Down for the Cause.

As I have mentioned before, my internship is with BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team. I work with street homeless adults, to get permanent housing. I currently have 12 clients. One of which I just moved into his apartment (nice!) another with a submitted housing package, and 2 others on their way as well. It's a lot of work, but I have honestly never cared about, or believed in a social service agency as much as I do BronxWorks. The commitment to the homeless by DHS (dept. of Homeless Services) and my agency is amazing. It funny because I know me.... and sometimes I surprise myself by how much I care about my clients.

So, Tomorrow night is the annual Hope Count in New York City, and I'm going to be participating, at the Lehman College site. I'll be working with my supervisor (who I'm still trying to make out with) as a Team Leader.

What it is: from 10pm on Monday, to 4am on Tuesday morning, the volunteers are all split up into different zones throughout the prospective boroughs. They have to comb through the area, surveying for homeless people. If you find someone, of course you'd get all their information and then refer the for service. The catch is that DHS has decoy homeless people placed through the zones--- so like, if you miss a decoy, you suck at outreach and your borough starts to rack up points. You want a low number, You want to find everyone.

Afterwards, The number found is calculated and ran through some crazy math algorithm to decide exactly how many street homeless individuals are in the area. Duh, you want a low score, and you want to show a decrease in people in the street.

This is so important on so many levels.... but primarily, people should not be living in the street.
We have had a ton of placements this month alone, and really, the streets seem pretty clear. The fact that it's going to rain tomorrow night will help keep people off the street, but it's a little warm, at 37 degrees...so, we'll see. I'm pretty excited.

So, Tomorrow night I'll be doing tunnels, bridges, abandon cars, and any where else that would make decent shelter on a rainy January Night. I hope to get some pictures, which I'll totally post.


More about Hope Count here. oh, and here.
To read about how HOT did last year, check it out here.





Image via NYC.gov

Daylight Save, This.

man I really miss a good long day, when it's still light out (read: I still feel productive) at 7:00pm.

this dark-by-4:30pm is killin me a little...


picture via postsecret

Who Will Stop the Rain?

It's been raining on and off since Friday. That's a lot of rain seeing as today is Wednesday. Now, in general I don't have a problem with rain. I always feel bad for the plants and animals when it doesn't rain.... but now, I just feel bad for myself, haha. New York sorta sucks when it's raining because it's still sort or gross. Like mud on stuff, wet seats, wet trash. just wet. Not to be a debbie downer, I still adore it here and, I mean, each place has there thing... at home sometimes it so hot and humid I remember feeling like there was no way to even go to my car. Anyways, things are very hectic for me, as I'm sure they are for everyone else, but I have some posts drafted and I work on them from time to time, so look forward to that. I'm got some stories... hahaha.

Oh, and let me let you in on a secret. I'm sorta short, but only because I have short legs. the drawbacks? I look like a little kid splashing around in the insanely tall rain boots. The benefits? I regularly buy shirts in an XL, belt them and, ta-da! it's a tunic (or a dress in the summer and I'm skankin.) I had to exchange some impulse buys at Old Navy and had a lil somethin to burn. I saw the white shirt I'm wearing today on the sale rack for $6.00. In my real size it was a cute long blouse for like, over jeans, but with leggings, sorry, you need to cover your booty (unless you're a model or somehow have overcome the overwhelming "i'm naked!" feeling you get when you first try out leggings-for-pants). So this shirt in an XL made for the perfect booty curtain!

Just thought I'd drop that lil life lesson on ya, keep the knowledge flowin. hahaha.

Tunic-- Old Navy
Belt-- Forever 21
Boyfriend Cardigan-- H&M
Leggings-- American Apparel
Rain Boots-- Hunter

It's effing cold here.

New York, I respect you. You and your beast weather. Ya'll, it's cold here. The wind is howling, the rain is cold and falling, and I'm struggling. I have had my friend Kelly, who is from Wisconsin, as well as the banker give me many lessons in appropriate layering... and I'm working on it. it's all trial and error. So, today:

Got the Knee Socks goin on.....
Tank,+ Long-Sleeved Tee
Throw a button down on top...
Some Jeans......
Final Outfit.

Plus Scarf, gloves, and Jacket... I should survive the day. (I hope)

Tank-- Old Navy

Gray Tee-- Target

Button up--- H&M

Zip-Up-- The Gap

Jeans---Seven for all Mankind

Socks---Rocawear

Shoes---Clarks

Escape from New York.

Tee-- Truly Madly Deeply (UO)

Vest-- Kensie

Jeans-- Joe's

Boots-- Chinese Laundry

I am getting ready to leave for the airport! Flying into RDU, kickin it with Cynthia and fam for a bit, then to Charlotte this afternoon. I am really excited about going home and have backed fall dresses and sandals because from what I can tell, the weather at home is divine.

What I'm Wearing 09.17.09

Cardigan-- Department Store (Macys??)

T-Shirt-- Michael Stars

Jeans-- James

Flats-- Tory Burch

Scarf-- Nine West.

This outfit is a bit bright for me... like maybe inappropriate because it is not summer anymore. I may swap the scarf for a more neutral one.... yea oh my god, i just looked back at the picture and like... my everyday bangles are matching like a mugfug. I die. goodbye Scarf.

Well my friends... it is not warm here. it is currently 58 degrees, with a high of 65. I am totally not equipped for this at all! Look forward to my new fall wardrobe since I currently own like 3 legit sweaters. I have to say goodbye to the dresses that take up half of my closet to expand the section of tops which is about a 1/4 of the half left over after the dresses. No good.

Who will stop the rain?

When it rains in New York, it friggin just rains. Not like the nice rains at home where its like 80 thousand degrees and the sky breaks for 5 minutes and then for the rest of the day it's too humid to breathe. Here, it becomes day time, and it's all gray. And awkwardly humid, and smelly (idk...) and then it just rains.

The part that blows hardest is that you kind of can't stop. Like there is still shit to do and places to get to. Obviously this is my transition into yet another "what should I buy when I have money (on friday!!) segment:

A solid rainboot is paramount to not having a shitty day when it's raining. The rain trench and umbrella are handled, but, for me to the boots have been an outlier.

I spoke with BKE right before I left to get her thoughts on them since she'd just spent the summer as a Brooklyn wandering, downtown loving, denim cut off wearing, hipster/scenster intern for my favorite mag on earth, W. BKE said that the Hunter rainboots are pretty much gold standard, and I def like them. But then I saw these Michael Kors ones.... and I don't know what to do.

They are more or less the same price. I feel like the Hunters have more long term capabilities, better sole, etc. And like, honestly? I'm not buying a car. Not sure why it's 7am and I am acting like it's a life or death decision between a Camry and a Corolla.

Truth is, I have hung out with The Banker every day since our first date last Wednesday and I am doing all I can to not be an asshole and gush like a stupid girl. So I'm trying to find other Fun and Exciting Topics (Insert peppy excited voice!!) So that I don't reveal how un Sesh-like your formal stone cold ice queen has become....

wtf?? I leave the south for a city where you definately need to keep your balls, and I'm all running through the field of flowers like a loser... hahaha. Whatever, suffice to say, The Banker is a good one. I win.

Here are the damn boots... so much for my guise!

**side bar: Good Luck to NC-Delta with Rush this week** Someone keep me posted.

I will miss these.

I'm still awake only because when the thunderstorm started I thought "... is this my last one like this?" I love a thunderstorm, especially in the summer, and I don't know how they perform in New York, but here they are stellar.

So I stood on my porch (where my patio furniture used to be) and enjoyed it.

So, North Carolina? 1 point; for superior summer light shows.