Home is a very warm word for me. I can not imagine how people can live without a home. That’s why I have great sympathy for homeless people. I sometimes give people who were asking for changes some money but not all the times because there are so many of them, and of course some of them are homeless people. When I read the “living my Uncle’s Story” by a student participant of NCH’s Homeless Challenge program on Bring America Home blog, I was touched by what homeless people see and feel: “We searched for caring eyes, but instead found averted eyes. We went crazy. And we became sane. We found the meaning to life, the importance of friendship, the power of money, and the makeup of happiness. We transformed.” (Bring America Home blog) Yes, that’s what I did sometimes, because I can not always help them, I turned my head away.
Somebody says that it is their choice to be homeless. I totally disagree with it. I do not think people would prefer to be homeless, at least not all of them. People who are homeless struggle with trying to survive, from eating three meals a day to staying warm or even remaining safe. My wife worked at homeless shelter to provide basic eye care for homeless people. She said most of them are very kind; they really respect doctors and appreciate the help and care they got. There were lots of reasons that made them homeless. Some of them was in prison before and could not find a job afterward, while some others have physical reasons. Lots of them are depressed or has mental problems.
I think in Massachusetts, homeless people are treated better than other places in the states because of the Mass Health program and lots of homeless shelters provided. In these shelters, homeless people not only get place to sleep and eat, but also learn some skills to find a job if possible. I think that’s exactly the right way to take care of homeless people. They also have dignity, and they should get help to build their confidence to support themselves.
Bibliography
“Living my Uncle’s Story” (Bring America Home blog) (March 9, 2011)
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