Why Help The Homeless?
One of the emails I found waiting in my inbox this morning came right out and asked "…why should we help the homeless?"
It was quite a lengthy email which was really nothing more than a litany of complaints about the homeless. As far as this person was concerned the homeless should just "…take care of there own lives and not bohter the rest of us!" (the typos are his, not mine)
The person seemed to feel that every homeless person should just go right out and find work; or else they should move somewhere else. Moreover this person felt that he shouldn’t be made to feel guilty if he didn’t choose to help the homeless because "… I got bills of my own too pay."
I haven’t responded to that email… yet. I placed it in the "pending" file. As soon as I can figure out how best to answer it in a manner that this gentleman might be able to understand, then I’ll send my reply. Then again, I may just put it in the Recycle Bin, since he seems to already have a mind set that will not be changed.
Still, I did want to address the question "… why should we help the homeless?"
So here goes…
As far as I can ascertain, almost every culture has some variation of the "golden rule" – behave toward others the way you would like them to behave toward you.
This being the case, I have to ask: if you were the one who was homeless, how would you want the rest of the community to treat you?
I’m a strong believer in "what goes around, comes around." So, think about the way you behave toward the homeless. If the shoe were on the other foot, would you want to be treated that same way?
For some, being treated the same way would be of no consequence since they behave toward the homeless with compassion, mercy and kindness. But for those who treat the homeless with scorn, disdain and contempt – I’m willing to be they’d be the first ones to cry "foul" if they were treated in a similar fashion. They’d be the ones who would complain the loudest at how disgustedly they were being treated.
Why should we help the homeless?
What if suddenly you found yourself without a home and you were unable to get some form of assistance through any of the homeless support service agencies? With the lack of adequate funding available for these agencies these days, that’s a high probability. Or, what if you "fell between the cracks" and didn’t qualify for certain types of assistance? Wouldn’t you like the rest of the community to give you a hand up?
Why should we help the homeless?
What if you were a single mother with dependant children? And, what if you had no place to leave your children during the day so that you could go out and look for employment? What if one of your children became ill and needed medical treatment? Or, what if you were the one who became sick? Who would care for your children if your illness required you to be hospitalized? Would you want your children taken away from you and placed into a Child Protective Services facility – and then not know whether you’d be able to get them back?
Why should we help the homeless?
What if you were a senior citizen with on-going medical needs? What if you had to choose between paying rent or paying for your prescribed medications? Medi-Cal and/or Medicare simply doesn’t cover all the costs. Paying the rent would keep you housed, but then you wouldn’t have your medications. Paying for your medications might force you into homelessness.
Why should we help the homeless?
What if you were a husband and father who was one of the 260,000 persons nationally whose jobs have been cut just since the beginning of this year and your home had gone into foreclosure or you couldn’t pay the rent and had faced eviction? Wouldn’t you want someone to step up and help you so that you could get your family off of the streets?
Why should we help the homeless?
What if you were one of nearly half a million homeless veterans who have served this nation; someone who has fought to protect the freedoms that everyone in this nation enjoys? Wouldn’t you want, at the very least, to be helped – if not for your humanity – then at least for the sacrifices you’ve made?
Why should we help the homeless?
How about for the most simplest – and most noble – of reasons: because it’s the right thing to do?
Yes, helping the homeless is the right thing to do…but doing the right thing requires a consciousness that looks beyond the pettiness and selfishness of our own lives & allows one to realize that the “us” & “them” mentality simply doesn’t allow us to reach our potential for compassion as humans.
I think An American is right…we hvae to look past ourselves and need to see the homeless without us being selfish.
I always thought: there but for the grace of God goes me and was kind to homeless people. Finding myself homeless, I would think: guess I feel out of grace in God’s eyes.
It was the Golden Rule, though that was my guiding principle. Living on a triple fault line keeps one mindful that disaster can strike at any time. Imagine quibbling over giving a homeless bloke a quarter and being washed away by a tsunami wave the next day.
I do not think anyone should be guilted into helping the homeless, but search their hearts for guidance. Sometimes just saying no to a panhandler is the best way to help; but I decided not to judge and if I had spare change, to share it.
I know the littlest acts of kindness living on the streets do mean a lot to homeless, from my time on the streets.
If the person who sent the email knew that 1/3 of our homeless are veterans of war, they are former lawyers, business owners, home owners and children who ran away from abusive homes (both physical and sexual) getting caught up in a life they were ill prepared to deal with, would that make a difference in willingness to help.
Mental illness also accounts for the large numbers of those unable to put a roof over their heads; telling them “just get a job” is not an option. Many homeless do work; but the money does not buy affordable housing. This is also true of seniors on a fixed income.
The odd thing to me, is people do not mind making rich people richer, foot the cost for war, then balk with helping those who have not even the basic shelter.
Well written !
You only gave one reason for helping the homeless, which is it’s the right and moral thing to do. The other paragraphs talk about the possibilities (or ways; I couldn’t think of a better word) that you would end up as a homeless: a mother with dependent children, a senior, a jobless husband, a veteran. I wish you would say more about the reasons.
If God felt that it was the right thing to do to help the homeless, perhaps he should do it himself. Like make houses miraculously appear in parks.
Sam,
I’ve written a post in response to your comment.
You can find it at: A Need For Constructive Dialogue
Sam, my God does not have to make anything just appear. We were put on this earth to go and make disciples of all nations, not all disciples that have homes. The searpent tempted God to make water appear when he was thirsty and food appear when he was hungry, but even though he has power to, maybe He is giving YOU the opportunity to share him with the homeless individual. I believe that WE AS A COUNTRY should help the homeless.
how do you expect us to help them?
what do we do, and how will that help?
Lisa,
The first step in helping the homeless is to recognize that they are people just like you and I.
As for how you personally can help the homeless – I suggest that you contact your local area homeless shelter and offer to volunteer some of your time. That might provide you with further insight into some ways in which you can help.
- m -
I strongly agree and disagree with helping the homeless. I may only be 16 years old and in high school but when i hear “oh just give the homeless a house or lets help the homeless or give them are money” well no deserves a house for free and there isn’t alot we can do to help the homeless when half the world can barley help them selfs, and giving the homeless money isn’t going to help that much cause at the end of the day there just going to need more. Another thing is alot of homeless don’t even deserve are help since they are hooked on drugs. But a good way to help the homeless is to talk to them see if there a good person and and not hooked on drugs and that if you got space at your house help them get on there feet. Cause in the end we’re all human and treat others as you would want them to treat you, and every persons help matters.
I 100% agree with Bryan.
I agree with Lisa but i do think that giving the homless money isn’t right cause at the end of the day they just need more. and i may only be 16 but i know that no one deserves a free house. But a good way to help the homeless is to talk to them get to see if there a good person if you got space at your house help get the homeless on there feet.
To Bryan… Great Comment!
Just giving money isn’t the answer. Some of the homeless are actively seeking jobs, and sometimes need help to be presentable – helping them get a fresh set of clothes, a razor, some deodorant..can make enough of a difference to help. Once they have their own source of income, they can get off the streets.
Others are in a bad place mentally, and need a friend just to show them that they’re still human. Over time, they may get to the point that they’re ready to take the next step, and do what it takes to get off the street.
None of this is easy..either as the homeless person, or the one trying too help them. But it’s one way to try to help those who fall through the cracks.
I’ve worked with an informal group called Lovebags (www.lovebags.org), which has been a pretty good model to follow.
I’m a chaplain at a gospel rescue mission in Texas. In the short time I’ve been working with the homeless here, I’ve found that there are no pat answers to helping the homeless. As everyone should realize by now, there are many reasons why people end up homeless and so there must be, by necessity, many different ways to address the issue.
Additionally, the sad fact is that a significant number of the homeless keep themselves in that condition because too many people help them in too indiscriminate a fashion.
The reality of life is that people tend to take the path of least resistance. Some more so than others. If the path is too easy that leads to continued homelessness, then more people will take that path. If it were more difficult to live homeless in the USA, there would be less homeless people.
I’m not sure how to respond to your assertion that: “If it were more difficult to live homeless in the USA, there would be less homeless people.”
Personally, I think your statement is absurd.
There is nothing easy about being homeless in any of its manifestations.
Here is my challenge to you: If you truly believe that the homeless have it too easy, then give up your lifestyle. Leave behind your credit cards, cash, your vehicle, your comfy bed. Fill a backpack with as much as you can carry, grab a sleeping bag – then go live on the streets of your community for 90 days, existing only on what little you can glean from local homeless support services and from the kindness of strangers.
Then – after that – you can come back and let me know how “easy” it was.
Old-homeless, young-homeless, mentally-challenged-homeless, violent-homeless, diseased-homeless, long vs. short-time homeless etc. etc.. naturally leads to the question whether people or orgnizations that help the homeless go through a triage thinking before they get involved ?
At the very basic level, triage calls for categorizing the group into (1) lost causes (2) need help now and (3) can wait a while — before offering any assistance.