“I’m not a bum, I’m a human being”

A couple of weeks ago, a video of Ronald Davis went viral on social media of him giving his personal accounts about homelessness, and I instantly felt saddened after watching it. At my internship, I talk to women and men whom have stumbled upon hard times. They have children, have lost jobs,  have no place to go, live in cars or shelters, haven’t washed in days, have no means of transportation and have to constantly ask for rides or catch the bus. Some of them work, but they are still unable to support themselves because of individual tragic circumstances or have acquired such an immense amount of debt they cannot recover. Homeless people are not bums. They are human beings who need help.

These past few weeks at my internship have truly humbled me. Also, I have become more aware and thankful for the smallest things. Some days, I complain and what for? I have food, clothing, a roof over my head, a car to drive, and most importantly, a family that love and support me. Whenever I come to work  and deal with homeless families in need, it serves as a huge reality check. I thank God everyday because Ronald Davis’s situation could have been mine or a loved one. Homelessness can happen to anyone without the proper preparation, especially with today’s economy.

According to Bloomberg news,

The number of homeless people who are part of a family climbed 1.4 percent in January 2012 from the prior year, even as total homeless numbers declined, based on a National Alliance to End Homelessness analysis of the most recent nationwide statistics available. The number of children without a home increased by an estimated 2 percent, according to NAEH, a Washington-based non-profit focused on policy and research on the needs of homeless people.

More recent local data from places such as Seattle and Portland, Oregon, suggest that in some markets where rent is rising, homelessness has followed suit. What’s more, federal budget cuts to government housing programs threaten to trim aid.

Nationally, the average hourly wage among renters is $14.32 this year compared with the $18.79 needed to afford an apartment at a fair-market rent, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, without spending more than 30 percent of income on housing, a National Low Income Housing Coalition report found in March. The $4.47 gap this year is wider than the $4.10 differential in 2012.  Read Full Article

View the video of Ronald Davis below:

[youtube]http://youtu.be/GThh6bU0-OU[/youtube]

When I am riding in my car and I see a homeless person, my heart goes out to them. I don’t care what their situation may be. Some may say that many of the homeless people standing outside asking for change or money are not homeless or lacking. Others may think they are just lazy, on drugs or using people to get by. All of those things could be true, however, who are we as people to judge? It is easy for people to point fingers and say, “Get up and get a job”, but it’s not that simple.  Like Ronald Davis stated in the video, people take one look at him and immediately dismiss him as a potential employee because of his situation and appearance.

Whenever I extend my hand to a homeless person, I give because for me its the right thing to do. I will continue to give when I can, and I challenge you to do the same.