Vincent Van Gogh is an artist who is known for painting and sketching the weathered faces of the suffering and those stricken by poverty. It is interesting to me that a sketch of such intense feeling and human emotion can move millions of us each day yet we feel nothing as we purposely avoid acknowledging those begging for help on our own streets and sidewalks.
In my opinion, homelessness is an issue that is often spoken about yet rarely felt. In speaking with all different types of people, the general consensus is that the majority of the homeless community is strung out and simply looking for aid in chasing their next bottle or drug of choice. It is widely believed that any homeless individual can just put on their interview clothes and seek employment.
This breaks my heart.
The cliche of a homeless individual clinging to a bottle on the side of the road has clouded any empathy needed to one day solve this devastating and overwhelming issue.
In the year 2016 alone it was reported that 564,708 out of 322,762,018 individuals in the United States were homeless. Approximately 15% of those individuals have been chronically homeless. An estimated 46% were also diagnosed with a serious mental illness.
Imagine, if you will, trying to hold employment with a serious bipolar disorder or a severe case of schizophrenia. It would be nearly impossible for an individual lacking the necessary medication. Unfortunately, not everyone has an excellent or even existent support system. Mental illness is something that can cause stress and heartache in relationships that can cause a family to disengage, leaving an individual to go through their hardships alone and struggling.
Not only are these sick individuals abandoned but they then become more susceptive to drug use and addiction. I, unfortunately, was unable to find any recent statistics on the issue, although I can say that in 2014 approximately 7.9 million adults in the United States were battling co-occurring mental and substance use disorders.
When given this information, it is understandable for some to say that there are plenty of institutions to help service the mentally ill as well as those suffering from addiction... but are there? Most of these institutions are highly overcrowded and often neglected. Don't get me wrong, there are also plenty of well put together institutions that focus on each individual patient and are able to meet all of their physical and psychological needs... but those cost money. Money is something that an individual cast out onto the streets simply does not have.
Among all of the hurt and the suffering on our streets are also the men and women who we give thanks to every Veterans Day. Our nation's heroes left to wonder where their next meal is coming from. I have seen homeless veterans spit on, knocked over, mocked, and completely disrespected while begging to simply work for food. These brave men and women left beaten down and disheveled in the midst of our ignorance and need to avoid the problem.
While we can never truly repay the debt we owe our heroes, the least we should do for our brave veterans is to ensure that the government takes a proactive approach to delivering the services and benefits they have earned, so they can access the care they need and so richly deserve - Kristen Gillibrand
Our veterans are promised benefits that they rarely even get to see. The system is so backed up that even those who fought in Vietnam still do not have the benefits that would help them lead a healthy life. Growing up I watched my father's best friend, who did many tours in Vietnam, struggle to raise his granddaughters. When he finally received his benefits he was elderly and laying in a hospital bed at the Veterans hospital after his second heart attack.
Homelessness is so much more than the broken and the suffering making a home on the side of the road... it is clearly the aftermath of a system that is broken in itself.
I had the amazing privilege recently to volunteer with some of the incredible men and women of Loaves and Fishes Rhode Island. I personally worked with the men and women of United Methodist Church in Barrington, Rhode Island. To feel their genuine empathy and compassion was like a breath of fresh air. We went shelter to shelter that night in the Downtown Providence area delivering food, warm drinks, clothing, and a kind smile to the homeless individuals who call these shelters home. These amazing human beings that I was blessed to work with would smile and listen to life stories while extending their condolences and love.
Watching this showed me that while there is much ignorance on the issue of homelessness, there are people out there that really do feel it and understand. The compassion and genuine concern for their fellow human beings were exactly what I needed to be surrounded by.
I am often asked why I give money or food to every homeless individual pleading for help. Why help them when they can't even help themselves? Why help enable them?
I am a human being that has suffered through homelessness. I remember being so hungry that I could not control the tears and nausea. It is not simply because of my compassion and it is not solely out of sympathy... it is because it is our duty as human beings to help those who reach out and ask for it. I want to make it my mission to show every hurt soul out there that their cries for help will not always fall on deaf ears.
We have come dangerously close to accepting the homeless situation as a problem that we just can't solve. - Linda Lingle
