Homelessness
Overlooked and misunderstood
We have all seen at least one homeless person in our life and we may not even have realized it. Homelessness is an increasing issue in our society and it can effect anybody, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or background. Whether because of mental, economic, or physical reasons, the homeless population is for the most part in need of help. Thankfully, there are many government programs and private organizations that do work for the homeless. Even though these programs exist, we must not forget about these people ( all 610,000 of them).
Cardboard Stories | Homeless in Orlando
Damaged, but not broken
Nearly 30% of the homeless people in the U.S. Have mental illnesses. These mental illnesses effect their lives in every aspect from the way they interact with people to how they do simple tasks. The most common mental illnesses among the homeless are schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and PTSD. These people cannot help that they have these illnesses, but if they were able to receive treatment and medications, they could improve their lives and possibly get off the streets. Those that can't are stuck in a cycle between the streets and jail.
Homeless heroes
what is even more shocking than the number of homeless people as a whole is the number of homeless veterans. Veterans make up about 12% of the homeless population, a number which fortunately, has declined rapidly during the last few years. With that being said, the number of young homeless veterans is on the rise, which brings up the question, are we taking care of those that protect our country?
Love makes the world turn
Next time you see a homeless person, put yourself in their shoes. It surely wouldn't hurt us to toss a few coins their way at the very least, a little love can go a long way. It is also important to remember to treat others like you would treat yourself, you never know what that little bit of kindness can do for the person receiving it.
The Freezing Homeless Child! (Social Experiment)