Hungry and Homeless

When you realize how many people are hungry and homeless in the world, and that number registers in your head, all the words you can express are wow. There are 86,000 people in Michigan that are homeless. Put that number in perspective somehow, a way that makes sense to you. Ex: How many people are in your workplace, your graduating class, something that you can visualize to give you the significance of those 86,000 people. They all have faces, backgrounds, and basic needs that society is failing to provide for them.

Last week I participated in ‘Cardboard City’ at my college. We built box homes, lined up in front of our University Center and camped out. We spent the night in the cold on the ground in our boxes. This was a chilling realization for me. There are people who do this every single night. The entire experience was extremely eye-opening. I’m a little ashamed to admit it, but at 4am I had to get up and leave because I couldn't feel my toes anymore (plus I had a huge presentation that day and needed to get some good sleep). 

It was hard for me to accept the fact that something I couldn't finish, thousands of people have to do every single night. It makes me want to think again before judging a homeless person on the street begging for money. Maybe they’re using it for drugs, but maybe they’re using it to feed their family. It’s quite depressing to think that we live in ‘the best country that ever existed’ (or what so many carelessly believe) and there are people who go to sleep each night hungry and cold. 

Next time you pass someone who is homeless, stop and think: They have a story. These are just regular people, who’ve come upon hard times. That isn’t hard with all the economic hardships we deal with today. 

During the holiday season think about these people. We all know cash is tight, but think about getting one less present these year, and donating that money so someone can have a meal this holiday season. You have the ability to affect someones life, and that is powerful.

What are your thoughts on this? Have you ever had experiences with the homeless? Share your story in the comments!

AeW