SOMETIMES THE WORLD SEEMS LIKE A VERY DARK PLACE. In this angry world, I have seen a glimpse of light. I have seen kindness, love and hope at a homeless shelter. Siloam Mission is named after a pool where, in Biblical times, Jesus healed a blind man. In this tradition, the Mission has a medical clinic, and I have had the privilege of working there. The homeless men and women I have met at Siloam have taught me profound lessons about perseverance through suffering, expressing joy in dire circumstances, and the rewards of service to those in need. I want to share those lessons with you.

Walking By the Homeless is a book about ordinary life intersecting with awareness. It is about one suburban woman's journey from ignoring the homeless to identifying with them by becoming mindful of gaps in her beliefs, actions and relationships in her heart and home.

Suddenly you're homeless - what's the worst that can happen? Here's my year of No Fixed Address spent with crazies, druggies, con men, prostitutes and a surprising number of really decent people. Be prepared - I wasn't. An unwanted divorce led to the loss of my house and business, bringing on stress, depression, low self-esteem and, I'm ashamed to say, heavy drinking. In that state finding a solution to the multiple problems in my life was more than I could handle. When you are down, your focus is just getting through each day. I had naively believed that the welfare society would offer broad help; what I painfully discovered was that there is a multi-stage filtering with hurdles through which you have to navigate blindfold - there is no guide which tells you what to expect. I hope that in some measure my book offers that. But for all the feelings of fear, inadequacy and hopelessness there were some compensations. I met a rich array of people, out-and-out crazies, druggies, smart crooks, devious prostitutes and heard some amazing stories. And to my great surprise a number of these individuals were kind, friendly and helpful. The whole experience changed my politics and view of the world. Don't think homelessness could not happen to you, it can to anybody.

"In the course of fund-raising for civilian victims of World War I, Edith Wharton assembled this monumental benefit volume by drawing upon her connections to the era's leading authors and artists. The unique compilation forms a 'Who's Who' of early 20th century culture, featuring poetry, stories, illustrations, music and other contributions from scores of luminaries. ... Much of the text is presented in both English and French. Includes an Introduction by former U. S. President Theodore Roosevelt."--

Brian has a dream of writing the great American novel. He knows that without a gimmick to set him apart from the rest of the pack, he'll never succeed. From reading Black Like Me, he gets the idea to masquerade as a homeless man to get the material to write the saga of those suffering from poverty. During his first visit to the local homeless shelter to gather facts, he is accosted by Zeke, one of the subjects of his research. In order to save his skin, Brian spills his guts to the huge black man. After hearing the story, Zeke sees value in the project for his homeless brethren, and pledges to help the wannabe paperback writer. Also on his first visit, a vision of loveliness, aptly named Angel, takes away Brian's breath and subsequently his heart. She turns out to be a fanatical Christian who is waiting for God to reveal the identity of her future husband. Brian decides to write a novel and make Angel the heroine hoping to win her heart in the process.

Brianna Karp entered the workforce at age ten, supporting her mother and sister throughout her teen years in Southern California. Although her young life was scarred by violence and abuse, Karp stayed focused on her dream of a steady job and a home of her own. By age twenty-two her dream became reality. Karp loved her job as an executive assistant and signed the lease on a tiny cottage near the beach. And then the Great Recession hit. Karp, like millions of others, lost her job. In the six months between the day she was laid off and the day she was forced out onto the street, Karp scrambled for temp work and filed hundreds of job applications, only to find all doors closed. When she inherited a thirty-foot travel trailer after her father's suicide, Karp parked it in a Walmart parking lot and began to blog about her search for work and a way back.