A little humanity

[matt819]

This is apropos of nothing in particular. Got to thinking about this when I saw a post about the offensive republican budget.

I've been volunteering at a local winter shelter since December. We've been mostly full most of the time. Lots of regulars, a few pop in now and then. Teens through 50s. Men and women. Some with mental health and medical issues. A few working poor. Drugs and alcohol figure prominently in their lives, and many have served time. But, you know something, while we're never going to be friends, they're appreciative of the volunteers, and I have a greater appreciation that while they are part of that faceless demographic known as "homeless," they are individuals and, mostly, nice folks who are having a hard time. That sort of simplifies the issue, but I think you all understand what I'm getting at.

I talk to most of them regularly at the shelter, and I say hi when I see them in the street. I think those little bits of humanity are welcome to them, and I find that acknowledging them in this way restores a little bit of humanity to me.

[SheilaT]

1. Thanks for posting.

I do volunteer work at my local homeless shelter, preparing and serving food. Same story about a lot of regulars, some with mental health issues, lots with medical problems. One woman uses a walker, and it's heartbreaking to think she's on the street in all weather.

On occasion I've known people to claim that most homeless are that way voluntarily, because they can easily get fed and have a roof over them and not work. That just shows they now almost nothing about homelessness.