Using a blog to find help for a homeless family in San Francisco

Danny sez, "Blogger Julie of TangoBaby was walking past a begging homeless woman, K, and her two kids in San Francisco, agonising about how she couldn't do anything to help — when she realised she could. She wrote up the story of the family, took photos, and started telling their story on her blog.

Now she's working with her readers to get a fair deal for K in SF's bureacratic system for handling the homeless in the city, and recording the troubles and opportunities they're having on the way."


We talked, and I learned her name was K. and asked her about the shelters in town. She rattled off the names of homes that I know are where abused women and children escape to when their lives are in danger.

None of the shelters had rooms for her and her children.

Then it dawned on me that maybe I could do more than give her $30 and hope someone else gives her another $30 so the young family can find a place to sleep tonight. I asked her if we could share her photos and her story so that somewhere, some of you might be able to help.

K's eyes are perpetually brimming with tears. She's tiny and her hands are chilled. Baby M is sleeping under a blanket on her chest. The two younger children, D and Little K, are relatively quiet considering their ages. At 7 and 9, they could be tearing up the sidewalks, but they're not.

When I explain to K about my blog and that I hope that maybe someone out there reading might have a way to help, she thinks it's a good idea and says it's okay to take the pictures. "It can't be any more embarrassing than what I'm doing now," she says.

K's Story and YOU CAN HELP!

(Thanks, Danny