Over the past week, our class explored many various statistics and information concerning homelessness. As those numbers put at our heart strings, they can only tell us so much. Personal accounts and stories are the only way that a message can truly be conveyed. Additionally, the statistics offer no solutions to the problems. After our class discussion, I realized there is no true way to end homelessness. Programs, initiatives, and support can only do so much; they cannot simply make the problem vanish into thin air. It is similar to giving food to a wandering cat and it develops the pattern of coming back for more and not learning from its experience.

This morning I was listening to 97.1 KGGI FM and they have a segment called “Random Acts of Kindness.” One listener called in and told the story of how he started donating to the homeless. He said he met a homeless person who had worn the same shirt for three months. One day when he came home, he used his own t-shirt to wipe the sweat off his brow and proceeded to throw his shirt away. At this moment, he realized how wasteful he has been and decided to change for the better. Pulling his friends in the cause, they were able to give shirts to everyone in need within their town.  It is nice stories like this that convey the passion necessary to start instilling this behavior in children from the start so giving to those in need is not abnormal or difficult to accomplish.