Give the Homeless a Hand-up Not a Hand-out in Chicago

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me; I lift the lamp beside the golden door!”

These are the words inscribed on the bronze plaque below the Statue of Liberty’s feet. Now although she may be found in New York her image, her presence is all about the American way. She symbolizes the American way of thinking. These words many grew up reading in textbooks, on banners around the Fourth of July and are often heard in speeches about freedom and the pursuit of happiness. Yet somehow these words must have been forgotten when looking at these “tired, poor huddled masses yearning to breathe free” known to the average Joe only as homeless, hobos, or bums. Some people however did not lose the meaning behind Lady Liberty’s feet, and they are the ones who started, volunteer, contribute, and operate the organizations that serve this group of individuals. The following information and insight involves that of the Chicagoland area, but touches on some of the state and global view of this serious public issue known as homelessness.

Many people see beggars on the street jingling cups with change asking for a few coins to get something to eat. Others “walk by the homeless each day” says April Albrecht; and act blind, deaf, and dumb in order to get on with their life; in order to not seem foolish asking questions, in order to not be hurt as their fear is harm, or because they honestly do not care. The thing is issues like this are not solely the individual’s fault and often it is in fact a symptom of a larger societal issue. “Over the course of a year, between 2.3 and 3.5 million people experience homelessness nationwide and approximately 166,000 people experience homelessness in the Chicago Metropolitan area” according to an article written by Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. People are homeless for many reasons. Some are “born into circumstance” and have no idea of any other way of living as Lonnie explains in Streetwise: The Movie. Others have adverse home lives and are youth and either run or are “thrown away” an article titled Youth on the Streets and on Their Own points out. Others suffer from mental illness and cannot afford care, still more have been released from prison and are discovering, as a report written by Brian Fask states, it is difficult to reintegrate into society. Greg Pritchett in Streetwise: The Movie described his experience of being released as walking around with an “X on my back.” A man by the name of Henry E. Bosley tells Streetwise he experiences this injustice on a daily basis as his “past criminal record makes him ineligible for the housing and jobs he wants…” even though he has served his time and given back to society. This also puts his health and well being into jeopardy since he is a diabetic who is forced by the condition to be wheelchair bound. The homeless are not only individuals, but families as well.

Things that can lead to homelessness as a whole are lack of affordable housing, lack of living wage jobs (as job education requirements and standards increase) or income support, educational barriers, as well as lack of healthcare and supportive systems according to the article Jobs Available for Future Blue Collar Work Force found in Streetwise. Being in a domestic violent household or being a Veteran could also be a key factor. Not to mention how “…our economic and political systems fail to promote justice and equality. Furthermore, there is institutionalized racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination which create barriers to economic advancement” All of these are factors that can hinder one from being able to support themselves as well as have proper housing says Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless even argues in their study Families Hardest Hit: Effects of Welfare Reform, that welfare reform could have helped increase homelessness numbers at least when it pertains to families. Those that are on welfare usually work paycheck to paycheck and if their benefits are cut or reduced it can often be devastating. “Only 1 in 5 homeless persons are chronically homeless, but these people use half of all emergency shelter resources, so getting them into permanent housing has been a federal and Chicago priority.”

Why is homelessness a problem? On the very shallowest of reasons homelessness is not attractive. There are people unwashed, and unkempt jingling cups on the street asking for money. Some even live in as someone once described “cardboard hotels”. Seeing people with less than others makes people feel sad about themselves and guilty for not doing anything about it. Furthermore when we have people who are homeless there are government funds that are used to help aid these people in need. If there were no homeless then perhaps these funds could be used on other things like that one pothole everyone has complained to the city about. Most importantly homelessness is a problem because in actuality it is a symptom of something much bigger, and that is that America has a lot of problems that are going unchallenged. Homelessness exists because society is unwilling to do what needs to be done to end it.

Yes, there are indeed some people who pose as homeless. However, it seems it is in the best interest of all man to give if they feel like giving no matter the outcome because their heart meant for the purest of end results. “The right to adequate housing is recognized as a basic and fundamental human right in many sources of international law” according to a policy paper supplied by The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless titled: Is Housing a Human Right? People like Chris Gardner who the major motion picture The Pursuit of Happyness was based on, really need help to attain this human right. The help done to aid these individuals makes a far greater impact than simply not giving for fear of fraud. These people, the truly needy are not asking for hand-outs, but rather a hand up.

No one really wants to sleep on a train because it is the only warm place to sleep in the winter, but as Mr. Gardner has said sleeping on a train is a “great place to plan where you are going to be”. Being in a public bathroom is even scarier over night as the characters Chris and his son discover in the movie. Of course situations like this only happen after desperate times call for desperate measures, and all other outlets are out of the question like motels, cheap hotels, and shelters that are overcrowded. A policy paper goes on to say “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself [herself] and of his or [her] family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care, and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his or her control.” If everyone has this right why is there “nothing” being done to make sure people are in fact getting what they need?

“It is hard to be homeless” says Jessica a once homeless youth. She goes on to say “There’s not a lot of people who care about you and nobody to turn to. I had to grow up on my own. It’s taken me a long time to get where I am, and I’m still struggling to get myself and my family stable.” Jessica’s story helps illustrate how some specific groups are even more disenfranchised by current systems in place. Men, youth (ages 14-21), and people belonging to the Queer community often find less beds they are able to fill, as they are not typically or readily available to them. There are often reserved beds for “regular people” and these other groups have to find specific shelters that supply beds for their group. This was clearly illustrated in The Pursuit of Happyness when Chris and his son were not allowed into a shelter because he was a man although his son was allowed to stay, but only alone. Dorothy Best experienced a similar situation when her 17-year-old son was not allowed to stay with the rest of their family in an emergency family shelter “leaving him to fend for himself on the streets” she says in an interview for a piece titled Families Hardest Hit. Even more difficult is if a person is a mix of the three categories, for instance a 15- year-old, Queer boy may have the hardest time finding a shelter first for males, or for youth that is a “Safe Zone“for someone that is Queer. The youth that are found to be homeless are typically “pregnant or parenting teens, former and current wards” according to a report on homeless youth, and Queer youth many would argue those that need the most help. It is often a misconception that the homeless are only found in one area or is of one specific demographic. However, homeless can be found in every geographic area as well as among different classes, races, and ethnicities homelessness sees no boundaries.

It is organizations like Streetwise that help facilitate this transition period for many. Streetwise is what is known as a “Street paper” (now as of 2009 a magazine) created for the sole purpose of making a change in the lives of the needy and homeless. Street papers can be found all over the U.S. as well as the world, mainly in major cities says Danna Harman of the Christian Science Monitor. Streetwise vendor William Roberts knows this first hand as he recently came from Seattle where he sold the street paper there Real Change. Streetwise is sold for a $2 and the vendor pays 75 cents per paper making a profit of $1.25 per magazine sold, thus putting a face on poverty with each interaction between vendor and customer. It is an honest living that helps get people back on their feet. Streetwise believes there is no better way out of poverty then opportunity according to their website. The documentary Streetwise: The Movie shows what the transition period is like for a few Streetwise vendors and how being needy does not always mean being homeless. Being a Streetwise vendor is an opportunity for people to become an entrepreneur and be more in control of their destiny creating “a bridge to full-time employment, economic stability and self-respect.” It is a real business and is given more credibility then panhandling. Above all else selling a paper instead of begging for loose change offers “dignity” to the vendor as one customer explains in the movie. Some people are capable of using this service as a crutch, but many move up like Greg Pritchett who was a Streetwise vendor, was homeless and now actually works for the organization and is in charge of paper distribution. Streetwise also does work with Literacy Chicago, which helps people learn to read, a fantastic program for both student and teacher involved.

When people shout “Get a real job!” they do not always understand what a person has to go through who is living on the street. Ben Cook tells the story of Linda Fisher who feels selling Streetwise is a real job as she puts in 12-15 hours a day selling around 200-400 papers a week and still manages to be a mother to her daughter Joy. Even more challenging is finding a shelter which for many can be a job in and of itself. Often if a program is even started in a neighborhood like the B.E.D.S. program there are rules that may stand in the way of truly “getting a break”. The B.E.D.S. program is a network of churches and community centers that organize food, clothing, shelter, and some information on a night by night basis. Often these churches are on a rotating schedule so as not to wear thin each place’s assets. Not all shelters that serve women and children accept men, as Chris Gardner discovered in the movie The Pursuit of Happyness and real life. Often this is due to domestic issues. Lines for a room, a cot, or a mat at shelters start hours before the selection process starts. Food may be served that is not that appetizing, fresh, or desirable. Without a doubt more often than not simply because one was able to get a room one night does not mean one can get it the next. With the B.E.D.S. program a place to sleep could be in one suburb one night and another one the following day. With limited public transportation in the suburbs this could lead to solely living to travel to each church day after day, a sad existence if any. Shelters thrive with rules it helps keep the selection low. Many people do not like the feeling of being treated like a child like some shelters act when they turn out lights for “lights-out”, or people share bunk beds as if far away at camp. As Mr. Gardner says “It is easy to lose faith life gives lots of opportunities that test us” This is perhaps where the phrase “beggars need not be choosers” came to be. As many put up with cold sandwiches and fruit to eat on chilly days, harsh security, and sometimes no heat or infestation found at some shelters as experienced by the Pearce/Parker family in New York whose story was covered by the Amsterdam News, but is experienced throughout the U.S. in the nation’s shelters.

Being homeless can become an oppressive cycle one could have fallen into awful circumstances, but stayed there because of lack of support or lowered self-esteem. It is a humbling experience. For those fearful of the homeless or wanting to help, but do not want to contribute to habits such as drug and alcohol abuse Chicago Shares is the answer. It is a voucher program where one purchases, in groups of five, vouchers that are redeemable dollar for dollar for food; sometimes medicine prescriptions at pharmacies and toiletry items. The businesses involved in this program pledge to not “sell” alcohol or any other “reprehensible substance” to those who use and cash in these vouchers. The merchants are then later at the end of the month reimbursed for the vouchers. The locations where vouchers are to be redeemed are found throughout the Loop, Near North, Old Town, and Lincoln Park. The best part of the program the founder says is that “You don’t have to pretend you don’t see a fellow human being.”

Besides prescriptions through the Chicago Shares program there are health services available. They are offered in the Pilsen area. However they too have their rules much like the shelters. People have to be registered and show up before a certain time to be seen. Pilsen Homeless Health Services participate in outreach, soup kitchens, and shelters, help the uninsured as well as do education programs on various health issues experienced by the homeless.

Perhaps one of the most impacting services available to the homeless is Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. Which “organizes and advocates to prevent and end homelessness based on our belief that housing is a human right in a just society” their website states. The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless lobby for change with the state and federal government. As well as back a team known as the Speaker’s Bureau made up of formerly and currently homeless individuals who speak at presentations and forums advocating for social change for homelessness and other related issues. Some issues they address are the educational rights of homeless children, prostitution, living wage jobs, affordable housing, legislation, youth homeless, and re-entry after prison. The coalition also aid in the process of informing people of ways to get charity care from non-profit hospitals as well as how to get free transportation to get their children to school. A program the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless has created is called Home Ground Coffee. This program purchases shade-grown Fair Trade organic coffee from “democratically-organized cooperatives” and sells it at Chicago area farmers markets. Thus, it offers the homeless and formally homeless who sell it “marketable job experience and a fair, part-time wage” from mid-May through October.

So, how can one help and be part of the change? It is really rather simple, look up these organizations, be informed of what they do, talk to the homeless and understand that they do not live on the street because they are lazy, there is often more to it than that. Those that are homeless or hanging on to a mere thread are not always people who leach off of society. Donald London for example completed his GED in 2007, Albert Barris shares the word of the Bible with people he meets, Linda Fisher has worked hard to obtain a real estate license and still tries to support herself through college and Lonnie volunteers frequently at his son’s school their stories and many others can be found in the pages of Streetwise.

All of these organizations and many others have more in common besides who they help. Many are constantly looking for funds to help keep their organization running and thriving to better serve this disenfranchised community. These organizations are often run by volunteers so your time is really appreciated. Some of these places accept donated items such as clothing, non-perishable food stuffs, and toys and books for children. Streetwise for example is looking for people with specific skills as they are looking for a graphic designer to help with their website others may be looking for business professionals with marketing experience or lawyers who can help with legal concerns. As always if you can help in no other way, help by moving your mouth. Advocate for change, educate yourself and then in turn educate others on the issues associated with homelessness. Buy the Streetwise: The Movie DVD from a vendor you run into it is only $5, and the money you spend on it could help feed that person you bought it from. Become aware of the services available in your community and help them in any way that you can. Know above all things that one person can make a difference and it begins with you.

Why is it that we must care for the homeless? Because the homeless are us, people, and we just as well could live their lives if our circumstances were any different. Interaction with them can make us better people more humble, more grateful for what we do have, not what we do not. They can open our eyes to a world we knew not of or were afraid to acknowledge. As April Albrecht says of her experience with her friend Abraham a Streetwise vendor, “I see them. I want to know them. I want to hear their stories.” Rob Federighi has these same feelings which lead to his creation of his documentary more so then not as one could gather from the vendor stories often found in Streetwise the difference between a homeless person and a positive, self-supporting, contributor to society is a little time, patience, education, support and friendship. No one wants to one day die and from that day forth be entirely forgotten. People want a legacy that stands the test of time. The homeless and the needy are no different in fact they often have the biggest and brightest dreams to strive for. Donnell Robinson wants to get his book published of short stories about inner-city life, and Myrna Jefferson wants to get a master’s degree in Culinary Arts or possibly own a catering business. Perhaps one of the most basic of human needs is to feel we are “somebody” and we are not always able to make that happen for ourselves, sometimes a little help is needed on the way to our goals.