Backpacks for the Homeless

Last year, I was out and about with the boys I nannied. We were at a stoplight and Andrew, who was 3 at the time, looked at the homeless man who was holding up a sign and asked "Miss Brittany, why is that man standing out there?" and Ryan, who was 5, looked at him and said "He's waiting for the bus, silly!" I'm glad Ryan answered for me because I didn't really know what to say.  

The truth is, most of us are like Ryan and Andrew. 

Completely oblivious

We all know that many homeless people are addicts and mentally ill. But did you know that almost 25% of homeless people are Vets who put their life on the line for you? Did you know that 89% of those Vets received honorable discharges?  What about this, 3.5 million people, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year.

Growing up in Traverse City provided me with a very skewed idea of how big of a problem homelessness is. There were very few homeless people, and the only time you ever heard about them was in the news, when someone froze to death. Froze to death! What a terrible, awful, undignified death. Along with some of my friends and church I served the homeless (and others who couldn't afford food, but were not homeless) meals once a month. Restaurants and stores would provide the food and we served and socialized with the guests. Usually twenty or so people would come, most came on a regular basis.Vets, mothers, teenagers, grandfathers, addicts, they all came.We got to know them. We got to hear their story. It felt like a privilege.They told us about what happened that got them there. A man and woman came in every week, they lost their children because they couldn't afford housing and were living in their car. I remember the mom would come close to weeping every time she talked about her kids. She loved her children so much but couldn't provide for them. My real wake up calls came when I went to Los Angelas and Hawaii. In LA, it seemed like homeless people were on every street corner begging for money. In Hawaii, Kelli and I walked down to the Waikiki strip along the beach, we passed a public restroom where at least 25 people sleeping on the sidewalks. When I was living in Virginia Beach, a homeless man was sleeping on the beach (which is prohibited 8pm-8am) was run over by a dump truck emptying trash cans and killed. He was well know around the local ocean front and people set up a memorial on the beach for him. Since moving to the DC area I've noticed there are a lot more homeless people than their were in VB. I was at a stop light with my window down when a homeless man approached my car. I have a no cash policy for the homeless and let him no I didn't have anything to give, he just chuckled and chatted. When a car pulled up behind me he walked up to that car and the person behind me sat stoneface and stared ahead and would not acknowledge him.

Here's the deal. Everybody has their reasons they're not helping. "They don't have a job and get stuff for free", "They're just going to use what I give them for drugs or alcohol" this is all true they might use the money for drugs, and they should get clean and they should have jobs. But they don't. In my mind, its simple. What do you think Christ would do if he came down, do you think he would pass them all, roll up their windows, and ignore them? Don't think so.

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

Matthew 25:34-40
Check out this version of it. Takes me back to high school :)

Put yourself in their place. Moms, imagine your son on the streets, drug addicted and sleeping in the woods. Friends, imagine your sister sleeping in the underpass, hungry and cold. Daughters, imagine your dad standing on the streets begging for money to feed you. What if this was your son, daughter, brother, sister, best friend, mom, dad. Would you still sit around and do nothing?

So here's what I've done (and you can too!)

I've starting taking all my food/clothing/blanket donations to the local homeless shelter instead of Goodwill.

Trust me, Goodwill will be okay. 

I've also made up backpacks for the homeless. 

I've filled up thrifted backpacks with a 6x8 tarp, hand and foot warmers, a poncho, a washcloth, bar of soap, tooth brush, tooth paste, q-tips a can opener, tuna, tuna/chicken salad w/ crackers, canned fruit, canned veggies, pudding, a Chewy Bar, Mentos, applesauce, Gatorade, water, Crystal Light, small Bible, and a note. Along with a fleece jacket and a pair of socks from local thrift store.

I will keep one in my car and Michael and I are planning on distributing the rest together. The reality is everybody has time to pass a bag out of their window at a red light. Just because a person is addicted to drugs, mentally ill, or doesn't have a place to call home, doesn't mean they aren't a person and don't deserve love.

If you decide to do this, please, please, please use good judgement. Don't go near poorly lit places and don't go out into bad areas. Use the buddy system!

Ready? Set. GO!