We are very familiar with signs such as “Will work for food” and “Homeless, please help”, but this does not mean that they are homeless. Many homeless individuals may go undetected because they blend in with others around them or because of their own pride, shame or fear.
Personally, I ate regularly in a fast food restaurant for some time before I began to detect something different about Tom (Not his real name) who was regularly sitting and reading a book when I saw him. It was not until I began to see the positive response of the restaurant staff toward him, that I began to question whether or not he was homeless.
For nearly two years, Tom had been living off the generosity of individuals who wanted to help him, but he was getting nowhere. Even when I spoke to Tom, he was not interested in coming to the Rescue Mission because he felt that he was doing well enough on his own, and others probably needed the Mission more than he did.
After a few months, Tom did come to the Mission. Within two months, he had a full time job, and in less than a year he was able to move into a home that he could afford to rent.
A few dollars, a free meal, a night in a motel, and many other signs of generosity are good, but nothing compares with getting to know an individual and helping him to learn how to become responsible by making wise choices.
We should encourage the homeless to each carry a placcard stating that, despite their situations, they are as equally a human-being as anyone else. These placcards should also spell out the reasons they are homeless, such as because of Conservative Party atrocities via the DWP and other human rights abuses.