First Day: Post 10

We all reserve the right to live our lives the way we choose to. Sure, our choices are not always the best but they are our choices. Others may not agree with the way we live our lives but they are our lives to live, not theirs.

When people are walking past a homeless man or woman they most likely look the other way pretending as if they do not see them. Some of these people are simply greedy and unwilling to share their hard earned money with someone else no matter how deeply that other person may be in need of a meal. Other people however, feel guilty not helping the person they had just chosen to ignore but at the same time they are not sure if they can trust a stranger.

I am not going to lie I have been in these situations myself. I know how it feels. You fear that if you give them money they will blow it on drugs or alcohol. When I was little many people told me not to give money to someone who is homeless because you do not know what they will use it for. So when I would see someone begging for change I would look the other way and every time I did that I felt absolutely horrible about myself. In some instances I had food on me or gift cards to food places and I would give them that, but when all I had was some cash I felt useless.

It was not until I was in my church’s youth group that I was told something that completely changed my perception of giving the homeless spare change. I’m not sure how the subject came up but I am truly grateful it did.

Unfortunately I do not remember the name of the man. He was a guest speaker for my church that night and he talked to us about how he would help the homeless people he came across on the streets. He brought up the fear of giving away money to those we barely know and told us that if someone claims to be in dire need of spare change then it is up to you to help them with what you can. Give them any loose change you have or if you can give them enough money to buy a meal. He told us to not worry about what they chose to do with the money just be proud of yourself for giving them the opportunity to buy themselves a meal.

At First Day I have come to see the importance of giving others an opportunity to better their lives. When going through some reports I saw how important it was for the residents to make their own decisions that would better their lives and that all they truly needed was a helping hand and support. Many of them described that the neglect on the streets left them isolated and feeling as if they were not as valuable as other people.

This made me think of what the man in church said and I thought that maybe if we give people the tools they need to get back on track they will be more likely to do so. Instead of treating them as if they are invisible we should treat them with respect and offer them support. By shutting them out and pretending that they are not there is only going to tear down their self-esteem and cause them to lose faith in humanity. But if we show them that they can still turn things around and give them the help they need then maybe they will take it upon themselves to reconnect with the community.

So to all those who feel as if they should give a homeless man or woman the spare change in your pocket but are scared they will waste it, don’t be. As long as you do your part that is all that matters. Leave it up to that person to make their decision and hope that they make the right decision. You can let them know that you want them to use it for what they truly need, but leave it at that. Not all the people you see on the streets waste the money they receive, and for those that do, maybe providing them with small words of advice will help them make the right choice.

Do what you know is the right thing to do. Help those around you in any way you can. Give your advice and hope people use it. Provide people with the necessary tools and hope they do not abuse them. That is all we can really do, the rest is up to those we try to help.