Here it is everyone as I promised a day by day (well almost) account of what I have gone through as a “Displaced Entrepreneur”. Yesterday (Wednesday, January 16, 2008) was a slow day went out singing for a total of three hours and raised ninety cents in change and a gift card to “Subway”. The gift card and change were very helpful. The card afforded me the ability to get something to eat. It is rough singing and your stomach is grumbling.

Also the ninety cents enabled me to get back downtown today (Thursday, January 17, 2008) to sing again this morning. I didn’t do any blogging on Wednesday just spent most of the day listening and getting lyrics for new songs to sing.

Today (Thursday, January 17, 2008) was a little bit more productive I sang from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and got donations from two people and the second donation enabled me to get something to eat for breakfast, make phone calls and have transportation money. I didn’t go back out this afternoon to sing because when you are down on the subway level it is usually cold and damp and I cannot afford to be sick. When I sing someone always ask me what is my story and I tell them and the second person that left donation did just that. Asked me what was my story and I told him and I gave him my business card and he handed me a donation. I thanked him and continued singing for the next nine minutes. You see I had to leave because I have to make sure I get my blogging in and answering my emails.

Now I want everyone to know my findings for someone in this position just in case your or someone you know is in this situation. There is absolutely little to no help for the entrepreneur or the nine to fiver. What the government offers at least here in the United States are shelters and they are overcrowded and have a waiting list. Also the ones that aren’t overcrowded are offering very little help because you have to gather at one place at night at a certain time and get into a van and drive around to different churches to sleep on the floor or a cot. Then when you get up in the morning you have to hurry up and get out.

The woman that heads the shelter program at the Salvation Army explained this to me and she let me know that it is hard and rough. Not to mention it is co-ed and they have a monitor watch you while you sleep to make sure nothing happens. I really don’t know how reliable the monitor is and didn’t go to find out. So like the rest of the populace I have found somewhere to lay my head on a nightly basis.

On another note I figured out why the majority of displaced people smell so bad. It is because the shelters provide you with somewhere to sleep but no where to wash to my knowledge. They have other places that people go to take showers and in the city of Philadelphia there are only two reliable places like that and one is for women and the other for men.

Also I found out that the surrounding suburbs of Philadelphia refer their people to Philadelphia to get help for shelters. No wonder there is no room.

I do plan to send a couple of our candidates for president a note on this matter. Right now I must go it is getting late.