How To Survive Being Homeless

You see them on the streets. Sometimes huddling in shopfront doorways in the winter to stay warm, sitting in McDonald's drinking coffee. Homelessness is a prevalent epidemic in the United States. Countless veterans, elderly and teens living on the streets, scrounging a living the best that they can. Each has a story. This is mine.

Not every person that is homeless is a drunk or a drug addict. Statistically the difference between a person with a home and the average homeless person is ONE paycheck. Loose one check and you could be in my shoes. Until last year I had a stable job, and my own apartment. I didn't have a lot of material things, because I didn't need or want them. I had the basics and that was fine with me. I took a tumble down a flight of stairs at the end of last March, and re-injured a preexisting back condition. I was put on unpaid medical leave from my job and was collecting short term disability insurance from a policy that I had purchased through my employer. After a while, because I couldn't get back into the Dr's office to be seen again, the checks stopped coming. I turned to community resources to assist with getting food and help paying my rent. Soon, those were tapped out as well. I was never released to go back to work.

My landlord got fed up with my rent being late or not coming at all and I was evicted from my apartment. The kindness of a friend got me a one way bus ticket from Iowa to Utah. I lived with my friend for two months, when after suffering a mini nervous breakdown, I was admitted to the local hospital. In the duration of my stay, I was told that her mother wasn't willing to allow me back into the house to live. You see, it was her mother's name on the lease and her mother's money that paid the rent. I had no choice but to leave. The hospital arranged transportation for me to Salt Lake City and gave me the address of a shelter. I was totally alone, in a city that I didn't know, with no money to my name. The man that drove the shuttle bus and deposited me and my bags at the shelter gave me twenty dollars, and told me "Keep your head up kid. You'll be alright. I just got a feeling." That was more than enough to make me burst into tears, managing to stammer a broken "God Bless you sir."

My adventures in the shelter are a little underwhelming. I stayed in what they call "overflow" for about three weeks. Overflow is for those that haven't come up for intake yet and don't have a bed upstairs. It's kind of like Limbo. And if you have a short temper, not a good place to be. Some women come in strung out or drunk, and then decide that picking a fight with the first target that is readily available is the best idea in the world. Thankfully, I never had the misfortune of being the target. But overflow is cramped, smelly and uncomfortable. Two thin Army mats and two woolen blankets on the floor. Up by 5:30am and out of the building by 6:00am. Then you have an hours wait until the day center opens.

I've managed to make a few friends during this journey. People that if I had been in any other position, I wouldn't have looked twice at. People that are normally dismissed and ignored by society. My journey is still ongoing. But please, the next time you see someone standing on the side of the road, holding a ragged and battered cardboard sign, get him a sandwich. You don't know when the last time he had something to eat was. If you see someone asking for change, give a dollar. Contrary to popular belief, not all homeless are drunks. Maybe they need change for something to drink.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:35-40 NIV