In today's hard copy edition, a newspaper reporter recalled interviewing the man about a month ago in a story about panhandlers.
JG Excerpt:A month later, he's gone. Rest In Peace.
Ain't no jobs out here," he said then. "What are we supposed to do?"
Comment From the Gazette Blog:
Jan 21, 2010 at 12:38 p.m.
The question to ask is why didn't the fire department put their boat in the river until after he jumped? A witness told me this. -- N.
3 comments:
It would also be wise for the Gazette and other "powers-that-be" to looking into WHY the "accidental" death toll of men who previously lived and sought help for their addictions at the Lazarus Foundation House keeps climbing with this suicide following an earlier drug overdose inside this unlicensed, unregulated, faith-based group home. Are ANY men (and their caring families) who truly want help to overcome chemical dependency finding it at the Lazarus house? Doesn't seem to be much, if any, of a "success" rate...
You may have a point about the Lazarus Foundation House if there is a pattern. But right now I think we (America and Janesville) are entering into a period of unprecedented hardship and uncertainty, particularly at the bottom end. Many of these institutions, public and private, are overwhelmed with "patients." I think the failure rate will climb proportionally.
Agreed, given the culture and economic times, I also fear the failure rate is bound to rise...just as domestic violence already has. Yet, is it not better to make sure all who seek help find it from facilities and trained professionals who are open, accountable, and responsible not just to their institution but also to those who will use the facilities and to the community-at-large? Is it not better to honestly tell families and communities the real "track record" of the facility where loved ones will be? If Lazarus was a licensed and supervised facility, that would apply but, given it's church owned, they are not required to report such information to anyone. Although well meaning, can naive volunteers with virtually no experience with "at-risk homeless adult men with alcohol/chemical addictions and men with ‘dual-diagnosis’ non-violent mental health conditions" truly provide any long-lasting and life-changing affect? Clearly, short-term housing is not enough. The emergency calls many have witnessed to this house are the apt demonstration.
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