Skip to main content

Patron, Guest, Denizen!? Which are we to the staff or proprietors of Loaves & Fishes's facilities?

Definitions of words used to describe users of Loaves & Fishes's services.
definition
dictionary.com merriam-webster
guest a person who receives the hospitality of a club, a city, or the like; a person who patronizes a hotel, restaurant, etc., for the lodging, food, or entertainment it provides. a person to whom hospitality is extended;a person who pays for the services of an establishment (as a hotel or restaurant)
patron a person who is a customer, client, or paying guest, esp. a regular one, of a store, hotel, or the like. one who buys the goods or uses the services offered especially by an establishment
denizen a person who regularly frequents a place; habitué: the denizens of a local bar. one that frequents a place

People who regularly use services that Loaves & Fishes provides come to be aware that they are referred to as "guests" on signage and from the mouths of staff.

I have noticed that in the class-action complaint that attorney Mark Merin submitted two years ago, regarding the police confiscation of Sacramento homeless people's property, Anthony Lehr, et al. vs. City of Sacramento, et al., the users of Loaves & Fishes services are referred to as "patrons."

In this blog, I insist, perhaps eccentrically, on calling users of Loaves & Fishes' services "denizens."

Which word is most correct to use in light of what homeless people do at Loaves?

I think Loaves is insistent in their use of "guest" in paperwork and on signage to make known the circumstance that anyone using the facility or services does so without acquiring any 'right' to any services or to even be on the premises. Homeless people may be refused services at any time without the staff needing to justify their actions. Signage in front of L&F's Friendship Park reads (something like): "Private Property: Person's can be refused access to the park without notice."

"Patron" is much more of a respectful word than "guest." It implies that the person is paying for services or otherwise supporting the institution with whom he associates. From the definitions provided at dictionary.com, "patron" does not fit as a word to describe users of L&F's services; but by merriam-webster's definition it's fully appropriate: "uses the services offered." In any case, the relationship is symbiotic: both the establishment and the person associating him/herself with the establishment mutually benefit and need one-another.

"Guest," albeit a wholly polite word, highlights the idea that you have no rights here; this establishment is apart from you. "Patron," contrariwise, connotes interdependence. With both "guest" and "patron" the transaction mode between the establishment and its visitor is the core of what the word highlights.

A "denizen" is just a guy who shows up frequently. The word doesn't focus on the mode of transaction; it's disassociated from all the legalisms. But all users of an establishment's services aren't denizens, of course. New users of services, or infrequent users, aren't denizens.

Do users of Loaves & Fishes services "pay" for the services they receive in any sense? I would say absolutely, yes! Loaves & Fishes exists fully because of private donations it solicits. Donors fund the non-profit to aid the homeless; Loaves & Fishes highlights and often exaggerates the misfortunes of the homeless to heighten donations. Loaves & Fishes, then, is a conduit of the charitable feeling of the good-hearted community's businesses and individuals. L&F administers a program the community funds. Without the homeless, Loaves & Fishes would dry up, wither away and its staff would have to go out and find real jobs.

Is "guest," then, an appropriate word to use to describe users of L&F's services? Not really. But it is understandable that Loaves & Fishes management chooses to use that term: Many homeless people can be disruptive from time to time and management is properly determined to maintain order.

Is "denizen" an appropriate word to describe users of L&F's services? Yes, for the purposes of this blog. Usually, in referring to persons at the L&F facility I am necessarily thinking of acclimated, knowledgable users of the services.

Is this the most important blogpost that has ever appeared in this blog!? OK, maybe not.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

More obstacles revealed in effort to make Mather cottages habitable

Mold, asbestos and lead paint, oh my! The 35 cottages out at Mather Community Campus seem closer to being condemned today than ever again being inhabited. But the expectation that some of the cottages can and will be restored to house homeless families before spring abides. A report in the Sacramento Bee tells us ... Some [of the cottages] have extensive mold, a county analysis showed. It's not clear how the county planned to deal with lead paint and asbestos, [Rancho Cordova] Councilwoman Linda Budge said. Still, hope of getting some of the cottages in shape such that homeless families can move in is in play, though not before New Year's day.  Word of where the money might come from to make needed restorations has not been forthcoming, though it is known that the Winter Shelter Task Force hopes to hold a fundraiser to boost the pool of funds to meet the need to keep homeless people warm and safe. At the end of October, placing families, totalling 105 individuals, was

Ron Russell and Summerhills Realty

Readers of this blog should be aware that I am receiving some information that Summerhills Realty and someone named Ron E. Russell is using this blog as a reference in an effort to scam homeless people.  Be aware that Mr. Russell and his business is cited as a possible perpetrator of fraud by a website called Ripoff Report .  See this webpage .  Also, there is this claim of fraud against Ron Russell Properties at the website BizClaims - Latest scams, frauds and complaints . Please be aware that the information of being 'ripped off'' may be coming from only one source is coming from multiple sources, with perhaps as many as twelve persons/couples now pursuing legal action after paying thousands of dollars for services and receiving none of the services that were promised/contracted. While I know neither Mr. Russell nor Summerhills, I do know that an inordinate number of “in links” from readers of this blog have come via summerhillsrealestate.com for quite some time.  I

Loaves & Fishes implicates Buddhism and Jack Kornfield in its June Donations Plea.

The Sukhothai Traimit Golden Buddha was found in a clay-and-plaster overlaid buddha statue in 1959, after laying in wait for 500 years. It's huge and heavy: just under 10 feet tall and weighs 5 1/2 tons. At the beginning of their June newsletter , Loaves and Fishes relates a story, taken from the beginning of renowned Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield's 2008 book The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology . The first part and first chapter in Kornfield's book is "Part I: Who are you really?" and chapter 1 is called "Nobility: Our Original Goodness," which ought to serve as a clue to what the beginning of the book is about, not that that sentiment isn't strewn through-out the chapter, section and book such that what Kornfield is telling us should be crystal clear. Somehow, the not-ready-for-primetime management at Loaves & Fishes have managed to use Kornfield's wise and kindly words in a way that mangles th