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Antecursoris

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Audio File

23 minutes in Hell
by Bill Wiese Audio File

The Homeless in the USA

Understand Who The Homeless Are

The First and most important thing you can do to help the homeless is to realize that the tired old stereotypes concerning them just are not true.

Myth: They want to be homeless.
Fact: Less than six percent of
the homeless are that way by choice.

Myth: They're to blame for being homeless.
Fact: Most homeless are victims.
Some have suffered from child abuse or violence. Nearly one quarter are children. Many have lost their jobs. All have lost
their homes.

Myth: They don't work.
Fact: Many homeless people are
among the working poor. A person earning a minimum wage can't earn enough to support a family of three or pay inner-city rent.

Myth: They are mentally ill.
Fact: About 25 percent of the
homeless are estimated to be
emotionally disturbed. One percent may need long-term hospitalization; the others can become self-sufficient
with help.

Myth: They are heavy drug users.
Fact: Some homeless are substance abusers; research suggests one in four. Many of these are included in the 25 percent who suffer from
mental illness. [Many become
alcoholics and drug users after they have been thrown out onto the streets.]

Myth: They are dangerous.
Fact: Sometimes an encounter with the homeless may end in tragedy. It is extremely rare, though. In general, the homeless are among the least threatening group in our society. If anything, they are the victims of crimes,
not the perpetrators Most
homeless people are not drunks or drug abusers or former mental
patients. Most are able or willing to work. They are not the perpetual social problem many people believe they are.

So who are they?

Full-time workers :
One out of four homeless is employed full- or part-time, according to the United States
Conference of Mayors.

The arithmetic is simple and
frightening: a person who works
fourty hours a week at the 1999
Federal minimum wage of $5,75 per hour grosses about $700 a month, takes home less than $600-- and is a prime candidate for homelessness.

Disabled vets:
One eigth of the homeless are war veterans, most of them from the Vietnam conflict. Do you remember Ron Kovic's story
in the film, "Born on the Fourth
of July?" It dramatized the fact that the veterans of that war were
abandoned and discouraged, even dishonored, and in Ron's case
wound up on our streets, some
of them disable, others mentally
traumatized by their war experiences, others simply unable to find work.

Children :
One out of four homeless
people is a child. The fastest growing homeless group in the United States is families with children. Their number
nearly doubled between 1984 and
1989, and continues to do so.
Even more appalling, many homeless children are alone. They may be runaways who left home because there is no money for food, because they are victims of rape, incest, or violence or because one or both of their parents is in emotional
turmoil. Some are "throwaways"
whose parents tell them to leave
home, or won't allow them to
return once they leave.
I was shocked to learn that
in Washington, D.C., when a
soup kitchen, Martha's Kitchen,
was opened to serve destitute
children, within three weeks they
were serving thirty children a day.

The Elderly:
Elderly people on fixed
incomes don't fit the traditional image of homeless folk. But the fact is that a senior citizen who receives $450 a month in benefits and pays $350 for rent can't survive in any U.S. city.
However, Social Security, Medicare, and other senior-oriented programs provide a safety net for many of the
elderly, making their numbers disproportionally less among the
homeless than other minorities.
Although the elderly are not as
likely to be found in shelters, it is
true that some are afraid to go to
shelters, or even a soup kitchen.
Others are living in poverty, not
homeless, but often homebound
and without proper heating, water,
or other amenities.

AIDS victims:
Thirty-two thousand people with AIDS and their dependents
were homeless in 1989. By 1995 over 100,000 AIDS related sufferers are projected to jointheir ranks.

Fast facts:
The number who are homeless for at least one night during
the year is probably over four million. The majority of homeless are male; the largest proportion are single men.
One child in five lives below the poverty line, making children the poorest age group in the United States, which accounts for the growing percentage of children who are homeless. Many homeless people have
completed high school; some have attended college and even graduate school. The homeless are found not only in cities, but in small towns, rural areas, affluent suburbs and in National Forests.
Millions are among the hidden
homeless--people who are one crisis away from losing their homes. They may be doubled or tripled up in housing or 48 hours from eviction or about to leave a
hospital with nowhere to go.

What To Do When Confronted
With The Homeless:

Take time to make a friend and find out Carry Fast-Food Gift Certificates
We've all been panhandled for change to buy a cup of coffee or get a bite to eat. If you're like most, you've been suspicious from time to time, wondering what the money was really for. That's why my daughter's friend carries fast-food gift certificates.
When he's approached for spare
change, be hands out a certificate
and points the way to the nearest
Burger King or McDonald's.
In this way, he doesn't ignore someone who's in need, but he knows his funds are used for food.
Next time you do your spring or fall cleaning, keep an eye out for those
clothes that you no longer wear.
If these items are in good shape,
gather them together and donate
them to organizations that provide
housing for the homeless. Most
shelters need to have clothing
on hand. Anybody can give clothing:
union members, church goers,
kindergarten kids, and senior citizens.
Most of us have closets that
need to be cleaned out! New
clothing, particularly sock and
underclothing can be purchased
and donated to shelters. Besides,
having something new to wear gives a psychological lift. Another
example--in New York City this last winter, there was a drive to collect warm coats for the homeless. And for
many years, one enterprising citizen has launched a "One Glove collection--volunteers match up the gloves into pairs and distibute them in shelters.
Among the various good works your clergy should be involved in are programs to help the homeless.
Ask if they are aware of the problem in your community.
If not, educate them about what
you have learned- Then ask them
to get involved in community efforts to aid the homeless. Point out specific programs you may have uncovered.
Suggest that the congregation become involved. If your clergy are already active in this area, ask how you can assist them. Our legislators rarely receive
more than three visits or ten
letters about any subject. When the numbers exceed that amount, they sit up and take note. Personal visits are the most potent. Letters are next; telephone calls are third best.