Want to have an eye-opening experience? Study the homeless situation where you live.
Last November I started thinking about the homeless situation in our little town. Spencer is a town of about 3-3500 people. Owen County is about 23,000. We have two main bridges, neither of which is conducive to living under. They are bridges over rivers, not an overpass type of bridge. When I inquired about the homeless I was told we had none. One who had been “hiding out” under the one bridge was now in jail. The one someone saw on the steps of the post office didn’t exist. So I considered it pretty much a dead issue until a meeting a few months ago spurred the talk. So some of us have proceeded further in our discussion and, man, has it been eye-opening.
The information was basically right. Until you begin to include the students who “sofa surf;” those who live in substandard housing, cabins, tents, campers, storage units-many of them without running water and/or toilets. Sadly, many of them 1) like it that way and 2) want to be left alone. So the expected number of students who sofa surf is expected to be 150 by the end of the school year.
My point: homelessness is much more than living under a bridge. It could be the single mom/dad trying to raise two children with some dignity, living with a friend or relative, sleeping on a couch or floor. It could be the family whose house/trailer burned and they live there because it is all they have. It could be that panhandler begging you for a little something.
Whenever I think I want to quit thinking about people like this, I am stopped dead in my tracks by Jesus’ words: “When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat…naked…thirsty…in jail…” Which part of “I don’t care” is easy to stomach?
Have you ever checked out the homeless situation in your community? I’d like to hear results. I’d also like to hear if any of you are involved in a ministry to “street people” or the homeless.
There are a fair number of homeless in my area. For a while, they could be seen with their signs and their cups at every major intersection. Then Johnny Law spirited them all away somewhere. I wonder where they went.
Yep you gotta wonder.
I did all the research for our school corporation last year about homeless kids for my internship. It is actually something that has to be done by each school corporation by law per the McKinney-Vento Act. It was eye-opening!
I’m sure you know Mandy. She is our liaison for this effort. Hearing a lot about that Act. Thanks Jacci.
I worked for Mandy :).
Seems like a nice lady. Don’t believe she is a Christ-follower but still a nice lady. And she cares about the students.
I got a kick out of your reply here. “Not a Christ follower but still a nice lady” If she were a Christ follower she is automatically a nice lady? Or you are just surprised when you find a nice lady that doesn’t believe the Jesus story?
Neither Jeff. I have met many nice people who were not Christ-followers. I would rather have one who isn’t but knows their stuff than one who is and pretends to know.
You have that exactly right.
Oh, how I loved that you asked this question of yourself, Bill. And of us. You’re so right that homelessness is much more than living under a bridge. And for every homeless person, there’s a different story about why they’re homeless. Some of our homeless friends are as happy in their situation as our next-door-neighbors are in theirs; others, not. What I’ve had to learn is to accept them where they are and just help as I can in the moment. Sometimes it’s very frustrating; other times it’s very rewarding.
You grasp the scope of this Lisa. Sounds to me like you have done some ministry or reaching out to the homeless in your area. Good for you! Thanks for coming by.
If you have homeless friends that are happy in their situation then you have homeless friends with mental disabilities. But I don’t know your next door neighbors. They may have a worse deal. I don’t know your professional qualifications but I do have to wonder where you are coming from.
Love reading your comments, Jeff. You pegged it that several of my homeless friends DO have mental illnesses. Few are on meds. You’re also right that many prefer living outdoors versus the hell they find indoors with relatives with abuse, addictions, etc.
My neighbors have their needs met and, for the most part, live very happily. 🙂
Danny works in downtown Atlanta where homeless folks are everywhere. It is so sad . . .But the story on my last blog tells of someone Danny could help and who, miraculously, helped him:
http://marthaorlando.blogspot.com/2015/05/for-least-of-these.html
Blessings, Bill!
I believe I even commented on that post Martha. I commend Danny for caring.
It’s a big problem. As you know I have been involved for a number of years providing teens (16-20) with housing and support throughout those years. So many kids, through no fault of their own, have parents that are not fit to live with or worse. Why do we spend our money on cell phones, cable TV, nice cars, fancy church buildings, etc. when so many other things need supported? I don’t think it is because we don’t care. I just think we are stupid. (Not me and you Bill) just the rest of them. And as a side note 100% of the kids that go through our program graduate high school and many go on to college. All would have dropped out and who knows what.
OH I have to add one other comment. In talking about students you said “Sadly, many of them 1) like it that way and 2) want to be left alone” I think that might be a little misleading. I think many of them do prefer to be homeless rather than living with sexual abuse, or witnessing spousal abuse, or being physically abused by a drunken father or a crack headed Mama. But I know for sure they prefer a more normal life with normal expectations and a normal environment. No one is happy living in a van down by the river. Nobody!!!
I will grant you that I stand corrected on that statement Jeff. You put a qualifier on it that I have to agree with: they would prefer to live in a less than ideal situation than witness abuse, sexual abuse (a scourge if I ever saw one), etc. My heart wishes I could give all the kids a good & loving home.