When you think about someone who’s experiencing homelessness, what do you see? Scruffy beard? Sleeping on the sidewalk? “Begging” for your change? Unfortunately that is how society views those whom are experiencing homelessness. However, as you will soon learn, that is not always the case.

When a person begins their journey of experiencing homelessness, this often comes suddenly. They are often not prepared, and end up experiencing a major life change. But that does not mean they change who they are, or how they present themselves. Often times people whom are new to experiencing homelessness continue to wear their designer clothing and such.

I have been experiencing homelessness now for a month and a half. This has led me into being misunderstood. I wear Marc Jacobs sunglasses, Beats headphones, and even own a new iPhone. And whenever I tell people that I am currently experiencing homelessness, I get told that I couldn’t be, or that I don’t fit the bill.

So, how do we create a society in which there is a social understanding that homelessness is also a spectrum? One, develop an understanding that homelessness is often not a choice. Economic struggles create hardships in where individuals are forced to endure experiences of homelessness. Secondly realize what it means to experience homelessness, and what that could look like. Those experiencing homelessness aren’t always sleeping on a bus station bench, or in a park at night. There are several other forms of homelessness; couch surfing, shelter hopping, and hotel/motel staying, to name a few.

People who are invisibly homeless are often well dressed, “clean”, and carry themselves as if they weren’t. I personally consider myself as invisibly homeless. And what that means, is often times I can’t ask people for handouts, or help in buying food for the day. I have also been told that I am faking being homeless for the benefit of people giving me things/money. It is impertinent that society learns about meeting people where they are at, while also not keeping them there.

When society reaches an understanding of equality and positivity toward those experience hardship, then those experiencing homelessness can be seen as more than mere vagabonds; as people. (Like the ones with hearts and souls.)

“When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.” – The Dalai Lama

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

• Donate your time. (If you’re nice to us, I can assure you you will get the same in return.)
• Donate unused items. (Shirts, blankets, towels even.)
• Listen to people from all walks of life. (Queer, People of color, minorities.)
• Love and cherish others as you’d want to be. (Also, as they’d want to be!)

New Projects

Have an Idea for a project I could do to bring the fight to end homelessness to the forefront? Comment below.