Letter | Homeless need spark of hope

Published 4:11 pm Tuesday, February 17, 2015

What do you think when you see a homeless person? Do you think, “Oh, they must be a drunkard, a druggie or a criminal?”

Let me just say that society has taught us to look at them that way. Most people don’t see the actual person behind the homeless face.

I ask that you read this through. Just because a person does not have a home does not mean that they are a bad person. People become homeless for a variety of reasons and circumstances.

Let me give you some examples: A person who was working and buying a home suddenly lost their job and is now unable to pay the bills; a family who moved to get away from a bad situation, put on waiting list after waiting list for housing; a person who went through a divorce and lost everything; a child who was raised on the streets and is now an adult but does not know what a home is; the person who works beside you every day but is unable to afford rent.

These are only a few examples of people who are homeless due to circumstances. These people are not bad, just homeless.

These people have been beaten down and looked down upon by society, yet they still try to hold their heads up and keep going.

There are times when they feel like there is no hope and some start to go down the wrong path. For those people, sometimes a smile, an encouraging word or acceptance is all it takes to give them a spark of hope, to continue and find the strength to keep looking ahead, get back on their feet and not go down the wrong path.

So the next time you see a homeless person, don’t judge them, for you do not know their story. Maybe give a smile or encouraging word. You might just give them that spark of hope.

And remember, circumstances can change on a dime for anyone, and tomorrow that homeless person could be your sister, brother, parent, child or even you yourself.

Bobbi Ehly

Snoqualmie