So, how do you help homeless or street beggars?  I just assume, like most people, that people I see begging on off ramps are homeless.  But, even if they aren’t, their life has been reduced to waiting on the good will of the people that pass by them.

I found an article on the internet about a local college – St. Edwards – that offers to their student body an Alternative Spring Break in which students are plunged into homelessness to live, eat and scavenge as and with the homeless with only backpacks and $5 per diem.  I cannot seem to find the link back to the CNN video, but it was rather bland and superficial.  Two students were interviewed as talked sympathetically about 2 particular people they had met, but there was no interview with a real homeless person.

And there was no inspirational outlay that connected us to those who have met troubled times or those that find enjoyment in the solitude of their street way of life and certainly no audience tie-in that reminded us that we too could be just a few decisions or controllable or even uncontrollable situations from being there ourselves.

I don’t feel sympathy for homeless.  I do, however, feel great empathy for homeless.  Meaning: I don’t feel sympathetically that life dealt them a bad hand and I don’t buy into victimhood, but I do feel empathetically that they are at times lonely, feel backed into a corner and have made choices that they do or do not regret that put them there.  Who among us hasn’t made bad choices and paid suffering consequences?

But, we all deserve a reprieve from bad choices.  A little humbling, for most of us, goes a long way.

So how do the homeless get a reprieve?  I don’t know.  Certainly there are shelters that offer temporary housing and meals.  But how does one go from a shelter to the suburbs?  How does one get a job working as a bookkeeper, receptionist or tradesman?  How does one go on an interview without appropriate clothing – dressed for success?  And even if you could pull off the shower, shave and nice wardrobe, how does one fake a smile and genuine interest through tears, hunger and fear?  Do the homeless feel outcast?  Do they feel isolated?  Unwanted?  Undeserving?

Why didn’t CNN draw those into the story?  Certainly they have.  That wasn’t the first or the last national report on homeless.

And, is homeless a ‘problem’?  Well, it only seems to be to be a problem if somebody who is homeless is not in favor of remaining that way.  I have seen reporting where some homeless are content and actually chose this lifestyle.

What I am wondering is this: is there a place in Austin (and the rest of the country for that matter) whereby homeless can rise like a Phoenix from the ashes so to speak.  Is there a rope dropped into these subcultures that allows those fallen angels a hand up rather than a hand out?  Surely there are.  But are they doing enough?  Are they getting enough support?

I intend to find out because, as I mentioned in my last story about MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, some of those people are, were and could be again our neighbors.  And if there is a program, I want to commit LifeMAPP resources to giving them the support they need.

If there are not good enough programs to make a difference, well then, I guess we’ll have to build one.  I had a vision the other night as I exchanged nods with a homeless person.  It goes like this - I hand them a business card for a LifeMAPP sponsored shelter and $20 and I tell them to read the back of the card.  The back of the card says something like this:

“The Pursuit of Happyness.  If you are prepared, an opportunity is awaiting you.  Tomorrow morning, show up around 10:00am at the address listed below and you will be treated to a shower, shave, massage, clean clothes and a warm buffet.  After lunch, you will be greeted in an orientation that will change your life – if you want it to.  You will learn the details of our support system that is going to help you to stand back up on to your proud feet and catch you if you fall.  For 90 days, you will be our guests complete with a warm bed and 3 square meals.  We will provide assistance with our LifeMAPP personality/career assessment tools and coach you to and through job interviews in your chosen field.  After successfully establishing your new/renewed career, we will help you to transition into more permanent housing.  After graduating from our program, you will have access to continued support and encouragement.  We will miss you if you do not show up, but we will not wait.  Your destiny is yours to choose.  Children are welcomed and you will find our daycare facilities to be first class.  The cost of the entire 90-day program is $25 – payable tomorrow.”

Ok, so maybe that won’t fit onto a card, but that’s the gyst of the vision.

On a parallel note, there is a contestant on the new Survivor – Dreamz I think is his nickname – who was homeless at some point.  I hope his street survival skills plays well to the reality tv audience and draws attention to how capable the homeless are and that he doesn’t play himself into a victim of the game.