Somewhere in your community, an individual searches for a piece of cardboard in a dumpster. They use a marker, one of their prized possessions, to write a call to action for help in any form. Then, they spend the day in front of a stoplight, supermarket, or shopping center waiting for drivers to give them money. A majority of them are ignored.
Somewhere in your community, there’s a tent city. It could be hidden behind an abandoned building. Or, in cities like Los Angeles, they’re seen by drivers once they get off the highway. Its population is a combination of those who lost all hope and those who believe it’s only a temporary stop. They’re looked at in disgust.
Somewhere in your community, an individual is hunched over on the sidewalk. Dirty, sleepless, and hungry, they put their head on their knees to rest or shut out the world. They want help but they’ve reached a point of hopelessness. Others walk on the other side of the sidewalk or parking lot to avoid them.
Overall, people avoid a homeless person to ignore the fact that the U.S. has a huge problem.
The Statistics of Homelessness
The 2021 State of Homeless report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness states over a half-million individuals and families experience homeless in America. Though down from the peak of 637,000 during The Great Recession, the current rate is still a high number.
The reasons for homelessness vary greatly. The lack of money to find a place to live is a primary consideration. Especially with the rising cost of real estate since the COVID pandemic started. Abuse and neglect by family members and partners also add to the homeless population. Victims go without shelter if they don’t have a proper support system.
Individuals addicted to drugs or alcohol are subsections of this population. Some can’t get the services needed to start healing. Others don’t want to get better. This could be due to mental illnesses like depression, multiple personality disorder, or bipolar disorder.
The Stereotype of Homelessness
Though there are several reasons why someone becomes homeless, the general public doesn’t like to see it this way. These people are stereotyped. Homeless individuals and families are looked upon with pity or disgust. Those who give them a wide berth wonder why the person sleeping on the sidewalk can’t get it together.
Those who pass a homeless individual or family with a sign for help might scoff at them. They think it’s just a ploy to earn an extra buck because they dress well and seem clean. These people don’t realize the sign holders shower and get clothes at the shelter.
Stereotyping even happens between different homeless people. I’ve lived in my car while working to get a place of my own. Yet, I’ve looked at those on the street and wondered why they weren’t doing more for themselves. In the end, maybe they can’t help themselves because they’re so broken.
This is one reason why homeless statistics have barely decreased over the last decade. No matter the reasons why they end up homeless they’re all put into the same category. When this happens, this population isn’t considered a member of society, let alone people. They’re the modern version of lepers.
Let Compassion Be Your Guide
There’s a way to fix this at the personal level. It doesn’t require huge donations to a homeless charity or taking time to construct Habitat for Humanity homes. Although, those are definitely ways to start easing pain points.
One solution to start ending homelessness is compassion. As Proverbs 19:17 says, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay [them] for his deed.” The tone of this message should resonate with you as a human graced to live on this planet. It’s not much different than doing unto others what you would have them do to you.
I think back to Groundhog Hog day when talking about compassion for the homeless. As Bill Murray’s character Phil learns to be a better person, he decides to show compassion to the town’s homeless person. He gets him cleaned up and treats him to a meal. Though the man dies after each encounter, Phil continues to show compassion rather than declaring it’s not worth the effort to continue.
The goal of every individual and government must be the recognition of their homeless population. Not everyone is out to make an extra buck for more drugs or alcohol. Nor are they lurking about to harm you. While there are some homeless individuals with those intentions, the rest of the population simply wants to be warm, secure, and acknowledged that they’re just as human as you are.
This starts by looking a homeless individual in the eye and saying or nodding hello. Recognition like this does wonders, particularly for someone who feels completely hopeless. If you’re compelled, try to have a conversation with them to get an idea of what happened to them.
Once you get this far consider other forms of compassion.
- Make two lunches and give one away.
- Offer a gift card for food, gas, or lodging.
- Purchase some healthy, non-perishable foods.
- Buy them new socks and underwear.
- Speak to a church or homeless organization if you’re concerned about an individual or family you regularly see.
- Volunteer at a shelter, church, or other organization that helps the homeless community.
Whichever suggestion you take on remember one important thing — don’t judge. As a society, we’ve been hardened by jaded commentary on the homeless. However, making a judgment without getting to know someone starts the connection off the wrong way. Though you donate or volunteer time, you do so with a chip on your shoulder.
Compassion won’t completely solve America’s homeless crisis. That involves an increase in funds for mental health services and items like tiny home communities. From those, job training and financial management classes are needed to keep individuals and families from ending up homeless again.
Having said this, compassion is certainly a start. The more you and the community recognize the homeless population, the better they’ll feel about themselves. Thus, they can take the first steps toward a better life. It’s much better than being ignored as a human being.
