(Image Credit: Rob Groce)
Practically everyone in the U.S. has seen homeless persons before, maybe asking for money on street corners or sleeping on a park bench. Maybe you’ve seen them holding up signs asking for work at busy traffic lights, too. And practically everyone has walked right by them, ignoring the homeless, probably blaming them for their own predicaments that left them stranded and without.
But if only we could stop once in awhile, maybe not to give them anything, but only to hear their stories and learn who they really are. They’re real people. Who have led real lives. And who, for reasons far beyond their own control, found themselves in a real predicament.
Someone recently gave a few?homeless persons a chance to tell about themselves with photos, holding signs that say who they are, even how they got there. Check them out below. You’ll see for yourself that they’re real people, too.
Homelessness is all-too?common, unfortunately. Every year, as many as 3.5 million Americans don’t have a place to sleep for at least one night. The number without a home for long durations has dropped a bit in recent years, but still remains over 600,000, according to the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. A third of them are families, and almost 50,000 are children. Some (like one pictured above) have jobs, too, but still haven’t earned enough to find permanent shelter.
So next time you encounter a homeless person, don’t just walk away. Giving would be great, but you don’t have to; just listen to them.?Like those in these photos, they’re real people, too.
Ever speak to a homeless person before (or maybe been homeless yourself)? Tell us on Liberal America’s Facebook page.
