I've been sitting at my keyboard for a little while now, and my heart is just so heavy. It's rare that I find myself without something to say, but I can't seem to find the right words.
My friend, Mark Horvath from InvisiblePeople.tv is currently driving all over this fine country of ours (again), championing the stories of homeless people.
When we first met, I imagined the typical stereotypes of who these people were.
Drug addicts. Bums. Losers who prefer to panhandle instead of work.
When I took time to listen, my world was changed. One of the fastest growing groups of newly homeless people are previously middle class families hit hard by the recession. And kids.
Last night Mark met Sergi. It was his 18th birthday and first night homeless. Looking at his picture, I thought of my own almost-18-yr-old son.
And I want to scream
How can this happen? Where is the rest of his family? Doesn't ANYbody care? Or see how wrong this is?
I don't have the answers. But the frustration churning inside me about the sheer insanity of it all is more than I can bear.
The best way I can sum it up is in a tweet Mark posted this morning.
"We don't need random acts of kindness. We need deliberate acts of compassion"
If you want to learn more about Mark's travels (thanks to the generosity of Ford, Hanes, the Pepsi Refresh project & other great sponsors) click here. To learn more about InvisiblePeople.tv click here.
That was my thought,too.
Posted by: Pandora Charm Beads | March 17, 2012 at 11:09 PM
Happy New Year! Happiness and success in 2011.
Posted by: school_dubl | December 30, 2010 at 08:31 AM
You can see the fear in his face1 I just don't understand how a mother can do that to her own son. So don't bake him a cake give him a bed!
Posted by: Patty Portnoy | July 25, 2010 at 10:41 PM
Our country does not need more "rescuers" of the homeless or programs that manage the symptoms of homelessness. Drive-by volunteerism, senseless acts of mercy that throw Band-Aids on gaping wounds might make the giver feel better but do nothing to solve the real problem. This type of enabling behavior is in fact what keeps the thousands of "Sergei's" stuck.
Effective intervention and engagement strategies that reach people like Sergei, craft a partnership with him and then execute goals to SOLVE the root causative factors is what he needs and what we need as a people.
The video serves as a wonderful way to move people into action...let’s hope that invisiblepeople.tv gets it that raising awareness is only half of the equation. The other half is that the awareness they raise results in actions that SOLVE the problem and not more of the same containing of the problem.
Posted by: Chris Megison | July 25, 2010 at 12:26 PM
I felt the same. It's not right. Our world is truly backwards in a lot of ways. I've become secure in the knowing that while I can't change it all myself, I can make a difference around me, where God has planted me. If each of us does our part and inspires others to do the same, we'll be the change but we must make the choice to GO and DO. Mark's quote was right on.
Posted by: Daniel Decker | July 24, 2010 at 06:49 PM
It is just the beginning If the money makers don't reinvest soon enough.
Posted by: Cplot4u | July 24, 2010 at 01:18 PM