Ignorance costs Sanford chance to help homeless

We want to ask Hank why he would buy the bus tickets. Isn't it his contention that the 365 homeless from last year's event were bused in from Orange County as well as the Mexican border.

There are no right answers on the topic, both points stem from valid points. What was the makeup or demographics of the 365 attendees of last years events? Were they parts of families in need or wandering souls following the path of least resistance? If you don't care where you are, you will likely stay where ever someone takes you. I think this is Deikhaus'es point that a number of those brought to the event ,stay in the locale of the event as it is easier. For others, it probably brought some very needed assistance. For the locale where the event is held, you will likely welcome a number of new transient members that don't contribute to the community.

Well, you don't see the ABC Liquor owner complaining. So, Paco, how are you getting down there?

Good for Sanford! Taking a stand helps insure that Sanford won't become a bastion for the dirtbaggs like Orlando is. Helping the homeless is fine but let the agencies do it venues that don't encourage people to come live in the downtown parks and public areas. If the agencies need a few more, they can just visit our Central Ave. library and find all the clients they need. Some days, it smells so foul, that you can't sit at a table.
Of course, I'm sure Mr. Diaz has no problem with the stink in that library...probably never been there.

Shame on the City of Sanford for agreeing with Dieckhaus.
Thank you Mr. Diaz for your insight and compassion. May God continue to inspire you and bless you.

MaryAnne Shennett wrote:

Shame on the City of Sanford for agreeing with Dieckhaus.
Thank you Mr. Diaz for your insight and compassion. May God continue to inspire you and bless you.

You and George Diaz should have all the homeless over to your homes to feed them and let them sleep there as well.

Part 1 of my response to George Diaz's column

Ignorance costs George Diaz chance to write informative column on homeless
Perception is, indeed, a tricky devil, but so is pre-conception, George Diaz. When you called me and ask for an interview, I mistakenly believed you had actually wanted to listen to my point of view on “Project Homeless Connect”. Instead, it seemed you had pre-written your column and just needed a local Sanford face or villain to plug into your column. You had already decided that I was against the homeless en masse. You chose not to listen to anything that I said that might contradict your preconceived opinions of me and Sanford.
No, Mr. Diaz, we’re not worried about the stink rubbing off on our Armani suits, we don’t own Armani suits in Sanford. As far as I can tell the only stink we have in Sanford is delivered each morning at our doorsteps from Orlando.
As I stated repeatedly in your interview, I and the citizens of Sanford had nothing but praise and support for the project to help the homeless. Our only question was why did the project have to take place in the heart of downtown Sanford at the Civic Center, one block from our main business street and one block from the River Walk, our main tourist attraction. Although Sanford’s core business district is small, Sanford, the city, is quite large. There were many other suitable venues within the Sanford city limits to hold Project Homeless Connect without impacting the small businesses that make up downtown Sanford. Our Sanford officials did not ask Kathy Jackson to leave the city, they just asked her to consider holding the event at another location, and she graciously agreed.
No one disagrees that the homeless must be helped, but 266 individuals can overwhelm a small downtown. My hometown, Philadelphia, also helps the homeless, but not near the Liberty Bell or Independence Hall. As a matter of fact, the Orange County Project Homeless Connect, didn’t occur last week in downtown Orlando, but way out at the Spirit of Joy Church, 1801 Rouse Road, and the Osceola County Project Homeless Connect has been moved from the Kissimmee Civic Center in downtown Kissimmee to a yet undetermined location. Are you going to write a disparaging column about the citizens of Kissimmee too?
You and I have never met. We spoke for 15 minutes on the phone. You do not know me. You know nothing about me. If you did, you would know that I was well aware that there are currently 150,000 homeless vets. Having spent 13 months in Vietnam with the US Marine Corps, I’ve seen first hand some of my fellow Marines, once discharged, become lost souls on the streets. One of my close friends died on the streets of Boston homeless. For whatever reason you inserted that statistic into your article, it brought back some very sad memories.

Part 2 of my response to George Diaz's column.

In your column, you said 365 people were helped by Project Homeless Connect in Sanford last year. But, if you had put just a little more effort into reporting the story, rather than writing a condescending column, you would have known the real number was 266, according to HSN’s own report. Out of that 266, only 176 were classified as homeless, again according to the HSN report. For the amount of money spent on Project Homeless Connect, 176 doesn’t seem to be a very big success, if there are 9,000 homeless in Central Florida. Perhaps HSN should provide transportation?
Which brings up my offer to donate $100 toward helping provide some form of transportation, which you so flippantly tossed aside as a worthless offer. Perhaps, you or Kathy Jackson, could explain to me why Homeless Services Network, which receives millions of dollars each year from the Federal government, cannot not spend a few more dollars on buses and promotion in order to reach and help the most homeless and lost souls possible at these Project Homeless Connect events?
Yes, I’m still willing to put up $100 to help transport the homeless, but I’ll go one better. Why don’t we both leave our Armani suits hanging in our closets this coming July 30th and meet at Project Homeless Connect and lend a hand. Lunch is on me.

Just wanted to point out that the city under my name is incorrect. I don't live in Lake Mary, FL. I don't know why the Orlando Sentinel placed that there. Yes, I live in Sanford, FL.

Maybe Rhian McGuire-Smith could give some of her stolen money to the homeless around town.

I wonder if she feels she is above the homeless as thief?

Sanford is the town that lets old boss hawg Larry Dale continue to get fat of the public teet isnt it ?

Hank Dieckhaus wrote:

Just wanted to point out that the city under my name is incorrect. I don't live in Lake Mary, FL. I don't know why the Orlando Sentinel placed that there. Yes, I live in Sanford, FL.

The Sentinel didn't put it there, your ISP did.