Giving the Gift of a Warm Meal

About this campaign

I spent a lot of the time when I was homeless sleeping "in the rough" which is another way of saying outdoors. I've been asked a lot of times why I didn't just stay in homeless shelters. The two answers many homed people often give as to why homeless people don't use shelters is that either such people are drug users and drug use is against homeless shelter rules or that some people refuse to follow rules pertaining to check in and checkout. The issue is pretty complex, but no, I was neither using drugs nor too defiant to obey the rules.

I'd like to give my reasons for sleeping in the rough and also some of the reasons I've seen others avoid shelters while exposing some common homeless shelter dangers. Some of these reasons might surprise you. I know I was shocked to discover a few of them myself.
Please, keep in mind that not all shelters have all or even any of these down sides. Some have none of them. These are the things many homeless people who don't use them anymore have experienced at some facilities in the U.S. which may have caused them to later avoid using shelters. There are good ones out there, too. They can just be hard to find sometimes.
#1 there is not enough beds.
#2 shelters often times require rent
#3 They can't meet the paperwork requirements. Single woman don't have a marriage license or small children.
#4 A state ID is required. To get a state ID, one must have that pesky utility bill and a home address.
#5 Some shelters require a person to fail a drug test. If you aren't a drug addict you pass, to fail you have to have lots of drugs in your system and be an actual drug addict.
#6 Location. Location. Location. If your homeless and don't live in a major city, there are not any homeless shelters.
#7 If you are disabled, you can't do the physical labor that is required.
#8 Homeless groups are separated. Homeless groups stay together so that they can help one another. Separated they have to depend on strangers who will steal your stuff.
#9 If you have needed medicine or a medical device the shelter will not let you have it, like an asthma patient can't have his rescue inhaler. A thyroid patient isn't allowed to have Synthroid. Without needed medicine they are at a higher risk of death. Diabetic patients aren't allowed to have their insulin. The reason is that shelter staff fear another homeless person staying at the shelter will steal it.
#10 They can only stay a certain amount of time before being kicked out.

How Do You See Homeless People? 

The way you view a homeless person depends on your assumptions about his or her situation.
Your values, religious beliefs, your political persuasions, socioeconomic status and work ethics are directly related to how your form those assumptions.
Even your stereotypes about culture, gender roles, and perhaps, race influence how you perceive the homeless.
The next time you pass by a homeless person on the street, try to remove all assumptions, values, beliefs, and stereotypes from your mind and see a person who was born a child of God with humanity and dignity.

Treat the Homeless with Dignity
If you notice a change in your perception the next time you see a person on the street, think about what difference you could make to help the homeless.

No matter how small, directly or indirectly, every little bit helps. Whether it's donating clothing, blankets, food, money, time, or just saying "hello," see what you can do today.

You will be surprised by the response you get from needy persons when someone displays care and kindness to them. It makes them feel a little more human to be treated with dignity.

When I feed the homeless, it warms my heart when they say, 'thank you,' or give a little change to pay for their meal.

Interact with the homeless by giving, and it will change your heart, too