Things don't just happen. I believe the serendipitous things that occur in our life are an indication of the Holy Spirit at work right beside us as Jesus promised.
I picked up a book a couple of weeks ago titled The Street Lawyer by John Grisham. If I had looked at my list of books that I have read I would have thought I had already read it. Maybe I did but there wasn't anything in the book that registered as if I had been there and done that before. But now was the time I was to read it.
The title character was a high priced lawyer in a big firm in DC. He found out a story about some homeless people who had lost their lives, partly through the unethical behavior of someone in his large firm. He left the 400 plus colleagues and became a street lawyer helping those without advocacy to get the benefits and other legal issues resolved. The settings of the story were familiar to me from my time in DC although I haven't been to any of the shelters.
I work two blocks from the White House but every morning in walking the 3 blocks back and forth to the Metro station I pass homeless people. One multi-racial couple begged on the corner right across from the Metro station "Can you help a disabled man?" one named Tim (I just found out his name) asked every morning. I've seen others tucked in the alcoves of the buildings under piles of blankets and moving pads.
Others sold water during the hot days of summer. Several made their home in a park at the corner of H Street, stashing their belongings in the bushes and occupying the benches. It was obvious from their interaction that they knew each other and interacted like a small community. And of course, there are those who are obviously mentally unstable, wondering around with their carts full of stuff and speaking out their "wisdom" to those who weren't listening.
One of the regulars used to sit under a tree on the curb, in any weather, with a sign begging for help. He often mumbled incoherently, was without personal hygiene and ate his meals perched there on a plastic crate.
Recently I passed his spot, only he wasn't there. Neither were his belongings. Just some flowers.
Yesterday I stopped the water salesman, who is just begging now and asked him what happened to the guy. "He died," was his response. He abused alcohol, got drunk, fell hitting his head on the curb...and died right there in the park. Gone. I wonder who is missing him? I wonder who attended his funeral?
I've gotten to know Lorenzo, another of the street regulars. He asks every afternoon with the same deep, gravely voice "Change, spare change." I've sat down and talked to him some to find out that he isn't always homeless. He works in construction but isn't having luck right now finding a job.
I stopped to asked him about the fellow under the tree to confirm the story. (The other messenger had tried to hustle me for some flower money so I wanted to verify the story) Lorenzo confirmed his death and told me that Tim, the disabled man, had also died. The one who sat on the corner with his woman every day at the Metro station. He also suffered with alcohol abuse, in and out of the hospital and the effects of it finally killed him. Believe me, he wasn't that old.
Two in the same block in the last month. How many more are there in DC? How many more died recently...and weren't missed by those who walked by them every day?
Now what to do with all of this. I don't know yet. I do know that I intend to get to know Lorenzo better and find out more about life on the streets of DC. Is there enough food available? Are the shelters full (as some of the placards of beggars state)? Are there resources for those down on their luck?
Oh, did you know that I spent a month living in a shelter for homeless men in Baltimore a number of years ago? Interesting to see who ends up there. They aren't always criminals. Some just lost it by playing too close to the edge.
While we have the oleo going here, let me just mention that the Department of Veterans Affairs has vowed to end homelessness among the veterans by 2015...an aggressive goal that seems unaware of the desires of some who like being on the streets without all the responsibilities of life. Will putting people in shelters solve all their problems? How about their mental illnesses and broken hearts like so many of the rest of us have? We feed the body and not the soul.
As a community of faith what are we to be about in regards to the situation of those without homes? I'd be interested in your feedback. And you'll hear more from me as I get to know more on the streets and more about what their support network looks like.
After volunteering 1 night @ a shelter last year, I came to find out that you need a voucher to stay in one. No one can just walk in, they need registered to even know where a shelter is! How many homeless even know that? And the shelters are only open about 7pm til 8:30am. The rest of the day the folks aren't allowed. So they hang around the streets all day. What if they're sick? I'm interested in what they do for toileting all day, and for women, what do they do to get their monthly supplies? Do they eat other than their shelter meals? How do they ever get back to "society" when you need a permanent address to get a job and can't use a shelter since they move every couple weeks? The one guy 1 met there lost his home over medical bills when his wife got sick & died & then he had a mental breakdown, lost his job and became homeless. He has a beautiful singing voice and is very resourceful, lives in the woods by the river in a tent until it gets too cold or the cops kick him away. He's dug holes to store his belongings in the. ground. He fishes for food & cooks it on a tabletop grill & washes in the river. I don't understand why/how most of them smoke & drink booze. Where do they get the money for it other than by begging or stealing? How do they wash clothes since laundramats are expensive? They are really stuck in a rut! To be registered for a shelter they get assigned a case worker/social worker but it doesn't seem like they do much to help them get out of homelessness; at least not enough for most. Even if they get a job, its mostly a menial minimum wage job that isn't enough to get an apartment, plus to get an apartment you need references...its really a complicated mess! If you figure out how to help them, let me know how I can too.
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