Non-compliance of totes
Thursday, March 11, 2010 #:## PM
From: "Janet Granofsky" [j----g-------- y----,c-m]
To: th----- CA---------- o-g
Cc: sb--- b--------c-----m-,g-v, j----g-------- y----,c-m
Thursday, March 11, 2010
To T--- H-----, [Cassistancen] Director and Interim Shelter Manager:
On Wed. March 10 in mid-afternoon, a staff member attached "FINAL NOTICES" of "NON-COMPLIANCE OF TOTES" to both my lower bunk and to the bunk above mine. These notices say "NO BAGS are allowed on top of the totes... Residents not in compliance...by Friday, March 12, 2010 by 7:00 am... will have their bags and/or totes discarded."
I was rather perturbed. I left the shelter from about 4 pm to 7 pm. When I returned, the notice for my lower bunk was gone, altho the one for the top bunk remained. I don't know what your intentions are concerning my own bunk, but please understand the following:
In case you have not been informed or have forgotten: Last June I attempted suicide and got evicted at the same time, wearing only shoes, underpants, a duster/housedress and my belt bag with ID and other essential info. I went to Franklin Square Hospital for a little over a week. My neighbor saved my bicycle and helmet to her basement, and gave me 2 pairs of heavy jeans, 2 tops, a bra and some socks. The rest of my 1-bedroom apartment contents went to the dump, except for a backpack, some photos, and some unimportant items which another neighbor saved. The hospital released me to this shelter. Since then I have obtained a small amount of additional clothing from charity outlets, thrift stores and other residents. The bicycle-neighbor has not answered me for several months.
So at this point, all my material possessions are in or on my person, shelter tote or bunk. I have no other storage under my control, no helpful friends or family, no job or income, and no money left. I have been keeping last summer's casual clothes inside my tote (which seems prudent now) along with very few "good" clothes, papers, toiletries, medical and other supplies. I keep my often-worn clean AND dirty clothes in a bag-within-bag system on top of my tote. I lay my hoodie and my big cozy winter coat on top of the clothes bag, and my one-and- only towel (given to me by shelter staff) on top of my coat, to dry after showering.
On Tuesday March 2 at the dorm Meeting, you answered me personally that it was okay to keep dirty clothes in a bag on top of the tote, altho I heard that you told other dorm residents differently. I COULD possibly put the clothes bag and/or a coats(s) bag UNDER my bunk, but that would expose them to more soiling, and would require the type of body movements several times per day which I have been medically advised against (Please see the 402-b form completed by my doctor). I will probably soon return the winter coat given to me by a social workwer's wife, or trash it, but there really is no more room inside the tote for a hoodie or light jacket or anything else. When I first came here I was told not to put damp items on the bunk bed or railings.
A tenant of a typical 1-bedroom apartment has about 1000 times the storage space that an individual shelter resident has. But you want to Downsize The Homeless! I doubt the legality of you or any shelter staff putting your hands on any residents' personal belongings, much less taking and discarding them. I also suspect that police would refuse to remove personal property from the bunk area of a valid resident, upon you mere request. I am weary of spending so much time logging daily incidents, and answering or commenting on inadequate, confusing, nonsensical and/or intimidating instructions from shelter management or staff. A number of residents have expressed anger at your inconsiderate order, and [bunk neighbor] was in tears last night. I have been beyond tears for many years, but I manage to speak out elsewhere.
--Janet Granofsky, Shelter Resident
RE: Non-compliance of totes
Thursday, March 11, 2010 [2 h 41 min later]
From: "t--- h-----" th----- CA---------- o-g
To: "Janet Granofsky" j----g-------- y----,c-m
Cc: sb--- b--------c-----m-,g-v
Hi Janet
Well I am sorry you are so upset and of course there is a lot of confusion in your email and amongst the people working at the shelter in getting folks to limit the amount of belongings they have in the bedrooms.
I fully understand that what you have is little, and though little it is still yours and important to you. I did tell you can keep a bag of dirty laundry on top of the tote with your belongings on it.
The rules for the shelter limit people to one tote, and two if family 2-3 and 3 for larger family. This is in place because as you well know we have a lot of people and no space. It is not to be disrespectful to you or to lack understanding about your belongings.
If you can get all your belongings in one tote and keep the bag on the top then you have "complied" with the requirement. I've not been there much this week and that might be what is causing some of the confusion (my apology). I'm trying to get budgets in for all the shelters so we have some funding for next year.
I'll be there in the morning and will talk with you in person. I will also talk with staff (not sure who gave the mandate) and who put the letter on your bed (I think [male staff]) but he did this on his own efforts. I haven't even seen the letter.
His direction was to get the rooms clean and to get folks to get their belongings organized and cut down to the appropriate tote allotment.
Hang though in there. I know it is frustrating with the lack of clear communication and folks doing there own thing, including staff changes.
T---
-----Original Message-----
From: Janet Granofsky [mailt-:j----g-------- y----,c-m]
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 #:## PM
To: t--- h-----
Cc: sb--- b--------c-----m-,g-v; j----g-------- y----,c-m
Subject: Non-compliance of totes
Thursday, March 11, 2010
To To T--- H-----, [Cassistancen] Director and Interim Shelter Manager:
On Wed. March 10 in mid-afternoon, a staff member attached "FINAL
NOTICES" of "NON-COMPLIANCE OF TOTES" to both my. . .
This =======version of my ====shelter===== file for this Angelfire website published ======= visitors so far.
========The URL for this site is http://janetgranofsky.angelfire.com. I don't know why, but if you put any w's in front, it will not work. ======This is a website, not a blog: I don't have enough time or web access ========to blog right now. If you want to blog about me, please do so, but tell me first.======