How many people have you turned away on the street asking for some spare change? In your mind you think “get a job� you may have even let those words slip past your mouth. I often wondered how the homeless became that way in a country as great as America. How many Americans go hungry every day? At one time in my life I was less empathetic for those in such need. My heart has opened more to the less fortunate through out the years. I have several friends and family members who now do not mind given that loose change in the bottom of their pockets and purses when someone reaches out their hand on a street corner. They would scold me the first few times they witnessed my hand outs. My reply? “ You never know, that might just be an angel?� I always get a wink and a smile from the ones close to me as they repeat my phrase and search for that dollar.

I once thought that even the poor are taken care of through the welfare system. Sadly, I have found out first hand this is not true. Many Americans go with out healthcare, food and shelter. Many states do not issue food stamps to those who do not have a physical address. They believe that if you do not have an address then you don’t have a kitchen to prepare the food in. Make sense but that would leave the homeless hungry, those people standing on the corner who are thankful for what you give them. The system fails just as many people as it helps.

Get a job! Hard to do when you don’t have an address with a phone. How do you shower and keep groomed for an interview? At the YMCA? Does every town and city have a YMCA? Shelters are full and only take individuals and families who meet their criteria at that time. A couple who are having a hardship who do not have dependant children would most likely be turned away. A single person would be taken in before a married couples would.

To be able to obtain state benefits for a disabled person you have to apply for SSI and Social Security Benefits first. In the state of Texas you cannot receive state medical assistance until you are approved for SSI. So, how do you afford the medical care while the Social Security Administration takes 18 to 24 months to decide if you qualify or not. Where do you go for medication? I know people with serious illnesses that cannot afford insurance and doctors. They cannot work to survive because then they will be rejected because they proved to be able to work.

Mean while they lose there homes, after losing their homes they do not qualify for food stamps or cash assistance because lack of an address. No place to cook the food if they were to get a food box and no place to lay there heads at night after attempting to get a job. Winters get cold and your car gets impounded because you couldn’t afford to have it insured and you lost the last warm place, the last thing you had the police took away.

What programs are there for these angels that people just snub and pass by? Where do they go from here? Working daily labor halls wouldn’t pay for a hotel room for the night were I live. This could happen to any of us, it is slowly happening to me. The last homeless lady I spoke with, was a lawyer and an elected Judge at one time. She was hit by misfortunes and now she barley survives the streets. She has no family to rely on and lost her friends when she lost everything else in her life and the Arizona welfare system won’t step in to help her.

What would you do if this was you? Are you to proud to beg?