JULY 28, 2023 HOMELESSNESS GROUNDCOVER NEWS You've got NO mail: tips on receiving mail while homeless Being able to receive mail is a blessing many take for granted. The first letter I remember writing was a handwritten one I wrote to my adoptive maternal uncle. He had immigrated to the United Arab Emirates from Sudan. I was excited to write my first letter, as it was being delivered by a traveling relative who was also going to the United Arab Emirates for work. I believe it was about my impending trip to California from Sudan. When I was a labor-seeking immigrant in Qatar, living in a workers' house populated by a multitude of African migrants with different life stories, one of those stories stuck with me and is related to this topic in a way. There was a retired Sudanese police officer working in Doha as a Public Relations Officer. He was building a house back in Sudan and supporting his kids through college. We were discussing the nostalgic feeling of receiving a letter from a loved one or family as an immigrant in a different country, before the time of emails, cell phones and text messages. Letters would only be delivered by traveling relatives or neighbors, so it was difficult; illiterate relatives would record their messages on cassette tapes. Hearing the voice of a relative was far sweeter than reading the handwritten messages. Mr. Ahmed Ali, the retired officer, talked about how important it was to receive those letters from his wife and family. He described how excited he would be to get some news, the wait for the relative to arrive, the awkward moments when he arrives from overseas but is tired and must rest, and it is rude to bombard him to unpack the letters and parcels, the care packages, the homecooked meals. The officer went on to detail how he would retrieve his letter and then, as a grown man, would climb to the roof of the house to read the letters in peace by the moonlight, so as not to be seen crying by the other housemates. I have received my fair share of letters in my life. I even thought about working for the post office; it is an awesome job, notwithstanding the nuisance of pet canines. As a homeless man, it gets very difficult to accomplish daily tasks of modern civilian life without the necessary tools. I am one of the lucky houseless people who had a valid form of ID when I became homeless, but many of my fellow houseless humans don't. Another one of these “necessary tools” is an address — required on all job applications, for deliveries of important documents and as a way to receive vital communications. As an experienced houseless individual who wishes to relate his experience to other fellow humans for the sake of convenience, I am going to detail the options available for receiving mail as a houseless individual: • For those of you who are homeless Group mailboxes at the Groundcover News office. Vendors are able to receive mail at Groundcover. Names blurred for privacy. or facing homelessness, you can utilize the address of the Delonis Center. You can sign up with the Delonis Center, and they will open a file for you there to receive mail. It is a free service, and you can check on your parcels every day. The reception staff are awesome human beings and will always accommodate your requests. Additionally, a multitude of service organizations, community and social centers, both humane and religious, will also allow you to utilize their address. • PO Box: You can sign up for one at the local post office. You will need two forms of ID, at least one with a photo. Prices vary, and you can check your mail anytime the post office is open. • General Delivery: Certain USPS offices will allow you to pick up your mail at the post office if you do not have a permanent address. • Virtual Address: These are virtual office addresses run by companies. You pay a monthly subscription or annual service fee to rent their address solely for receiving your mail. They will open and scan the contents of the mail and email them to you on a daily basis if you consent. Some of these companies like iPostal1.com and mailbox. com will charge a fee starting at 14.99 a month for 60 pieces of mail. Lastly, you can use the address of relatives or friends, but that may burden the address holder and put you in an awkward situation with your friends or family, especially if you don't want them to know that you are homeless. There are a multitude of services that houseless individuals cannot utilize due to the lack of a proper mailing address. It is part of civilian life to be able to receive, deliver and exchange ideas, information, and communication. It is disheartening that fully functioning humans miss out on opportunities because they lack an address to receive communication. In all cases, I pray for the day when we are all sheltered not only physically from the elements but also mentally and emotionally from the evils and sorrows of life. Amen. I wish that you all receive a nice piece of mail soon. Love, peace, happiness, and good karma are coming your way. I am happy that we are blessed once again. “Striving to be a better man today than I was yesterday, and a better man tomorrow than I am today.” MOHAMMED ALMUSTAPHA Groundcover contributor 7
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