Welcome to the Homeless Experience
by Cathy on Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 | 5 Comments
Homeless community members-Colorado
What do you think it would it be like to be homeless…spending the day in the clothes you have slept in, perhaps not eating for 2 days, using a
rock for a pillow, fearing for your safety, …the list could go on. Many of us don’t have a clue. Many of us would not choose to experience homelessness personally. And yet homelessness is increasing in this wealthy country called America.
Who are the homeless? What are their stories?
If you have a personal story of being homeless, if you have a friend that is homeless, or if you just want to understand the homeless in a new way, join me. Let’s travel into a new community. I am sure we will have a lot to learn…let’s do it together!
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Hi Cathy,
Love your new website!
I have never been homeless, but I did encounter a family in recent years who became homeless. When I met them they were living in a middle class neighborhood in a nearby town. The household consisted of a single mother and her five children. The father lived in another state and was unwilling or unable to support his family financially.
As I learned about the family it was startling to realize the mother was working not one, not two, but three jobs to support her family, and still she could not keep up with her house payments.
Long story short, this valiant woman ended up applying for government housing, but it did not come through in time; her house was foreclosed on and she and her children were evicted. She ended up dividing up her kids with various families in the community until the government housing came through.
Their story had a happy ending however; the family is still in tact (although the oldest child did move out on his own at 18), but it’s not hard to see how other families could end up with not-so-happy outcomes.
Thank you for what you are doing, Cathy, to raise awareness about the plight of the homeless — and those struggling to not become homeless — around us. As their needs are brought into our awareness, perhaps we will be moved to do what we can to help them or to at least ease their suffering a bit.
Much success and many blessings to you in your endeavors!
Mary
Mary,
Thank you for sharing your experience. I think it speaks to the varied circumstances people find themselves in before actually becoming homeless. I heard someone share in the workshop I just attended, hosted by Joel Comm, that many Americans are just 1 paycheck away from being homeless.
There are so many pieces to the complexity of homelessness that I have never thought about until I hear the stories. I can’t imagine the fear and confusion those children felt as their mother was trying to do all she could to keep her family together.
Thank you Mary, for opening my eyes a little bit more to the realities of this American community called ‘the homeless’.
Mary,
I have a quick question…in your work with post-abortive women, have you found homelessness among the women you meet with?
Cathy
Cathy –
Worthy cause, nice website!
You might enjoy my song Pity the Stranger http://www.delaguerre.com/delaguerre/sounds/PityTheStranger.mp3 recorded in 2005.
The story behind the song is here: http://www.delaguerre.com/delaguerre/sounds/sounds.html#Pity_the_Stranger
Jax,
Loved the song and the story. Thank you so much for sharing your heart.