Homeless at 97, Begging in LA Area

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=389

(Oct. 17) -- The sign on the window of the old black Suburban says it all.
"I am 97 years old. Homeless. Broke. Need help please."


Deano, Splash News

Bessie Mae Berger is 97 and homeless. She has outlived three husbands and all but two of her children and now spends her nights in a black Suburban SUV on the streets of Los Angeles.

Bessie Mae Berger was born in 1912. The Los Angeles Times tells of her hard life: losing all but two of her children, either to death or to simply losing touch, and outliving three husbands.

She used to live in Palm Springs, Calif. Her son Larry Wilkerson cared for her full-time through a state program, a job he held for more than 20 years.
Then the owner of their home had to sell. The state cut Larry and his mother from the support program, the newspaper reported.

Together with Berger's other son Charlie Wilkerson -- who collects disability -- they've tried desperately to find a government-subsidized home. But they've been stymied because mother and sons insist on staying together.

"There's a million empty homes here in California, but they can't seem to find one we can live in," Larry told the paper. At least in the Suburban, she's not alone.

Occasionally Bessie Mae Berger begs for money. People accuse her of lying about her age, but she has a state-issued ID card with her birth date.

FULL story and video at link.

I bet someone will - someone must have a heart and the ability to help in LA.

"There's a million empty homes here in California..."

...and others will offer homes and/or lifetime care. Americans are known for stepping up to the plate when things like this happen.

how many other stories like hers are out there?

I've run into this housing issue before. The system is not designed for multiple adult family members to share a home. It's broken up into elder housing, severe disability, single mothers, etc... but you can't combine. Obviously it's designed to prevent abuse, the appearance of abuse, or suspicion of abuse, but it also prevents some common sense solutions at the same time.

the "they" being the state of California or the county they are in or the city they are in.

It sounds like these entities HAVE been providing for those three people for a very long time , and it's sad that that poor woman's sons cannot help her. Perhaps the state will now step in and find a permanent place for her so they won't put her on display begging for them anymore.

When states run out of money they stop paying for people who care for other people..it's just a sad truth.

It makes you wonder . . .

:rofl:

or one of his other homes?

I'm gonna bookmark this one, and hope for the best. Maybe a place to donate? Something?

are becoming lesser and lesser. Whatta country.

:cry:

hopeful, changed America?

Money for multiple, useless wars (and many, many propaganda-filled commercials targeting the kids parents to let their kids go fight and die for nothing?)

and money for big businesses "too big to fail" along with other hand-outs to corps like Pharma & Insurance;

and money for religious groups who supposedly were going to take up the slack of programs for the poor, sick and elderly but haven't!

Trillions of our tax dollars have been spent on just the above.
Trillions.


...but our people, U.S. citizens who have paid their taxes, fought for and believed in this country: elderly, young, middle aged... human beings all;
they can live on the streets? In cars, if they're lucky enough to have one, or under bridges like trolls?


This country is sick, it was sick under Bush and is still as sick as it ever was.