It's raining hard this morning in Southern California. I wake up to the sound of thunder strikes. My heart skips a beat at the thought of many people are sleeping in the rain while I'm here under a comforter in my cozy bedroom. The idea of it kills me softly. Last year for the first time I asked my husband Dennis and friends to help me provide sleeping bags to the homeless. It made me feel a little better sleeping at night when days are like today.
A couple of weeks ago, someone shared a video on Facebook with the caption that if don't work hard, you would be likely joining the homeless on the streets. It offended me for their ignorance. Being lazy is not the only factor in becoming homeless.
Last night, Dennis shared with me a true story of someone who worked with him before. He has autism with incredible intelligence. Everyone calls him "The Brainy." When they found him many years ago, he was sitting on the doorstep outside of a building with the contemplation of ending his life. He said he had no reason to live. His mom sold him and used the money to buy drugs when he was a child. He was raped way too many times by men and women. When he was placed in a foster home, they also assaulted and abused him. He ran loose and became homeless when he was a teenager. The Christian Recovery Home took him in and helped him recovered from the past hurt. At the end of his two-year limit, they found him hid under his bed, refusing to leave home. He was mentally challenged. He wouldn’t be able to face the harsh world out there. As a result, they allowed him to stay as one of their staff members.
Homelessness is complicated. It can happen to anyone at any given time. To combat the issue, we have to understand the causes and volunteering time, talent and money to help reduce homelessness.
Being able to buy one sleeping bag for one homeless at a time is all I can do for now. I hope you will also join me one day.