I live in a big city. I see homeless people all the time. My heart aches for them, but like so many, I think, “What can I possibly do? I’m only one person. The problem is much bigger than me.” There would be times I’d pretend I didn’t see them; occasionally I’d give a dollar, and other times I’d go out and buy gift certificates to a fast-food joint and distribute those. On the whole, I always felt inadequate.
Some of you might be thinking: “Don’t feel sorry for these people. They put themselves there through alcoholism, drugs, laziness, etc.” Sure, you may be right but I can’t sit there and evaluate every situation that I come across where I have someone vying for my attention. Besides, with a good part of the population living paycheck to paycheck we’re now seeing families out on the streets and hard working citizens who’ve been hit by an illness, or an adversity of some sort, and ending up with huge medical bills, and such, in which they’ve lost everything. Others are mentally ill. We don’t know their stories. It’s not our place to judge. In fact, we could easily be one of them. How would you feel then? How would you feel people passing by you as if you didn’t exist or weren’t worth anything? You may feel very secure in your situation right now but no one really knows what the future holds for them. The Bible speaks many times about helping those less fortunate than ourselves. God is big on people helping people (“Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” —Romans 12:13. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” —Proverbs 31:8-9). It is through us that he works. Yet, again, we ask, “What can I possibly do?”
I’m not an expert at this but my husband and I have had enough experience between us to know what can make even a little bit of difference. We’re just regular people, not moguls with lots of resources, yet we see the smiles of those who need to be noticed. One thing to point out is that it’s not necessarily about money. It’s about acknowledging another human being and valuing them. I will share what we do on our part but I do want to point out that whenever dealing with another person you should make sure you always put yourself first and protect yourself. Safety first. If you’re in a situation where you are vulnerable you may want to think twice and wait for other opportunities.
Ways to Help:
One of our favorites is what we call our care packages. Instead of giving out money we buy and pack up basics that can help someone get through the day. The package includes: Vienna sausages, crackers w/ peanut butter, raisins, bottle of water, a couple of band-aids, a pair of socks, travel size toothbrush and toothpaste, and small pack of Kleenex. We put them in a gallon-size zip lock bag and place them in the car ready to hand out when we see someone in need. We also have a mini-version which consists of the crackers, Vienna sausages, raisins, Band-Aids, and Kleenex. These are placed in a quart-size zip lock bag. This has been an interesting experience for us. Popular belief is that people “just want the money”, however, when we’ve come across someone who looks like a drug addict or an alcoholic and we hand them a package, with the same suspicious thought “they look like they’re out for money”, something truly wonderful happens. Across their ragged, worn faces you see the sun rising—a wide smile makes its way across their face with the brightness of their eyes showing a spirit of gratefulness. Again, people just wanting to be acknowledged and knowing others care.
