March 23, 2007

So much for excuses

The constant buzz around the office has now grown into a roar today as the office makes last minute preparations for tomorrow's gala. I look forward to giving you all the grand totals of this year's Gala fund-raising on Monday.

Meanwhile, I was talking to our new Family Advocate, Michelle, and a client today. We were trying to figure out how to counsel the client out of a desperate financial situation, behind in rent and a stack of other bills. Typical to most client stories, I noticed a lot of bad luck and bad choices.

Afterwards I thought, "Well, Tom, if you have all the answers then how come you're not rich?"

Fortunately, the Street.com explains it all with these ten reasons:
  1. You Care What Your Neighbors Think
  2. You Aren't Patient
  3. You Have Bad Habits
  4. You Have No Goals
  5. You Haven't Prepared
  6. You Try to Make a Quick Buck
  7. You Rely on Others to Take Care of Your Money
  8. You Invest in Things You Don't Understand
  9. You're Financially Afraid
  10. You Ignore Your Finances
Check out the website for more detailed explanations. I admit I've been guilty of at least half of `em.

Posted by Tom on March 23, 2007 @ 10:43 AM | 1 Comments | Post a comment

March 16, 2007



Hi. My name is Tom and...
I am a self-nominator.

I admit, without shame, that late yesterday afternoon I e-mailed a nomination form to the Fairfax County Human Rights Commission for the organization that I work for, Good Shepherd Housing.

The commission was asked for nominees who "...demonstrate accomplishments to eliminate discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age or disability in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, private education and credit."

And I admit that I didn't get it at first. Does GSH do all that? Usually, when I think human rights advocates, I think of people marching on Washington or putting themselves in harms way to speak out for the rights of the disadvantaged.

What I realized, though, was that our ABC program ensures equal access to housing for a population that is woefully uneducated about credit issues and money management. This is a population that is primarily made up of minorities, including many elderly and disabled citizens. Education is an important component of opportunity and we are filling the gaps that the public education system left out. I suppose it's better late than never.
Posted by Tom on March 16, 2007 @ 1:01 PM | 0 Comments | Post a comment

March 2, 2007



Us vs. Them

In case you missed it, this Tuesday's Washington Post Metro piece contrasts the rising economy with the lives of working poor families falling into homelessness.

Like many of us in the DC area, their livelihood depends on government contracts. Having successfully jumped from one contract to another for years, a misstep leaves them crashed on the floor of a local church.

As someone who hears these kinds of stories everyday, it wasn't until the final paragraph that I was struck by something.
"All these years, I looked at people walking around here, and I never knew what they were doing," Messick said one evening after dinner at the emergency shelter. "They were homeless, and I never knew it. Now I am that guy."
I see them, too. Everyday along Route 1 at work and Elden Street in Herndon. And this is the biggest obstacle in finding support for homeless services. It's the concept that 'they' are different from you or me.

The reality is that when you lose a job, or maybe your home, you're suddenly playing a very different game. It's a game with different rules and many more challenges than you're used to.

Don't judge, lest you be judged.
Posted by Tom on March 2, 2007 @ 9:55 AM | 0 Comments | Post a comment
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