mashuga`s Fotolog

emox_emoxion_wen

zorritos_17_and

Last week I was in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania for the first time in a while. I was there to support Bob and Mike. (Homeless Veterans that I have presented here) The three of us were interviewed by a reporter from the regional Public Radio Station about homeless veterans. After the interview I stopped by Reach a drop in center to catch up on the news from the street. Later I went walking with my camera. I stopped to rest in the Public Square. I like to watch people and I occasionally find out about homeless people that I know. As I sat there I watched a woman work her way around the park talking to other people as they sat enjoying the afternoon. I assumed she was asking for them for money. She eventually worked her way over to me. I invited her to sit down and told her I work with people on the street and try to help if I can. She told me that she had been in a drug treatment facility in the area and that they had asked her to leave because her benefits had been used up. Her name is Anita and she had been on the streets of Wilkes-Barre for the past three days. Anita is fifty years old and from Pittsburg, Pa. Before coming to N.E. Pennsylvania she had been homeless for approximately two and half years. She was married for twenty years and became homeless because of domestic problems. After she left the rehab program she relapsed. She was pretty messed up when we talked and I think was at the end of her rope. She was really sad and was beating herself up for relapsing. I asked her what she planned to do and she showed me a bus ticket she had for Pittsburg. I helped her retrieve her bags she had stashed nearby and then we walked to the bus station together. Anita told me that she has a son twenty-seven years old that she has lost contact with. I promised I would post a call for help on this site and that maybe somehow someone might know him. Anyway here are the important facts.

***We are looking for Jonathan Meinert who she last knew was in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He had a girlfriend Jennifer Cox. Anita left me a contact number, so if anyone can help Anita find her son, please email me or post on this flog. I wish her luck and hope she finds her son and peace with her addiction.

***** para mi español - amigos speeking: no utilice por favor mi página del fotolog para su publicidad personal. Comentario aquí solamente si usted está interesado en hablar de mis cuadros. Grazias.

******"Aviso aos amigos brasileiros ou que falam português: por favor, não utilizem o meu fotolog como um local para anúncios pessoais. Comente aqui apenas se for falar sobre as minhas fotos. Obrigado."

*****"Message for all my friends: please, don't use my fotolog as a place for personal advertising. Comment here only if you plan on talking about my pictures or homeless related issues. Thanks!


A link to NPR (National Public Radio) for a story about my work.
“All Things Considered”
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4123582
You can hear an audio recording of the piece there as well.

You might want to look at my other logs: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mashuga/ or
http://www.pbase.com/mashuga/mashuga

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