John Balderson's Homeless Assistance Center (HAC) Diary

April 18-April 24

Thank you for visiting this section of the Tent City/HAC web site. I moved into the Broward County Homeless Assistance Center/Huizenga Family Campus on February 1, 1999 after living at Tent City since March, 1997.

Since I have moved into the Center, I have had a variety of interesting experiences.

You are visitor to John Balderson's HAC Diary web page.

Below is a daily diary of my activities from the time I moved into the HAC until the time that I will be leaving.

This week is most likely my last week at the Center. I am to meet with my case manager at 12:30 PM tomorrow to coordinate with the case manager supervisor and the director of Foundations in Oakland Park to effect the transition.

Once I leave the Center, I will still maintain a diary, although I will not be having daily entries as this diary is directed at my activities while I am still a resident at the Center.

I spent about an hour with a student at BCC who needed help uncompressing DOS 6.22 compatible disks using Drivespace so that she could use her PowerPoint presentations in class.

I talked with the case manager supervisor and the resident coordinator supervisor yesterday and they cleared up some things that I had previously mentioned in this diary that need some clarification.

They asked me for more detailed information on the locker inspection incident and I provided the names of the people that I referenced in the diary entry. This matter is under investigation, and I will clarify the results when and if I find out the right information.

After talking with the staff members as well as a senior staff member from Foundations, I learned that the facility recently got county funding to provide transitional housing for non-substance abusers as well.

In addition, I should clarify that the TV/VCR room is actually a multi-purpose room where substance abuse meetings are also held, and that the TV/VCR room is only made available on limited occasions. I was aware of this at the time I made the diary entry, I just thought it was nice that the residents had another room to "escape" to besides the dorms and the library.

I made a return visit to Foundations with another resident to ask more questions and to show him where the place is at, in order that he can also make his own opinion on the facility. Although no rooms are currently available, there should be one available for me by the end of the week.

In addition, I learned that a new facility, also run by Foundations, will be opening sometime by May 15, and I will most likely be transferred there once I move into the current facility.

I also arranged an interview with Creative Staffing for tomorrow, in regards to a warehouse job in Pompano directed to me by my case manager.

I also will stop at Lenscrafters for an eye exam and possible glasses, on the way back from Creative Staffing,as it is only a couple of blocks away.

I got my first job in almost 4 months at Essex Plastics in Pompano through an interview and paper signing process today at Creative Staffing. I will be a warehouse packer working 10PM-10AM Wednesday-Friday, and alternate Saturdays for a 42 hour work week.

I begin my training tomorrow (Wednesday) from 7:30AM-5PM and will also train on Thursday, although I do not know when I will actually start my regular schedule.

I still intend to focus my daytime activities and career in the computer field, but at least I'll be making some money while I am in transition to the new facility at Foundations.

Went to Lenscrafters, but since there was no record of an appointment, one was made for me next Tuesday, April 27, at 11AM, at Plantation Fashion Square Mall.

Today was my first day of 2-day training on my new job as a warehouse packer at Essex Plastics in Pompano Beach. I learned how to fill out internal forms and how to operate simple tools and assemble boxes.

Tomorrow is a review of the forms and entry into the computer system, as they have a combination hand print/keycode timeclock system.

The first wave of letters appeared in City Link today as a followup to the article written by Jane Musgrave on March 31.

I will probably be hearing from both Jane and Lisa Huriash from the Sun-Sentinel within the next few days.

Due to a lack of communication between nighttime resident coordinators, I was unable to get a "meal ticket" for lunch today, even though I had signed up on the list, and I will be late coming back tonight, but I already talked to another resident coordinator so hopefully dinner won't be a problem.

The first night of my regular schedule will be on Friday and Saturday from 10PM-10AM, so I'll need to work out meal tickets, campus access and verification, bus passes, and transitional housing issues with my case manager when time permits.

Today was my second day of training on the new job at Essex Plastics. I learned how to work with several machines, including a plastic roller,make boxes, and read extrusion orders. I was done about 6PM , had my handprint logged into the timeclock system, and came back to get more bus passes from my case manager and arranged to see her at 12:30PM tomorrow.

Went to see Jane Musgrave at City Link to give her an update on my finding a job which she found out by reading these diary entries.

Went to see case manager at 12:30PM to discuss transition into new housing facility and to set up work schedule to be entered into the bed check security computer and "swipe card" system at the main gate so that I can sleep during the day on those days when I am working the night before (such as tonight, my first scheduled night) and to make sure that the resident coordinators (or Navarro security) don't mark me AWOL when I'm actually at work. I will have to work out something with the "meal ticket" system too, since my "lunch" will most likely be at around 4 in the morning!

Will call IRS to get status report on replacement of IRS refund check that I've been waiting on since March 26.

Discovered by web-surfing at the library that my company Essex Plastics has a web site.

Talked with case manager about transition process for moving into Foundations, now slated for Monday, as well as being informed that Lisa Huriash and a photographer from the Sun-Sentinel are coming at 1PM to take pictures of me for an upcoming article.

Came back from first night of work at Essex Plastics around noon, as #20 bus came around 11AM after I missed 10AM bus. I had lunch, and then went to sleep but was only able to sleep until 4PM due to the fact another resident was preaching religion to all residents in a loud and boisterous voice.