I haven't blogged in a while. I've been out in the homeless community a lot lately, and undoubtedly, some of their pain weighs me down at times. In spite of this, I still subject myself to feeling their pain on a weekly basis. After all, if they are forced to experience that pain, then I will continue to witness their hardships and feel their heartaches.
Three years ago, I was slightly ignorant about the issue of homelessness, but since then I have gained an incredible amount of insight into the paths that have led them towards becoming homeless, in addition to almost everything in-between. My research and experience point towards one conclusion; homelessness is an extremely complex issue. It cannot be solved by devising one simple solution. Furthermore, we cannot take these individuals off of the street and expect that they can conform to society on their own. In truth they need supportive services long after they are housed.
And as I have mentioned before in a previous article in the Charlotte Viewpoint, housing the homeless is not only a must, but it is far cheaper in the long run. Sometimes, my observations lead me to believe that some of our city leaders don't want to rectify the homeless crisis. In truth, CLT receives a fair amount of federal funding in regards to the homeless population. And, if we actually allocated that money properly, I wholeheartedly believe that we could end homelessness. But instead, the federal money that is allocated towards homelessness only keeps my homeless clients displaced. In essence, we are paying for a form of living which is largely substandard.
Raw and Real
Out on North Tryon, the clan and I came across a new homeless client named James. James was particularly down on his luck during our interaction. Immediately, I felt all of this pain. He explained it by saying that he gets up and then he gets pushed back down. Basically he is describing how even though he is trying his best, society views him as a worthless homeless individual, and therefore, he does not feel like a contributing part of society. It was a tear-filled interaction all around; my volunteers were crying, James was crying, but I wasn't.
While I am not overly emotional to begin with, this interaction should have affected me more than it did. I worry often that I am becoming desensitized out there. Still, I'd like to think that besides the vital supplies we aided him with, we also provided him with a good dose of hope. Before we left him, I gave him a hug and tried desperately to transfer all of my positive energy over to him. I'd like to think that it had a positive effect on him; I honestly drove home feeling horrible. Undoubtedly, I was carrying his pain around.
This past Sunday we had an interaction with a homeless woman that had been out on the street since Friday. One of my volunteers literally gave the homeless woman the jacket off of her own back. That was truly amazing to witness and be a part of. And while Charlotte Center City Partners would like for us to believe that "On the street, real change doesn't come from your pocket," my argument is that it simply isn't that cut and dry. Yes, panhandling is an issue that has to be rectified, but sometimes people need help and cannot wait for an agency to assist them. Our interaction with this particular homeless individual is a perfect example of how the CCCP's theory is flawed.
This homeless individual needed ten dollars to replace her Driver’s License. Without the license, she was not able to check into any of the local shelters. Over the course of the three days she had been out on the street, she visited 38 different churches. None of which would give her ten dollars, they would only pray for her. Forgive me Jesus for what I am about to say...but I do not believe that Jesus alone, will save my homeless clients. Jesus works through people, and if we are discouraged from handing out money when some of them desperately need these funds, then we have failed them completely.
For the record, I rarely give out money on the street. However, I had twenty dollars in my pocket during our interaction with this homeless individual, and it wasn't an option for me to not hand over the cash. I almost never carry cash, and therefore, I knew that there was a reason why I had cash on me on Sunday. The cash was meant for her all along. So thank you Jesus for continuing to work through me. That remains the only way that we will effectively get these homeless individuals off of the street...through Jesus, through you, and through me.
