A Gift of Hope: Helping the Homeless

I had learned firsthand that tragedy and disappointment can strike any of us at any time.

And there are programs in every city designed to assist them to get off the streets, or so they say. But in truth only the most functional among the homeless are able to access these programs. Lines are endless, forms are impossible to decipher, qualifications can't be met, standards don't apply.

Emptying the ocean with a thimble again, our thimbles so tiny, and the ocean of need so huge.

As the director of one of the agencies providing free mental health services says, the Audubon Society spends more time, care, and money counting birds than we do counting homeless people.

Homelessness is not just about having a job or an apartment. Too often homelessness is due to a disordered mind.

The homeless need so many things from us. In addition to housing, medical care, mental health care, and job training, they need a strong hand to help them up. And aside from what we can do practically, we need to share our strength and give them hope: the hope that things can change, and the courage to hang on.