I recently decided to start a campaign to collect needed linens and outerwear for the local homeless shelter and to use my Facebook account to spread the word. I've gotten a bunch of followers... but no donations yet. The goal is to deliver the donations on Christmas Eve, so hopefully people are sending stuff and I just haven't received it yet.
But that's not the topic today... one thing I discovered when I did this is that is surprised a lot of people that I cared. I don't like what that says about me but on some level I knew that... and that's why I'm trying to change it. I know my shortcomings, I just don't like having them pointed out to me.
I had people ask me when I changed and started to care? Why this charity of all the things I could choose? Really? You want to do that?
Again, not very flattering. But, here is the answer:
Many years ago, when I was 19 years old, I spent about a year homeless. I got divorced, lost my job, was evicted and lost custody of my children within the space of a few weeks. What I did keep was my car and my TV. The TV and I spent many nights in that car until a friend's mom let me stay with her for a few months. I was in college for a while but my grades suffered and I dropped out. It was truly a life changing experience.
I learned what gas stations were open 24 hours and had public bathrooms for that middle of the night potty break... what parking lots were usually not patrolled by the local police and were safe to sleep in without interruption (or untoward offers)... how to take a sponge bath in a pubic bathroom without any embarrassing exposures... how difficult it is to find a job without a permanent address... the challenges of spending quality time with young children when you have no money to feed them and only car to spend time with them and keep them warm...
I learned who my true friends were and who really didn't want to get involved. The more time I spent homeless, the fewer people wanted to "hang out" and socialize with me. I became depressed which just made the rest even harder. I got out because I got into a relationship that really wasn't right for me, got married and we moved in together. I started working and things started looking up but one thing didn't change... I promised myself that I would NEVER go back there in my life.
It's been almost 20 years and I haven't been back to that place in my life. I have worked hard and, while I've struggled to make ends meet, I have not been close to losing my home again. I spent a lot of time refusing to look back on that time because of the many painful realities it held, but by doing that I lost the opportunity to learn from the experience.
This year, I realized I have been able to give back for some time but I haven't. I am currently unemployed so I have the time to dedicate to a charity or a cause that I believe in and to give back some of what was given to me while I was homeless.
That is why I decided to support the local homeless shelter. It's difficult to ask for help and when you have absolutely nothing, it's even harder. A warm place to sleep. A pair of warm gloves and a hat. These things make a difference.
If you can help me make a difference, the details are here... http://www.causes.com/causes/551449-help-keep-the-homeless-warm-this-winter?m=b1399e83
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