Winter is tough for homeless outreach teams everywhere.  No one likes to see a man like Richie – “On a loading dock on E Street, a mound of frozen gray blankets rustled, and out from the pile rose their man, bundled in an assortment of jackets and hooded sweatshirts.” – deciding to stay on the streets of Boston despite the heavy snow fall.

Some of the homeless who won’t take blankets, gloves, sweatshirts, or shelter suffer from drug or alcohol abuse and maybe even mental illness.  Whatever the reason, no person should be without OPTIONS.  The advocates who found Richie were workers from the Pine Street Inn in Boston that began four decades ago to provide shelter for men suffering from alcoholism.

“[Jim Greene, director of Boston’s Emergency Shelter Commission] urged anyone who sees a homeless person in the cold to call 911, the quickest way to get help. Extreme weather can cause confusion and disorientation, he said. ‘Time is of the essence,’ he said.”

Although we may not be experiencing the weather of the East Coast, you can still help the homeless on the streets in Indianapolis this winter:

• Provide coats, gloves, hats, winter gear, etc. to HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program (HIP)
• Raise awareness about how to help the homeless in times of cold weather
• Donate directly to HIP online

Violence against people who are homeless happens far too often.  Whether it be a planned “bum fight” or an act of aggression by someone who is not thinking clearly, this violence should be labeled as a hate crime.

According to the National Coaltion for the Homeless, “From 1999 through 2009, in forty-seven states, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC, there have been one thousand seventy-four acts of violence committed by housed individuals, resulting in two hundred ninety-one deaths of homeless people and seven hundred eighty-three victims of non-lethal violence.”

The definition of a hate crime is such “a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim, or in the case of a property crime, the property that is the object of the crime, because of the actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person.”  Currently, people who are homeless are not included in the hate crime list, but clearly these PEOPLE are being “intentionally selected” because they are homeless.  To people who plan these “bum fights,” people who are homeless are an easy target because they will do anything for money.  To those who are acting irresponsibly and deciding to attack a homeless person, they are an easy target because they are just THERE.

You can help stop this in many ways – 1) Simply spreading awareness about the facts of homelessness; 2) Donating to HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program that works to assist people in getting off of the street and into housing; or 3) contacting your local Congressman or woman to get homeless people added to the hate crime list.

Sources: Stone Soup Station, Hate Crimes and Violence against People experiencing Homelessness.

I came across this quote while scanning an article on NPR.  The article was speaking about how many states are starting to consider adding attacks on homeless people to the list of defined hate crimes.  One of the speakers in this article discusses whether being homeless is part of someone’s personal identity just like someone’s gender, race, or religion.

The quote above struck me more than trying to consider whether homeless people should be added to the hate-crime list.  (However, I did agree with what Florida recently did by increasing the penalty for those who attack the homeless.)  “[W]e’re there… kind of part of the scenery.” This is the part of the conversation that sticks out like a sore thumb.  The number of homeless people, especially families, is on the rise.  Harsh times within the economy, lack of employment, and disaster are factors that put people out of their homes.  People just like you and me.

People who are homeless are just that, PEOPLE.  The definition of homeless is a person who “lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence.”  This definition is provided by The National Coalition for the Homeless, and not having a home can be part of your identity; however, being without a home should not define you as part of “the scenery”.

There are many programs that serve the homeless.  Take time to learn about these programs and discover the ways that you can help!  What are your thoughts on homelessness being part of your identity?  Comments are welcome. How can we help those who feel like part of the “scenery?”