Comments & Revisit of Homeless Post

I hope that the comment part of the blog is now working.  A few people have let me know that they were unable to leave comments, so I have changed the settings.

Now to back up to an earlier post about the homeless survey that we did.  I know that it doesn't seem like much to interview 4 people in 3 hours, but a lot of the time was spent tromping around through parks and brush where camps have been sited in the past.  At the same time that we were out beating the brush (literally), there were many other volunteers at service sites around the county: soup kitchens, Salvation Army, etc.  Those volunteers, of course, interviewed many more people. 

The survey was not lengthy or onerous, basically asked for length of time without a home, the causes of homelessness, access to medical care, etc.  We tried very hard to ask questions in a conversational way, and like I said earlier, our four interviewees were extremely gracious.

My overall impression was how fortunate the people that I love have been.  A lost job, an extreme medical problem, mental health issues,  loss of support system, alcohol/drug addiction, and any combination thereof could lead to a sleeping bag on a riverbank or under a bridge. 

Recommendations:  The service providers (soup kitchens, etc) do a tremendous job.  They serve not just the homeless, but others who are hungry.  I will not give money to people carrying signs or panhandling on the street.  I will buy an individual a meal and a cup of coffee, and donate dollars to food banks and missions.  I think one of the most important things we can do when we see someone we suspect is homeless is to look them in the eye and acknowledge them as a human being.