Demand for changing of the Catholic Charities Polices

PETITION

The intake of the homeless people in the Catholic Charities homeless shelter is performed from 14:30 to 15:30, or too early to be considered as normal. We all considered it as an inhumane practice based on these facts:

Since the time the lunch is served in the Salvation Army, from 13:30 to 14:30, until the breakfast is served the next day in the Catholic Charities, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, there are no other meals available for anyone who is already taken in the Catholic Charities as a guest for the night, except diabetics who receive one small meal at 19:30. From 14:00 to 10:00 AM the next day, there is a 20 hours starvation period characterized with no any food intake. Please note that it is forbidden for everyone to bring its own food in the Catholic Charities and use it later; this is why many are hungry, even those who can afford buying a food.

The dinner served in the Rescue Mission, from 17:00 to 18:00, cannot be taken by anyone except by those who sleep on the streets or under the bridges. The reason for that is simple; even before 18:00 o'clock, the Catholic Charities stops making intakes of the homeless people. Not only that those who are already inside are hungry, but also the Rescue Mission homeless shelter is indirectly blocked by the Catholic Charities to serve those many hungry people who are already "locked" in the Catholic Charities.

Also, no any homeless person can look up for a serious job, as everyone should be in the shelter at 14:30. This is exactly why the number of those who live in the Catholic Charities homeless shelter with years is bigger than those who are staged there temporarily. Ironically, those who have job can come in the shelter at any time, as empty beds are reserved for them even until 02:30 AM the next day. But why someone who work will live in the shelter is something that deserves your attention as those who work have money, which means that they can rent their own apartment and move out from the shelter.

As no anyone receives governmental support in form of food stamps, no anyone can afford buying an extra food. The hunger leads some of the people to choose one of two evils, to sleep outside receiving food by those citizens who generously donate it, or to stay hungry in the Catholic Charities homeless shelter. This is why there are so many people around the Catholic Charities, as many are rejected to enter it after they come back from the dinner, the one served in the Rescue Mission shelter. For those who are not informed, the Rescue Mission makes early intakes as well, taking people from 15:00 to 16:00, keeping the homeless people for 1 or 2 weeks for period of 30 days.

Things mentioned above are not the only reasons why many people decide to reject Catholic Charities services, deciding to live on the streets instead inside the shelter. The hygiene of the beds is on such a low level that the trash left on the bed frames stay there with days and weeks. This is why there are so many bedbugs in the Catholic Charities, as the beds are not cleaned properly. Also, on July's temperatures of 115 degrees, no bottled water is served in the night shelter, something that was provided for us in 2016th when the previous manager managed the Catholic Charities very professionally. In that time, we received much more benefits, as freedom to come later and receive bottled water, to bring small bags of personal stuff with us, and so on. We had much bigger book library, freedom to move inside the shelter, to visit the church in the salvation Army, and to perform other personal stuff.

In addition to everything mentioned above, I must mention the rude behavior of some of the security guards, as well of the other personnel stuff who work there. In contrast to those who operate professionally, treating the homeless people with dignity and respect, there are those who are very disrespectful, treating those they do not like with offensive attitude.

All other issues not listed in this petition, as the use of the laundry, paid meals, etc. will be exposed to you in additional letter. For now, we expect that you will correct your intake time, changing it from 18:00 to 20:00, in parallel to improving of the hygiene of the beds we use.

Regards,

Milan Kjalasan
25th of July 2018th, Wednesday
Las Vegas, Nevada United States