I’ve never had significant contact with those persons experiencing homelessness aside from seeing them on the streets because I was always taught to ignore the panhandlers. I was told, “they are dangerous and always drunk”; so, for most of my life, I looked on with fright at the poor men that sat slumped against the walls of buildings with a small cup of change in their hands. Even though I was told to ignore these people by parents and teachers alike, I always felt guilty for walking by and not giving them a cent in return. I thought something must have gone wrong in their lives for them to have ended up homeless because I don’t believe anyone wants to end up a beggar. Young children can end up homeless if their parents fail to care for them or lose their jobs; young adults tend to become homeless as a result of a drug addiction or family issues; and adults can become homeless as a result of unemployment, lack of sufficient skills to join the work force, losing their house, mental disorders and even physical disabilities. As simple as it may be to make assumptions about the individuals who might be down on their luck and roaming the streets, I think it is important to take into consideration the difficulties they face on a daily basis as they try to meet their most basic needs of security, food and shelter while the rest of the world just walks on by.
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AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2012
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