Homelessness
65
Sometimes the ills of our society seem overwhelming. "What can I do?" most people think. Well, no one of us can solve the problem. It seems so much easier to pay lots of taxes and let the government "fix" it. After all, they're set up for that - right?.
Actually, no. I have worked with the homeless in the San Francisco Bay area for a of couple years. I didn't really know what it meant to be homeless until I got a ringside seat to the problem. Homelessness scares most people and I can't say I blame them. Many of us are one paycheck away from the street, a phenomenon many of the volunteer staff understood very well. I think that's why they were able to be so compassionate to those who had fallen over "the line".
There is no shame in being homeless. Many homeless people do feel ashamed though, as if they have somehow failed, and in our society, they are so judged. But what is most important to remember is that all of us have failed at some point. Just not in so obvious a way as being actually homeless. So because this "failure" is so horribly obvious, does that mean these people deserve our contempt, on top of their all their other problems, because their condition scares us so much?
I have met more people with more dignity, self respect, and compassion amongst the homeless than I have ever met in the corporate or business world. Descending to a state of homelessness means they have nothing left to lose. So they look inside of themselves and find kindness, because it is the only thing they have left to give to someone else.
There is an unexpected comraderie amongst the homeless. They give to each other because they know that giving is what keeps them sane in an almost impossible situation.
Not all the homeless are so noble, however.
Homeless people can be divided, loosely, into three broad catagories:
1- The guy that lost his job and will do anything to work his way back up. This guy only takes a handout because he has no choice. He can't get work and hold a job if he has no place to sleep - but he resents the hell out of the fact that he has to do so at all and works like the dickens to "pay his own way". Eventually he does.
2- The guy who is emotionally shattered. Society, events, PTSD, whatever, has broken this guy and no matter how hard he tries he can't seem to make a go of it. This guy needs our compassion and aid the most and, he deserves it. A civilized society does not throw it's weakest members onto the trash heap.
3- Abusers of the system. They can get a handout and they'll take that handout for as long as they can get it. Work? Are you kidding? Why work when they can get all this stuff for free? A lot of the people in this group are substance abusers, if not all.
I would say that group #2 is the biggest group and that they should be helped, but not necessarily by the government. These people were mostly helped by religious groups in the area that believed in helping their fellow man.
I do not believe that the government should be in the business of social programs. I have found, from my own experience, that more people are helped and treated with compassion when helped by private organizations and individuals. When the government did get involved it was callous, faceless and brazenly self-serving - as in "the more homeless we can "claim" we've "helped" the bigger our subsidy will be!"
But to flesh out the picture a little, here are a few of their stories.
(names have been changed)
Tom. Tom is a software engineer in Silicon Valley. He was making an excellent salary, had a home and a loving wife, or so he thought. After 20 years of marriage his wife decided she wanted a man who made more money so she left him. Tom fell to pieces. He never saw it coming. As a result he couldn't keep his mind on his work, and his assets started to slip away. He became homeless. While in the shelter he went on interview after interview in his field. He was very qualified and many people wanted to hire him. But for one reason or another he would turn them all down. Tom had been shattered emotionally and could never quite get back on his feet.
Dick. Dick is a mortgage lender. When he became homeless he was making $90,000 a year. How does one become homeless making that much money? He couldn't stop drinking. He would get job after job, all within that salary range, and then sabotage himself through drink. He would get a job, leave the shelter, drink too much, lose the job, and be back in the shelter. This cycle repeated itself over and over.
Harry. Harry was a Viet Nam vet. He was a plumber by trade and is now retired, age 62. He is living on a very limited $800 a month social security benefit. He lives in subsidized housing for the elderly. He became homeless because of alcoholism. Over time he stopped. He "made the decision" to quit and he has. He's doing ok now.
Ed and Sherry. Ed and Sherry, a married couple, think the world owes them. They had subsidized housing for low-income couples. They made so many demands and showed such contempt for their neighbors that they were kicked out. When they get jobs, which they do over and over, they sit and talk to each other so much that they get fired. To hear them tell it, "they'll talk as much as they like and you better just stay out of it". They keep applying for, and getting, very nice subsidized living situations. And they keep getting kicked out because of their "do me" attitude.
Many of the homeless that you see on the street fall into this last catagory. They're just not as resourceful as Ed and Sherry. You may have noticed that a lot of them have no front teeth! (neither did Ed) That is one result of crack addiction. Chances are, if someone with no teeth is asking you for a handout, they'll be using it for more drugs. Avoid this type of person. There is no way to help a substance abuser until they literally hit bottom (somehow being on the street isn't enough) and "make the decision" to quit. Then, and only then, can they be helped.
There are as many different stories as there are homeless and the picture I've painted here is with very broad strokes.
If you want to help, there are many ways you can do so.
• You can give money to a group that helps the homeless. The way these groups give aid is to pay an electric bill, or fill a gas tank, or give a bag of groceries, or pay a DMV fee, or get them a pair of shoes for a job interview. This doesn't sound like much but it makes a tremendous difference to someone who's trying to get back on their feet.
• You can give your old stuff to the Salvation Army or St. Vincent de Paul's. Your efforts in this area are far beyond what you may think. Thrift shops where people can get nice things make a huge difference. One note though - if you think an item should go in the trash, then it's not appropriate for the homeless. I have seen people make the mistake of thinking these people don't want or need nice things, or good things. They do.
• You can volunteer your time. There are many places where they feed the homeless. They need servers. Sometimes it's a hot meal and sometimes it's a bag lunch. Sometimes they'll have a picnic and you can transport food, serve food, put up signs, etc.
• You can offer your services - repair skills, legal advice, healthcare assistance, etc.
The point is that there are a million small ways in which to help. If everyone just did one small thing, the problem wouldn't be nearly so big. And after a while, you get to know these people, and come to understand that they really aren't all that different from you and me. They're just hurting more. There but for the Grace of God go I.
I hope I have opened a window of understanding into this situation, at least a little. Understanding, after all, is the first step to a solution. I don't have that solution but I can leave you with the wise words of St. Vincent -
"No one can do everything, but everyone can do something."
- St. Vincent de Paul Bay Area
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
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Comments
Great hub. You opened my eyes to the plight of the homeless. I will look at them differently now and reach out a helping hand when I can.
John - yes, giving money does help, even a small amount. Most people just don't realize how much it really does help. The problem seems insurmountable but the only way too really deal with it is a bit at a time. And your right, there are definitely two groups, one of which is sane. I can't even begin to tell you about some of the things I've seen the other group do. Thanks for posting. (oh - and that's "Dudette" to you :)
Bob- A small helping hand is alwys the best. It's hard to know sometimes, when a bit of help will buy them food - or drugs. It took a while to be able to distinguish. Thanks for posting.
Eye opening post. Many people are in tough straights trough difficult circumstances not all of their doing. We, as citizens, need to do what we can for these people, and stop thinking that paying taxes is our contribution. This is another example of how the left are truly the heartless ones, they don't care if a program actually helps people, just as long as "they tried". Unfortunately, their idea of "trying" is advocating for yet another governnment program.
bob enright - the government, based on what I've seen, mucks up the works like you wouldn't believe. They actually exacerbate the problem at the local level because the county doesn't want to lose the federal subsidy. So the county aids the homeless just enough to ensure the subsidy, but not enough to actually help anyone get on their feet. Anyone who has ever gotten on their feet did so through sheer determination and grit. Unfortunately, most homeless are homeless because they don't have that grit in the first place. The only solution is for compassionate citizens to get involved themselves - and many do. But expecting a bureaucracy to fulfill that role is just a way to claim that one "cares", but could actually care less. Thanks for your input.
i agree. my experience is that the government just wants to fill some quota that has nothing to do with getting anyone back on their feet.
richard - yeah, it's politics every time. thanks for your comment.
" . . . The Only Thing They Have Left To Give To Someone Else." What a profound phrase. I certainly agree about getting the government out of it. Many times the problem is a problem of the heart and the government can't help with that.
This is a fine article. I enjoyed it very much and it gave me new insights to these poor folks and their difficulties. Thank you.
Thanks James - It breaks my heart to see how these folks are treated by the government. These cold bureaucrats would actually sabotage the homeless to ensure their subsidy, only a part of which went to the aid of the homeless. The true compassion came from the local religious organizations who would go out of their way to see that a person got the key bit of aid they needed to get on, and move just that much closer to self-reliance. I have enormous admiration for them and their work. Thanks for stopping by.
I wouldn't be that - umm - strict on the third group. From my point of view those are the people who just chose a path different from most of us, and they live it how they can. They are surviving, and every bit counts for that, and if there is a free help - why not to use it? :)
During these economic times, the only way people are going to survive it is if they band together to help each other, it is about sharing resources, and it does not always have to be monetary. thanks for writing this hub because it gives people a chance to reflect on the needs of others.
Great Hub Madam X. Substitute mental illness for homeless and our conclusions would be similar. Of course many in the second group should be getting treatment, but they were just cast out on the streets after the old state mental hospitals closed their doors. Amazing how those "community centers" never got the funding they needed. Private individuals again are left to pick up the pieces. Still it's a good deal for the homeless because at least private individuals care, not like the faceless machinery of the State.
Misha - Thanks for posting. I disagree with you about the last group. These guys steal from other homeless, are mostly criminals, usually in a small way but sometimes not, ruin charitable resourses for other homeless, thereby giving all homeless a bad name, and as far as they're concerned, are the only ones who exist. This last group is truly the lowest of the low. The only group lower are politicians :) Why should the rest of us support them in their depravity. But thanks for stopping by.
RA - Yeah, that is the key - everyone helping each other. The homeless that see that and act on it are the ones who have the best chance of getting out of their dilema. Thanks.
tech - A LOT of homeless need mental help and they just don't get it. You would be amazed at what passes for mental health care in this area. Most of the "caregivers" need more help than the homeless. I still thank God for the caring individuals and private organizations that do offer help. Some of those people are truly saints. Thanks for posting.
Working with that group had to have been, hands down, the best job I ever had. It was the hardest, but also rewarding.
Well, I never said that the rest of us should support them. :)
In fact I think that supporting any needy is none of government business, and as soon as it becomes one you get the results you just described in your hub. And when you are not forced to pay for their room and board, tolerating the guys who chose to live this way becomes much easier :)
tech - yes, it can be very satisfying, but it can drain you dry too. Good for you for the work you've done.
Misha - I've always believed in people just helping each other. It always works the best and you get to feel really good about yourself at the same time. And yeah, even when you don't support these guys they can be hard to tolerate :)
Madame X-You hit the nail on the head. There are as many varieties of homeless as there are of the "homed". The worst of them disparage the best of them. But, you are not being quite politically correct - this is a taboo subject to be mentioned in the period of a Democrat Congress/Democrat Administration! I haven't heard the homeless discussed by the elite media yet. I thought only Reagan and the Bushes were responsible for those living on the streets!
I suppose ACORN will find them when it is time again to vote. Seriously, their plight is sad and their numbers are growing.
Great article Madame X,
I also have first hand experience with the homeless. You described the groups perfectly. I will shed a small bit of light on what happens to many of the homeless. As time passes and more and more hope of escape is destroyed, a survival tactic in the mind sets in. This is a defence against reality, and many who began homelessness with a sound mind become unstable.
The longer they remain in this condition, the harder it is to bring them back. Some do make it out, but the majority do not. It is our job to do to others as we would have them do unto us.
For those who think that all the homeless people are there because they are failures, you need to go talk to some of these people. One man I met was a Scientist at Livermore Lab in California. I spoke with him several times and found that he was injured and denied benefits. After years of struggling to survive he finally spent his last penny and had no option left but the streets.
You would not believe the stories I have heard from the homeless over the last 40 years.
born to be free - yes, I have heard as many stories as there are homeless, and a number of them like the guy you describe. It is so heartbreaking. I agree with you that the longer they are homeless the harder it is to bring them back. The crime is that the bureaucrats only care about the money they get based on their numbers. They get more money by actually sabotaging those who have the chance of breaking free. It's sickening. I didn't mean to communicate that these people are failures, but that our society looks at them as such because of the fear that it "could be them", without really knowing homeless people and understanding their stories. You make good points, as always :)
I may be showing my un-PCness here, but while I agree that most of these people find themselves in a horrible position, it's due to the outcome of their decisions. We can choose what to do in life, we cannot choose the outcome. Which is one reason the plans of Progressives fail. It's not just a matter of money, it's a matter of making good decisions with consequences that are not catastrophic. And yes, I understand that some, even many homeless may have been driven to it by things like medical bills, etc. Even so, there are still choices that can be made that don't involve homelessness.
That is why I think charities are in a much better position than government bureaucrats to do something about the problem. First charities have an incentive to actually do something that will solve the problem, more people donate to successful charities. Government agencies work under the opposite conditions. The better they do, the less money they get. Thus government agencies have a level of waste and inefficiency that would be intolerable in a private charity.
Also charities work more one on one, which is the most effective way of dealing with people and convincing them to make better decisions in the future than they have in the past. It's a great feeling to see that light finally come on when someone realizes that while they may be responsible for where they are, they can choose to do differently in the future. That, truly, is the start of the road to healing.
tech - I don't consider you un-PC at all. In fact, you make an important point. Personal responsibility has become a dirty word. What ever happened to personal pride? The idea that "I'll be damned if I'll ever take a handout". But I guess that went out with the depression era.
I would say that it is sometimes the result of their decisions, not always, based on what I've seen myself. But I like your stance. Mostly things are of our own making. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Madame X, this is a moving hub. I hate to see homeless people on the streets, but in recent times that has become a much more common sight. There are a number of charities here in the UK who are doing fantastic work with the homeless including Shelter and The Salvation Army. Locally we have a brilliant charity called Emmaus which provides both a home and a purpose for a community of disadvantaged people. Emmaus accepts donations of second-hand furniture and goods which are then cleaned up, refurbished and sold to fund the running of the place. There's a great atmosphere there and it's a very worth-while charity. Another great scheme I know of buys sleeping bags for rough sleepers. These people either cannot find accommodation in local homeless shelters, or they are incapable of fitting in, or are not ready to try. Good quality sleeping bags enable them to tough it out on the streets even in quite heavy weather, and prevents numerous unnecessary deaths each year.
Amanda - thanks for your input. There are organizations that have really helped enormously and they deserve all our support. Actually, they make it possible for the average person to help without having to know how to help.I can't praise them enough.
I see the problem as partly one of poverty. If we had a better economy where people could find work, and where they weren't expecting so much help from the government, I don't think the problem would be so big.
Thanks for telling me about how it works in the UK. It is roughly the same here. I guess homelessness knows no boundaries.
This hub really touched my heart. A few months ago an evangelist who came to my church to hold a revival asked me to write a poem. You can find it on the hub below.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Westgate-Tabernacle
I listend to what the evangelist said and wrote the poem accordingly. I hope you don't mind my posting a link here.
That people are without homes is on of the signs that society is failing.
Sir Dent - I just read your hub and I don't mind a bit that you posted a link - thank you for doing so. And thanks for reading - I had hoped to make an impression so as to give a better understanding of the problem.
Bob - I think you're right. There didn't seem to be nearly as big of a problem even 30 years ago. We've really gone down hill as a society. But hey, going down means that eventually you have to come back up. Maybe not the most optimistic way of looking at it but I'm not sure how we can avoid our fate. Thanks for reading.
Madame X, I would like to mention one other way the homeless can be helped, at least if you're a dude and not a dudette. You can meet a homeless woman, take her to lunch a few times, assist her in cutting loose from the equally homeless man who's been living off of her drive and resourcesfulness for three years, live with her and support her for 9.5 years, and then marry her "Until death do you part".
A bit radical, you say? Maybe. But that's what I did. Pam and I have been together nearly 13 years now. She was quite mentally ill when we met. Today she is physically ill in many terrible ways, but mentally she is stronger by a couple of light years.
Pam's background: 144 IQ (as measured in High School)... onetime Olympics-qualified gymnast... onetime licensed pharmacist...raised silver blue Great Danes, Arabian horses, and 3 kids. Thrown out by her husband after 20 plus years of marriage.
But she's no quitter, and neither am I. The guy who was living off her energy died less than a year after we hooked up. Pammie is still hanging in there.
And no, she doesn't mind me sharing this information. It might actually help someone, and she's all for that.
Ghost - I have been meaning to respond to your earlier note about Pam having been homeless - yes, I think she found the all-time greatest way out of homelessness :) But you know, so many homeless live not only a poverty-stricken life, but they do so with "poverty consciousness" - hence the guy who was a parasite on her. The only people that I've ever seen get out of homelessness are those who refuse to put their minds there. You know, it always comes down to that - where you put your mind will always determine your course. Thanks for stopping by.
Thank you! A well written examination.
Thanks for the kind words Earthscribe.
Hey Madame X. Even by segmenting "the homeless" into different groups you demonstrate that a one-size-fits-all is doomed to failure. I've known many formerly homeless people. What they all have in common today is they are clean and sober. But you're so right, you have to reach your own bottom before you're ready to change.
I know it's hard for some people to fathom, but there are homeless who choose that life for its freedom and lack of responsibility. Do they have a right to live the way they want to?
Anyway, i'm rambling. Great hub.
I personally prefer to buy food for people who I see begging. If they decline the food they don't get money from me.
MM - Yes, I've met a number of homeless who just want to be left alone and don't want any responsibility. One woman who used to be an auto mechanic would go into the shelter for a short while, get really sick of their sh*t and then go back onto the street. She just hated being inside and would live behind a Salvation Army building with a few others. I think she had every right to live as she chose to, since she wasn't hurting anyone. Giving people food is a great way to help. Money can buy other substances. . .
Thanks for stopping by.
Madame X,
I volunteered as a counselor at an Assistance Ministry for about 15 years and saw first hand many examples of people living on the edge as well as being homeless. The ministry also took in donations of clothing, food, furniture, etc. and would give it directly to needy people and also sell furnishings, etc. to make money in order to pay bills, buy prescriptions, etc.
It saddens me to see what people toss out for garbage pickup at times. I have actually picked up usable objects and taken them to the ministry to be sold, thereby being able to do some good with those things that would have gone into a landfill. Many other charities pick up things at people's doors. No excuse to throw out perfectly good and usable objects!
More people need to realize that what they are tossing out could HELP someone in need.
BTW...our ministry only put better clothing and the like out for sale or to give away to the needy with vouchers. BUT...say a coat or blanket has a hole in it. IT CAN STILL BE USED. We were told that on cold days (not too many in Houston...but some) when the shelters are at capacity, these things can be handed out to homeless people helping to keep them warm.
Sometimes the homeless have a hard time keeping things clean (for obvious reasons). Also...even torn pieces of clothing...DONATE IT.
It will be sifted through and eventually perhaps be bundled up and even shipped to another country who buys things like that in bulk and they may tear it apart and reuse it for something else.
Painters buy cotton cloths, for example. Doesn't have to be in great condition.
From my counseling days I am now more into recycling than ever before!
Good hub...and I agree...private charities do so much more (and more effectively) than the government.
Peggy - thanks for your insights and also your words of first-hand experience. What you describe is exactly how it works in many places - the collecting of usable items is a big part of how those private organizations help out and they rely on the donations of those items as well. People don't always realize how stuff they don't want can mean so much to someone who has literally nothing. After working with the homeless it made me never look at a thrift shop the same way again. Thanks for posting.
I actually found this hub to be very narrow-minded. Homelessness is caused almost entirely by external forces, and rarely through the persons own fault. Homelessness is a sign that there is something wrong with society. I was homeless for almost two years. There was a hiring freeze and no work was available, and It took me almost a year of jumping through various hoops in the system to get a mental health worker.
I have a good education, and an able body, but I sufer from a disorder that makes me very agorophobic when I'm under stress. Agencies and services actually have so much red tape that they are really of little use. A had no active addictions (i am a recovering cocaine addict, but I had two years of clean time before I ever ended up on the streets.)
When you give your change to an agency instead of a person you are actually paying staff wages and the like, and creating more red tape.
Nigel, that doesn't really pass muster. When I was in my late teens and early 20's I suffered from panic attacks. I could not physically go beyond a 10 mile radius from my home without suffering an attack. I suffered with this for years and managed to not only work but go to school and earn an associates degree at a community college.
The only thing that enabled me to do that was my adamant determination that 1. I wasn't crazy and would not seek mental health services and 2. I control my life, not some external force. It just so happened that I joined a martial arts group around that time and part of our training was in meditation. It took several years but I found that my symptoms and attacks lessened in severity and eventually went away. I've been over 10 years without an attack.
I later came to understand that my decision not to seek mental health care was the right one. I found myself working in the public mental health field and soon came to realize that once you get in the system, you don't get out. If the mental health departments of the various states don't keep treating people, they lose money. That gives them an incentive to keep people in the system once they get in. When you get in the system, they give you a number and a number you remain.
I would highly encourage you to find some sort of yoga or meditation group if you suffer from stress related agoraphobia, I think you'll find it very helpful and over time you should be able to reclaim those parts of your life denied you by your problems.
Nigel - ledefensetech responded to your post far better than I ever could. Thanks tech!
My daughter did a paper on the homeless last year, it is frightening to think that many are only a paycheck away from being homeless. We give as much as we can, but more has to be done in each individual community. The unfortunate thing about it is, that some do not want to change. Very nice Hub.
jiberish - you hit the problem right on, most don't want to change. It's a very small percentage that fight like crazy to work their way out. Thanks for posting :)
Great Hub Madame X, I love the way you broke down the different kinds of homelessness. I never really condemned the homeless, but one of your groups, I think group no.2. There was this homeless man in New Orleans where I bought him something to eat in the burger king, he was very thankful, but there was one I gave money too; he never bought anything to eat, he used it for liquor instead. I can't really tell which ones fit into either category. I am willing to help when I can though.
sherry 23 - It's very hard to tell what someone is going to do with your aid. Most homeless people are substance abusers so buying the guy something to eat in Burger King was a great way to help. I was approached once by a guy right after I came out of a restaurant with a doggie box and he asked me for it so I gave it to him. He was very thankful, but that still doesn't mean that he wouldn't use money at another time for liquor or other drug. Even after having worked with them for so long it's still hard for me to tell. Thanks for your comments - and God Bless you.
That's a good thing you're doing Madam X, you will get your blessings two fold. Reaching out and helping someone with problems, at least your are trying. God bless you too.
As another hubber said to me once "no one gets burned for trying" It was a religious hub so he referring to "at the stake". But yeah, all it ever takes is a little care for our neighbor. That's it - so easy. It's easy to feel for people. Thanks for your good will.
Misha--I love it, only you could come up with the let them use the free system. I guess I would agree as long as they are not cluttering the street and following Obama's advice and getting up in our face.
X, good job, it shows what Bush meant with compasionate conservatism. Private venuses, charities, churches etc, do a better job and keep it out of govt control.
The Shark
Thanks Shark - I've met some truly extraordinary people who just help others, just because. It is they who are the true heros of our world. And EVERY time the govt gets involved, way more people who actually need the help are way more unhappy and don't really get what they need.
madame your hub has touched me so deeply, for I am crying as I type this. You are a beautiful soul, an understanding soul. I related to this hub so much, not that I have ever been, homeless I thank my God above, but my heart for people I see in you. And I just love that picture of the man holding up the sign "why lie I want beer". I would have probably have gone and bought him a sex pack, just for the simple fact of his honesty, and because that's what he asked for....lol. thank you Dee
goodfriend Dee - Thanks you for your very kind words. I think one of the hardest parts of working with the homeless, and I know this may be hard to fathom, is that people actually look at me as if I'm some sort of leper. It scares them so much that they don't like to hear me talk about it - what I do for them, who they are, what they need - and mostly how someone can help. Every person who posted on the forum about the homeless who has helped in any way deserves our praise and thankfulness. I think compassion is the greatest thing we can offer each other - as your wonderful post here shows :) Thank you for your heartfelt kindness.
I was out on a hen night in Glasgow and tried to befriend a homeless man. I gave him some of my food and a ten pound note. OK I had a few drinks on board but I do this all the time. Next thing a policeman came and dragged me away, and told me to stop harassing the man. At the time I was really put out, but the next morning thought what a lovely thing PC plod did in looking out for someone who that night could be seen.
johnwindbell says:
6 months ago
Nice HUB. I loved Frisco, if I can use that slang. Good for you
that you lent a hand. I usually give them money, as if it helps.
You see what happens when Gov just gives money. Frankly Madame,
there is no cure. Except maybe far-less Gov intervention. As you said, they
help eachother, or atleast most of the sane ones do.
HUB on, dude.