I\u2019d like to draw attention right away to the title of this piece. Notice it isn\u2019t entitled \u2018Lessons learned while working with the homeless\u2019. I think the difference here pretty much sums up the entirety of what I\u2019ve learned in my 24 years of working in shelters and drop-in centers in Toronto.<\/p>\n
The difference between referring to \u2018people experiencing homelessness\u2019 as opposed to \u2018the homeless\u2019 is vast. If I simply think of \u2018the homeless\u2019, it is easy to forget the humanity of the individuals being referred to. \u2018The homeless\u2019 implies that the entire curriculum vitae of a whole group of people is that they\u2019re homeless. It doesn\u2019t at all take into account the humanity of each individual in that group.<\/p>\n
If I think of a \u2018person experiencing homelessness\u2019, the emphasis then focuses on their humanity first before their homelessness. This then opens one\u2019s mind to the fact that the person in question is a real human being, with real red blood running through their veins, with real pains and joys, hopes and dreams and disappointments, talents and deficits, family and friends.<\/p>\n
Just like us.<\/strong><\/p>\n Take \u2018Rusty\u2019 for example. I met him many years ago in the drop-in I was running at the time. He was always drunk and could easily be overlooked and underestimated. In fact, he often was. As I got to know him, I learned more about his story. He was brutally abused as a baby and was taken from his home by Children\u2019s Aid. A loving family adopted him before he was even 2-years old but the damage was already done. He was wounded. He began to drink as soon as he could get his hands on alcohol, and never looked back. But every single time I saw him he had the most contagious smile you could ever hope for. And he was very helpful. He gave me a hand around the drop-in with tasks that made running the place a whole lot easier. While he had very little, he always showed extreme gratitude for the things he did have. He had a very encouraging way about him and became a valued friend to me.<\/span><\/p>\n Rusty was one of many \u2018people experiencing homelessness\u2019 who taught me that you can\u2019t judge a book by its cover. Each person I\u2019ve met over the years has their own story, their own value, and their own contribution to this world. Each one of my street friends has enriched my life in ways I never imagined possible before I got into this work. I\u2019ve come to a place of truly understanding that it\u2019s not about \u2018us\u2019 and them\u2019 at all. It\u2019s just \u2018us\u2019, and we\u2019re in this thing called life together.<\/span><\/p>\n And for that I\u2019m truly thankful for the privilege I have of working alongside folks who have ended up experiencing homelessness, no matter what they look or smell like, what they may or may not have done, or where they’ve come from.<\/p>\n