by Marilyn Knowles Wilke

Created on: September 30, 2009

I learned that anyone can become homeless, from a famous actor to a divorced woman with six children. I learned from a homeless person that some homeless people just do not care and will sit in a car and put a sign up, hoping someone will do what they should be doing. I learned that some homeless people became homeless because of some other selfish person. Homeless people are businessmen, doctors, old men and women who were laid off, teenagers who were abused, and a number of other situations.

Being homeless does not usually mean that you are just too lazy to work, but there are some homeless people who are that way. These are the homeless people that make it hard for a decent person to get by. People see these lazy people sitting in their car with a sign that says "need food", but they are not doing anything to help themselves. They sit in a car for hours with that sign and never make an attempt to look for a job when there are places hiring all around them.

Being homeless with six children is very difficult, but there were rarely times anyone sat around. Most mornings around six were spent getting ready in a very cold bathroom with no heat in 30 degree weather. In the afternoons you would see the mother teaching her children at the picnic tables and even Family Services commended her and left her alone. This homeless family, including the mother and two of the teens looked for jobs while the little ones slept in the van. Of course, this mother never left her children out of her sight and brought them inside after explaining everything to the manager. Because of her honesty, the manager fed the children a hot meal and let them sit at one of the tables of McDonalds while he interviewed the mother and her oldest teen. He later hired a second teenager after they found a temporary place to live.

I learned that a homeless person needs understanding and compassion as long as they are trying. I learned that many homeless people cannot work because of their mental state of mind. It makes it difficult for someone with a mental problem or if they were born with brain damage and they cannot help it. There are some people in this world who just do not care about the homeless and then there are those who spend their lives helping them.

Homeless people are not usually there because they want to be. Being homeless is very scary. Living in an open place can be dangerous. I learned that a mother never sleeps when they live in a park where there are wild animals. She ends up

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>