Saturday, April 9, 2011

A to Z: Homeless

No I am not homeless. I have been lucky to manage to keep a roof over my head. I understand it can be a struggle sometime. I count my blessings that I have been fortunate to have a support network of friends and family when I have needed one.

I've volunteered at a cold weather shelter in Charles Town this winter. I was able to spend some time with the homeless. I was able to eat, pray and talk with the homeless. I was reminded that they are people. I also volunteer on the Board of Directors at Hope Alive. It is a shelter for single woman with or without children. It is a transitional shelter. Meaning the organization works with these woman until they are able to get on their feet, find housing, and are able to keep it. That sad thing is they can only help a limited number. I guess the sadder thing is so many other woman need help.More information can be found at their website.

Sometimes people only think about the homeless and the hungry when it is cold or near the Holidays. The truth is the homeless and hungry struggle year round.


2 comments:

Marie Anne said...

Amen. While the winter months are obviously a concern regarding exposure to the elements, the need for food, shelter and proper amenities don't change with the seasons.

Amandasaurus said...

I think I've heard of Hope Alive. It is sad that they can only help a small quantity of women, but the quality is so much greater than places that merely provide shelter (though that is not to discredit the work of shelters). Organizations like this aim to put themselves out of work. They are not just handling immediate needs; they are working to teach people to meet those needs for themselves so that they won't have to rely on such programs again.