HBO Documentary: "Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County"

[mikelan6]

HBO is airing a documentary tonight at 9:00 PM, which has a Disney connection. It's called "Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County"

From what I understand, some of these kid's parents even work at Disneyland. It will be interesting to watch.

 

[TagsMissy]

I'll have to check if HBO Canada is showing it

 

[TagsMissy]

Ok I checked the HBO Canada site and they are showing this tonight as well for those interested north of the border.


Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County

This HBO documentary follows children living in Orange County motels as their families struggle to survive on minimum wage in one of the wealthiest zip codes in America.
Director: Alexandra Pelosi
Starring: Zach Brewster, Dilan Oezkan
Length: 59 min
Genre: Documentary Year: 2010
Schedule
Monday Jul. 26 9:00PM ET / MT
Friday Jul. 30 3:30PM ET / MT
Saturday Jul. 31 4:30AM ET / MT
Tuesday Aug. 3 6:00AM ET / MT
Tuesday Aug. 3 2:55PM ET / MT

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Well, poo. We don't subscribe to HBO.
This came up on my home page this AM and I thought it sounded interesting. Didn't notice it is on HBO.

 

[Mathfailure]

We have dealt with families living in run down motels, paying by the week, it is a terrible rut. All the money goes for the previous week, nothing can be saved, all are crammed into one room, no way out.

At times various states have used welfare hotels to solve a housing problem, the irony there is of course it is still a housing problem, but now it is called "solved".

I cannot stand this, there are no cooking possiblilies, a tiny fridge if any, and a run down dingy room for all.

Kathleen

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Alexandra Pellosi, the creator of this documentary was on OutQ today. It sounds like a very raw look into a critical situation that is facing our country.

How can a NINE year old say, "I wish I could restart my life?" A NINE year old.

I honestly don't know if I could watch this.

 

[rpmdfw]

There are a lot of families living like this in motels on 192 in Kissimmee, as well. Right there among the tourists. On my way to work, I see the school bus stop at some of the motels to pick up the kids . . .

 

[OrlandoMike]

There are a lot of families living like this in motels on 192 in Kissimmee, as well.

Sadly, I work with one of those people....believe it or not.....

 

[mikelan6]

It was a very good documentary. Very sad, but at least they have a room over their heads and have food to eat. One family even had dogs livign with them.

One thing I found misleading is they kind of insinuated that these motels were right across the street from Disneyland, which I don't beleive is true.

 

[TagsMissy]

i am finding this to be very interesting as well. I am about half way through

 

[OrlandoMike]

I was OK till the kid pulled that gun out of the dumpster! My heart almost stopped! (I think it was a toy, but still!)

Very sad indeed!

 

[TagsMissy]

I was OK till the kid pulled that gun out of the dumpster! My heart almost stopped! (I think it was a toy, but still!)

Very sad indeed!

yes that scene has just occurred... i was thinking no kid NO do not take that. He seemed quite perturbed to be told he couldn't have it.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Well, I did watch most of it. Sometimes I couldn't but I did see the scene with the little boy (he was SIX) finding the gun in the dumpster. It was a toy, but it looked far too real, AND he clearly knew how to handle it. Gut wrenching.

The message that was driven home for me was that anyone could end up in that situation, anyone. It just takes a run of bad luck, a lost job...

I think programs like this are important, but this one was particularly bleak. No real options for helping ... just exposing the underbelly of desperation.

 

[starann]

I missed it, but will DVR it once I see it playing again


As a visiting nurse, I have gone into hotels like those I imagine were shown. 2 Full beds and a fmaily of 6, sometimes multi generations are in the same room or next door to one another. I had one fmaily....the patient and her husband, their grown son and 1 of the older grandchildren, next door was her daughter and her BF, her son and his GF and 4 kids with another on the way!
There I was trying to tell the patient she needs (HAS) to eat low salt foods and she has McD wrappers and Ramen Cup of Soups...no wonder she keeps gonig into the hospital in heart failure.

It is so sad and even my pt said they cant save up enough to get a 'real' place as most places require 1st and last month and a secutrity deposit.

 

[Corbisblue]

This sounds really interesting, I'll have to check it out for sure. Thanks for sharing!

 

[TinkerChelle]

We watched this documentary and it was very heart wrenching. It made both myself and my DP very grateful for all the blessings in our life. We are truly blessed....and yes we could be in that situation.....if she lost her job and we missed several paychecks.....and couldn't pay the mortgage. It could happen to anyone!

 

[PHILCT]

I don't normally get to watch HBO, but while staying with my friend's family this weekend, I got to see this documentary last night.

It made me feel so bad for those families, especially the kids.

Does Disney ever offer assistance for some of their castmembers in need of affordable family housing?

I also was curious if the HOPE school was a special summer school or was it a normally chartered California year round school, I didn't get while it didn't operate like a regular school. I didn't watch the documentary from the beginning unfortunately.

I sometimes think that the plight of the poor in this country is getting worse when most of America accepts low minimum wages so that we can all continue to get cheaper services and prices, and higher profits. Maybe it is time we all gave up on our Value Menu pricing we have gotten so used to. I don't want to see a little kid struggle, while getting a 1 dollar McDouble cheeseburger.

Phil

 

[ConcKahuna]

Does Disney ever offer assistance for some of their castmembers in need of affordable family housing?

Not in Florida. They will direct you to "Lifeline" (aka the Salvation Army's call center), and they will provide you with psychiatric help but that's it.

 

[kate_wdw]

I know I'm joining in late, but I finally watched Homeless last night. (I had previously DVRed it.) What a heartbreaking documentary.

I have a really hard time reconciling my love for Disney with my feelings about the way it treats (i.e., wages it pays) its workers. I wish there was room in their business model for spreading the "magic" around to its own employees. It's nothing short of miraculous that the customer service is as good as it is, given the lives that some of these people return to when they leave the parks.

 

[kate_wdw]

I sometimes think that the plight of the poor in this country is getting worse when most of America accepts low minimum wages so that we can all continue to get cheaper services and prices, and higher profits. Maybe it is time we all gave up on our Value Menu pricing we have gotten so used to. I don't want to see a little kid struggle, while getting a 1 dollar McDouble cheeseburger.

Amen to that!