Since I started living in the city of Boston, I've had much more exposure to the homeless population on a daily basis than ever before. There are always people holding cardboard signs wearing tattered clothes on the sidewalk with few possessions and drained expressions. We grow up being advised not to make eye contact or talk with these people, or to never give them spare change when they ask for it because it'll probably be used to buy drugs or alcohol. People like to convince themselves that they're doing the right thing by not giving their money, when in reality, the majority of homeless people actually aren't addicts. They're likely looking for money to buy basic needs like a meal or transportation.
It seems to be easy to forget that homeless people are still human beings. People have become so accustomed to others sleeping in the streets that it doesn't even phase them anymore. They see it more as a convenience problem than as a serious issue of other people needing help with survival. Because of this widespread attitude, issues across the nation discriminating against the homeless occur far too often: Tampa passed a law against homeless people sleeping in public, Detroit police tried kidnapping and removing homeless people from certain city venues and dropping them off somewhere else, and Albany, California, removed homeless people from the park where most of them built homes and made emotional connections. These actions against a group of underprivileged human beings should not be accepted.
We need to gain our humanity back. While it's impossible for us to be expected to give spare change to every homeless person we see, especially if we're living in an urban area, we should contribute, even if it's a little bit, every once in a while. If a homeless person is approaching asking you for help, don't ignore their existence. They could be lost, looking for directions that you can offer them. A simple conversation or "hello" walking by will not hurt. If you can't spare any money, that's okay; mere kindness goes a long way.
