Living right across from the Boston Commons has its ups and downs. On the positive side, it's a beautiful park to walk through on a Saturday when you’re bored. Vendors sell various goods from roasted nuts to Boston hats and t-shirts. The park also offers a beautiful view of the Massachusetts State House. The downside of this beautiful park is that it is home to many homeless people. The park’s benches are almost always full of sleeping people, their belongings in a pack on their backs. We are warned against walking through the park alone or in small groups past sundown as it puts you at risk for being robbed. Several of my classmates have already fallen victim to this mistake and have been robbed at gunpoint while trying to make their way quickly through the Boston Commons.
When I first moved here, their presence was a big shock to me. I would look them in the eyes and read their signs, which I eventually realized opened a door for them to speak to me. Many of these people don’t even beg for food or money. On an average Monday morning, I am almost guaranteed to get at least one cat call or “Hey pretty girl” on my walk to class. I’ve found that the only solution that actually works is to pop in headphones and stare intently at my phone while I walk.
However, this creates a huge moral dilemma in my mind. Because of a few men who go out of their way to make me uncomfortable, I ignore the rest of the homeless population littering the park and streets. Many of these people are out here for very valid reasons, and my personal bias often gets in the way of doing something that could potentially help them. A big stereotype about the homeless population is that any money they receive is going to be put towards drugs or alcohol, not towards food or shelter like many of us hope that it will.
As someone who was raised to always be looking to do random acts of kindness, I have found several solutions to helping people in a way that feels meaningful and worthwhile. First, I often carry a few granola bars in my backpack. If I do happen to see someone begging for food, I will offer them a bar or two. Sometimes they take it with sincere appreciation, other times they deny it and ask for money instead, to which I decline and walk away. Yesterday while walking along to a store, I saw a man sitting barefoot in the rain, begging for socks. My heart went out to him, and I asked what size he needed. I then bought a pack of five pairs, unpackaged them, and gave them to him in a plastic bag to protect them from the rain. I removed the receipt as well in order to prevent him from returning them in exchange for money. What this man decided to do with the pack of socks I bought him is not important to me. I know that I did what I could for him with the meager budget I have as a college student.
Whether we donate food, socks, or our time at a homeless shelter, our actions are going to make a difference. It is important for us to realize that just because a few homeless people have taken advantage of people’s kindness, this does not represent their population as a whole. Most of these people are in sincere need of help. There must be actions that we can take to help out those in need instead of ignoring them for fear of being taken advantage of.
