Do you remember the first time you saw a homeless person? If you were raised in an urban environment, the answer is probably no. However, many people have a specific, identifiable memory for their first encounter with the homeless. Maybe you were downtown visiting the museum on a field trip. Perhaps your church was doing an outreach program, or your family was visiting another city on vacation. Describe, if you can, the first time you saw a homeless person--your emotional or logical reaction, what your parents told you, etc.
Now that we are adults living in Denver, there is no doubt that homeless people are just a part of our lives. How have your perceptions of them altered? Does that affect your behavior? For example, do you give a homeless woman money if she begs for it? Do you concentrate on a point in the distance while you walk past a group of homeless people? Or do you have any voluntary interaction with them, either through the school, your church, or a
Finally, how do you expect interacting with the homeless at Project Homeless Connect to change your perception and treatment of the homeless?
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14 comments:
I grew up in the Denver metro area and was exposed to homeless people at a very young age. When I was six year olds I was going to dance rehearsal at the Denver Performing Arts Center and I just remember seeing homeless people everywhere, and honestly, I remember being scared. These people would just come running up and ask for money and I remember thinking why didn't they just go to work?
I had that mentality for a large portion of my childhood: if people didn't want to be homeless, then they should just find a job. But now I know that it is not that simple. I think often times people will just be like if they didn't want to be homeless they should just go find a job, even at McDonalds, and they do not realize that it actually not that easy. Homeless people have no address to put on their applications, no phone numbers to call back for an interview, no clothes to wear to work...it is just not that easy to wake up being homeless and get a job.
It took me a long time to realize the obstacles homeless people face and now I want to help them instead of being the person telling them to go find a job. I would love to give money to every homeless person I meet, however, many times it is not used towards food or coffee or finding a shelter, but for purchasing liquor, and that is something I have a problem with. I rather donate products and my time to the homeless, over giving just money. One weekend I was at 16th Street Mall and a homeless man asked me for money to buy a drink. I wanted to help him but didn't have any cash so instead I asked him if I could buy him coffee at Barnes and Noble. He was so grateful that someone did not just brush him off and actually took the time to help him.
I do have voluntary interaction with homeless people through my youth group and campus crusade at DU and I find it amazing how some of the homeless people are the most uplifting people that I've ever met and how incredible it is for them to have such a positive outlook on life when they do not even have a place to stay at night. It makes me realize all the things in life that I take for granted.
I think Project Homeless Connect will help me to continue giving back to the homeless community and give me more opportunities to help. Every person has a unique story and different cause to why they are at the place they are and I think it will be really interesting to hear other's stories.
As a spoiled suburban white only child, my experience in the first ten years of my life with homelessness was mainly limited to movies, television, and vague conceptual context. Until, at age 12, I went on a vacation to our nation’s capital. Museums, Smithsonian’s, national landmarks and homeless folks by the hundreds. It didn’t help my social development that I had encountered perhaps 5 black people before that and it seemed like 95% of the homeless in Washington D.C. were in fact, African American. I hate to admit it, but I’m certain that my delicate little mind somehow associated homelessness with being black, or vice versa. Children are so very fragile.
Nevertheless, my answer to the brief street side connections to homeless individuals today is “solved” by two glorious words… i pod. I’ve noticed that those who would normally inquire for spare change, cigarettes, etc. have a significantly lower tendency to do so if I am occupied by this life saving piece of personal electronic equipment. Thanks Mac!
But of course, there are those times when this device in not on my person or currently being utilized for whatever reason. If this is the case and I am walking on the street, and I see someone who will ask for spare this or that. I’m sure you, as I, can tell it coming from a mile away, you prep yourself for the request, decide early on if you are to deny or accommodate it, you make an attempt at averting your eyes from their general direction, but to no avail, and without warning it comes, “Can you spare some change, sir?” Note: This seems to be the agreed upon linguistic choice of the masses. A simple request, followed by a formal greeting, I can see how this would be the most effective. Sometimes among the inexperienced I will get a lengthy story about needing bus fare, a hotel room, etc. But the more experienced (experienced homeless?) I’ve noticed, go for quantity over quality, this I’m sure is due to several reasons which I will not speculate on here. Anyways where was I? Oh yes… “Change, sir?” By this point I have already decided that I will not (as is generally the case) accommodate their request, I have my response ready, like a automated email reply, I instinctively fire back without even knowing I have done so, “Sorry” (even though that is also not generally the case). I am careful to maintain lack of visual connection and remain steadfastly moving in the direction of which I was headed. That is a rather lengthy explanation of this very brief interaction with the homeless, but it’s an honest one, and I hope you appreciate it.
In regards to the Project Homeless Connect, I’d like to write you and say that I am looking forward to the experience, that I think I will make significant positive change and that I will further my involvement with organizations that are focused on helping the homeless, but that just wouldn’t be the truth. I am not new to working with non profit organizations, in fact far from it; I just don’t have any sympathy for the homeless in America. There, I said it. I know, I’m a total jerk, but at least I’m honest.
I can’t quite remember the first time I saw a homeless person. I think I was downtown with my parents and we were walking some where, and I saw a guy standing on the street corner with a sign asking for money. I think I remember asking my parents why he was standing there, asking for money, and they said something like he doesn’t have a place to sleep or any money so he is hoping people will give him some money. I don’t remember what my exact reaction was because it was such a long time ago. Now that I am an adult, living in a big city, I am exposed to homeless people almost daily, and my perceptions of them have changed greatly. I have heard from numerous sources that the homeless people, who are seen on the streets begging for money, are often times fake and are not really homeless. This has definitely affected my perception of homeless people, because I now think twice before giving them money and I usually don’t give them money at all. I do remember once or twice when I have given a homeless person homeless some change or a couple of dollars. But I can definitely say I rarely give a homeless person money. My usually reaction to a person begging for money is to ignore them. If there is a person along the side of the street with a sign asking for money, I usually don’t look at them and keep driving, or if I am forced to stop I don’t look at them. If a person comes up to me in the street and asks me for money directly, I usually lie and tell them I don’t have any. As bad as it sounds all the rumors about homeless people being fake and only using their money for drugs or alcohol has definitely affected me. I think that participating in Project Homeless Connect, will definitely change how I think about homeless people and their situations, it may even affected my willingness to give them money when I see them. Hopefully, only positive things will come from my experience with Project Homeless Connect.
I don’t remember the first time I saw a homeless person. However, I have this strong memory of my mom helping out a homeless woman when I was around 6 years old. We had just stepped out of a sandwich shop in Chicago where we had just had lunch. Right around the corner, there was a homeless woman sitting there, asking my mom for some money because she was hungry. Instead of giving her money, my mom walked back into the sandwich shop, bought another sandwich, and handed it to the lady sitting outside. The lady was so surprised to what my mom had done that she almost couldn’t speak. As we walked away, my mom said to me, “you should help others that are less fortunate than you are, because we’re so blessed that we aren’t in that situation.” Even now, I can see the woman’s expression when my mom bought her lunch. It was just a simple act of kindness, but I knew that it made such a huge different to that lady.
I think that I’ve has the same view and idea of people who are homeless. I think that they are just in a very sticky situation, due to situations that probably were out of there hands. When I see people on the streets, I always try to help them out if I can, even if it’s just been some loose change. Even after years of watching my mom help other people out, I have had times where I have just walked past them, not even listening to them, or making eye contact.
I hope that being involved in Project Homeless Connect will help me to interact with those who are homeless and be more willing to stop and help them out in other ways than just giving them money.
I grew up in a little suburban town outside of a big metropolis in Venezuela, South America. Like every little town in South America everything revolves around the central square of the town, right in front of the Church. I clearly remember this guy everybody called "Carlitos". Carlitos was the "homeless man from the square", everybody knew him, everybody knew that he lived there in the square, slept on the benches sometimes under the benches. I remember him fondly, he was very funny, he always had a funny joke or comment and he would always bless anyone who helped him out. I do not remember ever being scared of him but I would ask myself and sometimes asking my parents why he lived there? why did he not have a home to go to? As I grew I understood some of the circumstances that threw him into homelessness and how he grew used to that lifestyle. he told someone once that that was his life, he was used to living in the square, that he was not homeless, the square was his home and he did not want that to change.
I am really looking forward to Project Homeless Connect, I want to connect with someone living under those circumstances and find out how they got there and to find out what they "really" need, what services and such. I am sure it is going to be an eye opening experience.
The first time I remember seeing a homeless person was when I was in downtown Chicago with my family. We had gone out to eat for the night and as we were walking over the river, we saw a man huddled on the bridge. As we walked passed him, I felt very sorry that I could do nothing for him. Then I realized I had leftover macaroni from my dinner. I turned around and I gave him the box filled with still warm food. He was so grateful and I was so happy to have been able to help him. My parents were proud of me that I had chosen to help this man and they explained to me about poverty. Even though this occurred when I was much younger, I still believe this moment was important in my understanding of homelessness. My perceptions have not changed too much, but I know better understand the concept of poverty and how people can so easily fall into it. I want to help all homeless people I see, but at times I am unable to. Still, stereotypes have also affected my behavior. For example, homeless people often have drug and alcohol problems and I do not want to contribute to their struggle with these addictions. Still, I have volunteered numerous times and I have been blessed enough to have sat down with these people and listened to their story. I think Project Homeless Connect will help me feel more apt to interact with the homeless when I am not at an organized even. I never feel afraid of the homeless, but I feel that I may have difficulty connecting with them. I hope this experience will help change my perceptions for the better.
I grew up in Parker, Colorado. Which is somewhat close to Denver, but it is basically the most suburban town that you will ever see. I still to this day do not think that there are any homeless people living in Parker, and I doubt that there will be for a whlle. I don't have a vivd first memory of a homeless person, but I know that my first interaction with the homeless occured in downtown Denver. I was confused as a kid, how it could even be possible that somebody was homeless. It didn't make sense to me. I know that homelessness is a legitimate problem now, and that some people are just down on their luck, but I don't think that every homeless person is a victim.
I have to admit, that when somebody is panhandling at a street light outside of my car I get a little nervous. I know that making negative assumptions about the homeless is submitting to a bad stereotype. But I just can't help it sometimes. The person on the side of the road could honestly be down on their luck, or they could be somebody that just wants to take advantage of others generosity, or they could be mentally ill, or dangerous. It is hard to be sure what is safe and what is not in a big city.
When I am walking downtown and see a homeless person, I have to admit I get slightly uncomfortable. It is not because I think less of them, it is simply because I never encountered anything like that in the neighborhood where I grew up. IF I do decide to give to the homeless, I try to give them actual food instead of just money. This way, I just know that I have actually helped instead of potentially hurt. I know that this is a stereotype, but I don't want to end up paying for someone's liquor or someone's drugs, I want to give them food.
I hope that Project Homeless Connect will give me a clearer view of the homeless population, and I am excited to be involved.
Though I do not remember the first time I saw a homeless person, I do have a very specific memory of my first reaction to homelessness. I was young, probably seven or eight, and my family had gone into the city (from our suburban neighborhood) to see a play. As we walked from the parking lot to the theatre, we passed a group of people sleeping on the sidewalk. I was old enough to know and understand that they did not live in a house like I did, and that I was very privileged in comparison. I thought, however, that even though they were sleeping on the streets, their lives couldn’t be much different than mine. My immediate reaction to the people sleeping on the streets was an intense anger and repulsion. My feelings were not a reflection of the homeless people themselves, rather they were in response to the people who walked by the sleeping group and didn’t seem to notice or care. I was completely incensed that no one had stopped to offer help. Now, though I understand more thoroughly how someone becomes homeless and the stereotypes surrounding homeless people, my anger has still not completely disappeared.
I am aware now that homelessness is more than just having a home, like my childish mind assumed. To be homeless also means to be without stability, substance, or routine. Though sometimes I get frustrated, and want to solve homelessness by finding jobs for them, I know the solution is not that simple. Paradoxically, and maybe even hypocritically, I do become uncomfortable when I pass homeless people panhandling or walking down the street. I don’t think I am necessarily afraid of the homeless, more I feel guilty about how much I have and how little they have and thus feel awkward about having any kind of interaction. I try not to ignore the homeless people that I pass, but I am also very hesitant about giving them money or having any true interaction.
Participating in Project Homeless Connect 5 at Invesco Field in the fall really humanized the homeless population for me. Talking to the man I escorted for the day brought homelessness, a previously unthinkable lifestyle, to a very tangible level. I realized that while there may be some homeless people who are homeless because of addictions, so many people become homeless just because they have fallen on hard times. Working at PHC5 was by far one of the most rewarding and one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. By participating in PHC6 I am excited to establish more connections with the homeless population, and also continue to make a difference.
I grew up in a predominately white suburb of Minneapolis, and I had hardly any people of race in both the public schools and the private schools I attended. When we would travel downtown, I would see homeless people and feel frightened, but had always been taught by my father, who has traveled to Africa 31 times now, that we should love the poor and he explained to me that the homeless people here deserve just as much attention and respect as anybody else. It wasn't until I traveled to Africa myself last spring that I realized this was true.
On my trip to Africa, we went to some of the poorest areas on the planet. We visited villages with no electricity and living in clay huts, and also visited Mathare Valley, the largest and poorest slum in the world. Seeing this kind of poverty gave me a whole different outlook on the poor. When we visited these people, they were so happy and joyful, even though they had nothing. While I realize the homeless in the US and the homeless in Africa are completely different, I now have a new perspective on the poor, and am not afraid anymore to confront a homeless person, or instead of just giving them a quarter, taking the time of day to say hi to them and ask them how their day is going.
While the homeless here live like kings compared to the homeless in Africa, they both share one thing: the lack of a home. I am really excited to get involved with Project Homeless Connect because I think it will give me the opportunity to meet with people who live around the Denver area and "connect" with them on a different level, in a setting not on the streets.
Since I have grown up in a small ski town, homelessness is nearly obsolete. There are very few homeless in the Wood River Valley and there is a sizeable homeless shelter. Prior to my experiences in college, I had never really come in contact with homeless people. All I can really remember is that my mom and dad would always give them money and say, “Be generous, you are surely better off than they are.”
To be perfectly honest, when I see homeless people on the street I still get nervous. I don’t think it is the fact that they are homeless, but more the fact that they often are loitering and they approach you to ask for money. I think it is this approach that makes me nervous. It is definitely a subconscious nervousness because I know that they are just people that are down on their luck, many of them very similar to me in many ways other than finances. I often give money to people on the streets, but I tend to prefer to approach them rather than having them approach me.
I am very excited to work with the homeless here in Denver. I had the opportunity as my other college to work with teenage mothers who had been homeless and just moved into a first-step home. I built amazing relationships with the women there and we really taught each other a lot. Project Homeless connect and the activities we do leading up to PHC6 really provide the opportunity to connect with these people and build relationships or at least break down stereotypes. I hope that every action that I take to become closer with the homeless community helps to diminish the natural fear that builds up in me when I see them on the streets at night.
I grew up in Littleton, Colorado, detached from the city of Denver, living in a suburban bubble. I think I remember my first experience with a homeless person, a couple, sitting on the street corner with a sign "will take food, money, blankets, ANYTHING" and I remember feeling an immediate desire to help. I was also in the car with my mother, who noticed my mix of anxiety and hesitation. She gave me 5 dollars and told me it was OK, that I could pass it on to the couple. I also remember specifically opening up the door in order to pay the man and getting a stern disapproving comment from mom, forcing me to shut the door and pass the bill through the window. Her reaction, probably exaggerated out of motherly protection, instilled a fear in me that I still have not been able to shake.
Now I know that this memory effects my perception of the homeless. When passing one on the street, I tend to close communication, close the door. I do not typically stop; I do not typically look at the person. I move on. That little piece of my eight-year-old self still wants to stop, wants to help, I just have that mental block of my mother closing the door.
Going through one PCH, I found myself reconnecting with my young perceptions of homelessness and my willingness to help. Yes, initially it was uncomfortable knowing my privilege as a University of Denver student compared to their situations. It was even harder having a woman who was not so willing to open up, at least in the beginning, to a university student. By the end of the day, spending the whole day with her, I realized how our relationship had changed. I felt a measure of trust and security between us two and sensed a developing friendship, even though she was 30+ years my senior. Overall, I say regardless of your expectations or interpretations of homelessness and homeless people, there is always something to be learned through PCH. Whether you find it in the bond you form with the person you take around, witnessing interactions between other volunteers and guests or through the numbers of homeless served that day, where you see how the collaborative efforts of individual volunteers impacted the community. I honestly believe every single person can be changed, in some way, through volunteering at this event. It is eye opening, exhausting, but incredibly worthwhile.
Here's Ryan's comment:
The first time that i saw a homeless person that i remember was when i went downtown in Chicago to the shed aquarium. We were with our first grade class and we were all walking from union station to the shed, about a mile long walk. On the way there, we saw a man sitting on the ground up against a building with a cup in his hand asking for spare change. Our teachers, wasted no time in getting us far away from the man as possible. They probably were just looking out for our safety, but ironically none of my classmates nor myself felt any sort of danger at all. I did not have too many emotions from what i saw and it did not really affect me.
Now if i see a homeless person i will probably throw them a dollar or at least some change. After seeing movies like "Homeless to Harvard" and "The Persuit of Happiness" i feel obligated to give them some money because they need it a lot more than i do.
I am looking forward to getting to know and interact with the homeless at Project Homeless Connect because it will give me a chance to help out the ones in need and will be a experiance that i have never had before.
I appreciate very much all your candor and your honesty in these posts. It's not always easy to admit to feelings or apprehensions that we know we shouldn't feel, but do nonetheless. Or even to feel fine with our responses, even as we are aware that others may judge us for them.
I was trying to remember the first time I ever saw a homeless person, and I cannot for the life of me recall a specific instance. I think it was probably like many of your stories: I was in high school, visiting the big city (for me Portland, Oregon) from the small town I grew up in. I'm sure I felt the same kind of nervousness, lack of familiarity, as well as a sense of outrage at the injustice.
What I do remember vividly is the client I helped last year at Project Homeless Connect 4. He was probably in his late 30s or early 40s, a little distracted, seemed like he had a hard time focussing on what was going on. I accompanied him over to the law school so he could attend Homeless Court. He mumbled quite a bit, so I had a hard time figuring out what he was saying to me. We just sat there together waiting for his time before the judge.
After he cleared his record of a few misdemeanor offenses, we walked out through the main lobby of the law school. I remember him saying, speaking up in more clear voice, "This place is nice. I used to go to school once. Not this nice, but it was a community college. Maybe I'll go back."
Who knows if he will or not, but I couldn't help but think that it meant something to him to have visited DU's campus. Not a huge something, but one of those small moments that can affect someone in a meaningful way.
Growing up in a wealthy suburban community in San Diego, I havent been exposed to homeless people back home nearly as much as I have here in Denver. I can't exactly recall the first time seeing a homeless person, but have seen them many times thoughout my life. It is not rare for me to see a homeless person walking around on the street and have in fact seen them many times before. When I walk by a homeless person, I usually ignore them. However, depending on my mood, I might give them a dollor or two if I feel the need to do so. Whenever I am bored or just minding my own business waiting for something, I might start up a conversation with a random homeless person. As ironic as it may sound, talking to them is actually quite interesting and become somewhat engaged in these conversations.
During my life, I have in fact done several volunteer work in Kids Korp and Boys Scouts and other various organizations. Because of that prior experience, I feel that I am ready to participate in Project Homeless. I am also very excited to participate in such a large event because I will get to work with people who come from a much different background than myself. After I work in Project Homeless Connect, I think that I will have a much better understanding for the homeless and will gain a whole new perception about them.
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