Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Bridging the Gap


There’s little doubt that society would like to see homelessness disappear but let’s face the fact that it’s not. There are a few programs already in place, some that have taken shape and failed, and some that are still in the process of basic structure. Currently, there are plans of building a small community of Conestoga huts so persons would have some sort of safe structure to temporarily live in while moving forward in their lives.
Here’s where the problem comes in. After speaking with one of the leaders of a local organization and asking how I can be of assistance, I went out to retrieve more information on this type of approach and I found exactly what I thought I would find. Some of this information was obtained directly from a homeless person:
Even though most homeless persons are mindset on being more productive with their lives and carry the desire to better themselves, some are perfectly content as long as there are basic necessities for sustainment. This becomes a real issue when it comes time to decide who gets what.
Definition of Opportunity: 1) A set of circumstances that make it possible to do something. 2) A chance for employment or promotion.
The funds for providing proper shelter in an environment similar to most persons in a working community are extremely limited so if just anybody is allowed to utilize these accommodations, someone is going to be left out. There has to be some way to filter between the chronic homeless and the persons who will put the programs to use the way they are intended.
Here’s the real issue. Nobody wants to be the bad guy, or the judge, and say, “You can stay and you cannot.”
No matter how you slice it, someone is going to get pissed off and throw a fit. People who are living on the streets struggle daily and tossing in a judgment such as that may add even more fuel to an existing attitude that’s on the teetering edge of uncontrollable anger. This makes building a bridge to close the gap from homelessness to productive lives that much more of a challenge.
If you have any thoughts or ideas on this issue and can find a resolution, please leave a comment so I can pass it along.
Until next time,
Kirk Toncray
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