Are Homeless Shelters the Answer to America's Homeless Epidemic?
What the homeless need more than anything is compassion and help. Through my homeless journey I saw compassion come out of people. Whether it was the man working at the gas station who overheard us talking and gave us free drinks and food, or the elderly man walking to his car outside of McDonald's who offered us a ride so we would not have to walk. Even the people spending the night in a hotel because of the floods who offered us their extra bed.
Homeless shelters are an excuse and an illusion to make the rest of the world think that we are trying to help the homeless population. The homeless need people to understand that they are not bad people they are just in a bad time in their life. Everyone suffers misfortune in their lives hopefully never to the extent of being homeless. But if you were wouldn't you hope that people would help you instead of look down on you. Yes, you can say get a job its not that hard. But, it is. First off, you do not have a clock, you are homeless remember. How are you supposed to know what time it is. Second,you do not have clean clothes. Third, you do not sleep much at all. It is not safe too.
I am not making excuses, it is possible to get off the streets. You just need the compassion of a few people along the way. Even just three or four people showing that type of compassion will practically get a person off of the streets. Homeless shelters are the farthest thing from the answer.
So just remember the next time you are walking down the street and someone asks you for fifty cents or any change at all. Give it to them. That could be the fifty cents that gets them something to eat for the day. Or that could be money that they are saving for a security deposit on an apartment. Treat the homeless you would want to be treated if you were ever put in that situation. Homeless shelters are not the answer, they are an excuse for the answer. Put your faith back into people, people make the difference.
Published by Christine Kerrigan
Freelance prose and poetry writer from worcester, MA. Creative style not typically seen, uses real experiences with a twist. View profile
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11 Comments
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Well i guess you dont tell shelter staff you are suicidal.Go sleep on the streets eating only what soup kitchens provide then go to the local city mission.I guess I dont understand if you are submitting yourself then why do you want survival techniques.Anyway your body needs two things to survive carbs and fat.without fats you lose all strength and willpower.If you walk day in and day out you can live with the mild food poisening of trash can foraging.I didnt get at all sick and i ate a pound of trash-burgers every night for over a year.Fast food near hospitals and office bldgs after 1 am best places.Coffee shops for cigarette butts.You might get lucky if your city has a day shelter for showering you can keep your self respect if clean hairand face.Try Vermont as they have a social conscience and would prefer that you are inside a shelter rather than sleeping in their clean city streets
This was really badly written. And what kind of excuse is "you don't have a clock.. you're homeless remember." Better would be that you don't have a telephone to receive phone calls about interviews and such.
i've decided to hit the road and experience a life of deprivation. i will become homeless, i know that for a fact. i want to know the chances of making it out there and what are some things i can do to survive alone in the open city. i understand the few of you who blog on here have had been in the situation of being homeless. if you care to provide me with some answers or some support, i'd deeply appreciate it.
thanks
p.s. how do you submit yourself into a shelter?
ms shay...can we hook up???
keep my name outcha mouth g diggy nog swipy peanut dike
iam a gangsta and i would buy all the homeless people a house
Shelters provide little help. As a disabled, homeless young woman I was seldom able to get into one. Also, the second time someone (not a homeless person in either case, BTW) tried to sexually assault me in a shelter I chose not to use them any more.
What homeless shelters? Long Beach has between 4 to 6 thousand street living people. A church is looking for donations for their rainy day winter shelter in the churches basement. They can serve 125 people a night (or if they get the cash, daytime shelter also). Usually Long Beach homeless get bused to a year round shelter in Los Angeles. What you say about shelters as a solution is so true. A possible solution would be building more Single Room Occupancy hotels to provide shelter for homeless. Much better way to live while seeking work. grampagravy did point out another fact of homeless government help.