situation, the economy, the bills; no matter which way I looked at it, it seemed dire," Owens wrote. He prepared to rejoin the military — his last resort — and swiftly married so the kids would formally have a stepmom when he left the country.
He was turned down.
He enrolled full time in college, attempting to live off GI Bill benefits and credit cards. One month, he sold a guitar for one-third of what it was worth to try to make rent. A donation from a church committee covered electricity.
The local Veterans Affairs hospital officially diagnosed the post-traumatic stress disorder that had lurked under the surface since Owens' return. But instead of finding relief in knowing what he was up against, he felt typecast.
REPORT:
"I felt like it was a stigma that society had placed on me, something I'd been running from, something I did not want," he said. "When it caught up with me, I was really downtrodden."
So was his wife. They separated shortly thereafter, and Owens and his boys moved back in with his parents in New Mexico.
He grew depressed, bitter and forgetful. He began drinking.
One night, angrily speeding along a dark road, Owens totaled his Land Rover. Though his injuries were minor, he wished he'd died in the accident.
"One more brush with death, one more unexplained survival," he wrote. "The vehicle was trashed, but me and Stanley yet again walked away."
LOOSE ENDS
In early 2010, Owens and Stanley headed to Albuquerque for Owens' annual VA appointment.
Discouraged, he recounted his downward spiral for the woman managing his case.
Her reaction floored him.
"Let me get this straight," she said. "You suffer from hypervigilance, an overdeveloped sense of hazard recognition and situational awareness, and have an obsessive passion for making sure people are safe ... and you've figured out how to make a living out of it?"
When Owens offered a tentative "yes," the woman couldn't contain her laughter.
"As you get worse over the years, you'll probably get raises and bonuses!" she told him.
"Look, I'm not making light of your circumstances, but you're onto something here," she said. "Most folks that have your symptoms self-implode and aren't successful with it at all. It gets in the way of their work functions. You, you've turned it into your work function."
The conversation helped loosen the grip of Owens' persistent pessimism. And after that, the scattered puzzle that his life had become began to piece itself back together.
The mine reopened, and Owens was called back to work.
He found a university online, known for its occupational safety and health program, and it accepted almost all of his previous class credits.
GI BILL:
A few weeks later, he and his wife reunited.
They returned to Phoenix in 2011, and Owens became the highest-ranking safety official at an industrial-construction company in Apache Junction. In 2013, the couple had a daughter.
But Owens still had one piece of unfinished business to take care of.
MISSION COMPLETE
Owens was searching for another piece of paper when the one with the key to Stanley's past appeared.
"I came across a box with a bunch of papers in it," he wrote. "As I glanced through the contents, I found a letter. ... It was a typed note from one 'Mrs. L. Wood.'"
Owens Googled the school and found Wood's email, firing off a "shot in the dark" message.
Wood first thought the letter was a scam, though its "well-worded and polite" nature made her reconsider.
She wrote back.
While Owens worked to finish the narrative letter chronicling Stanley's journey, Wood worked to coordinate the details of his return.
"My principal went with me, because he knew Alan," she said. "All his friends were there, taping it on their cellphones."
The package wasn't just for Alan, however. It also contained a thank-you letter for Wood, along with a flag Owens had carried during his service.
The surprise left Wood in tears.
"I think teachers and soldiers kind of have a lot in common," she said. "You go to work. You get criticized. But you just keep plugging away, because you're trying to make a difference."
GOOD NEWS:
Alan, blindsided by the surprise delivery, waited until he got home to study the full, "amazing" narrative. As he was applying to colleges and preparing for a major in computer engineering, the last few lines resonated particularly well.
"I know by now you are approaching the age when you will embark on your own journey," Owens wrote. "Might I make a suggestion?
"Pick up your adventures with Stanley where ours ended. Put him in your wallet," he wrote. "You will undoubtedly face hard times. You will experience lows and uncertainty. But, whenever you feel despair or emptiness setting in, remember a saying I learned in the Army — 'If you ever get to the point where it's hopeless and nothing more can be done, you've overlooked something.'
"And, if you need a second opinion, there silently, you will have a passenger, hanging out, folded up in your back pocket, that can vouch for me."
It's such a story of hope, I thought you all my be inspired by it.
This link will take you to several posts here on Bridge and Beyond where we've discussed the HUGE problem of homelessness among our Veterans, whom we owe so much. This is the first thing I think of every time I read another state is mandating drug testing for those on welfare. What a huge slap in the face to someone who's given so much.
All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.
A friend posted this on facebook a few days ago and I thought it most appropriate to share here. I've often talked about how many homeless men are veterans, but it's a subject that can't be talked about too much in my opinion. When people talk about homeless as being lazy, low life's I find it upsetting. Many of these homeless people have served our country and come back from that service broken, unable to get or hold down a job. We do indeed owe them.
Many homeless are people who've had an illness that depleted their funds, no one chooses to get sick.
Many homeless are children who have no say in what happens.
Homeless need our help, please help. 2013 Donations:
Hats: 656 Scarves: 409 Socks: 251 Afghans: 44 Slippers: 189 Rain Ponchos: 208 Mittens: 98 Cotton Wash Clothes: 654 Shawls, Sweaters, Vests, Poncho's, Skirts etc. : 16 Misc. Items: include personal care, headbands, hand-warmers, cowls/gators/neckwarners and all meal prep related items, Dolls, associated items, stuffed/crocheted/knitted toys... etc aren't tabulated.
All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.
What a wonderful donation from our friend, Dianne L from California. A large mound of lip balm (chapstick) which is a good item all year long. I know how dry and cracked my lips get both from the cold and the sun so those living out in the elements will really appreciate this. She's included some other personal care items as well. And 2 lovely matching hat and scarf sets. Dianne tied the two together...what a great idea. I half opened the red one so folks could better see your nice work, but left the purple one neatly tied to demonstrate your method. Really nice way to package your donation.
2015 DONATIONS:
Hats: 181+2=183
Scarves 69+2=71
Mittens/Gloves/Wrist Warmers: 45
Slippers: 63
Rain Poncho's: 53
Cotton Washcloths: 113
Afghans: 7
Socks: 126
Cowls 12
Shawls 1
Misc: items like personal care and things don't fit into above categories aren't counted
All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.
Why, part II? Because this man served his country for you, and for me; and now he needs our help. This man is not alone. Veterans makes up a huge portion of our Homeless across the country. He served us, and now it is our duty to return the service.
Please join us, help us give back to those that gave so much for us.
2008-2009 Hats 368 Mittens 66 Scarves 147 Socks 79 pair *counts from day 1, Dec 2 2008
Neglect and Homelessness. Does neglect cause homelessness? Or are the homeless neglected? Neglect of Veterans and problems related to them coming back broken from service of their country, surely adds to homelessness. Then if they are ignored further, because they are homeless...a vicious circle. Neglect of any group of people seems to be a central part of the problem. A family in crisis, due to job loss or health issues which causes them to lose their house, and thus makes them homeless...again neglect seems to be at the root of the problem. How do we as a society stop neglecting groups of people with problems? Surely if the cycle of neglect can be broken, problems could be solved before they become as insurmountable as they are. Isn't it a bit like fixing a hole in the roof before hole becomes larger, or before water damaged ruins the whole house? Why have we as a nation not learned this very basic idea? And once we know it, which surely many people do...why have we not fixed the problems when they first begin? I don't have answers, but questions. Should we all try to get the point across about fixing problems when they're small, before groups of people are neglected and the problem becomes larger to our local and national politicians? This seems like a very worthwhile problem to discuss, and yet...I'm not aware of it being discussed. Are you? Do you feel like your local area addresses the root of problems that cause neglect? **The counts on our progress bars are current, the percentages not quite. I'll not be figure the percentages with each update of numbers, but will be updating again next at least by the 20th. I have in fact made a reminder not on my cell phone for the 20th of each month to do percentages. If we're at a milestone, or I just have extra time I may do it more often...but certainly at that scheduled time **
All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.
I try not to post a blog post without a picture, so this beautiful white rose is something that I hope you'll all enjoy, particularly since it's been awhile since we've had pretty flowers outside with the weather change. My daughter attended Washington University in St. Louis and posted this story the other day on Facebook. It's an interesting story, one I hope you'll all take the time to read this. I've included the link to the story, as well as a cut and paste to be sure you all are able to see it in one format or another. Story Link,
As a new employee at Washington University in St. Louis in the 1980s, Barbara Rea heard the rumors about Sam Lachterman and Betty Wynn, the homeless couple who were omnipresent on campus for decades.
Rumor one: Lachterman and Wynn, known to generations of students simply as Sam and Betty, were brother and sister.
Wynn and her brother Sam Lachterman would buy monthly bus passes to travel to Washington University to attend free lectures and events. “It was one of the few things they spent money on,” said friend Pat Zollner. “They never bought anything from a store.”
True. Born to Russian immigrants Nathan and Anna Lachterman, Wynn was born in 1915; Lachterman, the baby of the family, was born six years later in 1921.
Rumor two: Both graduated from Washington University.
Also true: Wynn earned a degree in social work in 1936; Lachterman earned a PhD in mathematics in 1963. His dissertation was titled “Exponentially Convex Functions on a Cone in a Lie Group.”
Rumor three: The pair would sleep on the fifth floor lounge of Olin Library on the Danforth Campus.
Maybe true, maybe not. Rea, formerly a special projects coordinator for University Libraries, often observed the couple leave Olin as she arrived in the morning.
“But who knows,” said Rea, now director of the Assembly Series. “The legends just swirled around them. We knew they were brilliant, but there was so much more we didn’t know about their lives.”
For example, despite their appearance and their lifestyle, Lachterman and Wynn were not destitute. In fact, the pair possessed a small savings and willed $54,000 of their estate to Washington University.
“My first reaction was shock,” Rea said upon hearing of the bequest. “My second reaction was deep gratitude. I sat next to Sam at many Assembly Series lectures and really enjoyed his dry wit.
Half of that money will fund “Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host,” a joint presentation of the Assembly Series and Edison Theatre at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2. The other half has been distributed among the School of Law, the Kemper Art Museum, and the departments of mathematics, physics and music, all in Arts & Sciences.
COURTESY OF JOHN SARRA/SAM FOX SCHOOL
Lachterman in his later years in front of Steinberg Hall.
“The members of the Assembly Series committee spent a good year thinking about the best way to spend this gift,” Rea said.
“We felt it was really important to present something they would want to see. Though, really, we could have picked almost anything because Sam and Betty embraced every subject you can imagine.”
‘If they came to the tea, they came to the talk’
From the 1970s until Wynn’s death in 2006, Wynn and Lachterman frequented hundreds of lectures, symposiums, exhibits and performances. They came for the conversation, but stayed for the cheese and crackers.
Detractors derided them as freeloaders, and succeeded in banning the pair — and the parked car in which they lived — from the campus in the late 1970s. The backlash from students and faculty was swift and, within days, Lachterman and Wynn were back posing questions and grazing the fruit tray at public events and lectures. Their champions argued that Lachterman and Wynn posed no harm. In fact, they enriched the university’s intellectual life.
“They would never miss a tea, which were quite lavish back then,” recalled Edward N. Wilson, PhD, professor emeritus of mathematics. “But if they came to the tea, they came to the talk.
“Betty could be quite challenging and had a lot of interesting things to say,” Wilson said. “Sam rarely asked questions, but he was a great thinker. So what if much of tea ended up in their shopping bags? Nearly all of my colleagues would say, ‘They’re welcome to it.’ They were not merely tolerated; they were loved by hundreds of people on campus.”
Loved, but not fully understood. Lachterman and Wynn shared a complicated and, at times, tragic history.
“There is the Sam and Betty no one knew,” said Pat Zollner, who served as an administrative assistant at Washington University for two decades and, ultimately, as Lachterman’s caregiver in his final years. “Betty would always say, ‘There is something wrong with us.’ ”
Professionals to poverty-stricken
A picture of Harry Lachterman, who died at 19 of pneumonia, is pasted into the center of this family photo. Betty is standing at right alongside her father. Sam sits to the left of his mother.
Nathan and Anna Lacherman owned a Jewish market and enjoyed a middle-class life. In addition to Sam and Betty, they had Julius, an accountant who died in 1997, and Harry, who died of pneumonia as a teenager. Harry’s death so devastated Anna that she sent Sam to an orphanage for a short time. Lachterman recalled for Zollner how he escaped from the orphanage to walk to the family’s home.
“‘My mother looked at me like she hated me,’” Lachterman told Zollner.
“I told him, ‘Sam, your mother loved you. She was just overwhelmed by pain of losing a child and the guilt she felt for what she did to you,’” Zollner said.
The siblings attended Soldan High School, where they both played tennis. Wynn then attended Washington University, where she studied social work. She married, but her husband died a year later.
“Betty never wanted to talk about it,” Zollner said. “Out of respect to her, I can only say that the circumstances of his death were very, very tragic.”
Wynn in the 1936 edition of the Hatchet yearbook
Wynn eventually got a job as a library assistant at the Washington University School of Medicine. She enjoyed the work, but was not challenged. She asked E. V. Cowdry, PhD, Washington University’s noted pioneer in the field of cancer and gerontology, to serve as a reference. In her resume, Wynn identified herself as “a young 36, I hope.”
“I’d like a job which would be more intellectually stimulating and possibly more socially useful than my present one, which is largely routine in nature,” the resume stated.
Cowdry wrote letters on her behalf to the U.S. Department of State and the World Health Organization. Apparently nothing came of those inquiries because Wynn stayed in St. Louis as a social worker for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Lachterman followed his sister to Washington University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the distinguished academic honorary. He enlisted in the Air Force and served in World War II in the Marshall Islands as a meteorologist.
After the war, Lachterman returned to Washington University, where he taught classes while he earned his PhD. After graduation, Lachterman served as tenured professor at Saint Louis University. He left after a decade. Lachterman told Zollner administrators wanted him to dumb down his classes. Wilson had heard another story.
“He was not too impressed with authority and that became a problem,” Wilson said.
Lachterman (left) served as a meteorologist during World War II.
Either way, Lachterman and Wynn went from middle-class professionals to vagabonds almost overnight. The transformation was as stunning as it was mysterious. Yes, Lachterman was stubborn and, by his own admission, hated to work. And Wynn rejected consumer culture and identified as a socialist. But it’s one thing to quit the rat race; it’s another to carry one’s earthly belongings in shopping bags.
“That was the much debated question – how did it come to this?” Wilson said. “There was endless speculation.”
Zollner also is stumped. Once she learned of the couple’s savings, she asked Sam, “Why did you have to suffer?”
“He didn’t have an answer,” Zollner said.
‘The most refined people I’ve ever met’
Julius Lachterman was ashamed of his siblings, but he did make provisions for Lachterman and Wynn to live in his house in the St. Louis suburb of Olivette, Mo., upon his death in 1997. The siblings eventually purchased the house from the estate. Zollner suspects Wynn resented the house, which functioned more as a dumping ground for magazines, theater programs and albums, than a home.
“They paid their taxes, their utilities, the little neighborhood fee, but they couldn’t handle having a house,” Zollner said. “Even the oven was filled with papers.”
Wynn died in 2006 at 91. Authorities condemned the house and told Lachterman he would need to live in a shelter. Zollner stepped in and invited him to live with her. She recalls visiting the house to help Lachterman collect some things.
“We walked into his room,” she said. “It was in no way tidy, but the bed was clear and he had everything in neat stacks.
Pat Zollner, a former university administrative assistant and longtime friend, cared for Lachterman during his final years. “We laughed and laughed,” she said.
“He looked at me, and he said, ‘I tried.’”
Every day for three months, Zollner and a friend helped Lachterman clean the home. They filled three 40-foot dumpsters. Among the paper napkins and old clothes, Zollner found what she calls Wynn’s “Rosebud” – a letter from Margot Einstein, the stepdaughter of Albert Einstein.
The note, written in response to a sympathy card Wynn sent after Albert Einstein’s death read: Your beautiful card is on my little table next to my bed. It is true what you said about my father without having known him. I shall keep your letter with me knowing that there are people who truly understood and loved him.
Eventually, inspectors allowed Lachterman to return to his home. Zollner would send friends over during the day but once Lachterman started to suffer small strokes, Zollner retired from the university and cared for him.
Zollner subscribed to cable television so Lachterman could watch old movies on Turner Classic Movies and adopted two cats that would sleep next to him. She took him to Opera Theatre of St. Louis, doctors’ appointments and to vote for Barack Obama in 2008.
“That was one of his happiest moments,” Zollner said.
He died peacefully the following year. Friends called Zollner Lachterman’s angel, a title she rejects.
“I’m not an angel; I’m just an old hippie,” said Zollner, who inherited Lachterman and Wynn’s house. “Really, I feel like I am the lucky one.
“Imagine what is was like to have someone who knew so much about so much as a best friend. It didn’t matter how Sam and Betty looked, they really were the most refined people I’ve ever met.”
Folks I spotted this a while back on the net and wanted to share with you all who help through Bridge and Beyond. Homeless people do have feelings, they have a face, they have a name and deserve to be treated with kindness and dignity. I know you all who aid the cause here at Bridge and Beyond feel the same way.
Keep your yarn, hands, hooks, and needles busy folks. We're still experiences nights in the low 40's here. We will continue to supply Rae who cares for folks under the Bridges as well as the various shelters. Our work is always needed, and appreciated.
On this Memorial Day, know that some of the items you knit or crochet are donated to a Veteran. Sadly, many Veterans, to whom we owe so much end up homeless. And like this man says, they are not Bums.
2014 Donations: Hats: 457 Scarves: 257 Socks: 56 Afghans: 12 Slippers: 46 Rain Ponchos: 5 Mittens & Gloves: 52 Cotton Washcloths:164 Shawls, Sweaters, Vests, Poncho's, Skirts, and Shrugs etc. 8 Neck warmers, cowls, gators, wrists warmers/fingerless gloves and other misc items aren't tabulated; as well as personal care items
All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.
Whew........made it through the month of April and the A-Z challenge. It took some doing to come up with something for each letter of the alphabet that had something to do with homeless and or what we do here on Bridge and Beyond. I visited 253 blogs (as of the April 26th when this scheduled post was written). That is the number from the linky. Every blog I visited I read the post and left a comment except those that were closed to comments, had to join google+ and a few things like that. Then I visited those folks in my right sidebar almost daily so no clue how many visits that comes out to. Currently that blog log is 24 blogs, though the number wasn't consistent. As soon as someone visited and left comments, I added them to the blog log...so it grew, I visited them back, but after several visits if they didn't visit back I removed them from the linky love blog log list...so it shrank. Am in need of going through and nixing a few more so it's a current list.
I also visited everyone on my regular blog list at least twice during the month of April, also in hopes of reciprocal visits which didn't really happen. Many on that list no longer blog, haven't updated in several years etc. The 2nd time through I deleted quite a few of those links as well as dead links. I liked having folks on their that had donated, but they've moved on and inactive links actually hurt Bridge and Beyond with regard to SEO, so I felt it was time to clean that list up.
Next up I visited everyone listed with profile pages, ie Ravelry and or Facebook and left private messages trying to encourage blog visits. That proved not to be worthwhile. As stated in the paragraph above, many of those pages aren't current. I will be over the next week re-visited and deleted those inactive links as well.
And...that brings us to today, May 1st. Nice way to start the new month with this pretty donation from our good friend Sandie P from Louisiana. Please click to see the picture better so you can see the details in her darling hat. I LOVE this hat. It's stylish and quite warm as it has ear flaps. Sandie what pattern did you use for this?
As always, please keep up the good work Sandie!
2015 DONATIONS:
Hats: 179+1=180
Scarves 67+1=68
Mittens/Gloves/Wrist Warmers: 45
Slippers: 63
Rain Poncho's: 53
Cotton Washcloths: 109
Afghans: 7
Socks: 126
Cowls 12
Shawls 1
Misc: items like personal care and things don't fit into above categories aren't counted
We're still having very cool nights with frost, and temps some days still hover around 50-60, so it's still not warm, if you don't have a good roof over your head. Please keep knitting and crocheting, the need still exists.
**If you missed any of the A-Z Challenge posts, please please do stop and read them. And it's still not to late to leave comments folks. My hope is to further educate people about what it's like to be homeless, to better understand the nature of this sad situation. The more we know, the better chance we have of helping. I also desperately want to dispel the notion that it couldn't happen to you and your loved ones.
All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.
I'm trying to identify where everyone is from, partially for fun. Take a look at the map. Also, believe it will aid me in cases where we have several people with the same name. Please look at the lists of bloggers and non bloggers and see if I have the state you hail from. If not, please leave a comment and let me know.
Additionally, we've had help from Scotland, England, Germany Puerto Rico, Canada, and France! They don't appear on the map, but their help is still greatly appreciated.
Where The People Who Donate Come From, is your state represented?
This isn't a current flag, it's hoisted and proudly flown at Fort McHenry in Maryland. I took this photo a few years ago, while hubby and I were touring. Look at the size of this flag. I wanted to share it with you today, July 4th as we celebrate our Nations Birthday. It's a day to be proud, a day to remember how we got here, who's sacrificed for us.
