Be Grateful
One of the most pervasive issues in the United States of America is homelessness. Homelessness affects between 2.3 and 3.5 million people in the United States and one out of fifty of children experience homelessness. Homelessness is not a problem that can just be forgotten about, it is a real event and affects a shocking amount of Americans every year. Homelessness can be prevented and be overcome if homeless people are given the opportunity to do so. Isaiah Lamb was one of those millions of homeless people and he was given a chance and made the best of it.
L. Jon Wertheim & Ken Rodriguez of Sports Illustrated created an article together entitled, “Young, Gifted, & Homeless”, which told the stories of a group of gifted high school athletes who are homeless. One of the athletes written about was Isaiah Lamb, a high school senior at Dulaney High School, outside of Baltimore. He does not remember the last time he slept on a mattress. For three years his home was a parking lot somewhere in the town. His family would drive their car to the back of a parking lot hoping no one would see or recognize them. When Isaiah’s teammates would ask to come over to his house Isaiah recalls, “I’d make up excuses: ‘Aw, my mom’s sleeping.’ What I couldn’t tell them was that I didn’t have a home.” It was tough because Isaiah's family did not have showers, so his family had to wash up in the sinks of the laundromat. It was also tough to have a decent dinner. Dinner might have been a snack from the vending machine or nothing at all. Money had always been scarce in his family and his dad had a heart attack at his job. After his dad’s recovery, Isaiah’s dad no longer had his job. Isaiah played AAU ball but did not attend some of the tournaments because his family could not afford the entrance fee or because they were always on the move. Isaiah committed earlier in the year of 2015 to play D1 college basketball at Marist.
The United States Interagency Council of Homeless has some very strong beliefs on homelessness. There are an estimated 83,710 people in their shelters on a given night last year, a decrease of about 1% from last year. Some men and women who experience chronic homelessness have a combination of mental health problems, substance abuse disorders, and medical conditions that get worse over time and often lead to an early death. Chronically homeless people cost taxpayers between $30,000-$50,000 per year. The Council believes the best solution to chronic homelessness is permanent supportive housing. The solution combines “affordable housing and a package of supportive services that helps people with housing stability, have access healthcare, and improve their health and social outcomes.” The Interagency Working Group on Ending Chronic Homelessness has said they can eliminate chronic homelessness by 2017 with their strategy which includes, “ to increase the availability of permanent housing, and helping communities engage and connect with individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.” To get involved, one could follow the steps listed above to help make an important difference in someone's life.
Clearly, homelessness is not something to ignore. Money and lives can be saved if people help the homeless. America can be a safer place knowing that everyone is cared for and loved. Everyone cannot be the same economically, but everyone should be treated with respect. One of a human's needs is shelter and all people deserve it. Homelessness cannot be solved overnight but it can be solved in the near future if everyone does something about it. The next time a homeless person asks for money it will not hurt to give a little of time, food, or money to help their cause. If time is not of the essence, start a conversation with them about something they like and a friend might be made. Be kind and be grateful that you were not dealt a different hand and have shelter. No matter how they look or live, a human is a human and all deserve to live decently under a roof.
Works Cited
"People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness." People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness.
The Interagency Working Group on Ending Chronic Homelessness, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
Rodriguez, Ken. "Young Gifted & Homeless." Sports Illustrated. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.si.com/longform/homeless/>.