European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 17, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Bettijane Levine los Angeles times on t worry about Joanna a Shell be . She will Park in her old a neighbourhood in a Street with no Security patrol and tall Hedges in front of the houses so no one will notice her car she will open the window a , lock the doors. Curl up in  beneath  she will visit the Beverly Center one of los Angeles upscale enclosed shopping malls. Shell Wash her hair and underwear in Nordstrom a ladies room dry them under the hand Blower apply makeup from testers at the cosmetic counter downstairs. She will nibble her Way through a supermarket her cart piled with items useless to a woman with no Home in which to use them. While pretending to shop she will Munch roast beef potato logs and salad from the Deli counter a then abandon the cart before she checks out with two apples a All she can afford. You won t know her if you see her she looks and acts the Well heeled woman. She knows the ropes in an affluent los Angeles neighbourhood. Its where she can survive a someone the census never counts the regulars never notice. Not even her children Nowin College know she has no Home. She will get Back on her feet by herself she says a or die in the attempt. One recent afternoon Joanna and Sarah not their real names sipped Coffee at a los Angeles cafe. They a were invited by Marjorie Bard who works with the. Homeless to meet a reporter who could not quite. A believe such women exist. Everyone knows about the homeless who Camp out on the streets. But Bard says there Are thousands of hidden homeless a Middle class people who once had Fine Homes and jobs  educated. Energetic capable a but who now have no Money for. Shelter or food. They Are proud resourceful people she says who have already imposed on family and friends As much As they dare. They View their cars As being More dignified Safe and private temporary shelters than anything the social services system could provide. Bard who works Only with women found that the hidden homeless survive by staying in the neighbourhoods where they used to live and by frequenting familiar places department stores and markets libraries and museums. Places that offer food Hygiene facilities or simply the sense of cultural enrichment and Well being to which they were accustomed. Bard says that she has met about 1,000 women nationwide and recorded their Oral histories. In fact she says she used to be one of them herself. She became an a overnight indigent a a she says. When she was forced from her Maryland House by her husband 15 years ago. With no Money for Basic necessities let alone for lawyers to fight for her. Financial rights she began looking for a Job. Bard now in her 50s, had a Bachelor s degree and had taught elementary school in los Angeles before. She married. In Maryland she was a Community. Activist who taught jewelry making at a College. Quot but when i went to look for jobs Quot she recalls Quot they said you Redver qualified you re under experienced you. Don t know the computer things like that. They were. Really saying i did t fit in anywhere anymore i could t get a decent  a a in desperation she stashed clothes and jewel by making tools in her car which she used As Home base for the next three years while Selling jewels to support a herself. Then she started the drive West toward her Mother s Home in Beverly Hills. Quot at first i thought i was Alono Quot she recalls. Quot but in each City i spotted women doing the same things i a was doing we had what you might Call similar tricks of the  a she would for example befriend hotel maids,.who would let her use just vacated rooms so she could Shower Wash her hair and catch some sleep before a the rooms had to be cleaned. After a month on the Road Bard reached Beverly Hills moved into the House of her ailing Mother and began tracing the hidden homeless population in some of los Angeles More pricey neighbourhoods she entered graduate school at the University of California los Angeles supported by Grants and received her . In 1988. She did her doctoral dissertation on homelessness. She wrote a Book Shadow women sheed amp Ward 1990which documents stories of women who. Quot mingle with polite society during the Day but sleep in their cars at night women who May have  but Are suddenly Saab Lido support  these women Don t want handouts welfare or to.  shelters she says. They want to fend for. A overnight indigents with a wealth of Pride. V. A. A tips solves and Are willing to live a hiding Quot until they can got Back on their feel. A.  n a a n d a a r a h a r e am o no 1 h o s e to to n a. Sei a Lias not had a Home for four years. For .13 a a years before Thal. She was married to a lawyer. Whom she put to Lough school by typing Missor Lillious Day and night  for two babies  his degree and started a practice they bought a  Angeles Home with walk in closets and a live in maid Sarah left the marriage when she realized tier husband would not allow her to have a career. Quot i got very Little from the Sale of the House which to. Had highly mortgaged Quot she says Quot and i was advised a by his lawyer to  Alimony Only child  Quot Bui she was t worried an educated  in. Her 40s, with High Energy and Many skills she thought. That Sho would be Able to earn n Good living. A a a. I rented a i Ace in the s a m e Nek h to r h Lori so i h e e h Ildren co u id c ont Niue at s Eho old so e t dec a 11 s Quot. Established credit for Mystel and got a Job at the school  children . A a. She was proud of herself and the Pride still lingers1 in her. Voice a s s be Tol is t lie St Ory b u 111 e r Job d id n a t p a. Enough. Bills piled up insurance,.car payments. Rent Ali the extras for the. Kids and Shedell behind a Soo h in e re was n11 e nou hex t r a m Oney even of t a k e the kids outdo a movie and a pizza her sex husband meanwhile was furing them with his lavish lifestyle a. Quot its the Santa Claus papa syndrome she says and a. It worked the children liked being with him better than a i t h the i r ten s o. A Xio u Spe any Pinch i no m Otti or a 1 Quot my husband thought to would have to tight me for custody of our children. But i told our children i want you to be Happy. I want you to be where it will feel Best for  we All Vyent into therapy. After a year s time be 111 h e c h in d r e n knew in o us h so that t h of c of id make a decision. They decided to live with him. I knew he really moved them and would give them whal they d  and of course  would be. A a  but As soon As he got he children he sold his practice and moved yith them but  area she could not afford to Fly and visit them let Alono offer to Send t h Ern ticket s to i s it her i i Hout a Limo by t h o re was no Money coming in except the salary from her school Job. She was determined to change things. She left her Job and put All her efforts into finding a belter one but she could to she was Quot in mourning Quot Tor her children. Her savings were dwindling the rent was too High. She made car payments late and then not at All heartbroken and determined to conserve what Little she had left she put most of her belongings in storage the rest in her Hatchback mini Wagon she worked at any jobs she could gel All Low paying t was Cashie r at a d e i Cal Essen among a dozens of other things she says. Quot but minimum wage was not enough to even begin to get me out of debt. I was educated willing but there was no Way to got Back on my feet i soon could t even pay the monthly storage Bills Sod sold my possessions. A Quot when 1 get a Good Job 1 will still live in my ear saving Quot my pay it off so that i do not lose the car plus the $c,006 i be already paid for it. I do not want handouts Charity welfare. 1 would not sleep in shelters. I do not want you to print my name j will gel put of this never speak of if again and no  know. A there Are Many thousands of us out there but to. Quot a have to be invisible in order to . A amps Susan Harris monday december it 1990 it the stars and stripes Page 13