Today I saw things that made me want to cry. I wanted to cry for Bread and Roses, the guests I work with, and all who come through out doors. How can the problems of homelessness and substance abuse ever be helped when the outside world just makes fun of the odors, behaviors, and speech?

When I was on the bus today, A couple that come into BRAC regularly boarded. She sat down next to me and told me about this cool bag of clothes she got at the senior center goodwill for only a dollar. (she's not a senior) Then she went on to show me her new slippers and tell me that she was getting read to go to treatment up in Bremerton. Then we got onto talking about counselors/psychiatrists. She was telling me how ticked off she gets when they just listen to her. She was saying how she wanted them to take what she was saying and tell her how to fix things, at least give her ideas.

Anyway, it just made me sad when these two deboarded the bus and the bus driver and another passenger said something about the stench in that way, you know what they're thinking about those two dirty homeless people that just got off the bus that smelled like stink and alcohol. These people have issues because of people like the bus driver and the passenger thinking their better than them. These people need help and listening ears. They know (most of them) that they have problems. Have you ever stopped to ask a person that you know gets drunk frequently or has mental issues, what caused them? Why are you having such a hard time?

I just wished people saw more than a stinky body taking up space.These are real people with real needs. When these needs are met these people can be really productive and use their talents.

I know i don't know the whole story, but i do know that these people suffer through hell on a daily, even hourly basis. They get treated like crap, like they don't exist, they get pushed aside. They get told that there is atleast a 1 year wait list minimum to get into housing and off the streets. For a section 8 voucher, the waitlist is about 3 years. Even that doesn't always help. Several apartments are illegally refusing to take section 8 vouchers or have such long wait lists that by the time a person can even get into a place their voucher has expired. For cooked meals they can mostly go to the Union Gospel Mission, which, they have to listen to a prayer service before they can eat. These are the people that go into churches and get turned away because they stink or whatever their problem is. Then their's Salvation Army, or Sally's as the familiar call it. They are the most common option because you don't have to do anything to get food. However, I've heard that a meal there has consisted of a roll with gravy and some carrot sticks or something similar. It's not good. I've heard that there arefeces in the showers and that it's so dirty there. I've heard that there are people that go about their drugs and alcohol abuse while there. i've heard that the kitchen isn't cleaned all that regularly. i've heard that they turn people away that only have a tribal ID, families with young children had to sleep outside in a car when it was below freezing outside. Apart from meals, sally's opens for women at 5 and 9 for men. I'm working with a young man who just got out of prison a couple days ago. He couldn't even stand Sally's. You'd think prison would be worse than a shelter right?

What is wrong with everyone that they'd rather criticize these people than help them? I know they're not pretty, most don't have very much education and they have substance abuse issues. So what. We all have our demons. This world would be such a better place to live if people looked each other in the eye and even just smiled at the person, insead of ignoring everyone. If people gave more instead of buying all sorts of stuff that they don't need. You want a new IPOD and camera phone, well gee, I know people that want a monthly bus pass so they can job search and get to appointments without having to ask for a bus pass every day, I know people that want to take a 20 minute shower once in a while, in private. The YMCA just isn't the same as having a nice warm shower all to yourself. I know people that want to have clean clothes whenever they want instead of hurrying in on Monday's to get a laundry voucher before they're all gone.

I'm not saying i'm perfect and I'm not saying that everyone else is the devil....it's just I wish people cared more, and not even that, that they did something to help someone less fortunate than them. I listen to stories every day that break my heart.

When you see a need, meet it. Don't ignore it. And please, don't make fun of it!