The other day, I was driving uptown in New Orleans on Saint Charles Avenue near its intersection with Louisiana Avenue, and I saw a 50-year-old woman holding a cane in one hand and a cardboard sign in the other. "Homeless. Hungry. Anything Helps." Her face looked anxious and she seemed, understandably, disgruntled. As cars stopped at the red light, she began walking toward them, asking for money. I do not usually carry cash, but I reached into my purse and dug around just to double check to see if I had anything to give. As it turns out, the only thing I found was a dime. I rolled my window down and attempted to give it to her, but she refused the money and angrily shouted at me, "That's alright!" then mumbled something about buying crawfish. I felt really bad that I couldn't give more, so I continued to look for more money. I eventually found a single dollar in the center console of my car. Without a sign of gratitude, she grabbed the dollar that I offered her, and I drove away.
Our interaction was really thought-provoking for me in the days following. Among other things, I wondered about this woman and how she ended up in that situation, and what it would be like to be in her shoes. Does she have a family or a spouse? Does it matter that she was not nice to me? My willingness to give should not be contingent upon the likability of the person in need. Does it matter that she seemed ungrateful? Nah. Does it matter what she uses the dollar to buy? I don't really care, and it's not my business. "Anything helps" apparently does not include 10 cents, though. Noted. Even I pick up pennies off of the ground.
Homelessness comes with a loss of dignity. Was the reason why she refused my 10 cents an issue of pride? Did she think I was trying to offend her instead of help? How long has this woman been homeless? Sheesh, I drive past at least five homeless people in New Orleans every day. If I give each of them $1 per day, that's $1825 per year. Should helping the homeless be a line item in my budget? How much is too much? Is there even a such thing? Why do I give to some people and not others? Should I just donate to organizations that combat homelessness instead of giving to individuals all the time? What else should I do? Why do I still feel guilty? Is it partially my fault that she is homeless? Why do we, as a society, always find money to incarcerate people instead of better funding schools and hospitals, and ending homelessness? Why has our entire society failed her? Why do I feel so helpless?
Surely, these are thoughts that many people probably have. It is no secret that New Orleans has a very serious homelessness problem. At a rate of 46.9 homeless people per 10,000 people, the Big Easy has one of the highest per-capita rates of homelessness in the nation. UNITY of Greater New Orleans works to end homelessness by placing people in permanent supportive housing. The New Orleans Mission provides food, clothing, and shelter for the homeless. Solving the root and systemic causes of poverty and homelessness, however, is far more complex, but possible. New Orleanians cannot afford to be complacent about these issues. It's on all of us to do our part, no matter how small.
