The Homeless

We sit amongst some of the most expensive real estate in the country, yet we find ourselves rubbing elbows daily with myriads of homeless people.  They grace our renowned streets begging for money for their next meal or drink or possibly some other form of self-medication. The juxtaposition is real as I walk past Laduree (where a macaroon costs as much a meal) and see a hopeless homeless person trying to nestle in against the elements.  We have our “regulars” so to speak.  One gentleman that has chosen to stake his space by Banana Republic also has a homeless dog.  My heart literally breaks each time I see them both.

The homeless problem in Washington DC is rampant.  A recent consensus reported that there were 6,904 homeless people in D.C. (Austermuhle, M WAMU).  This is approximately a 7.6 percent decrease from the prior year but there is still much work that needs to be done. Another noteworthy fact is that this number is compiled by using a Point In Time measurement.  One on night in time the homeless are counted.  This number does not account for the homeless that are not in shelters on the night of that count. Therefore, I believe that number is underrated.   The homeless community was served a devastating blow in May when a large shelter in the city was told that they would be shutting down.  Homeless people bounce from shelter to shelter with no real stability. 

My walks into downtown were always soulful as I couldn’t help but feel compassion for our homeless citizens. Therefore, I decided that I could try to make some difference by packing snack bags to distribute to the homeless people that I encountered.  I filled the bags with nutritious snacks such as trail mix, peanut butter crackers, and few more items that my Mom sent me from home from our local Costco. I also packed a few dog treats.  Most of my encounters were interesting and somber.  Some people had been part of our normal functioning society and had an addiction and could no longer function in “real life.”  They had lost everything and everyone in their life and their addiction was too powerful to overcome.  Another younger gentleman was estranged from his family and ran away.  His step-father used to beat him and he couldn’t take the pain any longer.  He was from a family in Vermont.  Several of the people that I handed food to were clearly mentally ill and or unstable.  One gentleman called me a “white prince” and said that I would never truly understand what homeless people went through.  Perhaps he was right, but I really did try to put myself in his shoes and show empathy. I tried to be compassionate and kind to each person that I encountered.

I walked back to campus that night with an empty bag and heavy heart.  I was happy to make a small difference but realized the magnitude of the homeless problem.  The problem has many layers of complexity and there is not one story or solution that that fits all.  I plan to continue to help the homeless in the small ways that I can and hopefully become involved on a larger scale after graduation.