Growing up, the above image is what consistently popped into mind when thinking about homeless people. I thought of elderly women pushing around grocery carts full of stuff. Maybe it's because sometimes that's what is portrayed in movies. Or maybe it's because there was an older, disheveled looking lady that always pushed a cart around my neighborhood. Who knows.
The older I got, when I thought of homeless people, the image below popped into my head.
Both of the above images are accurate depictions of homelessness. There are many bag ladies who walk the streets of numerous big cities and small towns. We've all seen the guys standing on the street corner with the "will work for food" sign. But these images are only accurate to a certain degree.
When we think of homelessness, these are the images we conjure up. But we forget about the family who just lost their home to black mold and are staying in a hotel. We don't think about the single mom living with a friend while her teenage daughter has to live with her grandmother. And we can't possible imagine the 150 plus kids who go to school with our kids who are sleeping on couches or floors every night while our kids are tucked in safe and sound in their own bed.
The new face of homelessness is children & families who have lost their homes for one reason or another. Listening to their stories is heartbreaking & overwhelming. But, there is hope for each and every one of them.
Homes of Hope exists to to help highly motivated homeless families begin the journey towards self-sufficiency. Our mission is to mobilize the Church to transform lives and communities in the name of Christ through transitional housing and support services.
When you think of homelessness, what do you picture? What are you doing to bring hope to the lives of the homeless in your community?
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