feature
The Question of House, The Answer of Home BY MARY L. HOLDEN
Shelter is one of the basic needs of human beings, after food and water. It means protection from the elements and an environment in which people can thrive. Across the United States, approximately 1.8 million Americans are without shelter. They are considered homeless. Homelessness is a complex problem that pulls on every emotion and is confronted by many unimaginable challenges—affordable housing, poverty and unemployment are the key factors, and since the recent financial recession, they have only added to this growing social dilemma across the nation. But when it’s all said and done, it still comes down to a lack of housing. Being housed means a roof, four walls, a chair, some food and water, a place to sleep. If you are even more fortunate, your house space is also filled with loving energy from its residents—it is a home. The homeless survive in open air, and they know things like weather, benches, bridges, abandoned buildings, perhaps some blankets or several layers of clothes, lines for meals and splash baths in public restrooms. Homelessness is not age- or race-discriminate, as it affects people (and families) at all age levels. Alarming in this day and age is the fact that single mothers and children make up a growing percentage of the homeless; however, the single largest group of homeless come from our returning veterans—those courageous souls who placed their lives on the line for our country—where almost 1 million now live on the streets. We are also seeing a growing number of homeless with their pet alongside—even the homeless need the comfort of those who never complain but simply give love. So the next time you are sitting by the pool, enjoying a cold drink or dipping into the pool when it’s 110 degrees—enjoying the good life, remember those who are homeless. We hope that through this article more among us will recognize that this is a major problem, and even though it’s unlikely that one person can solve it all, if we all do a little, it can make a difference. mylife
may-june jul-aug 2013 2013
27