The Homeless

"Without a rich heart, wealth is an ugly beggar." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

It has been said that the American job force is "dog-eat-dog", that only the strong survive, and that those who can't perform in society should just get out of the way. In this Darwinian view of our nation, individuals are likening themselves more to Visigoths than Americans.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association, "Over a five-year period, about 2–3 percent of the U.S. population (5–8 million people) will experience at least one night of homelessness." A related study found that the average age of a homeless person was 9 years old.

And while it is true that we who are fortunate enough work hard for our paychecks and deserve them, it should not be such a derogatory notion to help those less fortunate. Compassion, my friends, is not a socialist quality.

Many of us believe that blindly throwing money at a charity, grumbling the whole way there like Whoopi Goldberg in "Ghost", is a cause for sainthood. It is a great thing, for sure, but our efforts can take a more personable level--walking your old clothes to Bob down the street, who sleeps on a bench; inviting him in for a hot meal once in a while or finding him shelter when bad weather strikes; getting to know Bob, in whatever capacity your life allows, so that you can help to find him a job, a home, and a purpose.

The grand majority of homeless people aren't homeless because they are criminals or substance abusers; rather, homeless people are those who had to sell their home to pay for the hospital bills of a sick family member, or who lost their jobs when their business closed up and moved away, or whose families no longer care enough to support them. We cannot see this, of course, because our stereotype is that every homeless man or woman is a criminal lurking, ready to strike. This is certainly a false pretense.

Yet, by helping people who are homeless, aren't we cleaning up our streets and making America a better place for everyone to live? By taking that small amount of time out of our "busy" lives to help the society that we live in and rely on, we are improving the lives of millions.

To find out how you can get involved, visit the "Homeless" page of DoSomething.org. More importantly, get to know your community and the American society as a whole. You'll find that giving a helping hand is sometimes more effective (and rewarding) than writing a simple, unemotional check.

If you've been involved, or want to be involved, in drives and causes that help the homeless epidemic in America, E-mail us or comment on this post! How can we help reduce and eliminate this problem, together?

This is the American way.