Sam and Daniel were homeless. I interviewed them today for a report I’m writing for my day job.
They are now in a program that provides temporary housing along with supportive services to help them get back on their feet.
What follows below the orange flourish are my thoughts on their situation.
America is one of the most successful nations in the world. We see examples of economic prosperity everywhere. And yet. People are homeless. They sleep on heating grates and in other public places. Here in Chicago, most shelters close in the summer and homeless people must sleep outside. It is risky and dangerous.
Why do we allow this? Sam is a poised, thoughtful 20-year old. Both his parents died when he was young. His grandma raised him until she died when he was 16. He managed to graduate from high school by staying with cousins. When he was 19, he lost his job as a hotel desk clerk and became homeless. There was no safety net for him.
He could be anyone of us. He could be my son or your brother. How is it that we do not take care of our citizens? I don’t count the patchwork of homeless shelters and food banks. While they offer much needed temporary help, they are not real solutions--merely band aids slapped over the wound of homelessness.
Daniel’s story is similar. He lived with relatives for many years until his family situation changed and he was left homeless. By his own words, he had no hope.
When you have no permanent address, you can’t get a job. You can’t take a shower. Imagine showing up at a job interview when you’ve taken a ‘bird bath’ in a gas station bathroom.
I’m sad. And sickened. Why do we, as a society, allow this? Sam and David are people with tremendous potential. They have value. Neither expressed any resentment they had fallen through society’s cracks. But I am.
Today, they share an apartment in a program that offers support for homeless individuals. Demand for the program is high and openings are rare. They were on a waiting list for months until spots became available. Now they have a safe place to sleep and enough food to eat three times a day. They are making plans for the future, looking for work, taking life skills classes. They have hope.
But I am discouraged. How is it that we allow human beings to huddle for warmth on heating grates? To sneak onto a baseball field to hide overnight for safety in the dugout?
People like Daniel and Sam deserve better than that.