It’s undeniable that there’s a stigma in our country surrounding homelessness. Avoiding eye contact with the man holding the sign at the light or steering clear of the woman with the dog on the sidewalk – unfortunately, we’ve all done it. Calling on a relationship with someone you know who is very different from you can provide a new perspective on how we view the homeless community. Perceived differences are keeping us from reaching our potential as a community, because our shared humanity inherently means that our liberty is bound together.
The application of this can pertain to many different situations, but the meaning remains consistent: our shared humanity unites us in both our struggles and in our achievements. We may sit on different sites of the political aisle, practice different religions and come from different backgrounds, but our common humanity, our brotherhood and sisterhood in the human race, trumps all other factors.
The ways in which Saint John’s works tirelessly to break the generational cycle of poverty and dependence for homeless families in our region are many – we strive to create stability and a sense of ownership, we provide counseling and classes, we supply beds and warm meals. These are the quantifiable, tangible means of addressing the causes of homelessness at its roots.
The other side of the coin is just as important, though. Reaching a point in our community where homeless people are regarded as humans and are treated as such, is a commonly overlooked piece of the puzzle. Shared humanity, and the belief that our liberty is bound together, means that I am no different from Andrea, a formerly homeless mother in our program, who works hard every day to make a better future for herself and her children. We are neither united nor divided by status, race, money or religion. I am who I am, because Andrea is who she is.
Here is my wish for our Saint John’s community: that we are bound together by a conviction that how or where one lives, should not determine whether they’re treated as an equal.
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