Homelessness18:15 Jun 02 2008
Times Read: 602
Okay, so today I was walking back from KFC, where I was surfing the net, don’t ask. What do I see in front of me but a drunken man wearing nothing but a jumper, pair of shorts, one sock and one shoe…after wondering if I should or not, I decided to ask him if he was okay.
He started mumbling something about looking of some friend from a mission…I think I saw him and his friends earlier on in the evening before the second time I went out to go online. But this got me thinking…why is it that most homeless people I see are homeless and why do around 90% of them seem to be drunks or junkies?
I know that not all homeless people are homeless because of addictions…just as I know not all addicts are homeless. What makes these people who are homeless? Did society fail them in someway? Did they become homeless because they were abused at home? Are they just lazy people that have failed themselves? Is there much we as a whole can do for them?
Well I guess I should take each question in turn and try to answer it myself, as I have watched many a programme on this subject and worked with organizations that help the homeless…maybe I should already know the answers to these questions. Maybe the idea of writing this is to get your views, as my own belong only to me.
Well I understand that most homeless people that drink do so as a way of numbing the pain of being that way, most of the alcohol dependent homeless people were not alcohol dependent before they were made homeless of whatever reason they were. The same can be said for drug addicts, drug usage is also used in the same way as alcohol.
When living in on the street or from floor to floor, life can sometimes feel like it is not worth living. Although please don’t think I’m saying it is okay to do these things because it is not. However I understand the need for a form of escapism, when it comes to these kinds of matters. I do agree that there things that their time and their money could be better spent on.
What made these people homeless? Well many things can tribute to homelessness, including alcoholism and drug addiction, but not just these. I will hopefully explain more ways that an individual becomes homeless later on in this text.
Did society fail them? Well ‘society’ is a word I find hard to shallow, the basic meaning of this word is group that share interests or have the same beliefs and so on. In the term used to describe the mass populous of a state, country or principality you really shouldn’t use this word. But anyhow some bright spark came up with the idea so I will follow it for the time being.
In some cases the people who are homeless were made so by the government or the state. Housing they once lived in was taken from them to build yet more malls and car parks. Yes the council housing associations and other organizations are there to help them find new housing before their’s is taken. Sometimes things fall through, housing can’t be found and they are put in temporary accommodation, sometimes these quick fix solutions cause problems.
Young people who are put into hostels are often vulnerable to peer pressure, sometimes they come across people in the hostel that take drugs or drink. As they feel left out and wish to fit in they may try using drugs or drinking to excess in order to become one of the group. Sometimes this will lead to later addictions, which if found out could get them kicked out of the hostel, putting them in a worse position.
They are scheme in place to help combat this as such wet and drug free hostels. What are the differences between these hostels you ask; well a wet hostel is one for alcoholic individuals were every member has alcohol dependence. Drug free hostels are for people whom are regularly tested for the use of drugs, and if found clean get somewhere to stay. But all these are just temporary solutions to the problem and do not last long.
Were they abused at home? A lot of the younger homeless ranging from the age of about 14 to around 21 run away because of abuse which they either received at the hands of the parents or close family members. This abuse can be mental or physical, mental abuse can be just as bad as physical.
A few examples of mental abuse are; Name calling, such as if the person is over weight they may get called fatty, a beast, ugly and sometimes even worse. When an individual is made to feel unloved by their family, they will sometimes feel lonely and as if they have no where else to go, but on to the streets.
A few examples of physical abuse are; Sexual abuse from a parent or a close family member. Also extensive behaviour correction, which is also known as beating, there is a thin line between beating as a punishment and abuse. But this about homelessness not if it is right a hit your child.
Sometimes these people choose not to leave home but turn to drugs and/or alcohol as a way of numbing the pain. That in time may lead to them becoming addicts, which in turn may lead homelessness; their parents may find them hard to control and see the only way forward is to make them homeless in order to teach them a lesson. However this can often make things a lot worse.
Are they just lazy people who have failed themselves? Well this question can be answered many ways, my view however is, most people who have become homeless are not lazy just unlucky. Mostly the homeless are people that have become victims of life’s many tests and trails, and sadly failed them. This can be seen as failure on their own part, however in most circumstances these people are vulnerable and there for weak of will.
I understand that some others had choices such as staying in accommodation they were offered by the council or staying at home with their parents. But often is the case with homeless persons that they felt more at risk staying in the places they were. Sometimes paranoia is the biggest reason for the person to feel that they need to leave the housing which they have.
Is there much we can do as a whole for them? The short answer is yes; I don’t mean head the homeless money that you think they may spend on drugs or alcohol. But there are many other things which can be done to help others into better housing and better ways of life.
Here are just a few things you can do; you can volunteer of a soup kitchen which offers the homeless food for either a small fee or totally free. You can help out in shelters for the homeless also; these places offer a bed for the night. You could donate money to charities which help the homeless find places to live. You can also direct a homeless person to a homeless person’s unit in your area if you know where one is. Another good thing to do is buy the Big Issue, which you will see being sold in the UK on the streets by homeless people wearing an official Big Issue ID badge .
The government do have a lot of scheme available for the homeless but the problem is most schemes are not well known by the general public. Please find out information about local schemes so you can help the homeless in your neighbourhood. Just think of one moment would you like to be in that position, and if you were would you want help finding out where you can go to turn your life around?
Don’t think of the homeless as vermin not worth of help, because these are just normal people like you and I. Just they lead a different life, they have thoughts and feelings as we all do, and many have brilliant minds that sadly have failed them in times of great need.
Make a difference, and do it today! Find away to help your follow man, so he can once again make something of his life.
COMMENTS
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evildollbj
16:19 Jun 07 2008
exalenta lol very good my friend.