Lunch & Lecture
Today was not my first street Intervention with this 35-year-old homeless man. He smiled and called me by name as I drove up. I had my air conditioning on. He was baking on the street corner on this 115 F+ afternoon. Since I still had a couple lunches left from a donor, I asked, “Would you like a sack lunch, cold water, and a lecture? He laughed, and then immediately grabbed his gear and began walking to meet me in the parking lot. I remembered him from a street clan I had chatted with a few months ago. 3 of his compadres then attended that month’s Hero School. This young man did not, but instead went back to stay with his dad. Today, his 3 friends are working – and occasionally sharing with me what concerts they attend. This young man is not. Worse, he confessed he can’t work since…
Just Stop. Or Turn Pro.
It’s becoming the norm when yet another multimillion-view YouTube video, posted by some homeless helper, takes an ugly turn. I originally viewed this wonderful story of heroism and redemption about 10 months ago. Today, the same video was posted again on social media, but this time with dozens of negative comments. This is when I learned that the woman who “helped” a homeless man by raising gobs of money through “Go Fund Me” had apparently kept most of it. Dang. She said he blew the money on drugs. Only they know the truth. This story reminds me of the saying, “When the blind lead the blind, they both fall in the ditch.” -J.C. More and more of these homeless stories end like this. Mostly because it’s math. A + B = C. Of course the equation for freeing a person from homelessness is also math. I learned the first equation in 3rd…
Beware of Counting
8-5-18 I finally made it home after a grueling afternoon of interventions. I’m grateful for some incredible moments and successes with the last dozen of struggling peeps, which more than made up for the journey’s rough beginning. One young couple, pushing their carts along a busy thoroughfare in the 110F heat, couldn’t open or drink the waters I gave them fast enough. By the time I was able to locate new socks, underwear and some protein drinks, they had already finished their waters, 4 packs of apple slices and a container of oatmeal-raisin cookies. Rarely have I seen people so truly famished. They were definitely in a storm and had put on some strong faces to conceal it. Besides, this young couple was just plain lucky I didn’t know that oatmeal-raisin cookies were on board or I’m the one who would have needed the intervention. A key step to a…
So Many Homeless
The economy is thriving. From the stock markets to the June 2018 U.S. Jobs Report, economic data is “as good as it gets” (CNBC Jul 6, 2018[1]). In our own city, the leading economic indicator is the welcome return of the Nevada State Bird, with construction cranes swooping in and around the new Raiders Stadium, Resorts World, strip malls in Chinatown, and apartment buildings from Henderson to West Tropicana. And yet, the 2018 economy doesn’t appear to have a place for everyone: there seem to be more homeless people in our city parks, behind shopping centers and on nearly every street corner than ever before. Every day, locals and tourists alike see far too many people who remain disconnected from not just the economy, but from modern society and the requirements to be one of its members. Today I would like to address homelessness from the local point of view,…
Jeremy
This is Jeremy. I spotted him as I was driving to this morning’s Hero School Nutrition Interventions. I had saved him some food, hoping he would still be there after I finished. He had started walking, but my yell and nonverbal’s while driving by were enough to get him to return to the shopping center where I could pull in and intervene. After a few pattern interrupt questions, I told him I had some food for him. I’m not sure what he expected, but he was genuinely excited about the quotes on the flier from the last Hero School as well as the food I had selected. As a longtime student of Ayurveda, I didn’t find it hard to select an assortment from Albertsons’ offerings that would balance his dosha (mind-body type). After another look at the flier, Jeremy then said, rather excitedly, that he had attended a Hero School.…
Dear Diary
Dear Diary, Do we need to fire them all? Or maybe send them to a different school. Or get a refund. How is it, after spending multiplied billions of working people’s tax dollars for nearly a decade, could the homeless, family poverty and government entitlement situation be so much worse, in every city I’ve traveled to in the last couple of years, and especially in my city today? I may have been successful getting through to half-a-dozen struggling souls tonight just on the way back from my workout, but there were so many more wandering, hustling and pushing carts through shopping centers and neighborhoods. There’s no way without changing the game. One bright spot was the older, weathered woman who was initially afraid to talk to me. She ultimately did bite at my pitch, then accepted the direction, food and bus pass I had ready for her. Then she did…
Catman and Robin
ROBIN I spotted this sweet woman again outside of an Albertsons. The staff told me of this woman over the last couple of years, homeless living somewhere in the desert behind their shopping center, though I had been unable to find her, let alone engage her. Until today. To engage her with the least amount of pressure, I walked over to her with a bus pass that I said I found. Often, those on the street don’t want to receive something from someone who’s not also in their position or tribe, sadly like scared animals sensing a trap. She graciously accepted and I walked back to my car to continue with my tasks. Then I decided to press my luck. I walked back to her and miraculously, she let me sit down with her on the bench and we chatted, me asking questions to help her identify actually needs and…
Testimonials
“I have attended many seminars all around the country, but never have I heard anyone’s speech to be more inspirational than Tiger Todd’s. His speech was so perfect that it shook the whole audience and imprinted a little message in everyone’s head, saying, you can do anything that you desire. It made everyone a hero. Thank you so much for inspiring us.” – Cristin S., UNLV We brought you in to plant a seed. You gave us a garden.” – Marie S., VP, Hilton Grand Vacations “I’ve never seen the message of preparing for the future you want to have put so clearly.” – Teacher, Dell Robison JHS “This guy was amazing. He has a true talent. He could really speak to kids about their life…the group was large. Great, great, great. Best I ever had.” – Teacher, Brinley Middle School “I learned more from Tiger Todd in a week-and-a-half than I…