Homelessness repressed

This is not an essay bashing the government. but bringing truth about homelessness from someone who has been and is still there first hand.

"Theres more to life than only surviving
maybe im not there but im still trying"
    Starin at the sun 
                  The Offspring
      
      The homeless rate has spiked higher than it has since the great depression. Tent cities are begining to house millions of americans. This is not only in our nation it is global concern. It used to be a common belief that for the most part the homeless population consisted of drug addicts and alcoholics, deadbeats, criminals, and those suffering from some sort of psychosis. Though it may have been true statistcally in the past, it is far from true now. How often in the past have you seen a mercedes benz in the parking lot of a salvation army. I can honestly say that i never had seen one there until this "recession". Families are living out of cars getting a free meal at a shelter if they are lucky enough to have government funding in that area. It is actually illegal to be homeless in most cities. Vagrancy is punishable by jail time and, at the least a fine. How is one to pick themselves up from being down on there luck when all there money goes to the local government to pay for the insidious act of being homeless? Not only are they targeting the homeless but they are targeting those who give help to the needy. A college student in Orlando was arrested recently for feeding local "vagrants" in a park. Thankfully he said he just got out of jail and will commit the crime again.

      I myself have been homeless on and off for over a year now. I have been thrown in jail three times and on probation twice for acts of homelessness. I currently am paying off my fines and hoping to complete my probation. The problem isnt even that there are no jobs there are but, to be homeless means jobs are slim pickings for you. How are you supposed to get a job dealing with people when you can't pass an interview due to poor hygeine or lack there of? This is bad enough without having to tell them you are involved in the legal system for being homeless. At best you are able to hold a sign on the road for a pizza shop for ten bucks a day. 

      Now lets take a look at the way the shelters deal with there "clients". If you are lucky enough to get a job holding the sign the salvation army provides a mat to rest your head on in the cafteria on the floor. This costs only ten dollars a night. They call lights out at ten o' clock and kick you out at four o clock in the morning. One of the coldest parts of the night. Hey can't beat six hours of sleep. Plus its nice and warm packed in like sardines thats the only heat you need.

      I can't say there is no help for the homeless though. There is a place i have found that does offer legitimate assistance to the residentially challenged. It is a place based in sarasota dubbed quite nicely "Open Doors". They will give you moeny to obtain an identification card, help to recieve food stamps, and give away donated clothes and hygeine products.I can say nothing bad about this place. It does more for the homeless than any other place i have seen. They also offer free showers on certain days. Oh yea so does the salvation army for only a dollar a day.

      To the average person which for all intensive purposes we shall call "middle class" a dollar a day to shower may not seem like much money at all. Some may say "I spend more money on a cup of coffee every morning". This is probably true for most but, you also must look at the time that is spent to get into one of these showers. There is a line at this place of two hundred people or more waiting to get a shower for themselves. Some days I would get there at the time they open at ten o' clock am and not get  my shower until three or four in the after noon. If i were to leave i would lose my place and risk the chance of no shower. It is so easy for the average person to take for granted the ability to hop in the shower any time they want. Its hard to think that you would miss something so trivial as hot water. Why would you its always been there why would it go away. Just remember the lower class is becoming the average. It may not be long before you are there.

      The whole point of this is not to bash on the salvation army or the legal system ( i did enough of that in jail). But to give a little insight into the struggles of the "bums" you see every day and completely igonore as if not human. Not to ask those who have money to be more charitiable (though not a bad idea and surely would be appreciated to those in need) but to be grateful and more compassionate to your fellow brothers and sisters NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE FROM. We are all struggling don't think your the only one.