I am allowed to bring; identification, a bible, notepad & pen, a blanket and the clothes I want to wear or carry in a black trash bag. I learned from those who did the Homeless Experience last year that carrying around a bunch of extra stuff becomes a burden so I will not be taking any extra clothes.
I went to the thrift store to purchase some inexpensive attire. Actually, I thought the prices at the thrift store were high. Regardless, I will be sporting $38.00 dollars worth of used clothing.
No money, no watch, no electronic devices. If it rains, as the forecast indicates, I won’t need a smart phone to check the weather. When I am wet it means rain, when I am hot the temperature is up. It is starting to get muggy in DC. Should anyone see me after a day of perspiring on the streets I recommend keeping your distance.
I am told that food in DC is not a problem. There are several organizations and churches that serve food to the homeless. However we will be asked to panhandle at least once so that we can get the experience of being ignored by the majority of the population. Any money we receive can be used to purchase food or donate to a worthy cause. By the way, not all panhandlers are homeless and not all homeless panhandle.
National Community Church (NCC) that Teri and I attend is sponsoring this particular mission. NCC has many mission opportunities but I chose the DC Experience for a number of reasons.
My intellect, assuming that I have one since I am volunteering to live on the street, tells me that most people don’t choose homelessness as better way of living. There’s a back-story to everyone’s life. A story we seldom hear and in my case choose not to hear because it’s more convenient to ignore. On television, I have watched the plights of street people in other countries and feel empathy yet I walk past men and women on the streets of America all the time without even looking.
In preparation for the homeless adventure, it’s still an adventure since I have yet to spend a night out in the rain or gone days without a shower, we read a book about two guys who spent five months on the streets of five different cities. In Under The Overpass the author writes that “it’s like asking God to bless your day, then when He puts a needy, smelly person in front of you that you could really help, you wonder what you did to deserve such rotten luck.”
One of the things I expect to learn from this experience is just how can I help. You can’t take in every person you see off the street. So what do you do? Perhaps I will have that answer in another three days. I already have learned that I need to remember that street people are human beings. From what I have read and from what professionals have told me the homeless are people that have lost hope. Is there anything I can do to give just a little hope to the hopeless?
Data collected by government and non-government organizations tell us that approximately 32 percent of the people living on the street have a history of substance abuse, 28 percent have a mental illness, 19% a chronic physical illness and another 6% have a developmental disability. Families that become homeless often have one member of the family suffering from one or more of the conditions listed above. That leaves about 15% that end up on the streets for a variety of other reasons such as a lost job or medical bills. Another disturbing statistic is that a disproportionate number of homeless are veterans.
If nothing else maybe I will learn how to connect the homeless with services that can help them. In the book Under the Overpass the author tells of a time when he stopped to talk to a real homeless person. After several hours of conversation the author was getting ready to leave and the real homeless man thanked him because he was the first person to talk to him all week. If stopping to recognize that someone is still a human being can make a difference then I think I can do that.
I visited an organization in DC called Pathways to Housing DC. Their philosophy is that you “provide housing first, and then combine that housing with supportive services to include mental and physical health, substance abuse services, employment, education and the family reunification needed to get back on their feet.”
I am anxious to take on the homeless experience and learn something new about homelessness, the homeless and myself. Hopefully, I will let you know how it all went and what I actually did learn. If you don’t hear from me again either something really bad has happened or I found life on the street better than expected.
I went to the thrift store to purchase some inexpensive attire. Actually, I thought the prices at the thrift store were high. Regardless, I will be sporting $38.00 dollars worth of used clothing.
No money, no watch, no electronic devices. If it rains, as the forecast indicates, I won’t need a smart phone to check the weather. When I am wet it means rain, when I am hot the temperature is up. It is starting to get muggy in DC. Should anyone see me after a day of perspiring on the streets I recommend keeping your distance.
I am told that food in DC is not a problem. There are several organizations and churches that serve food to the homeless. However we will be asked to panhandle at least once so that we can get the experience of being ignored by the majority of the population. Any money we receive can be used to purchase food or donate to a worthy cause. By the way, not all panhandlers are homeless and not all homeless panhandle.
National Community Church (NCC) that Teri and I attend is sponsoring this particular mission. NCC has many mission opportunities but I chose the DC Experience for a number of reasons.
My intellect, assuming that I have one since I am volunteering to live on the street, tells me that most people don’t choose homelessness as better way of living. There’s a back-story to everyone’s life. A story we seldom hear and in my case choose not to hear because it’s more convenient to ignore. On television, I have watched the plights of street people in other countries and feel empathy yet I walk past men and women on the streets of America all the time without even looking.
In preparation for the homeless adventure, it’s still an adventure since I have yet to spend a night out in the rain or gone days without a shower, we read a book about two guys who spent five months on the streets of five different cities. In Under The Overpass the author writes that “it’s like asking God to bless your day, then when He puts a needy, smelly person in front of you that you could really help, you wonder what you did to deserve such rotten luck.”
One of the things I expect to learn from this experience is just how can I help. You can’t take in every person you see off the street. So what do you do? Perhaps I will have that answer in another three days. I already have learned that I need to remember that street people are human beings. From what I have read and from what professionals have told me the homeless are people that have lost hope. Is there anything I can do to give just a little hope to the hopeless?
Data collected by government and non-government organizations tell us that approximately 32 percent of the people living on the street have a history of substance abuse, 28 percent have a mental illness, 19% a chronic physical illness and another 6% have a developmental disability. Families that become homeless often have one member of the family suffering from one or more of the conditions listed above. That leaves about 15% that end up on the streets for a variety of other reasons such as a lost job or medical bills. Another disturbing statistic is that a disproportionate number of homeless are veterans.
If nothing else maybe I will learn how to connect the homeless with services that can help them. In the book Under the Overpass the author tells of a time when he stopped to talk to a real homeless person. After several hours of conversation the author was getting ready to leave and the real homeless man thanked him because he was the first person to talk to him all week. If stopping to recognize that someone is still a human being can make a difference then I think I can do that.
I visited an organization in DC called Pathways to Housing DC. Their philosophy is that you “provide housing first, and then combine that housing with supportive services to include mental and physical health, substance abuse services, employment, education and the family reunification needed to get back on their feet.”
I am anxious to take on the homeless experience and learn something new about homelessness, the homeless and myself. Hopefully, I will let you know how it all went and what I actually did learn. If you don’t hear from me again either something really bad has happened or I found life on the street better than expected.
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| What the weather was like all day Thursday |
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| Tom's team and their mentors
My days as a homeless person are over. A mattress, no matter how lumpy, beats cardboard anytime. The Homeless Challenge was valuable and provided an opportunity to meet some wonderful people. I made some very good friends to include those that did the challenge with me; those that work with the homeless and many that are homeless.
The subject of homelessness is complex. As one of my challenge teammates said, “If you met one homeless person, you have met "one" homeless person.” Each person has a unique story and stereotypes are not useful. The bottom line is that these are human beings and no human being should live in such dire circumstances. Many of the homeless we met did not look as if they were homeless. They were intelligent, articulate, resourceful, hygienic, decent people. None of them start life in homelessness. They had housing, families and communities. Some are now dealing with addiction while others have a mental illness or both. There is some debate as to which comes first. One of our mentors said, “50% of the homeless with addictions got that problem after becoming homeless.” There are not as many resources out there as you would expect. At least not the resources that will get people off the streets like affordable housing, decent wages in a high cost areas, and services that help people fight addiction and mental illness. In DC you will always find something to eat but it is not always a healthy choice. The homeless life expectancy is 20-years less than the rest of us. We spent Saturday morning at Franklin Park where we expected to get breakfast. There were many well-meaning churches and individuals bringing food but not enough for everyone and often nothing nutritious. We had chips and Oreos for breakfast. Homelessness is a tough game of survival. As one of our mentors told us, “the homeless are exhausted. “Everyday is an endurance game where you never get a good nights rest. There are no breaks from homelessness, no down time from the constant challenges of staying alive for another day.” After spending the night in the rain on a concrete bed, surrounded by rats, and either too cold or too hot, you greet the morning not because you are rested but because you want to escape the discomfort. The homeless you see sleeping in the park during the day are recovering from the previous night. Our group experienced this first hand. It is hard to sleep when you are cold and wet. As I wrote earlier, homelessness is complex. One solution does not fit everyone. Fortunately there are people that care. Some are working with the homeless now and others including our homeless mentors are advocates for the homeless using their experience, compassion and communication skills to help government and non-profit organizations better address the needs of those on the streets. I found it impressive to hear a man that had spent 30-years on the street talk sincerely and intelligently about his life and why it took so long to recover. There isn’t enough time to explain the entire story here but trust me when I say that no one wants to be homeless or stay homeless. Too often the homeless have lost all hope. Circumstances can create homelessness hopelessness perpetuates it. There is some good news. We do have many wonderful people in this world. While panhandling, something I was very uncomfortable doing and I understand that many homeless feel the same way. Not all homeless panhandle and not all panhandlers are homeless. However, as part of the experience I tried it. On one occasion I put out a sign asking for water and Chap Stick. After a short while I saw two pairs of shoes stopped not too far from me. When I looked up I saw two young black girls, early 20’s, staring at me, wanting to approach but hesitant. Finally, one of them steps forward and says, “Here this is for you”. She gives me two bottles of water and a new package of Chap Stick. I was surprise to get the items and surprised at the age of these angels. I said thanks, but as they walked away I realized that this was not enough. I called out. “God Bless You”. Not the cursory “god bless you” used when someone sneezes. I was so touch by their act of kindness that I wanted God to bring real blessing to them. They turned around, smiled and walked off. Our homeless mentors, these are people that have spent years on the street or are currently living on the street, told us how much such acts of kindness and compassion can mean to a homeless person. Homelessness can make you feel as if you don’t matter. A simple act of kindness can change that feeling of worthlessness if only for a few minutes. What can you do? Of course, you could always donate your time and energy to be an advocate for the homeless. But that is not for everyone. I will give you the recommendation presented to my challenge group by another of our mentors. Adopt a homeless person. No, you don’t take them home. The next time you see a homeless person ask them if there is anything you can do for them. I have a friend that when I told him I was about to go on this homeless challenge told me of a time when he would pass a homeless person each morning on his bike ride to work. One day he decided to stop and talk to the man. He exchanged a few pleasantries with the man then went on his way. My friend started to stop and say hello to the man whenever he saw him. Eventually learning his name and a little about his identity and character. When the weather got colder he brought his homeless friend an unused coat from his closet and on occasion a gift card to purchase some food or other necessities. You never know how your act of kindness will impact the person on the receiving end. You can know that it will make a difference. Another mentor of ours told the story of how just over a year ago he was on the streets of DC in sub-freezing temperatures. He was sick and in despair wanting to die when around 2 a.m. a man approached him. Our mentor had others talk to him over the years but for whatever reason this time was different. Our mentor said it was because the man that approached said all the right things, like asking, “what can I do to help you” instead of “let me help you.” That was the day our mentor began to get his energy back so that he could eventually get off the streets. He was given hope when all seem hopeless. After 30-years on the streets, our mentor has been living in a subsidized apartment for almost a year. I don’t recommend you waste time looking for the magic words before talking to a homeless person. My recommendation is that you recognize these people as human beings in need and show an act of kindness. Take one small step to let someone that is on the verge of losing all hope know that someone cares. As I mentioned earlier homelessness is complex and no two homeless people are the same. Some caution is warranted but don’t let fear alone stop you from making a difference in someone’s life. P.S. When I get more time I plan to write a more detailed explanation of the Homeless Challenge so if anyone is interested let me know and I will share it with you.   |
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