So what is "homelessness".
Homelessness
is perhaps a person's greatest fear. Daily contact with others is often limited. The view is the same for months,
knowing that tomorrow and next month will be the same, perhaps raining or cold though. No
chances of a job as you are now too old and not qualified and in more cases
than one knows, unable to read or write. Perhaps you are not well and that
constant hunger pain never leaves as you sit waiting for your fortnightly
payday to perhaps shout yourself a night in a cheap motel to take in a bit of
“tellie” and a hot shower, before heading out to the streets again. Are the
meagre possessions you own and can carry that you hid in the rocks, safe or
will the council workers dispose of them when tidying up? What has happened to
your family you may not have heard from for years and perhaps it does upset you
your family has no idea if you are still alive. Where will you sleep tonight,
the rocks, beach, toilet, bushes? You must find a safe place to sleep, away
from other mentally unstable homeless persons or pub revellers who’s fun is
bashing “streeties” in the early hours of the morning and you are unable to
seek police assistance as you should not be sleeping on the streets anyway.
We
regularly meet women who are running from abusive relationships. Some with small children. So too youths, boys and girls as young as 14 years old, who are also sleeping
rough, having abandoned school and their home to escape the abuse from people who should be protecting them. At 14
years old, no organisation can legally take them, police will return them to
the abuse, so what option except to head for streets, gangs and a life with very little future
Despite the hardships, it never ceases to amaze me as to the unconditional love our friends give back to us. So too the concern for each other, their many talents, sensitivity, humour and amazingly, their belief in God. After all, these are people just like you and I
