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About the author

Can you find a secure shelter for the night? Have you experienced intense hunger? Are you a regular victim of verbal, emotional or physical abuse? Read the conversations I have had with people who are hungry, homeless and at risk. This is a revision and new publication of the book released June 5, 2014. See Author page for 66 - 4.5 Star reviews. All author proceeds from sales go to those forced onto the street.

Writing about the homeless and helping the homeless, has given my life a purpose that it didn't have before. Documenting their stories will, I hope, introduce them to the public in a non-threatening way.

Some panhandlers look intimidating, but that disappears when one sees them laugh.A typical day for me involves taking the bus and walking two blocks to work. I pass Joy's spot every day. I usually sit and talk with her for twenty to thirty minutes. Chester and Hippo may drop by to chat.

Most afternoons, depending on weather, I walk two blocks to the park where the group of panhandlers varies in size from two to twenty or more. They don't panhandle at the park. Like a soap opera, every day is different; some scenarios will carry over a few days or weeks. People will disappear for weeks or months due illness, rehab programs or incarceration.

When I met Joy I was going through an emotional crisis. Meeting her and her friends - worrying about them and whether or not they would be able to eat and find a place to sleep - took my mind off my problems, that then, seemed insignificant. It was - is - truly a life changing experience.