JUST PICK UP THE PHONE

     Why can't I just call someone, a business, on the phone? Why can't they just pick up the phone and say "Hello?"

    I was at church when the phone in the office began to ring. No one else around so I picked it up. Heard nothing. Said "Hello?"

    No response.

    There were about twenty buttons on the front of the phone. Four of them were grouped at the top. None of them said "Talk". I turned to look on the side. There was a PTT, which in other circumstance I recognized  as "Push To Talk", which I did.

    Nothing.

    Next time at the church the office assistant was there, asked him how to answer the phone. Well, of the four buttons on the upper part of the phone, you need to push "phone". I turned the phone on the side, showed him the PTT button. Do you know what PTT means?

    No.

    Why can't you just pick up the phone and have someone answer with "Hello?" 

WHAT TO DO ABOUT HOMELESSNESS

     Does any city, town, village have the answer to homelessness?

    Leavenworth County does not have the problem of homelessness totally solved, but they have come a long way toward providing some answers. What appears to be working is a two-pronged approach.

    The Hope Shelter provides an overnight bed. Overnight only. Under most weather conditions people will be admitted between 8-10 pm, and are expected to leave by 7 am. During the day the "Welcome Center provides services to those in Leavenworth County living in poverty which include instructions about daily living skills, information about social service providers, access to job seeking skills, assistance in getting personal documents and transportation to helping agencies and other essential services." The Hope Shelter seeks donations and many hours of volunteer time.

    Not connected, but overlapping, is the Leavenworth Attainable Housing program, where the goal is to put individuals or families in adequate housing. Occupants pay one-third of their income in rent.