Teresa Jade LeYung's BLOG

2024 October 1, 14:02-23:04 Kuala Lumpur time

Happy Anniversary!

Mother-Daughter Novel LOVE MADE OF HEART debuted in October 2002, now twenty-two years old!

Ten thousand people to thank!  Please accept my gratitude.

book cover of LOVE MADE OF HEART, written by Teresa LeYung-Ryan (Teresa Jade LeYung)

The book Love Made of Heart  was:

*  a 2002 nominee of the Asian American Literary Awards

*  recommended by the California School Library Association

*  recommended by the California Reading Association

*  used by teachers who taught Women in Psychology, First-Year Composition college course, Advanced Composition English-as-a-Second-Language classes

*  read by students at Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley, San Francisco State University, City College of San Francisco, City College of Sacramento, Lowell High School, and many other wonderful institutions

*  available at public libraries

*  and still is… archived at the San Francisco History Center

*  read by thousands of readers, many of whom I never got the chance to thank in person … I thank everyone now and always.

Teresa Jade LeYung (formerlyTeresa LeYung-Ryan) uses her novel Love Made of Heart to:

*  celebrate the courage of immigrants

*  encourage adult children of mentally ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas

*  help survivors of family violence find their own voices

About the book and the folks who helped me craft her and helped her thrive in the publishing world:

https://lovemadeofheart.com/Love-Made-of-Heart-a-Daughter,-a-Mother,-a-Journey-Through-Mental-Illness.html

Reviews and Interviews:

https://lovemadeofheart.com/Reviews-Interviews-Love-Made-of-Heart.html

Readers who posted their reviews on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Made-Heart-Teresa-Leyung/dp/0758202172/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VzaNAlDDKsMS8NPx1G4aCQ.CevWcA9M_SL_K7IrypcIQ7wVZpx2Htg9HaAJ1e6q0aw&qid=1727778688&sr=1-1

Love Made of Heart is listed in Wikipedia when you search: “Chinese Immigration to the United States”

Autobiographies and novels:

• Maxine Hong Kingston, The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, Vintage 1989 (Neuausgabe), ISBN 0679721886
• Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club, Putnam Adult 1989, ISBN 0399134204
• Laurence Yep, Dragonwings. Golden Mountain Chronicles. 1903, (HarperTrophy) 1977, ISBN 0064400859
• Teresa LeYung Ryan, Love Made of Heart, Kensington Publishing Corporation (Neuausgabe), ISBN 0758202172

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_immigration_to_the_United_States

“Teresa LeYung Ryan is so proud that her work is included in the same list as the works of Maxine Hong Kingston, Amy Tan, and Laurence Yep, especially when Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior inspired Teresa to begin writing Love Made of Heart.”

Again, Everyone, please accept my gratitude.

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

Published author, blogger, lover of Paris, FRANCE, photo historian, story-theme consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says:

“I wish you and everyone you care about … vibrant health and happiness always!”

Writing Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says:
“I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”

Love Made Of Heart ®

September 28, 2024, 22:55  Teresa Jade LeYung says:

Happy fourth anniversary to:

Educator, Children’s Book Author and Illustrator, Children’s Advocate MARIA KAWAH LEUNG and Happy Dog and Mia, and their duo-language (English and Chinese), delightfully illustrated children’s book entitled:

LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET: AND HOW THEY STAY STRONG IN AN UNHAPPY HOME

Happy Anniversary to children's book author Maria Kawah Leung and Happy Dog and Mia!

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Heroes-Bay-Street-Simplified/dp/1543759815/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15K4Y481LOH3Z&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.EZ627MWriWbxRptr94SE4BtcVRPDV1waqprKg5kOfQCGlihRHkS6-FzE3h1JmvbF6MThVUHKGWjFQfqrvwqlu-OaeK6R97ZYkVh1viRKrFs93F7PbH5ZkvSJz6SvwVOHwXZ_zbdKj8_2LkfgqszkXRYmxR7TYNBXm8d86RoFKS_I90n2rgVdXBJXOpwcQq_L1-yfF62T6k6n3cm5RvNefexj6UugY9KHrE0dQdydVPs.0YOWrBeVH9YvhK_w_Jn0MZB4CMiKdkMCK2QjHs7yXoQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=LITTLE+HEROES+OF+BAY+STREET&qid=1727535609&sprefix=little+heroes+of+bay+stre%2Caps%2C351&sr=8-1

MARIA KAWAH LEUNG shows how a girl named Mia and her loyal companion Happy Dog (he’s much much more than a stuffed animal) use their imagination to cope in an environment they have no control over – domestic violence.

Together, they learn that friends do not have to always like the same things, and, that love means protecting and comforting each other. 

Maria Kawah Leung’s messages help everyone – “When you’re scared or sad, talk to grown-ups you trust.”  and  “It’s not a child’s job to make parents happy.”

Maria Kawah Leung says: “Domestic Violence Awareness is about helping the Families.”

Happy Anniversary to children's book author Maria Kawah Leung and Happy Dog and Mia!

author Maria Kawah Leung reading her delightfully illustrated children’s book

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vivKrfvokkk   13 minutes

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

How to get out of Domestic Violence (GET HELP NOW!)

Jamie Ong interviews children’s book author Maria Kawah Leung

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoZ4DfNzh0g

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

To watch the 39-minute interview – author Maria Kawah Leung in conversation with Kim McMillon, Ph.D.

https://youtu.be/p-YMEPfwp2Q

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET is endorsed by Hannah Yeoh who is a Member of Parliament in Malaysia.

Story Time with Hannah Yeoh: LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k8DLcJlvVg  20 minutes

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Happy Anniversary to children's book author Maria Kawah Leung and Happy Dog and Mia!

author Maria Kawah Leung’s facebook page: https://web.facebook.com/maria.kawah

To see my other blog posts that reference Maria Kawah Leung  https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/?s=Maria+Kawah+Leung&search=

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

Published author, blogger, lover of Paris, FRANCE, photo historian, Writing Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says:

“I wish for all children everywhere – gentle, kindhearted, easy-going, safety conscious, open-minded guardians/caregivers/teachers, nature’s healing, love and laughter.  Thank you, dear Educator, Children’s Book Author and Illustrator, Children’s Advocate MARIA KAWAH LEUNG and Happy Dog and Mia, and your duo-language (English and Chinese), delightfully illustrated children’s book entitled:  LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET: AND HOW THEY STAY STRONG IN AN UNHAPPY HOME.“

Writing Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says:
“I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”

Love Made Of Heart ®

2024 August 10, updated August 15, 16

Blog post updated September 9, 2024 by Teresa Jade LeYung, 2018 alumna of A PLACE OF HER OWN

Cynthia Tom, founding director of A PLACE OF HER OWN, says:

Join our Closing Celebration on September 15, 2024 from 12pm-3pm as we lift and are lifted by the collective and individual strength from our PLACE artists! They have wholeheartedly embraced the full spectrum of emotions, from discomfort to joy, fostering new connections and personal growth — all for you to witness in real time through this found-object based art exhibition.

Our close friend and dear supporter of PLACE, Ravi Chandra MD also wrote a great piece about the show titled, “Intergenerational Trauma and Ancestral Pattern Shifting” on Psychology Today you must check out when you have the chance!

That being said, come to our final festivities, invite your friends and family and be inspired with this exhibition one last time!

Sept 15, 2024 Closing Celebration: Gallery 12– 3pm
Location: J-SEI Cultural Center, 1285 66th St, Emeryville, CA 94608 USA

Artists include: Ahran Lee, Amy Lam, AVOTCJA, Christina Yu, Christine Yang, Cueponcaxochitl Moreno Sandoval, Cynthia Tom, Deborah Santana, Emily Yamauchi, Frances Cachapero, Irene Wibawa, Jazz Diaz, Julie Lee Andersen, Katie Quan, Manon Wada with Sanié Bokhari, Martha Zamora, PAZ, Purla Montiel, Reyna Daudian, Shari Arai DeBoer, Tomo Hirai, Yeujin Yoon, Zaina Rose

Intergenerational Trauma and Ancestral Pattern Shifting

Healing intergenerational trauma through art

Ravi Chandra M.D., D.F.A.P.A.

The Pacific Heart

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-pacific-heart/202408/bipoc-people-and-the-art-of-ancestral-pattern-shifting

updated August 21, 2024 Reviewed by Michelle Quirk

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bonjour everyone!

I cheer for Cynthia Tom and everyone connected to Cynthia’s programs and events !

August 11 – September 15, 2024

A PLACE OF HER OWN

found-object based art Exhibition

Founder of A PLACE OF HER OWN / Teacher / Artist / Curator CYNTHIA TOM   says:

August 11 – September 15, 2024

A PLACE OF HER OWN Exhibition

You are invited to view this found-object based art exhibition. PLACE multi-ethnic, multi-generational alumni artists share their healing journeys and the art created in answer to the question, “If you had a place of your own, what would it be?”

Using found objects, their intuition and self-agency, they create works that speak to their healing journeys, imperfect, messy and gloriously full of epiphanies.

Co-curated by Cynthia Tom and Jillie Andersen

 

August 11. Opening:  Gallery 12-5 pm  Recep 1pm – 4pm
August 18.  Artist Talk: Gallery 12-5 pm/ Talk 1pm – 4pm
Sept 15. Closing Celebration: Gallery 12– 3pm

Location: JSEI at 1285 66th St, Emeryville, CA 94608

Artists include: Ahran Lee, Amy Lam, AVOTCJA, Christina Yu, Christine Yang, Cueponcaxochitl Moreno Sandoval, Cynthia Tom, Deborah Santana, Emily Yamauchi, Frances Cachapero, Irene Wibawa, Jazz Diaz, Julie Lee Andersen, Katie Quan, Manon Wada with Sanié Bokhari, Martha Zamora, PAZ Zamora, Purla Montiel, Reyna Daudian, Shari Arai DeBoer, Tomo Hirai, Yeujin Yoon, Zaina Berger

https://www.aplaceofherown.org/

https://www.aplaceofherown.org/newsevents/save-the-date-a-place-of-her-own-exhibition

Cynthia Tom receives  a 2024 WOMAN WARRIOR Award from Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition.

Hearty congratulations to Cynthia Tom and all the award recipients.

Ceremony to be held on September 22, 2024 at Hotel Kabuki – JDV by Hyatt,  1625 Post Street San Francisco, CA 94115

Tickets:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-woman-warrior-awards-tickets-949421303677

Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition says:

“Join us as we honor six local Asian Pacific Islander women for their lasting contributions to the API community and notable career achievements. First bestowed in 1983, PAAWBAC is excited to carry on this tradition of recognizing accomplished API women as modern-day Woman Warriors — talented and courageous — as they distinguish themselves in their respective fields, while giving back to others.”

https://www.paawbac.org/woman-warriors-main

I cheer for Cynthia Tom and everyone connected to Cynthia’s programs, events, exhibitions !!!

Teresa Jade LeYung with her art "My Four Desks" photo by artist Irene Wibawa

A Place of Her Own 2018 Alumna /  Story Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung

wishes Everyone – Beauty, Total Wellness, Peace and Joy!

Published author, blogger, lover of Paris, FRANCE, photo historian, Writing Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says:

“I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”
https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

Love Made Of Heart ®

2024 August 5

Dear Readers / Writers

I am visiting brilliant Olga Malyj in Oregon… enjoying her beautiful energy, her sweet home and garden.

Two evenings ago, I had a delightful conversation with Kristiane McKee Maas whom I met through author / teacher / The Plot Whisper Martha Alderson https://marthaalderson.com/ close to 19 years ago at a writers’ conference hosted by the South Bay Branch of the California Writers Club https://southbaywriters.com/.

*    *    *    *    *    *   *     *     *     *    *

Kristiane McKee Maas is a writer, artist, and the owner of Bar 46 Ranch and breeder of Longhorn cattle.

She says:

“My paternal grandmother homesteaded Bar 46 Ranch in 1899 and is a continuing source of inspiration for me.”

https://bar46ranchlonghorns.com/about-bar-46-ranch-2/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF6pLi8kAWE

Kristiane McKee Maas is author of Table Affairs, contributing author of Seasons of our Lives: Spring

*    *    *    *    *    *   *     *     *     *    *

Through Kristiane, I met  Matilda Butler – Author/Memoir Coach/Social Psychologist

Matilda Butler  is the award-winning author of Rosie’s Daughters: The “First Woman To” Generation Tells Its Story, Writing Alchemy: How to Write Fast and Deep, and a collection of award-winning anthologies: Tales of our Lives.

https://womensmemoirs.com/contact/about-the-two-women/

*    *    *    *    *    *   *     *     *     *    *

Also through Kristiane, I met  artist and author Gale Henshel

Gale’s beautiful book:  Dyslexia, My Gift, My Story

https://www.ebay.com/itm/145870337197

https://www.abebooks.com/9781611702392/Dyslexia-Gift-Story-Henshel-Gale-1611702399/plp

*    *    *    *    *    *   *     *     *     *    *

Teresa Jade LeYung thanks Olga Malyj, Martha Alderson, Kristiane McKee Maas, Matilda Butler, and Gale Henshel.

Sincerely,

Story Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung wishes Everyone – Beauty, Total Wellness, Peace and Joy!

—   photo by Nan and MEK

Published author, blogger, lover of Paris, FRANCE, photo historian, Writing Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says:

“I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”
https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

Love Made Of Heart ®

2024 August 4 Oregon USA

Mille merci, chère Olga, de m’avoir fait découvrir le film français

Les Enfants du Paradis, French movie 1945  (Children of Paradise)

International Movie DataBase https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037674/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1  says:

The theatrical life of a beautiful courtesan in 1830s Paris and the four men who love her.

• Director:
  • Marcel Carné
• Writer:
  • Jacques Prévert – scenario and dialogue
• Stars:
  • Arletty
  • Jean-Louis Barrault
  • Pierre Brasseur
  • Pierre Renoir
  • María Casares

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Thank you, YouTube channel Irizu Germain https://www.youtube.com/@irizugermain8397, for posting the French movie:

La Belle et la Bête (Beauty And The Beast 1946 with English subtitles)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K0jMczNpmM

International Movie DataBase https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038348/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2  says:

A beautiful young woman takes her father’s place as the prisoner of a mysterious beast who wishes to marry her.

• Stars:
• Jean Marais
• Josette Day

2024 August 4 Sunday in Oregon USA

Dear Readers / Writers,

Thanks to my dear friend Olga Malyj’s beautiful energy and her sweet home… I am enjoying Beauty and Tranquility.

Yesterday while emailing an aspiring writer links to my blog posts that focus on plotlines, character arcs, archetypes, and story themes…

inspiration sprang – for me to show the links to those blog posts in a single post.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Story Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says: “When illness takes us onto a Hero’s Journey”

https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/story-consultant-teresa-jade-leyung-says-when-illness-takes-us-onto-a-heros-journey-2/

Thank you, Martha Alderson https://marthaalderson.com/ for having taught me how to create a compelling plotline of cause and effect.

Writing Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan says: “When a plotline and a theme work well together, Hollywood invests in remakes.”

Writing Coach Teresa asks: “How do you hook your reader at the middle of your book?”

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

May your major and not-so-minor characters be memorable!

2024 July 29 Oregon USA

Dear Readers,

Today my dear friend Olga treated me to Portland Japanese Garden and the International Rose Test Garden (both inside Washington Park, Portland, Oregon)

… where Beauty soothes, heals, delights Brain and Heart. I wish to share photos with you.

Portland Japanese Garden, Washington Park, Portland, Oregon, USA

Portland Japanese Garden

***

***

Portland Japanese Garden

***

https://japanesegarden.org/about-portland-japanese-garden/history/

says:

Inspired in the late 1950s by growing cultural ties between Oregon and Japan, Mayor Terry Schrunk and members of the Portland community conceived the idea of building a Japanese garden on the site of the old zoo in Washington Park. Their reasons for building a Japanese garden were twofold: providing the citizens of Portland with a garden of great beauty and serenity, while forging a healing connection to Japan on the heels of World War II. At this time in U.S. history, Japanese gardens were founded across the country as a way to build cultural understanding. Needing no translation, an American could experience firsthand Japanese ideals and values, communicated simply through nature.

The site was dedicated in 1961, and Professor Takuma Tono of Tokyo Agricultural University was retained to design the Garden. Professor Tono’s plan included five different garden styles laid out on 5.5 acres. This was quite a departure from gardens in Japan which typically follow one singular style. His intention was to represent different historical developments in Japanese garden architecture and through that communicate Japanese culture to create a cultural exchange.

[....]

Portland Japanese Garden  https://japanesegarden.org/

Portland Japanese Garden

***

***

***

Portland Japanese Garden

***

International Rose Test Garden, Washington Park, Portland, Oregon, USA

***

https://www.portland.gov/parks/washington-park-international-rose-test-garden

More than 10,000 individual rose bushes bloom in the International Rose Test Garden (IRTG) from late May through October, representing over 610 different rose varieties. The majority of roses in the Garden are commercially available. About 10 to 20 varieties are replaced each year with some of the best new roses released onto the market. Roses bloom from late May to October depending on the weather.

The primary purpose of the Garden is to serve as a testing ground for new rose varieties. In the beginning, while World War I was raging, hybridists sent roses from around the world to Portland’s garden for testing.

***

International_Rose_Test_Garden_photo_by_Teresa_Jade_LeYung_2024.07.29

***

***

***

***

Washington Park, Portland, Oregon, USA

https://explorewashingtonpark.org

***

Thank you, Olga dear, for treating me to Portland Japanese Garden and International Rose Test Garden …

Beauty Soothes, Heals, Delights Brain and Heart!

***

Everyone all over the world, I wish you beauty, safety, vibrant health, peace and joy.

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung  – photo by Nan and MEK

Published author, blogger, lover of Paris, FRANCE, photo historian, Writing Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says:

“I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”

Love Made Of Heart ®

2024 July 29  USA

Good day to you, dear Readers!

Thank you, journalist Abha Bhattarai and The Washington Post for your July 29, 2024 article:

They have jobs, but no homes. Inside America’s unseen homelessness crisis.

For the full article, please go to: https://www.yahoo.com/news/jobs-no-homes-inside-america-203220482.html

They are plumbers and casino supervisors, pizzeria managers and factory workers. They deliver groceries, sell eyeglasses and unload trucks at Amazon.

And they’re the new, unlikely face of homelessness: Working Americans with decent-paying jobs who simply can’t afford a place to live.”

[ .... ]

“I work 50 hours a week, and it’s still really hard to keep up,” said Aaron Reed, 22, who makes $21 an hour at an Amazon warehouse near Nashville, and returns to his mother’s Hyundai SUV to sleep. He shares the back seat with their black Lab, Stella, while his mom sleeps up front.

[ .... ]

Years of fast-rising rents and a shortage of affordable housing have created a situation where even a strong labor market and rising wages haven’t been enough to offset the financial strains of inflation.

“We are pushing working people into homelessness because they just can’t afford the rent,” said Margot Kushel, director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at the University of California at San Francisco. “The general public doesn’t see these folks as homeless – they’re not as visible as the people who occupy public spaces, who have substance abuse issues or mental health problems. But it’s a catastrophe, and it’s happening just under our eyes.”

[ .... ]

While homelessness may not be a central issue in the upcoming presidential election, high housing costs continue to show up as a big reason Americans are frustrated with an otherwise strong economy. A recent CNN poll found that Americans pointed to housing costs as a top economic problem facing their families, ranking just after food prices but ahead of gas, health care, student loans and child care.

[ .... ]

Among those who are homeless, inflation continues to play a major role. In interviews with 30 people in 17 states who recently became homeless while employed, nearly all said exorbitant rents had not only tipped them into homelessness, but were preventing them from securing new housing.

Deborah Bower, a dog groomer in San Ramon, Calif., has been homeless since October, after breast cancer treatments wiped out $100,000 of her savings. These days she either sleeps in her small SUV, which she parks in a movie theater parking lot, or in $95-a-night hotel rooms, where she often brings along her own dog, Bean, as well as others she’s watching overnight for clients.

“I’ve always been the one to help people, and now I’m the one who needs help,” said Bower, 60. “But I don’t want anyone to know I’m homeless. It’s embarrassing, like somehow I’ve failed society.”

Many who spoke with The Washington Post said they’re trapped in an impossible position – making too much money to qualify for food stamps and other types of government assistance, but not enough to secure housing.

[ .... ]

Plus, everything costs more when you’re homeless, said Reed, the Amazon warehouse worker. He and his mother spend $50 a day to fill the gas tank, so they can leave the air conditioner running overnight in 99-degree weather. There’s no way to cook, so they eat prepackaged foods or takeout for every meal. And without access to running water, they spend about $80 a month on large jugs of bottled water they keep in the trunk.

“Every day, it’s like, ‘Which bills can we actually pay?’” said Reed, who works 11-hour shifts at the warehouse. “We’re behind on our car payments, then we’ve got gas, insurance, phones.”

The pair have been homeless since October, when Reed’s mother was hospitalized for covid and lost her job at a department store beauty counter, forcing them out of the extended-stay hotel where they’d been living for seven months.

[ .... ]

The rise in homelessness “is the unfortunate but predictable result of ongoing rent increases,” said Gregg Colburn, a professor at the University of Washington and author of “Homelessness is a Housing Problem.” “And now it’s happening not just in our big coastal cities, but all over the place – in Phoenix and Denver and Atlanta.”

Marie, a hotel and casino supervisor in Biloxi, Miss., who is being identified by her middle name because she fears losing her job, said her family was making do until their van’s transmission went out late last year. By the time they paid for repairs, they’d run out of money for rent, forcing them to leave their two-bedroom apartment for a patchwork of temporary arrangements. These days, she makes $900 every two weeks – and spends $710 of that on a hotel room she shares with her husband and 84-year-old father-in-law, who are both disabled. To save on gas, she takes a 90-minute bus ride to work instead of making the 20-minute drive herself.

“I am blessed to make $15 an hour but the cost of living is high, and $15 an hour barely covers rent and utilities,” said, Marie, 28. “With everything going up … we cannot save to even get a place to rent.”

Rents, which have risen more than 32 percent in four years, have recently started to stabilize, according to Zillow.

(Teresa Jade LeYung here commenting – If rent has risen more than 32 percent in four years but our paychecks have not risen at the same rate, how can folks have the basic needs of life – shelter, food, clothing, medicine? Americans who work at jobs, but have no homes, no safe shelter, while cost of housing and rent outrun paychecks.)

Nelfreed McKay, 34, was spending about $1,200 a month, or nearly his entire monthly income, on rent before it got to be too much. Since May, he’s been sleeping in Central Park each night after finishing his shift as a server at a Manhattan bakery.

McKay, who makes $18.50 an hour, plus tips, is hoping to save up $5,000 by September so he can cover rent and deposits on a permanent room. He works overtime when he can and has been forgoing meals to save up. “There are times when you get so tired of it. You want to snack on something but it’s like, ‘No, I can’t afford that right now.’ I need to save up this money for what I really want: to sleep in a bed again.”

[ .... ]

But advocates on the ground said those rules can often backfire, making it even harder for people to get back on their feet. Instead, policies should focus on boosting rental assistance, revamping local zoning and land-use laws, and building more low-income housing, experts said. There should also be a larger push, they said, to keep people from losing their homes in the first place.

“High rents are the singular factor driving homelessness, so that’s what we need to address,” said Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of San Francisco’s Coalition on Homelessness. “It’s pretty cost-efficient to give people a subsidy if they’re having trouble affording rent. If you don’t do that, that person becomes homeless and that’s much more expensive and inhumane to solve for, because now they’re also going through all of this extra trauma.”

Homeless workers who spoke to The Post detailed how they keep up appearances to keep their jobs, stashing their stuff in storage, showering at gyms, washing clothes at truck stops and buying movie tickets so they could rest in a dark, air-conditioned room a few hours at a time. It was imperative, they said, that their workplaces not know about their living situations because they worried about discrimination and job loss.

“If you saw me right now, you would think I was just some college kid with a backpack, walking to McDonald’s,” said Jordan Godlesky, who until recently made $25 an hour managing an ice cream shop in San Leandro, Calif., while sleeping outdoors. “There are so many of us who don’t fit into the box of what you’d think is homeless.”

But it was difficult to sustain, he said. He often left work at 10:30 p.m. – too late to access the area’s homeless shelters – and spent his nights walking around town because he worried for his safety. If he slept at all, it would be during the day, on a park bench. “Finally, the lack of sleep caught up with me,” Godlesky, 26, said. “I wasn’t able to physically handle it anymore.”

[ .... ]

For the article written by journalist Abha Bhattarai for The Washington Post posted on July 29, 2024

please go to: https://www.yahoo.com/news/jobs-no-homes-inside-america-203220482.html

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Everyone all over the world, I wish you safety, vibrant health, peace and joy.

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung wishes everyone peace and wellness - photo by Nan and MEK

Teresa Jade LeYung

Published author, blogger, lover of Paris, FRANCE, photo historian, Writing Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says:

“I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”

Love Made Of Heart ®

2024 July

I wish for all children everywhere – gentle, kindhearted, easy-going, safety conscious, open-minded guardians/caregivers/teachers, nature’s healing, love and laughter.

I celebrate Educator, Children’s Book Author, Children’s Advocate MARIA KAWAH LEUNG and her duo-language (in English and Chinese), delightfully illustrated children’s book entitled:

LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET: AND HOW THEY STAY STRONG IN AN UNHAPPY HOME

Teresa Jade LeYung took Maria Kawah Leung's delightfully illustrated children's book LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET to City of Light, spring 2024

MARIA KAWAH LEUNG shows how a girl named Mia and her loyal companion Happy Dog (he’s much much more than a stuffed animal) use their imagination to cope in an environment they have no control over – domestic violence.

Together, they learn that friends do not have to always like the same things, and, that love means protecting and comforting each other. 

Maria Kawah Leung’s messages help everyone – “When you’re scared or sad, talk to grown-ups you trust.”  and  “It’s not a child’s job to make parents happy.”

Maria Kawah Leung says: “Domestic Violence Awareness is about helping the Families.”

To watch the 39-minute interview – author Maria Kawah Leung in conversation with Kim McMillon, Ph.D.

https://youtu.be/p-YMEPfwp2Q

LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET is endorsed by Hannah Yeoh who is a Member of Parliament in Malaysia.

Story Time with Hannah Yeoh: LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k8DLcJlvVg  20 minutes

author Maria Kawah Leung reading her delightfully illustrated children’s book

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vivKrfvokkk   13 minutes

Teresa Jade LeYung’s Blog post:

Maria Kawah Leung in conversation with Kim McMillon, Ph.D.

https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/educator-childrens-book-author-childrens-advocate-maria-kawah-leung-says-domestic-violence-awareness-is-about-helping-the-families-2/

Thank you for reading my blog post:

“Author Maria Kawah Leung uses her illustrated children’s book to speak out on behalf of families everywhere”

I wish for all children everywhere – gentle, kindhearted, easy-going, safety conscious, open-minded guardians/caregivers/teachers, nature’s healing, love and laughter.

To see my other blog posts that reference Maria Kawah Leung  https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/?s=Maria+Kawah+Leung&search=

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

Published author, blogger, lover of Paris, FRANCE, photo historian, Writing Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says:
“I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”

Love Made Of Heart ®

16:22  July 16, 2024 Tuesday California USA

mardi  16:22, 16 juillet 2024 Californie États-Unis

Hello Readers / Bonjour Lecteurs

I wish you and your family excellent health.

Je vous souhaite, à vous et à votre famille, une excellente santé.

I wish you much happiness.

Je vous souhaite beaucoup de bonheur.

I am at dear Sabine’s home in Oregon, USA… thinking about everyone who has sent me messages about their health challenges.

I send prayers as I meditate with photos of gardens and flower boxes at homes and other places I have been in since March 1st this year, in FRANCE and in the USA.

Le jardin de Claudie 75016 Paris, FRANCE

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Le jardin de Claude 75012 Paris, FRANCE

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sasabelle m'a montré le Musée National Marc Chagall, Nice, FRANCE

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Le jardin de Claudine 75013 Paris, FRANCE

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sasabelle's garden, California, USA

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sabine's garden, Oregon, USA

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Wishing You Excellent Health and happiness with photos of vibrant plants from Paris, Apt, Nice in FRANCE and from California and Oregon in USA.

Je vous souhaite une excellente santé et du bonheur avec des photos de plantes vibrantes de Paris, Apt, Nice en FRANCE et de Californie et d’Oregon aux États-Unis.

Sincerely,

Sincèrement, 

Teresa_Jade_LeYung_wishes_everyone_peace_and_wellness__photo_by_Nan_and_MEK

Teresa Jade LeYung