I am here to tell you that being homeless is not easy. In fact, it is hard work. Being homeless, you live in a constant state of stress. Where am I going to sleep, where am I going to put my belongings so no one steals them, where is my next meal coming from, where can I rest, am I going to be safe? These questions and many more that we, the fortunate, take for granted are very real, even life-endangering for the homeless. The daily life of a homeless person is one of constant motion, being shooed from one place to another, disrespected and disappointed. They are people besieged by fears and stress, and low on hope and opportunity. They, at times, are ignored or ridiculed, spit on, called vile names, and targeted for abuse. Many people look down on the homeless as if they are somehow beneath them and, in many cases, are quite rude and obnoxious. One homeless man shared with me the humiliating story of having eggs thrown at him. Is this how we would like our mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, or other loved ones treated if they were to fall on difficult times?
The questions most frequently asked of me during my time were, “Why?” and “What have you learned from the experience?” “Why” is simple. I grew up in a housing project on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio. My mother and I were poor and we faced hunger and possible homelessness on a regular basis. The early 1970’s were not kind to single mothers, and we spent time on and off welfare to put food on the table. So, “why,” you ask? Project S.H.A.R.E. and Carlisle C.A.R.E.S. are two organizations who help people in need. When someone stumbles on hard times, these groups are there to help, aid, and comfort with respect and dignity. When working people have to choose between paying the rent and buying food, Project S.H.A.R.E. is there with a warm greeting and a bag of food. When someone needs a place to rest their head on a cold or rainy night and they have no place to go, Carlisle C.A.R.E.S. is there with a blanket and a smile.
What have I learned from my homeless experience? First and foremost I’ve learned that none of us is immune from the tragedy of hunger and homelessness. One illness, one job loss, one misstep could land any one of us in need of help. The majority of us are one or two paychecks away from financial ruin. The thing I have relearned is how much I love and appreciate my wife and family. I think of the numerous homeless people I have met during my time in the refrigerator box and I realize that my new friends are not so fortunate to have such solid family support.
This is just one reason why a Daytime Resource Center is vital to helping those in need of our help. The Day Center proposed by Carlisle C.A.R.E.S. is a commonsense solution to a problem in our community. This Day Center would, among other things, provide a stable address and phone number for homeless people to use in pursuit of gainful employment. It would provide a place to access public services, job training, and possibly minor medical treatment. If our homeless neighbors cannot count on us in their hour of need, then who can they count on? These citizens, several of whom are veterans, need our helping hand to once again return to being self-sufficient, productive members of society. Together, we can change the world, if only by changing our little piece of it.
Rick Smith
Host of AM 960 WHYL’s
The Rick Smith Show