We've Learned SO Much...
And we keep on learning. If someone were to ask, "what's the most important thing I should know about folks living on the street?", I think it would be this: FORGET THE MYTHS!
Myth #1: They're living on the streets because they're too lazy to work.
We know people who sleep on the sidewallks at night, and work harder than most 'indoor people' during the day. We knew a messenger who put in 8 hard hours every day delivering documents to various locations in the city by bike, rain or shine through all kinds of traffic. We've seen people pushing shopping carts that are so full you can't see over the top of them. They're full of the bottles and cans people threw out their car windows or tossed out on the sidewalk. Our friends recycle this litter so they can make enough money to eat.
Myth #2: They must want to be on the streets. Why don't they just go to a shelter?
Hmmm... have you ever tried to sleep in a shelter? God bless the folks who make the shelters available, but honestly, they are very difficult places to stay in. Many of them require people to stand in line outside starting at 5pm and hope there will be enough beds for everyone. If someone ends up at the end of the line and the beds run out, it's often too late to go stand in line at another shelter. If you do get a bed, don't plan on sleeping too soundly. People have reported having their shoes stolen while they slept. So they got a good night sleep, but then they have to go back on the street barefoot in a cold rain. Nothing is safe inside most shelters. I could share much more about the difficulties of 'shelter living', but I'll leave it to your imagination.
Myth #3: They should just ask their family for help.
Sometimes, the family is the problem! There are women who's moms or dads turned them out (prostitution) when they were young to help support the parent's drug habits. These ladies can't turn to their families -- they're trying to escape them!
Myth #4: They're all drug addicts, or alcoholics.
This is simply not true. We know people who are living on the streets and won't touch drugs or alcohol.
Myth #5: If they're not on drugs, they're mentally ill.
So having a mental illness makes someone worthless?? No! It makes them someone in need of love, support and encouragement. It makes them someone any of us could become simply by getting in a car accident (head injury), having a horrible, traumatic incident occur in our lives, or having an illness that progresses to our brain.
Myth #6: There's nothing I can do.
Absolutely not true. There are ways everyone can help. From simple, but very important tasks like praying for people who are suffering in the streets, to supporting our ministry, to coming out and hitting the streets with us!
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James & Karla Woods
StreetFire Ministries
3230- San Bruno Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94134
650-270-8301, karla @ streetfire.org
© 2004 streetfire.org - Copyright includes pictures.