AnnaLisaW
02-03-2007, 09:29 PM
I have been heartened by the outpouring of love and concern from the WACCO crowd regarding my situation (See the post: "Can you help my cat?")Unfortunately many of you look at the street people and assume that that is what it means to be homeless.
Being homeless means not having a home and it is a term that applies to many of us who are responsible and well educated without drug or alcohol problems. Usually it is a result of bad choices on the part of the person who finds him/herself homeless. Sometimes it is circumstances beyond our control. Regardless, we feel like it is somehow our fault.
Last week, I was able to spend a little time working as a volunteer at the homeless count and I feel that a great deal of good was done. If nothing else, it showed me how many people genuinely care. Like many others in the city, I was not counted because I hate admitting my situation and I do not want to take valuable resources from those who need them worse than I do.
The homeless that were counted are like the tip of the iceberg. There are so many more that you will never see. We have friends and family that take care of us until we can get well, get a job, or get social security benefits. We are often not seen as homeless because those who truly care about us protect our fragile egos by allowing us to hide our embarrassing circumstances. (When I announced my situation on line, I was distraught and feared the worst for my cat. I did not think about damage it could do to my self-respect but only the danger she was in.)
You learn a lot when things get so bad that you can no longer provide a roof for yourself. You learn how to ask for help. If you don't, you die. You learn how hard it is to keep your dignity when you have nothing left to give. Somehow though it all, you learn to reach inside yourself and find your self-worth even though most of the government programs that are supposed to help in reality strip it away. It is very difficult to hold up your head when you are homeless or have no income in a society that equates value with money and property. That is why the sensitivity of volunteers can be such a blessing. Being treated with respect and compassion is a healing balm but even volunteers can be deadly. Occasionally someone wants to help so badly that they leave the person they are trying to help feeling like they don't have the right to say "no, thank-you." While it may be necessary to insist that someone come in out of the cold before they die of exposure, that is no reason to force-feed them the minute they walk in.
So, as I have told so many people already, I am okay. Thank you for letting me know that I can come to you if I need more help.
Love and Blessing to you all, AnnaLisa
Being homeless means not having a home and it is a term that applies to many of us who are responsible and well educated without drug or alcohol problems. Usually it is a result of bad choices on the part of the person who finds him/herself homeless. Sometimes it is circumstances beyond our control. Regardless, we feel like it is somehow our fault.
Last week, I was able to spend a little time working as a volunteer at the homeless count and I feel that a great deal of good was done. If nothing else, it showed me how many people genuinely care. Like many others in the city, I was not counted because I hate admitting my situation and I do not want to take valuable resources from those who need them worse than I do.
The homeless that were counted are like the tip of the iceberg. There are so many more that you will never see. We have friends and family that take care of us until we can get well, get a job, or get social security benefits. We are often not seen as homeless because those who truly care about us protect our fragile egos by allowing us to hide our embarrassing circumstances. (When I announced my situation on line, I was distraught and feared the worst for my cat. I did not think about damage it could do to my self-respect but only the danger she was in.)
You learn a lot when things get so bad that you can no longer provide a roof for yourself. You learn how to ask for help. If you don't, you die. You learn how hard it is to keep your dignity when you have nothing left to give. Somehow though it all, you learn to reach inside yourself and find your self-worth even though most of the government programs that are supposed to help in reality strip it away. It is very difficult to hold up your head when you are homeless or have no income in a society that equates value with money and property. That is why the sensitivity of volunteers can be such a blessing. Being treated with respect and compassion is a healing balm but even volunteers can be deadly. Occasionally someone wants to help so badly that they leave the person they are trying to help feeling like they don't have the right to say "no, thank-you." While it may be necessary to insist that someone come in out of the cold before they die of exposure, that is no reason to force-feed them the minute they walk in.
So, as I have told so many people already, I am okay. Thank you for letting me know that I can come to you if I need more help.
Love and Blessing to you all, AnnaLisa