one of the most difficult things about being homeless is having no sense of purpose and no direction. sure...when you first become homeless your purpose is to get yourself out of the situation you're in and back on track, with a roof over your head, income and some semblance of security. but as time goes on and you've been doing the things you should do with no results, you stagnate. you begin to accept being homeless and the lifestyle, or lack of it, that comes with it. you become....not complacent...but something in between complacency and despair. you lack that sense of purpose that i think all people need in order to feel satisfied or feel like you're heading toward the place you're suppose to be. some people have their work which drives and fulfills them. some people have their family that is their focus and primary reason for the things they strive to accomplish. some people have a spouse that they love dearly, are devoted to, and they strive for the security and happiness out of love. some people are just happy to be alive and having the things that americans have...a job, a home, a family, friends, and the things that come with them. homeless people lose most of that along the way. some lose it before they become homeless and others lose it after they become homeless. but most lose it somewhere along the way. they begin to drift with no purpose, no reachable goal, nothing to identify with, and no vision of their final destination. it's a difficult place to be. you feel unneeded, unloved, unwanted, and unnoticed. you isolate yourself, either physically or mentally. you've been cut off from everything that plants the seeds of hope and ambitions and dreams. it can be more devastating than the poverty and lack of shelter that accompanies homelessness.
if you have any relatives that are homeless, it doesn't matter the reason, don't deny them a rudder. don't deny them hope. don't validate the fact that they are totally disenfranchised from society as a whole. give them hope and something to grasp onto to pull themselves out of that sea. don't turn your back on them. they are the same person you once knew. they've just lost their way temporarily.
if you work at a mission, don't forget that hope and a feeling that a goal can be reached is just as important as addiction treatment or counseling. it's just as important as shelter and food. it's just as important as religion or social skills. don't forget to give that hope and the feeling that there is a goal
that can be obtained that will end their situation.
if you don't know any homeless people or aren't aware of any....become aware of one. support your missions and shelters that can give this hope to them and give them a direction out of the fog that's blocking the vision of where they're headed.
if you know a family who's struggling, do something before they fall off the ship. do something to keep that child from ever becoming familiar with the struggles and problems that come with poverty or homelessness.
hope and direction......to borrow new jersey's slogan.....it's stronger than the storm
see you around town