...for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me . . . Mt 25:35
Monday, February 8-Monday, February 15
lower level, John XXIII Campus Center
Working with the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, Holy Trinity will once again host an emergency winter shelter for homeless men of our community. We will welcome twenty men each night and provide them fellowship, hot coffee and something to eat, and a warm place to sleep. Without this assistance, these men would have no where to escape the dangerously frigid temperature. Volunteers are needed each morning and evening to drive our guests to and from Ann Arbor. In addition, we need volunteers to provide hospitality while they are here as well as overnight hosts. If you are interested in volunteering, please sign-up in the atrium or contact the office.
Conventional wisdom says that people are homeless because they are either lazy and don't want to work, they are all addicted to drugs and alcohol, or they are mentally ill. These falsehoods and half-truths blame the homeless person for their predicament rather than exposing the real causes for these problem. The reasons and causes for homelessness are as varied as the people who experience it for each homeless person is unique and valued and has their own story to tell but there are some common causes.
The lack of job opportunities and affordable housing, the lack of affordable health care, limited social services and poor access to help, domestic violence for women and children are all causes of homelessness but the number one reason for homelessness in America is poverty. There are homeless people who have jobs but find that their source of income is not adequate to provide for all the necessities of life (food, clothing, child care, health care, transportation, and housing). Something has to give and with the high cost of housing, it is often a home. An accident, an illness, or a lay-off can be a catastrophe for someone living at the poverty line.
To be sure, many homeless people do suffer from addictions and/or mental illness but there is no correlation that their addictions or illness caused their homelessness. There are also many people who suffer with addictions and/or mental illness that do not find themselves living on the street. Addiction and mental illness coupled with poverty will increase one's risk of becoming homeless. And homelessness will exacerbate the problems associated with addictions and/or mental illness. It is a vicious cycle.
Contact the National Coalition for the Homeless to learn more about homelessness and poverty in America as well as find out ways you can help.
