Filed under: News
From The Grio:A homeless tent city has sprung up near Hawaii's Kakaako Park, virtually overnight. Authorities have contacted its residents and told them they have until the end of the month to leave.
48-year-old Douglas King is just one of the many men living there. He runs the electronic appliances in his makeshift home with old car batteries.
King moved to Hawaii from Atlanta six weeks ago and has used the last of his Social Security disability checks. "I don't have any money. I bought this before my checks cut off," he says. King says he can work, but has difficulty holding jobs because he suffers from bi-polar disorder.
He does have a talent that could draw more attention to the plight of the homeless, however. King can name all of the world's nations in alphabetical order. Those who work with the needy say crackdowns in other areas have forced more homeless to Kakaako, and the mainland's wintry mix has added to the impact. "We tend to see an influx of individuals or homeless people when it's cold. It's cold on the east coast. People want to come to Hawaii," says Marko Johnson, who works with homeless veterans.
Read the rest of 'Homeless Man Names Every Nation Alphabetically' on The Grio.
BV Talk Back Questions:
-Is it wrong for Hawaii authorities to kick homeless men like Douglas King out of their tent city when they have no place else to go?
-Do you think that local governments are doing enough to help those with the least among us?
-Is it the responsibility of the government or private organizations like churches and charities to help the poor?
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