O P I N I O N

The Soapbox

Stand up. Speak up. It’s Your Turn.

Amidst all that is happening in the city of Manchester with concern to the housing crisis that is affecting many people in this community, the vulnerable of this city suffered another vital loss that did not have a flashy sign, did not attract oodles of donors, but had within it a group of people who had the time for them; The time to sit with them to discuss their everyday struggles and lend an ear, or words of encouragement when it was needed to help them with their next step.

Many of this crew of angels in this poorly funded and humble office understood firsthand what it was like to be in the shoes of the people, who walked through that door on a daily basis. Due to this, they were able to give expert advice and encouragement to the overwhelmed and scared person, who may have not have slept well because the ground was cold and they were unable to find warmth in their tent. Despite feeling lousy, they knew if they reached out, they would get a smile or advice on their challenge of the day. They would not be quickly ushered out with referrals to places for help where they did not feel safe. This was a safe place they could depend upon and they were always welcome.

There are new resources that are being developed every single day, but there are people who also need a place to go to for help to prepare for those resources. Most of them require assistance to obtain identification and other paperwork to satisfy funding requirements for the help to which they would like to apply.  Many of these vulnerable people have long lost their IDs, birth certificates and other documents, which helped to confirm that they once had a home and identity. These people are in need of additional assistance.

We talk a lot about development of new buildings and places to assist those who are without shelter thinking that this will help to solve the problem of homelessness. No doubt, it will be a big step in helping to improve the situation. What we do not talk about are the problems those individuals face, who are currently homeless and need support. There are many drives for blankets, warm weather clothing and other needs which will assist them to stay warm while they are living out of doors in transition. This is needed. However, there is also the need for the social, emotional and life-affirming acts of being able to connect privately with another human being for counsel, or direction in a private place where you can feel safe if just for a time. A place to feel human with a name and people who are interested in your history. Let’s take a look into a morning in the life of “Henry.”

Henry rolls over in his sleeping bag. The ground was so cold last night that his whole body and bones are achy. It hurts to move, but he must go out to find a place to go to the bathroom. Since he found an out-of-the-way place for his encampment, he is able to easily find a spot away from his tent to do his business. Since he is without money for luxuries like toilet paper, he must clean himself the best that he can with whatever leaves, grass or gratefully other items that he finds nearby. After that he will build a fire (prohibited by the Fire Department) that will hopefully help him to warm up a bit; hopefully, the matches that he was able to purchase at Dollar Tree are not too damp to light. Perhaps he will look into traveling to an agency on the other side of town for assistance to get his birth certificate. He lost it a long time ago, when his backpack was stolen in another encampment where he once lived. He finds that it is better, safer to live alone.  He is so achy and the trek with an achy body seems so far. What will “the angency” help him with today? It is better to stick around his home because there are nice groups of people from churches, or the homeless outreach team that will bring out other needed items. He must survive another day and could use a new pair of socks, it was so cold last night. Many of these people talk about hope in Jesus, or try to get him to try out a local shelter. He tried a local shelter once and was turned away because he had a record. Something happened in the past; while he has deep regrets about it he can not change what occurred and that seems to limit his options for safe shelter. He does not tell the visiting church people about it because it is so shameful and he is concerned that they will not bring food anymore, or talk with him like a person.

The trek out to the city is a tough one. People that he sees look away and are afraid that he will ask for money. He has done that before you see, as a bottle of wine will assist to make the nights a little easier to get through. The nights are so long in his encampment. Every day is long. Long ago, he took medicine for seizures. He has not been able to take them for a while because the trek out to get his medication is so arduous. He knows he needs help, but there are so many aspects of his day-to-day life that he just can not keep straight. There was one place in town where he knew that there were people that would help him to sort things out. The last time that he traveled out to them, the door was locked and there were signs all over the door. He thinks that this means that they are no longer open to help. He can not read because he never was able to learn in school, some type of learning disorder they said. His parents were busy and not able to help him through that because they too struggled every day to make sure that they had a home and food on the table.

There are many people like “Henry” and families, who are in need of support to find a path to a place that they can call home. We do have housing outreach teams, churches and other well-meaning groups that provide support to people who are currently living in transition. At one time the city had an intermedium that would meet with these vulnerable individuals where they were at in a place where they felt safe and validated to plot their next step, no matter how small. We need another Housing Resource Center to help them plot their path to the new opportunities, which are being developed every day.

I found myself sitting across from one of these vulnerable people at a Soup and Prayer gathering which is held weekly at my church. The church I attend is continually doing a lot of outreach to welcome and assist our homeless neighbors. What I saw that evening is that these efforts are not enough. This homeless neighbor was visibly exhausted, and not drugged. He was exhausted from the life he lived and was falling asleep into his soup bowl. At one time, I would have referred him to the Housing Resource Center because I knew that they would assist him to plot his path to shelter. Because he was in front of me, I knew the programs which he would have qualified for and the route that he would need to take to access that help to be housed. Maybe it would have worked, maybe it would not, but at one time it existed. Since this Housing Resource Center is no longer accessible for this purpose,  I was not able to think of that as an option. At that moment, I became very grieved and sad that the resource center did not receive the assistance it needed to help people like “Henry.”

While we look at funding to keep people in their homes and to develop new ones, we also need a place with caring people who can assist those who need it to take the necessary steps to be housed. The path is long and difficult. In Manchester, there are teams of agencies with services to deal with specific issues and there are so many in need, with many needs. For those who work to provide assistance, every work day is a long tough day. The only way to make it through each “transaction” presented is to focus on the need at hand and get all of the information necessary to assist with that one need. That means, that they are not always able to hear about the other challenges of these people asking for help. We had a place that was able to do that at one time; however, it no longer exists.  If any member of the community develops another Housing Resource Center, we need to find ways to fund it. There are so many like “Henry” who are in need that support.