My unhoused friend, Harold

Harold and I became friends not too long ago when I was assigned a history assignment. I was supposed to serve my community in any way I desired. I didn't brainstorm for a long time before I knew what I wanted to do; I created a plan for how I could talk with some homeless people, and within two weeks, I was out in the streets looking for an unhoused person who would like to chat with me.

Honesty, I was a little insecure and anxious that my approach somehow wouldn't be appreciated in a good way. I was scared I would be seen as a privileged little white girl who liked to pry into vulnerable people's lives- which obviously wasn't the case! I wanted to chat with a homeless person and learn about their experiences with homelessness.

After walking around in circles trying to overcome my anxiety, I finally bucked up and approached an elderly black homeless man. I introduced myself to the man, and he smiled and introduced himself as Harold. Harold invited me to sit down next to him, which I did. He was smoking a cigarette while answering some of my questions. I asked him if he could tell me how people became homeless, and he said ‘’A big factor in homelessness is lack of employment but also lack of life.’’ Harold's answers were beautiful and thoughtful; he was very kind and genuinely listened to what I had to say.

I asked Harold what he would need to get out of homelessness- or even just get in a better place mentally. ‘’If the government could spare more money for us, we can have more opportunities because the money that is spared for us right now has no outcome; it's insignificant. Some of us also need medical care, which we cannot get,’’ he told me about how he had a disability in his back, which made it almost impossible for him to move. He told me he could get some help at the hospital, but it was not enough. I wish the US had a better healthcare system…

A woman drove past us, giving us a mean look. Harold told me how he and his friends are discriminated against, and violent fights also break sometimes because "if the police come with violence, they're gonna get a reaction, but if you sit down and have a casual conversation as we have right now, then the reaction will be positive!" he said. Harold looked over his shoulder to his friend, who was lying on the ground, "You see, you can't bring violence to these people." Harold said. Harold explained that the guy lying on the ground was an excellent example of a lack of life, which is ironic because Harold told me the guy was a former federal judge.

I had never had a conversation with a homeless person before, so I gained a lot from talking to Harold. Harold taught me that homeless people are people just like upper-class people; a homeless person deserves the same treatment that another person deserves.

I realize our society wouldn’t work out if everybody were equal financially, but I believe discrimination and disgusting treatment don’t do any good. Homelessness does nothing good to our society, so I cannot see the logic in ignoring homeless people's needs.

I often read reviews of shelters where the faculty is treated horribly, which means fewer workers and caretakers, which then equals worse treatment of the homeless people. After talking to Harold, I learned that the government's work doesn’t help much. I’m thankful for food banks and medical centers that do significant work, but is it enough? What can we do to significantly reduce homelessness?