Homelessness is in your backyard
On Friday, I needed to make a trip to Target. I left my home through the back door so I could put my trash in the garbage dumpster. Someone had left their couch to be picked up with the rest of the refuse. That's not unusual. Residents are always moving in and out of this building.
When I looked closer, I saw a man sleeping on that couch. It surprised me because although there's plenty of homeless people staying on the streets of this neighborhood, I had never seen this in the six years I've lived here. It was a reminder that.....
Homelessness is in your backyard.
My local Target is two blocks away. When I walked into their parking lot, I found a man selling StreetWise. It's the newspaper that tells stories of homelessness. It's sold by people who are experiencing and trying to escape homelessness. I thought about some of my former homeless friends/acquaintances who had at one time were also StreetWise salespeople. I wondered how they were doing? It was another reminder that.....
Homelessness is in your backyard.
As I walked home, I started thinking about the man sleeping on the couch. I also started thinking about my time in the homeless world. Eight years ago, that man could have been me. It was only because of some organizations and the people in my life that helped when I needed it most. I was lucky and privileged enough that I didn't end up like him. It's something that I should never forget, although I admit I sometimes do.
I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help. He was still asleep so I decided not to bother him. I did leave a couple of dollars by his side. Hopefully, he got the money. Maybe he'll use it to get something to eat or drink? Maybe it'll be a start to help him escape his situation? I'll never know the answers to those questions. But...it was another stark reminder that....
Homelessness is in your backyard!
Related Post: Shades of homelessness
This is another in the ongoing series Faces of Homelessness
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