Homelessness

In my city, as in probably all cities, there is a reality of homelessness.

A lot of people are a little bit freaked out by it, and avoid the issue completely. It is frightening, the juxtaposition of those who have nothing with those who have warm homes, just streets away.

But it's there.
They are there.
So the question is, now what?

Who are these people? How did they find themselves in their situations? Should we really be afraid of them?

I took some time during the summer to walk around downtown with some friends. We handed out about eighty sandwiches, and found just as many stories.

As it turns out, there are a multitude of ways to become homeless. Buisnesses falling apart, the death of a spouse, sickness, abuse, and yes, substance addictions. Sometimes there are combinations of reasons. It depends on the individual you talk to.

Because they are individuals, each with talents and dreams and pasts and futures and relationships and fears and needs and opinions and quirks... you get it. They are all different.

And I don't think it's fair to put them all under one label. They are not all drunks or stoners or lazy. Many of whom I met are more hardworking than the teens I interact with at school.

For example, take Crazzy Dave, the homeless poet. He has been on the streets for years, and he's made an art out of it. He collects old pieces of cardboard and writes amazing poems on them. He sells them, and from what he tells me, a single one can make anywhere from two dollars to forty dollars. He'll even write you an original on the spot, given a topic. With the help of more fortunate friends, Crazzy Dave now has his own book of poetry published. He's the kind of guy I'd love to spend a whole day with, just to learn.

It's great that there are a lot of organizations trying to address the very real issue of poverty and homelessness, but many of these people have been burned by institutions before, and I belive it is a need that will best be met through the average citizen. People taking time to help each other.

More than that, to understand one another.