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How some people live- not a joke
Topic Started: May 18 2007, 04:42 AM (305 Views)
Daniel\
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Fulla-Carp
I was doing an internet search yesterday and I came across a Catholic charity's website about a rural subdivision on Hawaii Island called Fern Acres.

Fern Acres is in a remote location and is in danger of the volcano turning it into wasteland. Lava risk is rated at 1-9 with 1 being the highest. I believe Fern Acres is in zone 2 or 3.

Some of these lots have electricity etc. Many of them have no electricity, no water, no sanitation, and do not have paved roads.

The land is relatively inexpensive for these reasons. There are 3,500 3-5 acre lots and 500 of them have homes. The 3 acre lots sold for $10,000 in 2001. They sell for $50,000 today. It is worth something now but for decades it was worth almost nothing.

The charity's website talked about a meal delivery program and about meals served at a community center.

As many as 150 people who live in Fern Acres are homeless. They live under tarps. The temperature is 50 degrees at night because of the elevation and it rains a lot. They meet at the community center for meals and during heavy rains. I do not think it is an actual building. It sounded like a picnic area with a concrete floor and a metal roof.

When someone does not show up for meals they search for them and sometimes find them deceased. Sometimes emergency services cannot reach them in time and I imagine many of them have no way to call.

I knew there were homeless people who lived in this area but I never considered what it must be like to live without a home, without a car, without money, without anything.

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The 89th Key
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How far away from you is this place?
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Daniel\
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Pretty far. Why do you ask?

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The 89th Key
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Just curious, no other reason.

Pretty crazy how some people live - especially when you visit other countries as well.
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kenny
HOLY CARP!!!
Wow, I had no idea that level of poverty existed in Hawaii.

:(
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Daniel\
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Fulla-Carp
It shocked me.

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Dewey
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HOLY CARP!!!
Gets all the way down to 50 at night, huh? Man, that's gotta be rough.


:rolleyes:


Sorry, I'm not trying to make light of their plight - that cheap shot was just to plum to pass up. ^_^ But in all sincerity, poverty is everywhere, and God bless anyone who does anything to give a helping hand.
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David Burton
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Dewey
May 18 2007, 04:46 PM
But in all sincerity, poverty is everywhere, and God bless anyone who does anything to give a helping hand.

... and THAT's the honest truth ...
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Daniel\
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Fulla-Carp
Yes.

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Daniel\
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Fulla-Carp
Dewey
May 18 2007, 04:46 PM
Gets all the way down to 50 at night, huh? Man, that's gotta be rough.


:rolleyes:

50 in NY and 50 and raining on the windward side of a tropical island are not the same experience. Imagine it was 50 with 40 mph winds and pouring rain. That's what it's like.

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ivorythumper
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I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
Daniel
May 19 2007, 12:23 AM
Dewey
May 18 2007, 04:46 PM
Gets all the way down to 50 at night, huh? Man, that's gotta be rough.


:rolleyes:

50 in NY and 50 and raining on the windward side of a tropical island are not the same experience. Imagine it was 50 with 40 mph winds and pouring rain. That's what it's like.

Yeah, that would be around 40 degrees with the wind chill... Even at 50 I wouldn't want to live permanently in a tent.
The dogma lives loudly within me.
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