Last week at my internship I met one of my case manager’s clients I had been completing paperwork for. I formed the client’s rental packet to assist for the January’s rent, so I was surprised that the client visited us a second time in a month. This client was a single mother of three toddlers with difficult family burdens. When she described her situation and why she was back asking for Redlands Family Services to pay a second month of rent, I wanted to give her the world. She was bright, intelligent, and was her family’s punching bag for all baggage and events that occur within the family. With no one to rely on, she was able to rely on our services. This made me think of the loss of family that some people face that leads them to homelessness. I typically think of death as the tragedy that causes the homelessness, along with other factors, but this time I thought about loss of family from a different perspective. What if the loss of family wasn’t physical but emotional? They are not dead, but emotionally you find yourself unable to connect or feel loved by your family, an outcast essentially. This too, is the type of loss people can face that can lead to financial struggle, emotional instability, and depression/anxiety.

I dwelled on this aspect of family life for a while with my case manager. We discussed how it would feel to be in her shoes. Being kicked down, when you believe things will get better, and having family members tell you “you have failed”. How would I react? Would I have others to rely on? These types of hypothetical questions are often dangerous to think about, but I couldn’t help but reflect on what would happen. I also wonder how many of those who have lost family, have lost family due to death or due to the families unwillingness to help. This emphasizes just how deep the boxes we categorize homelessness as really are in our Hunger and Homelessness course. The main point: everyone is in need of social support.