Winning the Fight

What you don't know about homeless people CAN hurt.

One of the things that HUM is well-known for is our work with homeless people. Many of you volunteer for us at the Bridge of Hope hot meal program. Those who do have met many homeless people. Without the experience of spending time with the homeless, many are left with the kinds of negative impressions that are very common.

 

Common Misconceptions

 

"They need to get a job like the rest of us."
One in four homeless people work full-time jobs. But they earn wages that are not sufficient to get them off the street. Many more work temporary jobs through labor halls. There are a lot of road blocks for a homeless person getting a steady job. First and most important, if possible, they have to conceal the fact that they are homeless. Most people have an image of homeless people that is negative and creates a bias against hiring a homeless person. So the homeless job seeker has to make sure they can find a way to clean up regularly. They have to find free clothing that looks decent and they have to keep it washed. But when they fill out a job application what do they put down for an address? A telephone number? Who shall they name as an emergency contact? And if all this works out, other than go back to the place they applied every day, how will they know if they got the job? Some homeless people have been able to get and keep bicycles. What a challenge it is though, if they have to accomplish all these tasks on foot.

 

"Why don't more homeless people work?".
There are truly very few people who are homeless simply because they want to be. It is the reasons for and causes of homelessness that often make it hard or impossible for homeless people to work. Over 40 percent of homeless people are physically disabled and about 30 percent have metal illnesses. About 20 percent of homeless people fled sexually abusive homes as teenagers and have never learned basic life skills. Often emotionally broken, they find it nearly impossible to come with much more than day-to-day survival.

 

"I don't want to do anything to enable them."
I have a lot of respect for that sentiment and I agree. Having seen, though, that it is possible that we do not fully understand the homeless condition, we may have mistaken views about what enabling would entail. Personally I am convinced that it is not enabling the homeless to provide basic survival services. On the contrary, it may be that so few people demonstrate true humanity towards homeless people that our services reaffirm their basic worth and inspire hope to persevere. At any rate, that is my view.

Homeless people matter to God and they are very important to us at HUM.