The other day I stumbled upon this channel on You Tube, The invisiblepeopletv’s Channel. It deals with publicizing the plight of the homeless. Most of these people are not bums, they are middle class people like you and me who have families. Many of the homeless are children. Most have had an unfortunate string of bad luck that resulted in their unfotunate situation.
The other day in my day job as Assistive Technology Coordinator, I happened to do an intake on a homeless woman in nearby Redwood City. She is 56 years old and currently lives in a Homeless Shelter there. She told me her story about how it happened, very slowly over a period of months and years. Her husband had cancer. She needed to care for him. He died and then she lost their home. She and her two boys lived with relatives in a rented house for about six months until it burned down. Then they lived with various other relatives or friends for a few months here and there until eventually they ended up homeless. (a Longer Story Here) She now needs an electric wheelchair to get around as she has a bad knee. It will be operated on soon, but then she will need many months for recovery. WHERE will she go then?
She tries to get jobs, but it is hard to get around on public buses in a wheelchair. One job interview she told me about was in a town nearby that required her to take 4 buses to get there and hours of time! She is on welfare. $381/month. They don’t give you much cash – maybe $40/month for incidentals like toiletries and bus fare. She has to maintain a cell phone also for communication in order to even think about getting a job. The cost of that comes out of the small amount of cash as well. Once she had a decent job in the mutual funds biz. Now they say she is “over qualified” if she just wants any entry-level or clerk-type job in the biz.
I could have videoed her story just like you see on You Tube. I wish I had thought of doing that. After listening to a few stories like hers you realize that homelessness could happen to anyone. And once it happens it is very hard to dig your way out of it.
There is some hope out there. We saw a news clip last week on NBC News I think, about a motivational speaker who decided to take on a group of homeless people. He coached them and built up their self-esteem and then he went to employers to encourage them to hire these people. Some are now employed and no longer homeless as a result. There needs to be more people capable and willing to do that. It is even more important in this economy.
In seeing this need, I wonder how many people might be retired and in need of getting involved in something like what the motivational speaker has done. It doesn’t take much – it is a matter of intention and willingness to take steps to find out what one can do. On this Blog, the very minimum we can do is extend prayer for the well-being of our fellow humans who are struggling to survive. We can also consider clearing out closets and taking clothes and other things needed by homeless shelters where someone in need of clothing or other articles can have a helping hand in that regard. We can volunteer at soup kitchens, or at homeless shelters. We can find out what is needed and see what we can do to give an assist. We have to all remember, there but for the grace of God, go we. And there WITH the grace of God, we can help!
Great article! And may I add, you saved me from homelessness some years ago. I will be forever grateful to you and Kathleen for opening your home to me until I could find my way again. You guys have great big hearts and I am grateful to have a brother like you.
This is a super article and I’m putting it on my BLOG. Once again, it shows the depth of your caring and insight into what is needed.
Bravo!!!
If you can use it, go ahead and do it!
This is a wonderful article outlining just how fragile life can be when overpowering life circumstances create instability beyond a person’s control. I’d like to put this in my newsletter with your permission.
Sure. No problem!