Craving hot chocolate, my friend Ms. Natasha took a stroll down to Smithfield Street to purchase some supplies. Ms. Natasha is sleeping out tonight. She is 71 years old and agreed to answer a few questions.
Why are you sleeping out tonight?
"To make a statement that just because you have a job, you can still be hopeless. And homeless people sleep under bridges and in boxes, so we can sleep out one night. Homelessness is a bag thing here in Pittsburgh and the United States. There are so many vacant buildings where they can accomodate people. They should not let people in at night and kick them out during the day. They should let them come and go as they please."
Why are people experiencing homeless the targets of so much wrath?
"Society does not want to admit that there is such a thing. People are not homeless of their own free will. People should accept them for who they are. Homeless people and panhandlers are two different things. We as Americans should be able to give the homeless what they need. We need to stop being angry at people for asking for help. "
What can an average person do?
"Outreach. Go out and talk to people who are homeless. Find out what their unique needs and then help them."
"When I was coming up as a child, everyone took care of each other. There were no homeless."
What could make homeless programs more successful?
"If people get move involved, we can take action. It takes a hand up."
Thank you, Natasha.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment