In the United States, homelessness is a definite problem.
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, on one single night in January 2015, over 564k Americans were sleeping outside or in shelters.
Before we continue, here are a few quick facts about homelessness which were compiled by Social Solutions:
- 83k Americans are considered “chronically homeless”, a status requires some type of disability
- 47k Americans are homeless veterans
- 110k American youth identifying as LGBTQ are homeless
- 50% of homeless Americans are over 50 years old
Homeless individuals experience a lot of stigma from the world around them.
According to The Journal of Human Behaviour in the Social Environment, society is quick to focus on an individual’s characteristics as the reason for their homelessness and is often willing to ignore the economic factors involved, such as unemployment and limited affordable housing.
With a Facebook post and message that have since gone viral, one young man is doing his best to defeat this stigma.
Jonathon Pengelly, from Cardiff in the UK, posted a Facebook status describing an encounter he had with a homeless woman at a local McDonald’s.
He describes how he was waiting to order his meal when he saw an older woman approach the restaurant counter asking for a cup of hot water, and the woman at the counter deny it to her.
He writes, in part: “I don’t know what was going through their mind but a lady, clearly homeless was asking for a basic human right; and for a multi-billion pound company, for them to say no is disgusting!
Jonathon, feeling compassion for the woman, tells her he will order her anything she wants. He is surprised when she asks him for a single cheeseburger.
Instead, he buys her enough food to last her a few days and decides to get to know her and her companions. He explains:
“I couldn’t just leave this lady go, she was so warming and so lovely. So I sat with her, on the cold hard floor, in the middle of winter and you know what I did? I cried my eyes out […] When I got to speak to them I was genuinely shocked at their story and how educated they were! So full of life and enthusiasm and they literally have nothing!”
The young man even invites them to his house to shower and brush their teeth.
In response, they tell him “they have never felt so appreciated in all their life.”
Jonothan ends his post with a message to others, saying, “This small act of kindness cost me about 20£. I know 90% of people reading this make 10 times that a day.”
Next time you see someone who is homeless, do not just walk by and ignore. Instead, as Jonathon say, “Spare a little thought”— because you never know what they have been through.
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